Serum levels of soluble CD95 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

The present study was carried out on 30 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] and ten apparently healthy individuals as a control group.Systemic lupus erythematosus activity index [SLEDAI] was applied to all patients. Anti-double stranded DNA antibodies [Anti-dsDNA Abs.], interleukin-18 [IL-18] and soluble CD95 [Apo-1/Fas] were determined in the sera of all studied subjects. The mean +/-SD SLEDAI in all patients was 15.25+/- 6.76 . The anti-dsDNA antibodies was positive in all studied patients [mean +/- SD 264.36 +/- 114.85 IU/ml]. Serum IL-18 showed significant elevation in SLE patients as compared to the control group [Mean +/-SD 246.13+/- 114.32I U/ml vs. 45.5 +/- 7.32 IU/ml; p < 0.001]. Serum Soluble CD95 [sCD95] showed significant increase in all SLE patients as compared to the control group [Mean+/-SD 648+/-116.96 pg/ml vs. 270+/-50.24 pg/ml; p < 0.001]. Serum sCD95 also showed significant rise in SLE patients with moderate activity as compared to those with mild activity [Mean +/- SD 629.16+/- 72.54 pg/ml vs. 535 +/-35.97 pg/ml; p<0.05]. The serum level of sCD95 in SLE cases with severe activity showed significant increase when compared to those with moderate activity [Mean+/-SD 797.5 +/- 41.66 pg/ml vs. 629.16 +/- 72.54 pg/ml; p <0.001]. Anti-dsDNA antibodies showed significant positive correlation with SLEDAI [r=0.772; p<0.01]. IL-18 also showed a significant positive correlation with the SLEDAI [r=0.670; p<0.01]. Soluble CD95 showed significant positive correlation with SLDAI [r=0.865; p<0.01], with anti-dsDNA antibodies [r=0.775; p<0.01] and with IL-18 [r =0.722; p<0.01]. From these results it was concluded that serum sCD95 is increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and it is correlated with anti-dsDNA antibodies, with IL-18 and with the disease activity, so it can be useful marker of disease activity for proper management and follow up of SLE patients

Immunopharmacological and toxicological effect of ofloxacin in sheep

In this study, the effect of ofloxacin on the immune response was investigated in sheep vaccinated with the live attenuated sheep pox virus vaccine. The evaluation of the cellular immune response revealed a significant decrease in total leucocytic count, lymphocyte blastogenesis, phagocytosis% and bacterial killing% in groups administered 10 and 20 mg ofloxacin/kg b. wt. once daily for five successive days either simultaneously with sheep pox virus vaccine or one week post vaccination. The administration of ofloxacin in therapeutic [10 mg/kg b. wt.] and double therapeutic [20 mg/kg b. wt.] doses either simultaneously with sheep pox virus vaccine or one week post vaccination produced a significant reduction in antibody titers, total serum proteins, globulins and albumin. The biochemical assay of sera revealed a significant decrease in the level of packed cell volume, hemoglobin percentage and iron in ofloxacin treated groups either simultaneously with sheep pox virus vaccine or one week post vaccination. However, ofloxacin treatment five days prior to vaccination evoked a insignificant variation in cellular and humoral immune response