sE-selectin, glycated haemoglobin [HbA[1c]] and Microalbuminuria as markers for diabetic retinopathy

Diabetes mellitus [DM] is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycaemia, defects in insulin secretion or both. Diabetic retinopathy [DR] is a one of the late complications of DM. Adhesion molecules [including sE-selectin] may have a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy [DR] E-selectin are extracellular matrix proteins that attract leucocytes from the circulation, expressed on the cell surface and are shed into the plasma. Thus, sE-selectin plasma concentration may representative for endothelial activation, damage and turnover. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of sE-seleclin in typel DM patients with or without retinopathy and to evaluate the relationship between sE-selectin and Glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] and microalbuminuria and also, with correlation to duration and control of DM. Study was performed on 80 individuals divided into 4 groups: G1; 20 healthy control, G2; 20 patients with [IDDM]. With no DR: G3; 20 patients [IDDM] with NPDR and G4; 20 Patients [IDDM] with PDR. The study results showed the following findings: increased FBS, Glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c], microalbuminuria in diabetic patients [more in NPDR, PDR] than those control group and those without DR sE-selectin were raised in diabetic patients than control group. Also, sE-selectin were raised in diabetic patients with DR compared to those without DR Also, sE-selectin appeared to be related HbA1c levels

Maternal plasma leptin concentration in pre eclampsia and its correlation with fetal cord concentration

Leptin is a 16KD a polypeptide hormone originally assumed to be produced only by adipose cells. It has an important role in reproduction. During pregnancy, maternal serum leptin concentrations are greater than those non pregnant women. Pre eclampsia is a serious complication diagnosed by hypertension, proteinuria and edema, Pre eclampsia is associated with dramatically enhanced plasma leptin, In this study that was carried out in Al Azhar University Maternal Hospital on 40 pregnant women that were classified into 2 groups: Pre eclampsia and Normal control pregnant women. The 2 groups are matched to each other with respect to gestational age of the fetus at sampling, and BMI. The study showed that there was no significance difference between 2 groups with respect to either BMI or gestational age but with great significant statistical difference in birth weight between the infants of women with pre eclampsia [2718,75 +/- 117.74 gms] and those of normal pregnant women [3376.0 +/- 130,72 gms]. There were significance statistical difference of maternal plasma leptin-between 2 groups before delivery [44.99 +/- 10.0 ng/ml in pre eclamptic group and 34,9 +/- 9.34 ng/ml in normal pregnant group]. The leptin concentration was [5.5 +/- 1.7 ng/ml] [NV 2.5 - 8.5] in cord blood infants of the women with pre eclampsia but its concentration was 6.6 4/- 2.04 ng/ml] [NV 3.2 - 9.5 ng/ml] for normal pregnant women. There was strong positive correlation between maternal leptin and cord leptin concentration for women with pre eclampsia but not for normal pregnant women, in conclusion, the study has shown that, independent of the maternal BMI, the maternal leptin concentration increases in pre eclampsia and positively correlates with the cord blood leptin concentration

Estimation of urinary transforming growth factor beta - 1 levelsin patients with chronic active hepatitis c virus and liver cirrhosis

This study included 21 patients with chronic active hepatitis C virus [CAM. CV] Group I and 18 patients with liver cirrhosis group II, both proved by liver biopsy. Only patient with normal serum creatinine were included in this study, and urinary creatinine was used to normalize the urinary TGF - B1 level.Twenty healthy individuals of comparable age and sex constituted the control group.This study showed that the urinary TGF-BI level was significantly higher in group 1[5.52 +/- 6.63ng/mg creatinine] than in the control group [0.185 +/- 0.15 ng.mg creatinine] ,with P value < 0.001 . As regards the Histological Activity Index [HAI], there was a significant difference between urinary level of TGF-Bi in patients with mild disease [2.8 +/- 2.4 ng/rng creatinine] and those with moderate to marked disease [11.3 +/- 8.5 ng/mg creatinine] with P value <0.05 . Urinary level of TGF-BI was also significantly higher in group II [3.45 +/- 4.18 ng/mg creatinine] than in the control group [0.185 +/- 0.15 ng/mg creatinine] with P value < 0.001. It was also higher in cirrhoticpatients with Child - B to C [9.3 +/- 4.8 ng/mg creatinine] than in those with Child - A [1.81 +/- 1.86 ng/ing creatinine] with P value < 0.05 .In conclusion, urinary TGF - B1 level may be used as a marker for hepatic fibrogenesis , and a higher urinary TGF - Bl levels correlate with more severe liver disease