Immune dysregulation associated with breast cancer

In an attempt to understand the prognostic significance of p53, apoptosis and sIL-2R in cancer breast, their serum levels were evaluated in 15 breast cancer patients by enzyme linked immunoassay. While, DNA fragmentation was assessed as a marker of apoptosis using photometric sandwich ELISA technique. Ten healthy women as controls were also included. A significant increase in serum p53 [8.18 +/- 0.4 u/ml] and apoptosis [1.56 +/- 0.32 u/ml] was recorded in cancer patients than in the control [6.29 +/- 0.38 u/ml and 0.114 +/- 0.009 u/ml, respectively]. This increase was positively correlated with the stage of carcinoma. A significant increase in serum sIL-2R was also observed in patients [1156.74 +/- 176.27 u/ml] than in the control subjects [774.145 +/- 40.641 u/ml]

Role of cytokines as markers for immunomodulation in patients with hepatitis C

In the present study, soluble interleukin-2 receptor [sIL-2R] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-a] were measured in serum by ELISA and alpha fetoprotein was assessed by RIA in 20 patients with hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection, in addition to 10 apparently healthy subjects served as controls. The results showed an increased serum level of sIL-2R in the patients group [783.65 U/ml] than in the control subjects [774.19 U/ml]. In the same time, the mean level of TNF-alpha was also significantly elevated in patients [1.51 +/- 1.01] than in the controls [0.39 +/- 0.07 ng/ml]. Furthermore, 3 out of 20 HCV +ve patients had an elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein [AFP]