Study of sputum level of interleukin-8 in COPD patients

The present study was conducted to assess the characteristics of airway inflammation in patients with COPD by measuring the sputum level of IL-8. Eighty subjects were included in this study. 40 patients with COPD, 30 patients with bronchial asthma and 10 healthy control. All of studied groups were subjected to full history, ventilatory pulmonary function tests and measurement of IL-8 in sputum supernant by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. The study elucidated significant higher level of IL-8 in COPD patients than in bronchial asthma patients or in the control subjects. There was significant negative correlation between sputum level of IL-8 and pulmonary function parameters. Also it was found that EFV1% was the only parameter of pulmonary function test which could significantly predict the sputum level of IL-8. It is concluded that IL-8 may serve as a marker in evaluation of the severity of airway inflammation and its sputum level was closely related to the severity of airway obstruction in COPD patients

Evaluation of tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha], soluble P-selectin [sP-selectin], gammaglutamyl transferase [GGT], Glutathione S-tranferase Pi [GST-Pi] and alphafetoprotein [AFP] in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma before and during chemotherapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] is an environmentally related cancer, with both viral and chemical carcinogens involved in multistage process. Up now, it is difficult to detect the asymptomatic precursor lesions in early stages of HCC. Therefore, the majority of HCC patients are not amenable to curative therapy as they are detected at late stages. To evaluate the significance of TNFa, sP-selectin, GOT, GST-Pi and AFP in the diagnosis and follow up of HCC patients during chemotherapy with adriamycin, 45 subjects were studied [15 healthy volunteers as control group, 15 with benign liver diseases [SHF], and 15 HCC patients before and during chemotherapy [3 cycles of intravenous adriamycin]. HCC patients had significantly higher serum level of TNF alpha, sP-selectin, GGT, GST-Pi and AFP. Serum levels of GGT and GST-Pi were significantly higher in HCC patients with poorly differentiated tumors than in patients with well and moderately differentiated tumors. Treatment with adriamycin for three cycles forced a significant decrease in TNF alpha, sP-selectin and GST-Pi. We conclude that GST-Pi is superior as a diagnostic and may be a prognostic marker in HCC patients