Plasma levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with acute ischemic stroke: relation to neurological impairment

Intercellular adhesion molecule-l [ICAM-I] is one of the adhesion molecules that is released from activated endothelial cells secondary to tissue ischemia and has a role in leukocytes recruitment. In this study, plasma levels of soluble ICAM-I [sICAM-I] were assessed in 20 patients with acute ischemic stroke as verified by clinical examination and brain CT, as well as in ten healthy subjects as controls .Results showed statistically significant elevation in plasma levels of sICAM-l in patients with acute ischemic stroke compared to controls. Significant positive correlation was also noticed between plasma sICAM-I levels and scores of National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke scale, which is a functional scale of neurological impairment.Conclusively, Patients with acute ischemic stroke have significant elavation of plasma sICAM-l levels that is correlated with the degree of neurological impairment. Further studies are recommended to study the significance of this elevation and to assess whether therapeutic use of anti-ICAM-l antibodies may be of value in improving outcome of the disease

Plasma levels of leptin in patients with chronic heart failure

Chronic heart failure [CHF] is a syndrome characterized by energy dysregulation. In this study, plasma levels of leptin, a protein hormone secreted by adipocytcs and involved in energy regulation, were determined in fourty patients with CHF divided into two equal groups; mild CHF patients, with New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional class 2, and severe CHF patients with NYHA functional class 3 or 4. Left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] as determined by echocardiography was < 45% in all patients. The study included also 20 healthy subjects matched for age, gender and body mass index, as controls. Plasma leptin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. showed significant elevation in plasma leptin levels in patients with severe CHF [8.3 +/- 0.5 ng/nil] compared to controls [5.2 +/- 0.4 ng/ ml, p < 0.001] and mild CHF patients [6.8 +/- 0.6 ng / ml, p< 0.05], with a significant difference between mild CHF patients and controls [p < 0.05]. Signifcant negative [r = 0.362, p < 0.05] and positive [r = + 0.376, p < 0.05] correlations were noticed between plasma leptin levels and each of LVEF and NYHA functional class respectively. we found that patients with CHF were hyperleptinenic with significant correlation between plasma leptin levels and severity of the disease. Further studies arc recommended to clarify the significance of these findings, and we wonder whether leptin could be a marker and / or mediator of energy dysregulation in CHF patients

Uninary aibumin excretion rate in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and retinopathy

To determine whether a relationship between retinopathy and nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; 47 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and retinopathy, and a control group formed of 65 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus but without retinopathy were examined for urinary albumin excretion per 24 hour, fasting blood glucose, 2 hour post prandial blood glucose, glycosylated HbA1c, fasting serum cholesterol, fasting serum triglycerides, blood urea, serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate The two groups of patients were matched for age and sex. They were above 5 years diabetes duration and had a within normal renal function. Results of this study showed that subjects with diabetic retinopathy had mostly nonprolifertive type [41 [87.23%]] and there was an increase in their urinary albumin excretion per 24 hour [19 [40, 43%]] which was mainly in the form of microalbuminuria. Comparing the frequency and mean values of micro albuminuria and macro albuminuria in the two groups of patients, there was a significant increase in the diabetic subjects with retinopathy. Also, these patients had a significant increase in the mean values of fasting blood glucose, post prandial blood glucose, fasting serum cholesterol, fasting serum triglycerides, glycosylated HbAlc, diabetes duration and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. For the other studied parameters, there was a non significant increase in the mean values of fasting serum insulin, blood urea, serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, body mass index and age of the patients in the diabetics with retinopathy in comparison to those without retinopathy. These results suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and retinopathy have an increase in the rate of urinary albumin excretion and there is a strong association between background retinopathy and microalbuminuria. Consequently microalbuminuria can be considered as a risk factor for diabetic retinopathy as well as fundus examination can be a useful and rapid bed side diagnostic tool for diabetic nephropathy

Free oxygen padicals activity, some antioxidants and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in plasma of insulin dependent diabetics

The lipid peroxide malondialdehyde [MDA], a marker of free oxygen radicals activity [FORs], together with the three potent antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium as well as soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1] were measured in plasma of 40 insulin dependent diabetic patients. Twenty age and sex matched healthy subjects were also studied as a control group. Plasma levels of the three antioxidants were significantly decreased in poorly controlled diabetic cases when compared to well controlled diabetics and controls. Also, vitamin E and selenium decreased significantly in well controlled diabetics compared to control group. Meanwhile, plasma level of both MDA and sICAM-1 increased significantly in diabetic patients compared to controls. In conclusion, FORs generation increased significantly in IDDM, while there was deranged antioxidant status in diabetics. Also, sICAM-1 levels increased significantly in diabetics and all these effects were more pronounced in poorly controlled cases

Oxidative stress and some antioxidants in plasma of patients with diabetes mellitus

Oxidative stress due to increased free oxygen radicals [FOR] generation plays an important role in NIDDM. In this study, levels of the lipid peroxide malondialdehyde [MDA], a marker of FOR[s] activity, together with levels of vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium, three potent antioxidants, were estimated in plasma of 50 patients with NIDDM well matched for body built and duration of disease [< 5 years], as well as in plasma of 25 healthy subjects matched for age, sex, body built and nutritional status, as control. Levels of glycated haemoglobin [GHb], as an index of glycemic control, differentiated patients into two groups[25 patients each], a well controlled group [GHb<9%] and poorly controlled group [GHb>9%]. Results showed significantly decreased levels of the three antioxidants in the poorly controlled group compared to both well controlled group and the controls, with significant decrease in vitamin E and selenium levels in well controlled group compared to controls. Meanwhile, levels of MDA were significantly elevated in both diabetic groups compared to control, with no significant change in between diabetic groups. Negative correlations were noticed between the increase of each of MDA and GHb and the decrease of each of the three antioxidants, while MDA correlated insignificantly with GHb. In conclusion, patients with NIDDM have increased oxidative stress due to increased FOR generation evidenced by increased MDA levels and this stress is not correlated with glycemic control. Also they have deranged some antioxidative mechanisms, more pronounced in poorly controlled patients. Further studies are recommended to uniavel the effects of these changes on the course of the disease

Free oxygen radical activity and some antioxidants in plasma of patients with cerebrovascular stroke

Neuronal cell loss in cerebral ischemia is partly due to oxidative damage caused by free oxygen radical [FOR] formation and subsequent lipid peroxidation, a process that can be halted by antioxidants. In this study, levels of malondialdehyde [MDA]. An end product of lipid peroxidation, as a marker of FOR activity, together with levels of three antioxidants namely vitamin C. vitamin E and the trace element selenium. Were measured in plasma of 30 patients with cerebrovascular stoke [CVS] grouped according to CT findings into patients with cerebral infarction and those with cerebral haemorrhage [15 patients each]. The study included also 15 healthy subjects as control. Results showed statistically significant decrease in both vitamin E [P 0.01] and selenium [P 0.01]. accompanied by significant increase in MDA [P 0.001] in plasma of all patients compared to control, with no significant difference between the two groups of patients except vitamin E levels which decreased signiticantly in patients with infarction compared to those with haemorrhage [P 0.05]. Significant negative correlations were noticed between MDA and each of vitamin E [P 0.423, P 0.05] and selenium [P 0.369, P 0.05] plasma levels. In conclusion. Patients with CVE have deranged antioxidant satus and increased FOR activity which almost occur whatever the cause of stoke. Further studies are recommended to clarify the significance of these changes and to elucidate whether antioxidant supplementation will alter the course of the disease beneficially