Anti-proteus antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis

Antibodies [Abs] to Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia Coli in 14 active rheumatoid arthritis [RA], 16 inactive RA and 20 healthy controls were measured using the indirect immunofluorescence technique. The mean titres to Proteus mirabilis were found significantly higher in active RA patients than in the other two groups [P < 0.001]. On the other hand, the mean titres to E. coli were not significantly elevated in the three groups. These results emphasized the importance of searching for an environmental factor during the acute phase of the disease, either directly by looking for a microbial or viral antigens or indirectly by testing for [Abs] titres against particular micro organism. Proteus mirabilis is one of these organisms

Value of prostatic specific antigen in prostatic cancer detection

A prospective evaluation of 110 men above the age of 50 years, were performed, including three groups, first group [45 patients] with abnormal palpatory prostate, second group [45 patients] with symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH] confirmed by digital rectal examination [DRE] and third group [20 men] with no prostatic symptoms and normal DRE taken as a control group. We found that 37.8% of the first group, patients proved to have prostatic cancer, while only 8.9% of the second group and none of the third group had prostatic malignancy. The positive predictive value of prostatic specific antigen [PSA] was 26%, the sensitivity of the test was 95.2%, the specificity 18. 8%, while the negative predictive value was 92.3%. The other tumor marker prostatic acid phosphatase [PAP] was found to be less valuable than PSA in detecting prostatic cancer, having a sensitivity of 61.9% and a positive predictive value 24%. The results of this study favours the conclusion that DRE, PSA and transrectaI ultrasound [TRUS] are complementary tests which should be used together for early detection of prostatic cancer

Serum neopterin levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis [RA] is a common disease with widely varying severity. A significant proportion of patients have a chronic course with progressive joint destruction and disability. Anti-rheumatoid drug therapy is potentially toxic and therefore needs to be directed at those most likely to benefit. Measurement of serum levels of products released from macrophages, lymphocytes, polymorphs or plasma cells may supply information about different aspects of the disease process. The aim of this work was to study the monocyte/macrophage activation in rheumatoid patients by measuring neopterin concentrations in patient's sera to reflect the value of this parameter in detecting rheumatoid disease activity. Thirty-six patients [34 females and 2 males] with various grades of rheumatoid arthritis and 20 healthy controls were screened for serum neopterin levels using radioimmunoassay. Our results showed statistically significant elevation [p < 0.05] of serum neopterin of patients with grade III and IV rheumatoid activity, compared to healthy controls. In grade II [mild rheumatoid activity] the difference was insignificant [p > 0.05]. In conclusion neopterin, a new biochemical marker, can be used as a reliable sensitive and reproducible in rheumatoid disease. Its direct relation to the pathogenesis of the disease, correlation with clinical disease activity and its significant elevation when the disease becomes more active, recommend neopterin as an activity marker

Screening of chronic renal failure patients for cytomegalovirus antibodies before and after hemodialysis

60 chronic renal failure patients have been screened for the presence of Ig[G] and Ig[M] cytomegalovirus [CMV] antibodies, before and after hemodialysis using the ELISA test. Before deciding hemodialysis as a treatment for these patients [predialysis], 45 patients [75%] were seropositive for CMV Ig[G] antibodies, while only 3 patients [5%] were seropositive for CMV Ig[M] antibodies which may be due to recent infection before starting diaIysis. After patients have been on the hemodialysis treatment, 10 of them [16.6%] proved seropositive for CMV Ig[M] antibodies, so 7 cases developed these antibodies post-dialysis in addition to the already 3 positive pre-dialysis cases previously recorded. Four patients of the 60 studied cases [6.6%] were seropositive only for CMV Ig[G] antibodies before hemodialysis treatment, and became positive for CMV Ig[M] after dialysis, which may indicate either reactivation of endogenous CMV infection or development of a new recent Infection. These results mean, in a way, that screening of patients before undergoing hemodialysis is of importance to lower the incidence of machine or blood transfusion transmitted CMV infection. Also pre and post dialysis serum sampling for CMV Ig[M] antibodies is essential for discrimination between recent infection and or reactivation of endogenous infection

Concentration of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in bronchoalveolar lavage and serum in patients with sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

T-Iymphocyte activation in sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [IPF] was evaluated using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for soluble interleukin-2 receptor [IL-2R] in serum samples and bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] Fluids. The study included 12 patients with active untreated sarcoidosis, 8 patient with IPF and 14 subjects as normal control. The mean serum levels were significantly higher in sarcoidosis and IPF [2562.5 +/- 1349.9 and 541.6 +/- 197.6 u/ml] compared to normal control subjects [192.3 +/- 77.3 U/ml] and being higher in sarcoidosis than IPF [p < 0.001]. In contrast, in BAL fluids the IL-2R levels were low among the three studied groups [0.04 +/- 0.05, 0.035 +/- 0.03 and 0.030 +/- 0.02 micro/mg total protein] respectively]. It is concluded that serum IL-2R may reflect disease activity in patients with active sarcoidosis