Plasma concentration of osteopontin [OPN] in children with systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship with disease activity

Osteopontin [OPN] is an important bone matrix mediator found to have key roles in inflammation and immunity. OPN is a cytokine which can play a number of roles in promoting activation of T lymphocyte, regulating balance between T-helper 1 and T-helper 2, participating in cell-induced immunologic response and stimulating B lymphocyte to express multi-clone antibodies. Overexpression of OPN has been associated with the development of the autoimmune/lymphoproliferative syndrome. The aim of our present study was to analyze the possible correlation between the plasma concentration of OPN and disease activity in children with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [SLE]. We also investigated the correlation between plasma IL-18 and OPN concentrations to further confirm the association of OPN with disease activity. We measured the plasma concentration of OPN, and the plasma proinflammatory IL-18 concentration in 40 SLE patients with or without renal disease [RSLE group and SLE group, respectively] and in 30 sex-and age-matched controls using enzyme immunoassay. Plasma OPN concentrations were significantly higher in RSLE and SLE patients than in the controls [p=0.000 and p=0.002]. Increase in OPN concentration correlated positively and significantly with SLE disease activity index in all SLE patients [r=0.34; p=0.04]. In RSLE patients, plasma OPN concentration showed a significant positive correlation with proinflammatory cytokine IL-18 concentration [r=0.48; p=0.004]. In conclusion, The above results suggest that the production of OPN is associated with the inflammatory process and SLE development, and may serve as a potential disease marker of SLE

Serum levels of ghrelin, tumor necrosis factor-A [TNF- A], and lnterleukin-6 [IL-6] in infants and children with congenital heart disease

Ghrelin increases food intake, body weight, and growth hormone secretion. The cause of growth retardation in congenital heart disease [CHD] is multifactorial. The aim of this study was to estimate serum levels of ghrelin, tumor necrosis factor-a [TNF-alpha], and interleukin-6 [IL-6] ih infants and children with CHD, compared with levels in age-matched controls, and to correlate the levels ofghrelin with TNF- alpha, and IL-6. We measured serum ghrelin, TNF- alpha and IL 6 levels using ELISA in 60 patients with CHD [40 acyanotic and 20 cyanotic] and in 20 control subjects. Our results showed that patients with CHD, whether compiled in one group or classified into acyanotic and cyanotic, had significantly higher serum ghrelin TNF- alpha, and IL-6 than controls [p = 0.000]. Serum levels of ghrelin and TNF- alpha in the acyanotic patients were significantly higher than in the cyanotic patients [p = 0.000]. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in serum levels of IL-6 between the acyanotic and the cyanotic patients [p = 0.126]. In acyanotic and cyanotic patients with CHD, there was a positive correlation between ghrelin and TNF- alpha [r = 0.424; p = 0.006 and r = 0.577; p = 0.008, resp.]. Ghrelin levels were not correlated with IL-6 in the acyanotic and cyanotic patients with CHD [r = -0.211; p = 0.216 and r = -0.341; p = 0.08, resp.]. Serum ghrelin, TNF- alpha, and IL-6 levels are elevated in patients with CHD whether acyanotic or cyanotic. Increased ghrelin levels represent malnutrition and growth retardation in these patients. The relation of ghrelin with TNF- alpha may be explained by the possible effect of chronic congestive heart failure and chronic shunt hypoxemia

Serum levels of resistin in asthmatic children

Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of childhood. Macrophages play an important role in the inflammatory process in asthma. Human resistin predominantly present in macrophages. The aim of this study is to determine the serum level of resistin in asthmatic children. The study included 60 children, 45 with asthma and 15 healthy children as controls. They were selected from Chest Disease Clinic and inpatients ward of Department of Pediatrics, Suzan Moubarak Hospital for Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, El-Minia University. Asthmatic children were divided into mild intermittent, mild persistent, and moderate persistent asthma groups. Serum resistin level was assayed by ELIZA technique. The results showed significant higher serum level of resistin in all asthmatic children compared with control group [P < 0.000]. Also there were significant higher levels in mild persistent and moderate persistent asthma compared with control group [P < 0.001] while the difference between mild intermittent asthma and control group was not significant [p > 0.05]. There were significant differences among levels of serum resistin in asthmatic groups with higher level in the more severe groups [P < 0.001]. In all asthmatic children, there was significant positive correlation between serum level of resistin and peripheral blood eosinophils [PBE] count [r = 0.83, p < 0.0001] while significant negative correlation with percentage of predicted value of both FEV[1] and PEF [r = -0.89 and 0.88 respectively, both ps < 0.0001]. There was no relation between resistin serum level and the serum level of lgE in all asthmatic children [r = 0.24, p < 0.1]. We concluded that the serum level of resistin is increased in asthmatic children compared with control. Serum resistin levels increase with increasing disease severity of asthma. Resistin may play a role in inflammatory process in asthmatic children but has no role in allergic reaction in atopic asthma

Serum ghrelin level in epileptic children

The relation between epilepsy and endocrine system is very important as neuroendocrinological studies on epileptic seizures elucidate part of the mechanisms of the brain function underlying epilepsy. Ghrelin is a growth hormone secretagogue secreted primarily by stomach cells with lesser amounts secreted by other cells. The aim of this study is to compare serum ghrelin level in epileptic children with control group. The study included 40 children with epilepsy and 12 healthy children as controls. They were selected from Neurologic Clinic and inpatient ward of Pediatric Department, Suzan Moubarak Hospital for Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, El-Rflinia University. Epileptic children were divided into partial or generalized epilepsy and both of them divided according receiving valproate therapy or not started antiepileptic drugs [AED] therapy. Serum level of ghrelin was estimated by ELIZA technique. The study showed that all epileptic children had significantly higher serum ghrelin level than that of the control group [p < 0.001]. All children with partial epilepsy had significantly higher level of ghrelin than those with generalized epilepsy [p < 0.01]. There were insignificant difference between the level of serum ghrelin in all epileptic children under valproate therapy and those don't started any AED therapy. Also no significant differences among both generalized and partial epilepsy under valproate therapy than the levels in epileptic children of both groups not under AED therapy [p > 0.05]. We conclude that ghrelin level increase in all epileptic children and in both generalized and partial epileptic groups when compared with control. Also there was significant higher level in partial epileptic children than the level in generalized epileptic children. There was no effect of valproate therapy on the levels of serum ghrelin in both partial and generalized epileptic children

Adrenomedullin and nitric oxide levels in human milk of preeclamptic lactating mothers

Nitric oxide [NO] and adrenomedullin [ADM] are potent vasodilators synthesized in the vascular endothelium and they have an important role in control of vascular tonus. NO and ADM are involved in the regulation of fetoplacental circulation in human pregnancy. Preeclampsia increases the risk of intrauterine growth restriction and low birth weight. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of ADM and NO in plasma, colostrum and mature milk of preeclamptic lactating mothers with those levels in healthy normotensive lactating mothers. This study included 18 preeclamptic lactating mothers [Group I] and 10 healthy lactating Mothers as controls [Group II]. All lactating mothers wore chosen from Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and from Department of Pediatrics, El-Minya University Hospital during the period from May 2004 to April 2005. ADM and NO levels were performed by ELIZA in Biochemistiry Department Faculty of Medicine, El Minya University. The results of this study showed significant decreased levels of ADM in plasma, colostrum, and mature milk of preeclamptic lactating mothers compared with those of healthy lactating mothers [all p=0.001]. Also there was significant decreased levels of NO in plasma, colostrum, and mature milk of preeclamptic lactating mothers compared with those of healthy lactating mothers with p= 0.001, 0.01 and 0.01 respectively. There was significant decreasing of the levels of both ADM and NO across the plasma, the colostrum, and the mature milk in both preeclamptic [p=0.001 and 0.0001 respectively] and healthy lactating mothers [both p=0.0001]. The study showed negative correlations between either of plasma ADM or NO levels in preeclamptic lactation mothers with systolic blood pressure [r=-0.712 and -0.831; p=0.0001 and 0.0001 respectively] and with diastolic blood pressure [r=-0.695 and -0.736 respectively; both p=0.001], while there was no significant correlation between either plasma ADM or plasma NO with proteinuria, BUN and serum creatinine. There were positive correlations between ADM and NO levels in plasma [r=0.860 and p=0.001], in colostrum [r=0.860 and p=0.001] and in mature milk [p=0.750 and p=0.002] in preeclamptic lactating mothers with similar correlations in the healthy lactating mothers. From the results of this study, we concluded that both ADM and NO may have important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Also the preeclampsia may cause decrease of the levels of both ADM and NO in colostrum and mature milk of preeclapmtic lactating mothers

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], and neurotrophin 3 [NT3] levels in newborn cord sera

During embryonal development, neuronal death occurs only by apoptosis and not by necrosis. Apoptotic neuronal loss may be responsible for altered brain development associated with prematurity and perinatal insults. Neurotrophic factors such as brian-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], and neurotrophin 3 [NT3] play crucial roles in protecting neurons form entering or progressing along an apoptotic pathway. The aim of this work was to measure BDNF and NT3 level at different gestational ages in human umbilical cord blood. In addition, we searched for differences in BDNF and NT3 levels in the presence or absence of factors that may affect intrauterine conditions and thus neurodevelopmental outcome. We collected 80 samples of cord blood and categorized them accordingly into three gestational age groups: group 1 [24-30 weeks], group 2 [31-36 weeks], and group 3 [37-42 weeks]. BDNF and NT3 levels were determined by ELISA. The BDNF levels were 798.3 +/- 492.5, 1401 +/- 650.8, and 2236.6 +/- 376.8 pg/ml in group 1, group 2, and group 3, respectively, with a significant difference between the 3 groups [p=0.0001]. In contrast, NT3 levels did not show significant change across gestational ages [p=0.2]. NT3 levels also did not correlate with BDNF levels across gestational ages [r=0.23; p=0.27]. The presence of premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, or small for gestational age did not alter either BDNF or NT3 levels significantly. BDNF and NT3 levels were significantly higher in samples from subjects whose mothers received two doses of antenatal steroids compared with those who received only one dose of steroids, and those with no antenatal steroids[p=0.001, and p=0.04]. Cord blood levels of BDNF may reflect the degree of neutral maturity in premature infants. Increased BDNF and NT3 levels may also mediate improved neurodevelopment outcome in infants who received antenatal steroids

Peripheral blood eosinophils [PBE] apoptosis and fas expression in asthmatic children

This study included three groups of children with matched age and sex. Group 1 consisted of 25 quick relief-treated asthmatic children [not treated with steroids], group 2 included 28 steroid-treated asthmatic children and group 3 consisted of 20 healthy children. All children were subjected to complete medical history, thorough clinical examination, pulmonary function tests [flow expiratory volume at 1 second [FEV1] and peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR]], absolute peripheral blood eosinophils [PBE] count, assessment of apoptosis and Fas expression of PBE by cytometry. It was concluded that there was a decrease of Fas receptors expression on PBE in quick relief treated asthmatic children, which may results in a delay of PBE apoptosis. The delay of PBE apoptosis may play an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. The steroid treated asthmatic children may be associated with higher PBE apoptosis and Fas expression on PBE. The increase of Fas expression on PBE in steroid- treated asthmatic children is not the main mechanism of PBE apoptosis induction and other mechanisms must be considered

Circulating adrenomedullin [AM] in children with congenital cyanotic heart disease

This study included 16 children [11 males and 5 females] with congenital cyanotic heart disease without pulmonary hypertension [PH] or heart failure [HF] with age ranged from 2 to 7 years [group 1] and 16 children [9 males and 7 females] with atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia [AVRT] with age ranged from 4 to 9 years as a non-cyanotic controls [group 2]. All children were subjected to clinical examination, complete blood count [CBC], serum creatinine, arterial oxygen saturation, X-ray chest, electrocardiogram [ECG], echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization and plasma levels of AM in samples of pulmonary artery blood [PAB], pulmonary venous blood [PVB] and femoral vein blood [FVB]. The results of this study revealed that the plasma levels of AM at the three sites of sampling were significantly higher in group 1 than that in group 2, and also showed that in group 1 there was a significantly higher plasma level of AM in PAB than its levels in PVB and FVB, but no significant difference between its level in FVB and that in PVB