Plasma and synovial fluid osteopontin levels in patients with knee osteoarthritis: relation to radiological grade

To investigate osteopontin [OPN] levels in both plasma and synovial fluid of patients with primary knee osteoarthritis [OA] and their relationship with radiological grade. Sixty patients had knee OA and 30 control subjects were included. Anteroposterior knee radiographs were taken to determine the disease severity of the affected knee. The radiographic grading of OA in the knee was performed by using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading. Osteopontin levels in the plasma and synovial fluid were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared. OA patients had higher plasma osteopontin concentrations compared to healthy controls [p < 0.000]. Osteopontin levels in synovial fluid were significantly higher with respect to plasma sample [r = 0.694, p < 0.000]. The mean plasma levels of osteopontin in KL grade 4 were greater than those in KL grade 3, and the difference was statistically significant [p < 0.01]. The plasma osteopontin levels significantly correlated with the severity of disease [r = 0.870, p < 0.000]. The synovial fluid levels of osteopontin also correlated with disease severity as regarding the radiological grade [r = 0.817, p < 0.000]. Osteopontin in plasma and synovial fluid is related to progressive joint damage in knee OA. Osteopontin may serve as a biochemical marker for determining disease severity as regarding radiological grade

Retinol and alpha-tocopherol levels among hemodialysis patients

Plasma retinol, alpha tocopherol, total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in 40 patients aged 27-65 years, under regular hemodialysis [HD] for 1.8-13 years at Ahmed Maher teaching Hospital and in 28 healthy age and sex matched control. Predialysis and postdialysis measurements were also, done for a subset of 13 hemodialytic patients. Among hemodialytic patients,all values [Plasma retinol,alpha- tocopherol, total cholesterol and triglycerides]were significantly higher [p < 0.05] with respect to healthy control .The ratio of retinol to total cholesterol was significantly higher, while alpha-tocopherol to total cholesterol ratio was insignificant .In almost all hemodialytic patients, plasma retinol was at toxic level [> 100 ug /dl] except for one patient . On the other hand,alpha-tocopherol level in hemodialytic patients was ranged between deficiency [<650 ug/dl] in about 6 [15%] of them, marginal level [650-860 ug/dl] at 3 [8%], while 9 [23%] had normal level [860-1080ug/ dl] and the rest 22 [54%] were in the optimum level [> 1080 ug/dl]. Comparing predialysis and postdialysis measurements, the hemodialytic patients showed non significant difference concerning retinol level, while alpha tocopherol was significantly decreased in postdialytic state .In conclusion ; further studies are needed to answer, if hemodialytic patients are at risk for symptomatic vitamin A toxicity?. Even with normal or low plasma vitamin E, it is needed as an antioxidant accessory therapy in hemodialytic patients

Adenosine deaminase enzyme activity as a diagnostic marker in rheumatoid arthritis

This study has been conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value of estimating adenosine deaminase [ADA] enzyme activity in the differential diagnosis of RA especially those cases with seronegative RA [those with negative latex test]. The study involved two main groups of patients, 20 osteoarthritis [OA] patients constitute the reference group and 30 rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients [20 patients were latex positive and 10 patients were latex negative] constitute the test group. ADA activity was studied in sera, peripheral blood lymphocytes and synovial fluids of knee joints of all groups. Serum ADA activity showed significantly higher values in both groups of RA than OA [88.95 +/- 11 .69 IU/L in latex positive and 86.40 + 11.92 lt1/L in latex negative vs 30.2 + 8.05 IU/L, in OA]. In synovial fluids ADA activity showed a similar pattern [183.1 + 14.81 IU/L in latex positive RA and 181.9 +/- 17.31 IU/L in latex negative RA vs 33.9 +/- 5.3 IU/L in OA]. Both latex positive and latex negative RA patients showed significantly higher values of ADA activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes than those with OA [841.55 + 6.1 micromolNH[3] / [10][6] cell/hour in Latex +ve RA and 839 +/- 50.93 /micromolNH[3] / [10][6] cell/hour in Latex negative RA vs 362.6 micromoINH[3] / [10][6] cell/hour in OA. There was no significant difference in ADA activity between both subgroups of RA in all materials studied indicating a reliable sensitivity of ADA in seronegative patients and pointing to the possible use of ADA activity as a diagnostic marker in RA especially seronegative cases

Effect of amino acid composition of dietary proteins on certain metabolic parameters

Aming at studying the effect of amino acid composition of dietary proteins on certan metabolic parameters, Soya bean, faba bean, fish, meat and casein were fed five groups of weanling rats for four weeks. Each of these dietary proteins was added to rat's at the level of 10% protein at the expense of starch. The dietary were analysed for their crude protein prercentage, amino acids content and available lysine. The results showed; fish and meat are higher in lysine and methionine [which are the most limiting amino acids for growth] than two beans, so growth was found to be much higher in the former groups. Blood glucose level matched the sum of total pure glucogenic amino acids, and it was higher in the two animal proteins than of faba beans. Liver glycogen was inversely proportionate to blood glucose, this might be a toward goalagainst liver insult in certain diseases [diabetes and obesity]. Serum phospholipids, trigrycerdes and cholesterol presented higher levels with the two animal proteins than plant protins, this might be attributed to their higher content of sulfur-amino acids