Circulating adhesion molecules as predictors of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease

Adhesion of leukocytes to endothelial cells via cell adhesion molecules is thought to be pivotal in the initiation of atherosclerosis. This study was designed to determine the value of circulating cell adhesion molecules as a predictors of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. This study was conducted on 25 patients with coronary heart disease [CHD], 21 patients with carotid artery atherosclerosis [CAA] and 20 healthy individuals served as control group. The levels of serum soluble[s] adhesion molecules: E-selectin [sE-selectin], intracellular adhesion molecule-l [sICAM-1] and vascular cell adhesion molecule-l [sVCAM-1] were measured in addition to the serum lipids, total cholesterol and triglyceride, HDL-c and LDL-c. The concentration of sE-selectin was significantly higher in the patient groups when compared with the control subjects [CHD 34.9 +/- 19.2 ng/ml; CAA 43.0 +/- 16.7 ng/ml vs. control 18.5 +/- 7.4 ng/ml, p<0.05 and p< 0.001 respectivly]. While there were non significant statistical difference between CHD and CAA [p> 0.05]. The serum level of sICAM-1 was significantly higher in CHD than control [p< 0.05], while there were non significant changes in their values in CAA and control [CHD 318 +/- 85.1 ng/ml, CAA 292.3 +/- 64.2 ng/ml vs. control 240 +/- 68.1 ng/ml]. A significant increase was found in sVCAM-1 among the patient groups when compared with the control [CHD 535 + 227.1ng/ml, CAA 445 + 139.6 ng/ml, control 115+19.7 ng/ml p < 0.001 and p< 0.01 for CHD and CAA respectivly]. The levels of the studied serum lipids were significantly increased in the patient groups when compared with the control [p < 0.001]. When these serum lipids were correlated with the studied adhesion molecules, there were positive correlation between the sE-selectin and LDL-c [r = 0.5, p < 0.02], between sICAM-1 and both of LDL-c [r = 0.51, p< 0.02] and TG [r = 0.39, p<0.05] and between sVCAM-1 and TG [r = 0.62, p< 0.01]. In conclusion, the increase of sE-selectin, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-I levels in patients with CHD and CAA suggests that they would be of beneficial value as markers for preclinical prediction of atherosclerosis and CHD

Soluble transferrin receptor: its diagnostic value in different types of anemias

We evaluated soluble transferrin receptors[sTfR] as an index of iron deficiency and as an index of erythropoiesis in 38 anemic patients from the attendentes of the Pediatric outpatient clinic of Menoufiya University Hospital. They were divided into 3 groups as: 13 cases with iron deficiency anemia, 10 cases with malignant Lymphoma and 15 cases with Betathalassemia major. 15 healthy children of comparable age, sex and social status were taken as control. In addition to measurement of Hemoglobin [Hb] concentration, red blood cell indices, serum iron and serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptors [sTfR] was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbant [ELISA]. In patients with iron deficiency anemia, sTfR was significantly higher [70.3 +/- 11.6 nmoL/L] than in the control group [21.8 +/- 4.84 nmoL/L]. However, no significant difference was found in its level in patients with malignant Lymphoma [30.9 +/- 19.9 nmoL/L] and the control group. Meanwhile, a significant increase was elicited in patients with iron deficiency when compared to malignant lymphoma group [P > 0.001]. In patients with Beta-thalassemia major a significant increase of sTfR levels [74.93 +/- 11/9 nmoL/L] were observed when compared to controls [P > 0.001] and no significant difference in the level of sTfR was found between patients with iron deficiency anemia and those with Beta-thalassemia major [P > 0.05]. sTfR showed a significant negative correlation with Hb concentrations [P < 0.05], however, no significant correlation was found between sTfR and iron status parameters [P > 0.05] From this study, we can conclude that sTfR is a reliable index of iron depletion even in patients with acute phase reactions associated with inflammatory and malignant conditions. Also, it is a simple non-invasive method for the clinical assessment of erythropoiesis

Critical evaluation of thyroid function in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus

Sera of 77 patients diagnosed as chronic hcv patients were subjected to a battery of in vitro tests of thyroid function and detection of thyroid autoantibodies. Sera of fifteen patients demonstreated low values for total and or free hormone levels falling within the hypothyroid category. Comparison between patients with thyroid abnormality and all HCV cases revealed significant lower values for T4, T3, FT4 and FT3 in the hypothyroid cases. The decreased T3 and FT3 in HCV was similar to the known low T3 syndrome. The possible mechanisms underlying such finding were discussed. Autoantibodies to thyroid tissue were demonstrated in 7.8% of chronic have patients, 50% of them were euthyroid and 50% were in the hypothyroid category