Effect of percutaneous translumminal coronrary angioplasty on endothelin level

the endothelins are a family of three isopeptides that are extremely potent vasoconstrictors both in vivo and in vitro. The development of sensitive assays has allowed the measurement of the low concentrations of endothelin in plasma. A preliminary study on the release of ET-1 after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty [PTCA] provided neither a control group nor a time course after PCTA. This study was designed to evaluate the time course of ET-1 release in the coronary vascular bed of patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing PTCA. Fifteen patients in sinus rhythm with ischemic heart disease [Canadian Cardiovascular Association class II to III] with mean age [45 +/- 3.5 years] underwent first time coronary angiography, which showed one or more vessel disease [stenosis ranging from 70% to 90%]. ET immuno-reactivity was measured in paried samples of coronary venous blood and peripheral venous blood. The samples were drawn before PTCA and just after the final ballon inflation 10, 30 min PTCA from a peripheral vein. plasma endothelin level in the coronary sinus was significantly increased from 4.2 +/- 1.2 pg / ml to 11.5 +/- 1.9 pg / ml after PTCA [P=0.0001]. these results suggest that the increase of plasma endothelin level in the coronary sinus may be associated with the coronary endothelial injury by PTCA

Serum interleukin-6, immunoglobulin-E levels and eosinophil count in children with atopy

The cytokine cascade involved in IgE production has implications in allergic inflammation. For this purpose, changes in IL-6 and IgE levels and eosinophilic count were evaluated in sixty children with atopy. They included thirty patients with atopic dermatitis [AD], and thirty with bronchial asthma [BA]. Twenty age- matched apparently healthy children were chosen as control group. The mean serum IL-6 Level was significantly higher in AD [18.85 +/- 17.79 Pg/ml] and BA [45 +/- 38.79 Pg/ml] than the control group [10.28 +/- 7.02 Pg/ml], [p<0.01 and <0.001 respectively]. Higher values for IgE and eosinophil count were also demonstrated among AD [681.9 +/- 555.79 Iu/ml] and [0.69 +/- 0.5 count x 10[2]/L] and BA [2122.9 +/- 1636.86 Iu/ml] and [0.52 +/- 0.38 count x 10[2]/L] as compared to controls [75 +/- 23.8 Iu/ml] and [0.15 +/- 0.11 count x 10[2]/L], [P<0.001 for both]. In addition, serum IL-6 and IgE values were significantly higher in BA than AD group [P<0.01 and <0.001 respectively]. Correlation studies revealed a highly significant positive correlation between serum IL-6 and IgE in both AD [r = 0.79] and BA [r = 0.76] groups, [P<0.001 for both]. Furthermore, among AD group, IL-6 and IgE levels differed grossly with the degree of severity of the disease. By using Z-score, IgE level was the most sensitive estimated parameter to discriminate AD and BA from control group. IL-6 was the second one in BA, while eosinophilic count was the second discriminative parameter in AD. We concluded that IL-6 may be used a sensitive marker of disease activity, beside its possible role in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis

Histopathological and immunohistochemical study of human papilloma virus infected skin

Skin specimens from twenty cases of different types of non-venereal warts [common, planter, and filiform warts] and 5 cases of venereal warts were included in this study. In addition eleven specimens of normal individuals were included as control [6 specimens from exposed sites and 5 from unexposed sites. All the patients and controls were clinically examined. The specimens. were prepared for conventional histopathological and immunohistochemical procedures for detection of HLA-DR expression by using Histostain Kit [Zymed Laboratories Inc.]. Our results revealed a highly significant decrease of HLA-DR positive Langerhans' cells [LCs] in cases of non venereal warts when compared to the control specimens obtained from exposed sites [P < 0.001]. Biopsies of venereal warts showed significant increase of HLA-DR positive LCs in comparison to non venereal warts [P < 0.001] but, showed significant decrease in comparison to the control biopsies from non-exposed sites [P < 0.001]. Keratinocytes showed negative reaction to HLA-DR in the control groups, while in non-venereal warts they showed positivity in 10 out of 20 cases [50%] and in the venereal warts they showed positivity in 4 out of 5 cases [80%]. Dermal dendrocytes showed increased reactivity to HLA-DR in both wart groups in comparison to the controls. The endothelial cells of the blood vessels were negative for HLA-DR. Study of the inflammatory components in the lesions revealed infrequent HLA-DR positive lymphocytes intermixed with strongly positive macrophages in both wart groups. In conclusion, human papilioma virus infection of the skin is associated with decrease in the number of HLA-DR positive LCs while keratinocytes and macrophages abnormally showed positive expression. Decline in HLA-DR positive LCs probably reflects LCs migration out of the epidermis and entry into regional lymph nodes leading to antigen presentation and activation of T cells. Interestingly cytoplasmic pigmentation [melanosomes] was undetectable or absent in the basal cell layer at the sites of endophytic wart growth. Human papilloma virus probably blocks the transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to infected keratinocytes