Interleukins 12 and 13 levels among beta-thalassaemia major patients

The role of inflammatory cytokines in the pathophysiology of beta-thalassaemia is still unclear. In this study production levels of interleukins [IL]-12 and IL-13 were measured by commercial ELISA in cultureI supernatants of mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 non-splenectomized beta-thalassaemia cases with iron overload and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. IL-12 levels were significantly lower among cases compared with controls [91.4 pg/mL versus 154.6 pg/mL] while IL-13 levels were significantly higher [42.5 pg/mLversus 5.7 pg/mL]. There was a significant negative correlation between IL-12 and IL-13 levels among beta-thalassaemia cases [r= -0.42]. Patients with beta-thalassaemia alone had higher IL-12 levels than beta-thalassaemia patients who were seropositive for chronic hepatitis B or C virus Infection [140 pg/mL versus 50 pg/mL]; IL-13 levels were slightly lower [65 pg/mL versus 67 pg/mL]. An imbalance In the IL-12/IL-13 axis may be relevant to the pathophysiology of beta-thalassaemia

Peritoneal fluid and serum concentration of the cytokine rantes and its correlation with the severity of endometriosis

This study is aimed to measure the cytokine RANTES concentration in both the peritoneal fluid and serum of women with and without endometriosis, to test the potential utility of this cytokine as a non-invasive marker of endometriosis. This study includes 30 patients for whom laparoscopy was done for various indications, 15 of them were having endometriosis of various degrees of severity, were taken as group I [cases]. The other 15 patients were having normal laparoscopic findings and were classified as group II [control]. RANTES concentrations were measured in peritoneal fluid and serum of both groups using [ELISA] technique. It was found that there is a highly significant increase of RANTES concentration [P < 0.001] in both peritoneal fluid [2299.4 +/- 1417 pg/ml] and serum [93.1 +/- 29.1 pg/ml] of patients in group I than that in peritoneal fluid [6.50 +/- 289.8 pg/ml] and serum [45.56 +/- 22.27 pg/ml] of patients in group II. It is concluded from this study that peritoneal fluid and serum concentration of RANTES is significantly increased in patients with endometriosis with a significant positive correlation with the increased severity of the disease and its measurement in the serum could be used as a non-invasive marker in patients with endometriosis

Pain relief after operative laparoscopy

This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of infiltration analgesics with intrapenitoneal Lidocaine and intraincisional bupivacain on postoperative pain relief after operative laparoscopy. For this study 40 patients needing operative laparoscopy for various indications were chosen. 20 cases received infiltration analgesics and 20 patients taken as control received no additional drug after general anaesthesia. At the complain of surgery, 20 ml of 0.5% Lidocaine were instilled intraperitoneally and 5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine intraincisional before suturing of entry sites. McGill present pain intensity scores for pain, and narcotics use in the recovery room were less in the first two hours after operation for those patients who received the infiltration analgesics but there was no difference between the two groups 6 hours postoperative. It is concluded from this study that intraperitoneal Lidocain and intraincisional bupivacain are effective in relieving pain in the first two hours after operative laparoscopy