Fatty acid-binding protein 4 circulating levels in non-segmental vitiligo

Abstract Background: Vitiligo is an acquired and progressive mucocutaneous disease resulting from the loss of active epidermal melanocytes. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects about 25% of the world's population and is linked to inflammatory skin diseases including vitiligo. Fatty AcidBinding Protein 4 (FABP4) is an intracellular lipid chaperone. FABP4 is closely associated with MetS. Objectives: To evaluate the serum level of FABP4 in vitiligo patients and its relation to MetS in the investigated cases. Methods: This case control study was conducted on 45 patients having non segmental vitiligo and 45 matched controls. Their lipid profile, blood glucose and serum FABP4 levels were measured. Results: There were significant elevations in FABP4 (p < 0.001), cholesterol (p < 0.001), triglycerides (p = 0.005), and glucose (fasting [p = 0.001] and 2 hours post prandial [p < 0.001]) levels in patients in comparison with controls. MetS was significantly more prevalent among vitiligo patients (p < 0.001) and associated with high FABP4 serum levels (p = 0.037). In vitiligo patients, there were significant positive correlations between FABP4 serum levels and triglycerides (p = 0.047), cholesterol (p = 0.001) and LDL (p = 0.001) levels and negative correlation regarding HDL level (p = 0.009). FABP4 level was a significantly good diagnostic test for early detection of vitiligo (p < 0.001). Study limitations: The small number of studied subjects. Conclusions: FABP4 may play an active role in the disease process of vitiligo that could be mediated through associated dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. FABP4 may be a marker of vitiligo helping in its early diagnosis, but it does not appear to be useful for determining vitiligo severity, activity or associated MetS.

Characterization of the intestinal graft in a swine hypotensive after brain death model

Abstract Purpose: To establish a hypotensive brain death pig model and observe the effects of hypotension on small bowel donors. Methods: The hypotensive brain death model was produced using the modified intracranial water sac inflation method in ten domestic crossbred pigs. Effects of hypotensive brain death on small bowel tissue morphology were evaluated through changes in intestinal tissue pathology, tight junction protein of the intestinal mucosa and plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (i-FABP) levels. The pathophysiological mechanism was examined based on changes in superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow and systemic hemodynamics. Results: After model establishment, SMA blood flow, and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) significantly decreased, while heart rate increased rapidly and fluctuated significantly. Small bowel tissue morphology and levels of tight junction protein of the intestinal mucosa showed that after model establishment, small bowel tissue injury was gradually aggravated over time (P<0.05). Plasma i-FABP levels significantly increased after brain death (P<0.05). Conclusions: A hypotensive brain death pig model was successfully established using an improved intracranial water sac inflation method. This method offers a possibility of describing the injury mechanisms more clearly during and after brain death.

Reduction of venous pressure during the resection of liver metastases compromises enteric blood flow: IGFBP-1 as a novel biomarker of intestinal barrier injury

OBJECTIVES: Disruption of the intestinal barrier and bacterial translocation commonly occur when intestinal blood flow is compromised. The aim of this study was to determine whether liver resection induces intestinal damage. METHODS: We investigated intestinal fatty-acid binding protein and insulin-like growth factor binding protein levels in the plasma of patients who underwent liver resection. RESULTS: We show that liver resection is associated with significant intestinal barrier injury, even if the Pringle maneuver is not performed. CONCLUSION: We propose the use of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 as a novel biomarker of intestinal damage in such situations.

The Prognostic Value of Serum Levels of Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein and High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Patients With Increased Levels of Amino-Terminal Pro-B Type Natriuretic Peptide

BACKGROUND: Amino-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a well-established prognostic factor in heart failure (HF). However, numerous causes may lead to elevations in NT-proBNP, and thus, an increased NT-proBNP level alone is not sufficient to predict outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of two acute response markers, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), in patients with an increased NT-proBNP level. METHODS: The 278 patients were classified into three groups by etiology: 1) acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (n=62), 2) non-ACS cardiac disease (n=156), and 3) infectious disease (n=60). Survival was determined on day 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, 90, 120, and 150 after enrollment. RESULTS: H-FABP (P<0.001), NT-proBNP (P=0.006), hsCRP (P<0.001) levels, and survival (P<0.001) were significantly different in the three disease groups. Patients were divided into three classes by using receiver operating characteristic curves for NT-proBNP, H-FABP, and hsCRP. Patients with elevated NT-proBNP (≥3,856 pg/mL) and H-FABP (≥8.8 ng/mL) levels were associated with higher hazard ratio for mortality (5.15 in NT-proBNP and 3.25 in H-FABP). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed H-FABP was a better predictor of 60-day mortality than NT-proBNP. CONCLUSIONS: The combined measurement of H-FABP with NT-proBNP provides a highly reliable means of short-term mortality prediction for patients hospitalized for ACS, non-ACS cardiac disease, or infectious disease.

Temporal relationship of serum markers and tissue damage during acute intestinal ischemia/reperfusion

OBJECTIVE: It is essential to identify a serological marker of injury in order to study the pathophysiology of intestinal ischemia reperfusion. In this work, we studied the evolution of several serological markers after intestinal ischemia reperfusion injury in rats. The markers of non-specific cell damage were aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransaminase, and lactic dehydrogenase, the markers of inflammation were tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1 beta, and the markers of intestinal mucosal damage were intestinal fatty acid binding protein and D-lactate. We used Chiús classification to grade the histopathological damage. METHODS: We studied 35 Wistar rats divided into groups according to reperfusion time. The superior mesenteric artery was clamped for 30 minutes, and blood and biopsies were collected at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after reperfusion. We plotted the mean ± standard deviation and compared the baseline and maximum values for each marker using Student's t-test. RESULTS: The maximum values of interleukin-1 beta and lactic dehydrogenase were present before the maximal histopathological damage. The maximum tumor necrosis factor alpha and D-lactate expressions coincided with histopathological damage. Alanine aminotransaminase and aspartate aminotransferase had a maximum expression level that increased following the histopathological damage. The maximum expressions of interluken-6 and intestinal fatty acid binding protein were not significantly different from the Sham treated group. CONCLUSION: For the evaluation of injury secondary to acute intestinal ischemia reperfusion with a 30 minute ischemia period, we recommend performing histopathological grading, quantification of D-lactate, which is synthesized by intestinal bacteria and is considered an indicator of mucosal injury, and quantification of tumor necrosis ...

Heart-type Fatty Acid Binding Protein as an Adjunct to Cardiac Troponin-I for the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction

We hypothesized that when used in combination with cardiac troponins, heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) would have greater diagnostic value than conventional markers for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with typical chest pain at a single emergency department were consecutively enrolled. Initial blood samples were drawn for H-FABP, myoglobin, creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) measurements. MI was defined by serial cTnI measurements. To evaluate the adjunctive role of biochemical markers, we derived and compared logistic regression models predicting MI in terms of their discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve, AUC) and overall fit (Bayesian information criterion, BIC). Seventy-six of 170 patients were diagnosed as having MI. The AUC of cTnI, H-FABP, myoglobin, and CK-MB were 0.863, 0.827, 0.784, and 0.772, respectively. A logistic regression model using cTnI (P = 0.001) and H-FABP (P < 0.001) had the biggest AUC (0.900) and the best fit determined by BIC. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of this model at 30% probability were 81.6%, 80.9%, 4.26, and 0.23, respectively. H-FABP has a better diagnostic value than both myoglobin and CK-MB as an adjunct to cTnI for the early diagnosis of MI.

Heart-type Fatty Acid Binding Protein as an Adjunct to Cardiac Troponin-I for the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction

We hypothesized that when used in combination with cardiac troponins, heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) would have greater diagnostic value than conventional markers for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with typical chest pain at a single emergency department were consecutively enrolled. Initial blood samples were drawn for H-FABP, myoglobin, creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) measurements. MI was defined by serial cTnI measurements. To evaluate the adjunctive role of biochemical markers, we derived and compared logistic regression models predicting MI in terms of their discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve, AUC) and overall fit (Bayesian information criterion, BIC). Seventy-six of 170 patients were diagnosed as having MI. The AUC of cTnI, H-FABP, myoglobin, and CK-MB were 0.863, 0.827, 0.784, and 0.772, respectively. A logistic regression model using cTnI (P = 0.001) and H-FABP (P < 0.001) had the biggest AUC (0.900) and the best fit determined by BIC. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of this model at 30% probability were 81.6%, 80.9%, 4.26, and 0.23, respectively. H-FABP has a better diagnostic value than both myoglobin and CK-MB as an adjunct to cTnI for the early diagnosis of MI.

impact of chronic liver diseases on the level of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein [H-FABP] concentrations

Heart-type fatty acid binding-protein [H-FABP] has been reported to be a potential novel biochemical marker for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. The presence of H-FABP in the liver has not been reported. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of chronic liver diseases on the level of H-FABP concentrations. The effects of chronic liver diseases including infective hepatitis and cirrhosis on the concentration of H-FABP was studied in a small group of patients [n=10, mean age +/- SD = 58.33 +/- 7.19 years]. The serum concentrations of the following markers were measured: H-FABP, alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and bilirubin and compared with a reference control group [20 healthy blood donors, mean age +/- SD = 63.8 +/- 8.01]. The serum concentrations of these markers in the control group as compared to patients with chronic liver disease were as follows [mean +/- SD]: H-FABP = 6.86 +/- 2.21 micro g/L versus 6.44 +/- 3.06 micro g/L [p = NS]; ALT = 29.8 +/- 14.7 U/L versus ALT = 198.67 +/- 122.89 U/L [p < 0.0005] and bilirubin = 9.6 +/- 4.0 micro mol/L versus bilirubin = 100.89 +/- 87.85 micro mol/L [p < 0.0001]. These data illustrate clearly that there is no significant interference with the normal concentration of H-FABP in the presence of liver diseases, despite the significant elevation of liver enzymes and proteins. These data may support a useful role of H-FABP for the diagnosis of myocardial injury in patients with liver diseases

An evidence of intestinal mucosal injury in dengue infection.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between dengue infection and intestinal mucosal injury. Serum levels of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) were used as a specific marker for mucosal injury. The diagnosis of all patients was serologically confirmed by anti-dengue IgG or IgM. Serum I-FABP levels of 120 patients were determined and compared to those of 25 controls using ELISA. In order to investigate serum I-FABP among dengue patients, they were categorized into 5 groups according to disease severity: dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) grade I through DHF grade IV. The dengue patients had higher levels of serum I-FABP compared to 25 controls (408.0 +/- 499.3 vs 124.72 +/- 147.81 pg/ml, p=0.006). The patients with DHF grade IV had the highest levels of serum I-FABP, ALT, and AST compared to the other groups. However, there were no differences in serum I-FABP, ALT, and AST levels among patients with DF, DHF grade I, grade II, and grade III. Evidence of intestinal mucosal injury in patients with dengue infection was demonstrated. Patients with DHF grade IV had high serum I-FABP levels and had associated liver injury.