Relation between maternal plasma concentration of serum endoglin in patients with IUGR and preeclampsia: correlation with doppler study

The aim of the study was to compare between the rise in serum endoglin [sEng] in pregnant women with normotensive IUGR and preeclamptic pregnant women with and without IUGR and to compare between serum placental growth factor [PIGF] and endoglin levels in serum of pregnant patients with IUGR. Prospective analytic comparative study. The study includes group [1] 17 cases with manifest preeclampsia without IUGR, group [2] 11 cases with preeclampsia and IUGR, group [3] 12 normotensive pregnancies with IUGR and 15 gestational age matched control. sEng and PIGF were determined by ELISA, Doppler examination of the umbilitcal vessels in the form of PI and S/D ratio were done. The three groups show significantly higher sEng concentration compared to the control group [32.2 +/- 6.0 ng/ml, 42.3 +/- 10.5 ng/ml, 24.5 +/- 7.1 ng/ml and 12.2 +/- 3.6 ng/ml in the 4 groups respectively, p<0.001]. The three groups showed significantly lower level of PIGF [45.4 +/- 20.4 pg/ml, 23.3 +/- 12.1 pg/ml, 73.1 +/- 54.7 pg/ml and 111.1 +/- 58.4 pg/ml in the 4 groups respectively. P<0.003]. There was no significant difference between sEng in the three groups. Significant difference was found for serum levels of PIGF between normotensive IUGR and the other 2 groups. There was a significant positive correlation between sEng levels and S/D ratio [r= .939 p< 0.001] and PI [r=.695 p<0.001] of the umbilical vessels in group of preeclampsia without IUGR and insignificant correlation between serum levels of PIGF and Doppler study of the umbilical vessels in the same group. sEng increased in all cases with placental pathology even in normotensive IUGR, while PIGF has the reverse relationship, it decreased in placental pathology with negative relationship with severity. The correlation between maternal serum levels of sEng and PIGF and Doppler ultrasound indices of umbilical arteries in pre-eclampsia and IUGR reflect the severity of the disorders

Scope of growth factor in cancer patients

The growth factors [GFs] act at different stages of stem cell proliferation. Among them the most important ones found of clinical use are erythropoietin [EPO], granulocyte-colony stimulating factor [G-CSF], granulocyte macrophagecolony stimulating factor [GM-CSF], and thrombopoietin [TPO]. Their concomitant use makes treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy easier and cost-effective, with fewer side effects and better quality of life in highly selected patients. This is a review article

Serum and synovial fluid transforming growth factor beta, interleukin-1 beta and hyaluronan in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Serum and synovial fluid levels of transforming growth factor beta [TGF-beta], interleukin-1 beta [IL-1 beta] and hyaluronan in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis were estimated. Twenty- three and twenty-two serum and synovial fluid [SF] samples were obtained from patients with osteoarthritis [OA] and rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and thirteen serum samples from age and sex matched controls. Serum TGF-beta, IL-1 beta and HA levels were significantly elevated in OA and RA patients compared with control group. The significant increase of these previous serum markers was observed in RA patients compared with OA patients, whereas no significant differences were obtained in SF TGF-beta levels between the two groups. On the other hand, SFHA levels were reduced significantly in OA and RA patients with high index radiological progression, whereas serum HA and SF IL-1 beta levels were elevated significantly in RA patients with high index radiological progression. In RA patients, SF IL-1 beta levels were also correlated significantly with the clinical variables. Concerning the biochemical markers interrelationship, SFHA levels were negatively correlated with SF IL-1 beta level and RA, respectively. Also, SFHA levels were correlated with SF TGF-beta-levels in OA and RA, respectively. Moreover, negative correlation was observed between serum HA and SFHA in RA patients