Melatonin, the hormone of the pineal body: its role as an endogenous biological marker in major depression and breast cancer

The present study was designed to assess the relation of melatonin to two important pathological conditions namely; major depression [MD] and breast cancer [BC], with the intention of evaluating its role as an endogenous biological marker of both conditions and its potential clinical significance in follow-up of such cases. For this purposes 50 female patients with major depression [20 patients before treatment and 30 patients under treatment] in addition to 73 female patients with breast cancer [28 in stages I and II : early BC; 25 in stages III and IV late BC and 20 after radical mastectomy] were chosen for assessment of the serum melatonin levels. Nocturnal blood samples were collected from the MD group. whereas morning samples were collected from the BC group. Results were compared to those of an age-matched control group consisting of 20 healthy females. Nocturnal serum melatonin levels were significantly decreased in MD patients before the start of therapy as compared to the control group [P < 0.0001]. Meanwhile, the results of patients under antidepressant therapy [monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants] showed no significant difference from the control group [P>0.05]. In cases of cancer breast, morning serum melatonin levels were significantly decreased in the early stages of the disease [P<0.0001], but became significantly elevated with progress of cancer and the occurrence of metastasis [P<0.0001]. Following radical mastectomy, the level of melatonin was insignificantly different from the control group [P >0.05]. Hence, we can conclude that decreased nocturnal melatonin could be considered an endogenous marker of major depressive illness, with such a decrease being masked by antidepressant therapy. Meanwhile, morning melatonin levels are of value in assessment and staging of breast cancer as well as post-operative follow-up of these patients. hopefully, aiming at early detection of recurrence

Improved resolution of liver and bone alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes using wheat germ lectin or neuraminidase pretreatment with the introduction of some technical modifications

This study aims to establish a routine reliable electrophoresis method with improved separation of liver and bone alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes, which allows for their quantitation. Modifications of the already available techniques will also be studied. Samples were collected from patients with liver diseases [n = 26], with bone diseases and from children [n = 24] and from pregnant females in the third trimester [n = 10]. Control sera containing liver and intestinal isoenzymes were also used. Samples were subjected to liver function tests, calcium and phosphorus determination, cellulose acetate electrophoresis : ordinary, with germ wheat lectin and with neuraminidase pretreatment. Agarose gel electrophoresis was done with and without lectin. Samples were also subjected to sequential heat inactivation. Results showed that cellulose acetate electro-phoresis gave better separation of liver and bone fractions when done with germ wheat lectin or when samples were pretreated with neuraminidase. Several modifications were suggested to improve the technique. Agarose gel affinity electrophoresis [i.e., with lectin] gave the best separation of liver and bone isoenzymes into sharply defined bands. Sequential heat inactivation was tedious and needed scrupulous control of time and temperature. It overestimated the liver isoenzyme due to inclusion of biliary and intestinal fractions in its estimation. Excellent correlation was found between the different methods used for both bone and liver isoenzymes, Biliary isoenzyme was best separated by ordinary electrophoresis whether on cellulose acetate or agarose gel. Placental isoenzyme separation required preheating the sample at 65°C for 10 minutes to destroy the bone fraction which had the same migration mobility as placental isoenzyme. It was concluded that agarose affinity gel electrophoresis gave the sharpest and clearest separation of liver and bone fractions. On the other hand, cellulose acetate electrophoresis was less expensive, more sensitive and precise. Both methods were more suitable than the heat separation analysis method

Apolipoprotein B and other lipid parameters in coronary atherosclerosis

92 patients undergoing coronary angiography, in the cardiology Department of Ain Shams University Hospital. were chosen. According to the results of the angiogram, patients were divided into control group, with normal patent coronary arteries and patient group with atherosclerosis in one or more coronary arteries. To exclude the effect of non lipid risk factors, the paired "t" test was applied to match pairs of patients and controls. Results showed that apo B, TC, LDL-C and B lipoprotein were significantly higher in patient group than in control group; whereas, HDL-C, and a lipoprotein were significantly lower. The ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C were significantly increased in the patient group. To assess the relation of the studied parameters to the severity of the condition, the patient group was further subdivided into a group of moderate atherosclerosis, with lesions in one or two coronary arteries and severe atherosclerosis with lesions in three or more coronary arteries. Comparing both groups together, and to the control group, it was found that apo B was the only parameter, which showed significant difference between both groups. We concluded that apo B had a much better predictive value in relation to CAD risk. It is the only parameter, which is related to the severity of the atherosclerotic process