Assessment of osteoporosis in psoriasis with and without arthritis: correlation with disease severity

To assess osteoporosis in psoriatic and psoriatic arthritis [PsA] patients, by dual energy x ray absorptiometry [DEXA], and measuring serum osteoprotegrin [OPG] level, and to correlate findings with the extent of both skin and joint manifestations. Fifty psoriatic patients [16 of them had arthritis] were assessed by psoriasis area and severity index [PASI]. Total joint score was used to assess joint manifestations in PsA patients. DEXA were done for all patients and 20 healthy controls. Laboratory assessment of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum calcium, rheumatoid factor, and OPG was done. Fifty OPG level was significantly increased in both psoriatic and PsA patients in comparison to controls. However, PsA patients had more significant osteoporosis in neck of femur and wrist as detected by DEXA. In PsA patients, total joint score was positively correlated with disease duration and extent of skin involvement [area score of PASI] and negatively correlated with Z score of femur. Psoriatic patients with or without arthritis could suffer from osteoporosis as evidenced by significantly increased OPG. Prolonged and extensive cutaneous disease is an important risk factor for the development and severity of PsA

Effect of melatonin with vitamin E or verapamil on kainate-induced lipid peroxidation in rat brain

This work aimed to study the in vivo protective effect of melatonin [Mel] alone or in combination with either vitamin E [Vit E] or verapamil [Ver] against lipid peroxidation that induced by kainic acid [KA] in rat brain. KA was given in a single dose of either 5 mg/kg [LoKA] or 10 mg/kg [HiKA]. Mel [10 mg/kg] was injected three times every eight hours before KA administration. Vit E [200 mg/kg] or Ver [10 mg/kg] was injected once daily for seven days before KA. The protective effect of their combination with Mel was tested. The whole brain malondialdehyde [MDA] was assessed as an index of lipid peroxidation as well as the antioxidants; namely, glutathione peroxidase activity [GProx] and reduced glutathione [GSH]. It was shown that KA increased brain MDA content and GProx activity, while GSH level was decreased, and these effects were more pronounced with HiKA