Oxidative stress and c-reactive protein in patients with cerebrovascular accident [ischaemic stroke] the role of ginkgo biloba extract

This study aimed to investigate the presence of oxidative stress and inflammation in ischaemic stroke patients by measuring malondialdehyde [MDA], total antioxidant status [TAS], and highly-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP] in the early post-ischaemic period, and to determine the role of Ginkgo biloba therapy in correcting the markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. This study was conducted at Ibn Seena Hospital, Mosul City, Iraq and included 31 cerebrovascular accident [CVA] patients and 30 healthy controls. Ischaemic stroke patients were divided into two groups: group I [n = 15] received conventional therapy; group II [n = 16] received conventional therapy with G. biloba [1500 mg/day] for 30 days. Blood samples were obtained from patients and controls before treatment and assays done of serum levels of MDA, TAS, and hsCRP. For CVA patients, a post-treatment blood sample was taken and the same parameters reassessed. Compared with the controls, patients' serum levels of MDA, and hsCRP were significantly higher [P

Comparative effects of glibenclamide and metformin on C-reactive protein and oxidant/antioxidant status in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

This study aimed to compare the effects of metformin and glibenclamide on high sensitivity serum C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] and oxidative stress, represented by serum malondialdehyde [MDA] and total antioxidant status [TAS] in newly-diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus [DM] at baseline and after 2 months of therapy in comparison to controls. The subjects, recruited from Al-Wafaa Centre for Diabetes Management and Research, Iraq, November 2009 to January 2011, were 103 newly-diagnosed Type 2 DM patients; 53 were prescribed metformin and 50 glibenclamide. The control group was 40 apparently healthy volunteers. Blood samples were taken from all subjects after overnight fasting. Sera were separated and assays of hs-CRP, MDA and TAS were done. After 2 months monotherapy, the blood samples and assays were repeated. There were significant differences between patients prescribed metformin and glibenclamide and the controls with regard to serum hs-CRP, MDA and TAS. There was a significant reduction in the serum MDA and a significant raise in the serum TAS levels, with no significant effects on serum hs-CRP levels after metformin therapy, but no significant effects on these parameters after glibenclamide therapy. The percentage of variation in these parameters after both drugs, showed a significant raise in serum TAS levels with the metformin therapy with no significant effects in serum MDA and hs-CRP. Metformin positively affected the oxidant/antioxidant balance in newly-diagnosed Type 2 DM patients with no significant effects on acute phase reaction protein.Glibenclamide had no significant effects on oxidant/antioxidant balance and acute phase reaction protein

Oxidant/antioxidant status and immunoglobulin levels in patients with primary brain tumors before and after surgical intervention

To assess serum level of malondialehyde [MDA], total antioxidant status [TAS] as a representative of oxidative stress, with immunoglobulin levels [IgG, IgA, IgM] in patients with primary brain tumors at diagnosis and one month after surgical resection in comparison to healthy controls. The study was conducted in Iben-Seena Hospital in Mosul city Iraq. Thirty-seven patients with primary brain tumors were included in the study, later proved by histopathology to be cases of meningioma [24 cases] and glioma [13 cases]. Also included 32 apparently healthy, age and sex matched subjects as a control group. Initially, blood samples were taken from both the patients and controls and assessment of serum MDA, TAS and immunoglobulin levels [IgG, IgA, IgM] were done, later for the patients group one month after surgical resection of the tumor another blood samples were taken and assessment of the same parameters mentioned above were done again. Serum MDA was found to be significantly higher [p<0.001] and serum TAS was significantly lower [p<0.001] in patients with primary brain tumors [both meningioma and glioma] prior to surgical resection in comparison to controls. Postoperatively, there was a significant reduction [p<0.001] in serum MDA levels with an increase in TAS [which was slightly significant in gliomas and insignificant with meningiomas]. With regard to serum immunoglobulin levels, there was a significant increase in serum IgG [gliomas p<0.05; meningioma p<0.001] preoperatively compared with controls, with a significant reduction [p<0.001] in the serum levels of IgG, IgA and IgM postoperatively in comparison to preoperative values. Primary brain tumors [both meningioma and glioma] as a disease carry a substantial effects on oxidant/antioxidant status and on serum immunoglobulin levels as part of the humoral immunity so as the surgical removal of the tumor mass as a way of therapy

Antioxidant status, C-reactive protein and iron status in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of acute pulmonary tuberculosis and the effect of drug therapy on markers of oxidative stress [malondialdehyde [MDA] and total antioxidant status [TAS]], C-reactive protein [CRP] and iron body status indices. Forty patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis from the Advisory Clinic for Chest and Respiratory Diseases in Mosul City, Iraq, were included in this study, with fifty healthy age and sex matched subjects as controls. Assessment of serum concentrations of MDA, TAS, CRP, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation percent and ferritin were done for both patients and controls. After two months of therapy with a daily dose of isoniazid 75 mg, rifampicin 150mg, pyraziamide 400 mg, and ethambutol 275 mg, the same parameters were reassessed for the patients. After two months of therapy, there was a significant reduction in the levels of MDA, CRP, and ferritin, with a significant increase in the TAS, serum iron, and transferring saturation percentage with an insignificant effect on the total iron binding capacity in comparison with the patients' pre-therapy values. Active pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with oxidative stress; the increase in the levels of CRP indicated that pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with an inflammatory response. The initial two months therapy led to significant improvement in oxidative stress and suppression of inflammatory responses. Newly diagnosed cases of pulmonary tuberculosis often had chronic anaemia of inflammation, but this therapy resulted in a significant correction of such anaemia

simple method for the determination of serum thiopental sodium by gas-liquid chromatography

A simple gas-liquid chromatographic method [GLC] for the determination of thiopental sodium serum concentration was developed. This method offers the required specificity accuracy, sensitivity, reproducibility and linearity. The method has been used for the determination of serum levels of thiopental sodium in patients undergoing general anaesthesia

Therapeutic carbamazepine monitoring in pregnant epileptic patients

A therapeutic carbamazepine [CBZ] monitoring was carried on 8 pregnant epileptic patients. CBZ serum concentration was measured by a gas liquid chromatographic technique. Pregnancy appear to be associated with an increased requirement for CBZ dose in order to maintain serum CBZ concentration required to achieve seizure control. Thus routine therapeutic CBZ monitoring is essential during pregnancy