Circulating apolipoprotein alpha1, haptoglobin and alpha2 macroglobulin as fibrosis markers in chronic hepatitis c patients

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is one of the commonest chronic liver diseases worldwide. Progression to chronic disease occurs in the majority of HCV infected patients. The aim of the present work was to study serum levels of alpha2 macroglobulin [alpha2-MG], Apolipoprotein A1 [Apo-1] and Haptoglobin [HP] as non-invasive index of the presence of cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C patients in relation to the histopathological findings. The study was carried out on 20 patients with chronic HCV and liver cirrhosis [Group I], 20 patients with chronic HCV without liver cirrhosis [Group II] and 10 healthy subjects of mathing age and sex as controls [Group III]. Quantitative estimation of alpha2-MG, HP and Apo AI in serum was done using turbidimetry. The mean serum level of alpha2-MG was significantly higher in group I than in groups II, III [F=12.8] [p=0.00]. On the other hand, Serum Apo A1 and HP were significantly lower in group I than in groups II, III [F=5.9 and 26.3] [p=0.005 and 0.00]. On the other hand, no significant difference was found between groups II and III. Significant positive correlation was observed between serum alpha2-macroglobulin and Child Pugh score, Grading and staging of liver pathology [P<0.05]. On the other hand, significant negative correlation was noticed between serum Apo-1, HP and Child Pugh score, histopathological grading and staging [P<0.05]. Elevated serum levels of alpha2 macroglobulin in addition to low levels of apolipoprotein A1 and haptoglobin might be considered as valuable non invasive parameters for predicting the occurrence of cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C patients

Phenotype distribution and normal values of haptoglobin in Asir region of southern Saudia Arabia

The goal of this study was to determine the phenotype distribution, allele frequencies and normal values of haptoglobin in Saudis. Subjects: A sample population consisting of 696 males and 306 females living in the Asir region in southern Saudi Arabia was randomly selected for analysis. Design: Vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to determine the haptoglobin phenotype in collected serum samples and single radial immuno-diffusion was used to determine haptoglobin concentration in selected samples. Hp 2-1 was the most predominant type occurring at a frequency of 0.487 in the total sample population, 0.532 in males and 0.396 in females. Hp2 was the predominant allele occurring at a frequency of 0.548, 0.524 and 0.604 in the total sample population, males and females respectively. Distribution of Hp types was in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium in the total sample population but it was not in the separate male and female populations. Normal values of the three Hp types were not significantly different within the total sample population and the male population. Significant differences were detected between the three Hp types within the female population and between males and females. This study reports on the haptoglobin phenotype distribution, allele frequency and normal values of haptoglobin in people living in southern Saudi Arabia. This data can be used in ethnogenetic analysis as well as forensic and clinical medicine

Comparison between LDH, platlets X 10 power 9 /L and haptoglobin [mg/dL] levels in cases of severe pre-eclampsia

The aim of this work was to study some parameters in the diagnosis of preeclampsia-eclampsia as lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] haptoglobin and platelet count to detect which of them is accurate in the early diagnosis of preeclampsia to improve the prognosis and decrease the maternal and fetal mortality. The study included 40 pregnant women at their third trimester divided into a control group [25 pregnant women with normotensive blood pressure] and severe preeclamptic- eclamptic group [15 pregnant women with blood pressure >160/110 mmHg]. All pregnant women were subjected to complete history taking, complete physical and obstetric examination, laboratory investigations and follow up during the antenatal care. It was found that in the control group, the mean value of LDH, platelets and haptoglobin were within the normal range during the antenatal care until delivery. In comparison with the severe preeclamptic group, the mean value of LDH was increased progressively during the antenatal care and early at 33 weeks [389 u/L]

Study of some acute phase reactants in chronic renal failure before and after hemodialysis

Thirty subjects were available for this study, they were divided into three equal groups: group I: ten patients with chronic renal failure [CRF] on regular hemodialysis, group II: ten patients with C.R.F., on conservative therapy, group III: ten healthy subjects served as control. Serum C-reactive protein [C.R.P], haptoglobin [HPT] and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein [AAG] as acute phase reactants were estimated for all subjects and for the hemodialysis group before and after hemodialysis. The estimation was done by Turbi-Timer method. Unlike CRP, the AAG has a significant value in hemodialysis patients, while HPT, like CRP, cannot be recommended as an acute phase reactant in these patients because of the unacceptable high false positive rate. In the uremic [non dialysed] patients, the CRP maintains its diagnostic value then comes the AAG whose level is correlated with the degree of renal impairment. On the contrary, HPT cannot be recommended because of high false positive rate

Serum haptglobin level in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis

Measurement of the concentration of serum haptoglobin by RID and electrophoresis as haemoglobin binding capacity in 66 schistosomal patients together with 20 apparently healthy controls showed the following: - The normal values were similar to those of the Mediterranean an countries and not the African ones. - RID technique utilizing polyvalent antisera specific for human Hp is preferred to be applicable for routine assay than the electrophoretic one. - Serum Hp was reduced in schistosomiasis, more so in the advanced stage. The fall may be due to iron deficiency anaemia and intrasplenic destruction of RBCs due to sluggish circulation in the fibrotic congested spleen i.e. a sign of haemolysis. - The elevated values were observed in cases complicated with polyposis coli. The cause may be in part acute phase reaction to inflammatory changes. - No correlation could be detected between serum Hp level on one hand and the degree of anemia, ESR or alpha [2]-globulin on the other hand