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 detect fetal gender and fetal DNA concentration in maternal plasma during early gestational ages with qualitative and quantitative real-time PCR of the sex determinating region Y [SRY] gene, fetal gender was confirmed by ultrasonography and fetal outcome
Patients and Methods: Maternal plasma was obtained from 25 pregnant women during 4th - 12th weeks of gestational ages. Fetal male gender was detected in copies/ml by qualitative and quantitative real-timc PCR. [3D] ultrasound was done at 24-28 weeks of gestation months of pregnancy
Results: Fifteen out of 25 pregnant women [60%] were bearing male fetus and 10 women [40%] were bearing female fetus with sensitivity 100% and specificity 100%. The concentration of the sex determining region gene [SRY] was increased with gestational weeks
Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this work demonstrates for the first time that real time PCR is a very reliable technique for determination of fetal sex as early as four weeks of gestation
ABSTRACT
Objectives: to investigate oxidative stress of glutaraldehyde of occupationally exposed nurses
Subjects and Methods: in 20 controls and 20 nurses involved in sterilizing endoscopy at Gynecological Departments, plasma levels of nitrite/nitrate, malondialdehyde, the frequency of chromosomal aberrations and DNA-protein crosslinking in circulating lymphocytes together with the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] were investigated
Results: there was a significant increase in the level of plasma malondialdehyde in the "glutaraldehyde" exposed group [mean 13.9 +/- 4 versus 6.11 +/- 1.8 nmol/ml] when compared with controls. A concomitant increase in the percent of all types of chromosomal aberrations, including dicentrics, rings, gaps, acentrics, chromosome and chromatid breaks among glutaraldehyde exposed nurses when compared with the controls. DNA- protein crosslinks showed a significant increase in these women [20-39%] when compared with controls [16-28%]. Both plasma nitrite/nitrate level and iNOS expression showed significant increase in exposed nurses [4.9 +/- 1.5 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.6 nmol/ml, p<0.001] for nitrite/nitrate and increased expression in iNOS in neutrophils of glutaraldehyde in exposed nurses compared to controls
Conclusion: Results indicate the genotoxic effect of "glutaraldehyde" among nurses working at endoscopy units and call for adequate preventive measures to protect such women
ABSTRACT
Objective: to determine markers of apoptosis and oxidative stress in maternal blood, cord blood and amniotic fluid in cases of premature rupture of membrane at labor [PROM], preterm premature rupture of membranes [P-PROM] compared with laboring women with intact membranes
Subjects and Methods: antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2, nitrite/nitrate and lipid peroxidation [malondialdehyde MDA] were determined in amniochorion, maternal and cord leucocytes, plasma and amniotic fluid from gestational age-matched groups of women at labor. Samples were collected from the three groups of women [PROM, P-PROM and women with intact membrane as control group]
Results: maternal blood leucocytes and amniotic fluid Bcl-2 protein levels showed no significant differences between PROM and controls. However, there was a significant decrease of cord blood leucocytes Bcl-2 in cases of PROM and P-PROM. The decrease was more pronounced in the latter when compared to the former. Maternal, cord plasma and amniotic fluid MDA levels were significantly elevated in PROM and P-PROM compared to control values. The mean fold rise were 1.2, 1.9% respectively for maternal plasma, 1.2, 1.7% respectively for cord plasma and 2.5% for amniotic fluid. Matemal, cord plasma and amniotic fluid nitrite/nitrate levels were significantly elevated in PROM and P-PROM compared to control values. The mean fold rise were 1.3, 1.6% for maternal plasma and 1.2, 1.3% for cord plasma and 1.44% for amniotic fluid, respectively. Apoptotic cells was positively correlated with nitrite/nitrate while negative correlations, existed between Bcl-2 and nitrite/nitrate, MDA and apoptotic cells
Conclusion: enhanced oxidative stress [increased MDA], inflammation process [increased NO] and decreased antiapoptotic Bcl-2 are the characteristic features associated with P-PROM and PROM and may play causative role by affecting membrane integrity