ABSTRACT
Objectives: Serum cystatin C [cys C] has been proposed as a simple, accurate and rapid endogenous marker of glomerular filtration rate [GFR] in search and clinical practice. However, there are conflicting reports regarding the superiority of cys C over serum creatinine [CL], with a few studies suggesting no significant difference. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum cys C as an indicator of renal function before and after hemodialysis in chronic renal failure patients with and without bilharzial infections and to correlate their levels with serum creatinine
Patients and Methods: The study was conducted on 47 patients. They were classified into 36 chronic renal failure patients [Group 1] divided into 23 and 13 uremic patients without and with bilharzial infections, respectively and 11 control subjects [Group II]. All uremic patients treated with hemodialysis. Cys C was assayed using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay and creatinine was assayed using a kinetic technique
Results: Serum creatinine and cys C levels of the two subgroups of CRF [with and without bilharziasis] showed significantly increase compared to the corresponding levels of the control group [p<0.05]. The rise of both markers did not differ from each other between the two subgroups of CRF [p>0.05]. After hemodialysis, the levels of serum cys C were markedly decreased. There was a significant positive correlation between cys C and creatinine in CRF with bilharzial infection only
Conclusion: Results demonstrated that there is justification to use cys C as the future marker of GFR in clinical uses
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Osteoprotegerin [OPG] is a recently identified cytokine that acts as a decoy receptor for the receptor activator of NF-KB ligand [RANKL]. OPG and RANKL have been shown to be important regulators of osteoclastogenesis. Thus the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the OPG-RANKL system and bone mineral metabolism in male patients with chronic renal failure [CRF]
Patients and Methods: Serum OPG, RANKL, Osteocalcin, ICTP and cystatin C [a new marker of glomerular filtration rate] levels were measured in 40 chronic hemodialysis male patients as well as 32 healthy controls mate for age and sex. Their lumbar-spine bone mineral density [LS-BMD] was measured y dual energy x-ray absorptiometry [DEXA]
Results: Serum OPG, RANKL and cystatin C levels were significantly increased in patients with CRF. Serum OPG was positively correlated to serum RANKL and cystatin C. Positive conelation existed between serum RANKL and each of cystatin C and ICTP. LS-BMD was significantly lower in patients with CRF than in controls and inversely correlated to levels of OPG. RANKL and cystatin C in CRF group
Conclusion: These results demonstrate that OPG/RANKL system is involved in the pathogenesis and regulation of bone turnover in renal osteodystrophy. Determinations of circulating osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-KB ligand are useful markers to assess turnover renal osteopathies
ABSTRACT
Objective: To develop, optimize and validate a two-step immunoradiometric assay [IRMA] for the measurement of alpha-fetoprotein [AFP] in human serum
Materials and Methods: The preparation of 125I-anti-AFP monoclonal antibody [MoAb] was carded out using chloramine-T oxidation method. The preparation of AFP standards was done by diluting cord sera using assay buffer. Production of polyclonal anti-AFP was undertaken using five New-Zealand rabbits. The purification of the polyclonal antibody was carried out using caprylic acid/ammonium sulphate precipitation method. The coating process was performed using this purified polyclonal antibody. The stability study showed that these tubes could be stored for up to one year at 4 degree C without any appreciable reduction in their binding. The optimization and validation studies of the assay were carried out
Results: Results showed that the assay is highly sensitive. The data of intra-assay and inter-assay precisions revealed consistency of the results obtained by this IRMA technique. The recovery and dilution tests indicated accurate calibration and appropriate matrix. The present technique agreed well with currently used commercial kit [DPC, IRMA]
Conclusion: The technical simplicity of this sensitive, precise, accurate and stable method may 8uggest that the technique is suited for routine laboratory uses and can be used effectively for brcnatal diagnosis of neutral tube defects and in the diagnosis and management of patients with Qertain malignant diseases