Soluble FAS in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

The soluble fas [sfas] was measured by enzyme immunoassay in the serum and synovial fluid of 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 18 patients with osteoarthritis and their correlation with the disease activity were studied Another 15 well cross matched healthy volunteers were chosen as a control group. All patients were subjected to clinical assessment and laboratory investigatioas. The results showed no differences in the serum level of sfas between RA and OA patients and the controls., while there was a significant increase in the level of synovial fluid sfas in patients with RA as compared to OA. The level of synovial fluid sfas in RA patients correlated significantly with the duration of morning stiffness, pain score, Ritchie articular index, ESR and HB concentration while there was no correlation between serum sfas and any clinical or laboratory parametcrs of the discase activity. From the previous results we conclude that sfas level is elevated in synovial fluid of RA patients and this level correlate significantly with the disease activity parameters and the presence of elevated level of sfas in the Joint cavity may inhibit apoptosis and exacerbate the inflammatory process and this may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of proliferating synovium in RA

Circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule -1 [CVCAM -1] in rheumatoid arthritis

Circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [cVCAM-1] was measured in serum and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients and their correlation with disease activity was determined. This study was conducted on 25 rheumatoid arthritis patients Another 15 healthy persons, matched for age and sex were chosen as a control group. All patients were subjected to clinical assessment, routine laboratory investigations and measurement of serum and synovial fluid cVCAM-1 using the ELISA technique. Results showed significant increase in the serum level of cVCAM-l in RA patients compared with normal controls. In RA patients synovial fluid cVCAM-1 was significantly elevated as compared with its serum level Serum and synovial fluid cVCAM levels. Correlated significantly with parameters of disease activity morning stiffness, pain score, articular index, ESR and CRP. From the previous results we could con-dude that cVCAM-1 may have a pathogenic role in inflammation of RA, so, the measurement of cVCAM-1 could be recommended as a parameter of activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Prognostic value of high plasma vitamin C concentration at birth associated with low antioxidant activity in preterm neonates

This study was done to measure vitamin C, ceruloplasmin and antioxidant activity of plasma at birth and their relation to gestational age. We also investigated whether the plasma antioxidant activity is influenced by the vitamin C to ceruloplamin ratio. We also investigated the relation between plasma antioxidant activity at birth and neonatal mortality. Blood samples were taken from 36 preterm newborns and 12 term newborns as a control group within two hours after birth. Plasma ascorbic acid, ceruloplasmin and antioxidant activity of plasma were measured. The premature infants were classified into 2 groups: Group I [survivors - 24] and group II [died, n = 12]. Compared to the full term newborns, the plasma antioxidant activity was significantly decreased [P<0.05] in preterm neo-nates, and showed a significant negative correlation with plasma ascorbic acid and vitamin C to ceruloplasmin ratio. The plasma antioxidant activity was significantly decreased in died preterm infants than survived preterm infants [P<0.05]. There was a significant high [P<0.05] plasma vitamin C in preterm neonates compared to full term neonates and also there was a significant high [P<0.05] vitamin C in died preterm neonates in comparison to survivors. There was a significant low [P<0.05] plasma ceruloplasmin in preterm neonates compared to full term neonates, but there was non significant difference in plasma ceruloplasmin between died and survived preterm neonates. Thus we concluded that plasma antioxidant activity at birth is a significant predictor of neonatal mortality. Some preterm neonates are born with low ceraloplasmin and high vitamin C concentration, the high vitamin C concentration may modulate theferroxidase activity of plasma cerulopasmin which may inhibit the antioxidant activity of plasma. This effect may be an important factor in the mortality of preterm neonates

TNF-alpha in NIDDM, obese and non obese persons

Adipocytes are producing a variety of molecules that are capable of Junctioning in both a paracrine and autocrine fashion, tumor necrosis factor alpha is one of these molecules that has been shown to be elevated in obese and diabetic patients a finding which was correlated to insulin resistance, lipid abnormalities and certain types of obesity. the present study was conducted on 46 persons; 26 diabetics, 10 obese non diabetic and 10 non obese non diabetic persons. All of them were subjected to the following investigations: weight, height, BMI, W/H ratio, fat%, lipid profile, HBAlc and TNF alpha determination. It was found that there is a significant elevation of [LDL, TG, cholesterol VLDL, fasting blood glucose, HBAlc and TNF alpha] in diabetic group as compared to control non obese group. The same situation applies to the difference between diabetic group and obese non-diabetic group when comparing [TG, cholesterol, VLDL, fasting blood glucose, HBAlc and TNF alpha]. Comparing obese and non obese normal persons, it was found TNFalpha was insignificantly elevated. Correlating TNF alpha with different other parameters showed the following findings; in group 1 there was a positive correlation with BMI and fat% while there was no significant correlation with W/H ratio, in groups 2 and 3 there was no significant correlation between TNFalpha and any of the different parameters, interestingly, making this correlation in the whole sample [26 diabetic patients, 10 non obese normal persons and 10 obese non diabetic persons] it was found that TNF alpha is significantly correlated to W/H ratio, LDL, cholesterol VLDL, fasting blood glucose and HBAlc our results show that TNF alpha is significantly elevated in diabetic group more than other group and is related to fat% and BMI, this confirms the results of the previous studies and stresses its importance in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia and may be vascular remodeling in addition to other factors

Metabolic effects of high sucrose feeding on insulin action and triglycerides in male and female rates

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the changes in liver. muscle and serum triglycerides during high sucrose feeding and relationship of these changes to the appearance of insulin resistance and also to demonstrate if sex steroid hormones would protect against sucrose induced insulin resistance. 70 male and 70 female rats of the same age weight and strain were included in this study. All rats were housed individually and were given high starch diet [68% corn starch. 20% protein and 12% fat] for 1 week. then half of rats [35 male rats and 35 female rats] remained on the high starch diet for 2.5 and 8 week while the other half of rats were shifted to a high sucrose diet [68% sucrose. 20% protein and 12% fat] for 1,2,5 and 8 week. 11 male rats and 10 female rats were excluded from our study because their food intake was less than 90% of that provided. Serum glucose. insulin and triglycerides were estimated with liver and muscle triglycerides. In female rats, there were non significant changes in serum glucose, serum insulin serum triglycerides. liver and muscle triglycerides between high sucrose diet and high starch diet at 1.2,5 and 8 week. In male rats fed sucrose diet there was significant increase in serum insulin level at 2,5 and 8 week compared with high starch fed rats but there was non significant change in serum glucose between both groups. Serum and liver triglycerides were significantly increased in male rat fed sucrose diet at 2.5 and 8 week compared with starch fed male rate. We concluded that. high sucrose diet produces insulin resistance in male rats which is related to change in triglycerides concentration and female rats in contrast to male rats do not develop sucrose induced insulin resistance or hypertriglyceridaemia and the presence of estrogen and or progesterone or absence of male hormones may be protective in female rats against the impairment of insulin action on a high sucrose diet

Study of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in obese non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM] patients

Four groups of age and sex matched patients were studied: group 1:20 nondiabetic subjects with a body mass index [BMI] <25 kg/m[2] [lean control subjects]; group 11:20 obese non diabetic subjects with a BMI>30 kg/m[2] group; 111:20 lean NIDDM subjects; and group IV.-20 obese NIDDM subjects. We determined: blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-Cholesterol, Apolipoprotein Al and B, insulin, Lipoprotein [a] [Lp[a]], fibrinogen, Factor VII, plasminogen, tissue plasminogen activator antigen[t-PA] [Ag] pre and post venous occlusion [VO] and plasminogen activator inhibitor [PAI] activity pre and post VO [VO test is a physiological stress test used to study the fibrinolytic activity]. In addition to metabolic abnormalities obese non diabetic subjects and lean and obese NIDDM patients displayed significantly higher levels of fibrinogen, Factor VII, plasminogen, PAI pre and post VO and t-PA [Ag] pre VO and significantly lower levels of t-PA [Ag] post VO. Our findings demonstrate an impairment of the haemostatic and fibrinolytic mechanisms which may be a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic vascular complications in obesity and in NIDDM. From this study we can recommend the following 1] Prophylaxis and early tretment of obesity 2] Early and proper treatment of NIDDM. 3] Early and proper treatment of any metabolic abnormalities as regards lipids or carbohydrate metabolism, and proper treatment of atherosclerosis

Serum chromium, HDL-cholestol and APO A-l in diabetic patients

This study was done on sixteen [16] non insulin dependent diabetics without atherosclerosis and sixteen [16] noninsulin dependent diabetics with atherosclerosis in addition to sixteen [16] normal controls. In this study we found that: [A] NIDD patients without atherosclerosis compared to controls. Serum chromium and APOAl showed non-significant change. Total cholesterol showed a significant increase. HDL-cholesterol showed a significant decrease. B. NIDD patients with atherosclerosis as compared to controls. - Serum chromium and HDL-cho1esterol showed a significant decrease. - APO A -l showed non-significant change. - Total cholesterol showed a significant increase. C. NIDD patients with atherosclerosis as compared to those without atherosclerosis. - Serum chromium and APO Al showed non-significant change. - Total cholesterol showed a significant increase - HDL-cholesterol showed a significant decrease