Serum ceruloplasmin and heat-stable alkaline phosphatase in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Serum acute phase reactants including ceruloplasmin [Cp] were reported to increase in some types of malignancies. The present study was carried out on 34 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Serum Cp concentration was measured in unmanaged patients. Significantly higher values of Cp were found among those patients when compared with the results obtained from 19 normal controls of matching age [51.0 +/- 17.1 and 29.0 +/- 4.6 mg/dl respectively, P < 0.005]. A follow up study for a number of those patients resulted in the accumulation of 62 observations. It has been found that changes in serum Cp agreed with the clinical status in 71% of the observations, while changes in serum heat-stable alkaline phosphatase, another biomarker, showed such an agreement in 76% of the observations. However, when both parameters were considered together, at least one of them was in agreement with the clinical state in 84% of the observations. This finding implies that measurement of the two parameters together improves the chances for confirming of following up cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Escherichia coli alpha-hemolysin and chronic urinary tract infection

The role played be Escherichia coli alpha-haemolysin in chronic infections and reinfections of the urinary tract [UTI] was studied. Circulating leucocyte and lymphocyte percentages, immunoglobulins G, A and M levels and anti-alpha-haemolysin titers were estimated in patients infected with haemolytic and non-haemolytic E. coli. Results were compared with control group of similar age range. A significant [P < 0.05] rise in mean leucocyte counts and T lymphocyte percentages in both groups and maintenance of the level of total lymphocytes was observed. B lymphocytes decreased in patients infected with non-haemolytic E. coli and maintained a normal value in patients infected with haemolytic strains. A significant decrease [P < 0.05] in IgG and an increase [P < 0.05] in IgA was observed in patients infected with haemolytic strains while no significant rise in anti-haemolysin titer occurred. Both IgG and IgM decreased in patients infected with non-haemolytic strains. No significant [P> 0.05] differences were observed, in all above mentioned parameters. between both groups of patients. It was concluded that alpha-haemolysin plays no significant role in UTI