Significance of circulating intercellular adhesion molecules [sICAM-1] and thrombopoietin [TPO] in hepatitis C vinis related liver cirrhosis

Chronic hepatitis C is a major health problem that causes mortality in the worldwide distribution. The systemic levels of many soluble adhesion molecules and cytokines are altered in autoimmune diseases and liver infection. Among mediators that show altered serum levels are sICAM-1 expressed by immunocompetent cells and thrombopoitin [TPO]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum sICAM and TPO and their correlations with clinical and laboratory data in patients with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. 40 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. They were subjected to the following investigations: complete blood picture, liver and kidney functions, prothrombin time[PT], abdominal sonography and estimation of serum TPO and sICAM-1. Compared to controls, the patients group showed significant increase in spleen size [P<0.025], portal vein diameter [P<0.0025], ALT, AST, bilirubin, sICAM-1 [P<0.0005], and PT [P<0.05]. However there was significant decrease in serum albumin levels [P<0.01], platelets count [P<0.0005], RBCs count, haemoglobin concentrations [P<0.025] and serum TPO levels [P<0.0025]. The serum creatinine levels and WBCS count showed insignificant changes with control. The serum TPO levels were negatively correlated to ALT [r=-0.97, P<0.0001], PT [r=-0.96, P<0.0001], spleen size [r=-0.95, P<0.0001], and portal vein diameter [r=-0.96, P<0.0001] and positively correlated to platelets [r=0.84, P<0.0005]. While serum sICAM-l were positively correlated to ALT [r=0.99, P<0.0001], PT [r=0.94, P<0.0005], spleen size [r=0.95, P<0.0001], and portal vein diameter [r=0.85, P<0.005] and negatively correlated to platelets count [r=-0.7l, P<0.005]. Our results suggested that impaired synthesis of TPO by cirrhotic liver may contribute to the development of thrombocytopenia and related to liver cirrhosis together with increased splenic sequestration of platelets by the enlarged spleen. So recombinant human TPO should be evaluated in the treatment of thrombocytopenia in HCV-related cirrhosis. In addition, sICAM-1 elevation in plasma of patients suffering from HCV-related cirrhosis was related to the degree of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. So, sICAM-1 may be used as a marker of the disease activity and may provide diagnostic and prognostic information. However this needs to be further studied to detect the cut off level of sICAM-1 in Egyptian HCV-related liver cirrhosis

Increased production of vascular endothelial growth factor and some other cytokines in serum and ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

The aim of this study was to determine serum and ascetic fluid vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], tumor necrosis factor- alpha [TNF-alpha], interleukin-6 [IL-6] and endotoxin, in cirrhotic patients and to search for a relationship between them and SBP. This study was performed on 40 cirrhotic patients with SBP, their ages ranged from 35 to 60 years, with mean of 47.5 +/- 11.6 years, 40 cirrhotic patients with non-infected ascites their ages ranged from 22 to 50 years, with mean of 34.5 +/- 6.5 years and 20 healthy control subjects with matched age and sex. From the results obtained it was concluded that VEGF, IL-6, TNF-alpha and endotoxin in the serum and ascetic fluid may become useful markers for diagnosis of SBP and for monitoring the treatment of cirrhotic patients

Effect of oral administeration of molybdenum in rats

At a trial for the assessment of different changes may occur in man by chronic administration of molybdenum, this study was carried to evaluate the toxic effect of long administration of molybdenum on rat's liver, kidney, thyroid gland and testis. The liver enzymatic activities, alkaline phosphatase[ALP], alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST] were determined in the serum. The toxic effect on kidney was studied through determination of urea, creatinine and uric acid. Also this work evaluated the toxic effect of molybdenum on metabolism and growth by estimation of plasma level of thyroid hormones[T3, T4] and TSH of the pituitary gland. On the other hand the toxic effect was estimated on testis by estimation of testosterone hormone to evaluate its effect on the fertility. The used rats were divided into two groups. The first group[10 rats] served as control were administered orally 1 mI of 0.9%Nacl/day, while the other group [30 rats] were administered orally ammonium molybdate [50 mg/kg/day] for 12 weeks. The group administered ammonium molybdate showed a haematological changes in the form of significant reduction in HB concentration, haematocrit value and erythrocytic count [P<0.01]. Also a significant increase in both total and differential leucocytic count was observed compared to control group. The biochemical study showed a significant elevation in serum level of liver enzymes AST, ALT [P<0.01] and AP [P<0.001] as well as bilirubin [P<0.01]. The kidney function tests showed a significant. increase of blood urea [P<0.0005], serum creatinine [P<0.05] and serum uric acid [P<0.001]. The serum level of thyroid hormones[T3 and T4] and TSH level showed a significant increase [P<0.01], while Testosterone level was significantly decreased [P<0.001] compaired to the control one. The histological examination of the liver revealed hepatic cell degeneration and polymorph-nuclear leucocytic infiltration and increase the collagen fibers around the portal tract .The kidney showed glomerular, tubular degeneration and necrosis. While the Testis showed testicular cell degeneration of Leydig cells and degeneration of basement membrane of seminiferous tubules. It was concluded that prolonged administration of ammoniurn molybdate caused growth retardation, depression action, male infertility, and degenerative changes of kidney, liver and testis

Activities of antioxidant enzymes in bronchial asthma

This work was designed to study the activity of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPX] and glutathione reductase [GR]] in human erythrocytes of blood samples. A total of 24 nonsmoker asthmatic patients and 12 nonsmoker healthy control subjects [their ages ranged 25-65 years] was investigated. The antioxidant enzymes [SOD, GPX and GR] levels were assayed by an automated method. The results showed that there was a non significant decrease in SOD and GPX activities, while GR was reduced significantly in the asthmatic patients when compared with the controls

comparative-study on enzymatic changes in the serum and synovial fluid at early post-mortem period

In this study, postmortem blood and synovial fluid samples were taken from 50 cadavers, from Zeinhom's mortuary. Their medico-legal reports were revised thoroughly to obtain the precise time of death. Serum and synovial fluid samples were analyzed and the levels of the following enzymes were estimated. Alkaline phosphatase [Alk. Ph], Aspartate aminotransferase [AST] Alanine aminotransferse [ALT] and Lactate dehydrogenaze [LDH]. Postmortem serum and synovial fluid samples were grouped according to postmortem interval [the time of samples withdrawal in the first twelve hours ostmortem]. This study showed that the values of Alk. Ph. AST, ALT and LDH increased progressively until 12 hours P.M. It was observed that, there was no significant difference between the mean enzyme levels in the serum and synovial fluid. It is suggested that the mean enzyme levels in the synovial fluid can be used to predict their levels in the serum with much reliability. Moreover, synovial fluid can be easily obtained and does not generate cosmetic problems. It is concluded that synovial fluid analysis can provide useful information in autopsy cases in which suitable blood or urine specimens can not be obtained