ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Analysis of gestational hypercholesterolemia incidence in Prague population of healthy pregnant women. Diagnostic significance of non-cholesterol sterols as suitable markers of endogenous synthesis and intestinal absorption in etiology of gestational hypercholesterolemia. DESIGN: Retrospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 21 000 healthy pregnant women set of 84 patients with blood level of total cholesterol >7.0 mmol/l where noncholesterol sterols had been analyzed by use of GC/MS method on Finnigan MAT 120b. Lathosterol and desmosterol as markers of endogenous syntesis and campesterol and sitosterol as markers for intestinal absorbtion. Classical lipid parameters have been analyzed on Beckman Coulter and Cobas analyzators. RESULTS: The median of total cholesterol values in the set of 21 000 healthy pregnant women - 6,8 mmol/l was observed; median of LDLCh - 4.6 mmol/l and HDLCh - 2.2 mmol/l. The frequency of hypercholesterolemia values > 8.0 mmol/l 1:132 (!) was observed. The average values were for lathosterol 7.8 ± 1.7 µmol/l; desmosterol 4.7 ± 0.9 µmol/l; campesterol 9.8 ± 2.6 µmol/l; sitosterol 9.6 ± 3.8 µmol/l. The correlations of lathosterol with total cholesterol r = 0.524 as well as with non-HDLCh r = 0.35 and LDLCh r = 0.36 were observed. In campesterol or sitosterol as well as HDLCh or TAG no significant correlations have been observed. DISCUSSION: Pilot study for gestational hypercholesterolemias in Czech population of healthy pregnant women proved the high frequency of increased levels of total cholesterol (> 8.0 mmol/l) 1:132. Increased levels of lathosterol values could explain the hypercholesterolemia in pregnancy as result of higher endogene synthesis of cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Relatively high frequency of hypercholesterolemia in pregnancy is caused according to our findings by increased endogenous synthesis of cholesterol via lathosterol. The highly increased values of cholesterolemia during pregnancy could be efectivelly used for detection and after ending of lactation period for further differential diagnostic and treatment of previously undiagnosed familial hypercholesterolemias.
Subject(s)
Hypercholesterolemia/blood , Hypercholesterolemia/etiology , Sterols/blood , Czech Republic/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Hypercholesterolemia/epidemiology , Hyperlipidemias , Incidence , Pilot Projects , Pregnancy , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Leukotrienes (LTs) are increased in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in patients with asthma. So far no data have been reported about LT levels in nonasthmatic patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). The aim of the study was to find out whether the LT levels in EBC were increased in the nonasthmatic adult patients with SAR both during and after the pollen season in comparison with healthy controls and to assess the changes of the LT levels after the pollen season. METHODS: Twenty-nine nonasthmatic adult patients with SAR underwent measurement of exhaled LTs in the EBC during and after the pollen season. Leukotrienes B(4), C(4), D(4) and E(4) were analysed by a specific and sensitive gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) assay and compared with 50 healthy nonsmoking controls. Spirometry, skin prick tests and nonspecific IgE were evaluated. RESULTS: Leukotrienes concentrations (B(4), E(4) but not D(4)) were significantly increased in and after the pollen season in patients with SAR in comparison with healthy controls. In most of the samples, LT C(4) was undetectable. The values of all exhaled LTs were significantly decreased after the pollen season compared with the seasonal baseline: LTB(4) (P = 0.023), LTD(4) (P = 0.020), LTE(4) (P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Levels of exhaled LTB(4) and LTE(4) were higher in SAR patients than in healthy controls and decreased after the pollen season as compared with levels in season. The SAR patients with the highest in season LT levels had also the post-season levels elevated and this may be an early marker of inflammatory process in the lower airways despite the absence of clinical symptoms of asthma.
Subject(s)
Exhalation , Leukotriene B4 , Leukotriene E4 , Pollen , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/physiopathology , Seasons , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Osmolar ConcentrationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Leukotriene-like immunoreactivity has been detected in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), but definitive evidence for the presence of leukotrienes (LTs) in this biological fluid is not available. A study was undertaken to determine whether LTC(4), LTD(4), LTE(4), and LTB(4) are measurable in EBC by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and to quantify exhaled LTs in adults and children with asthma and in control subjects. METHODS: Twenty eight adults and 33 children with mild to moderate persistent asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroids and age matched healthy controls (50 adults and 50 children) were studied. LTB(4), LTC(4), LTD(4), and LTE(4) in EBC were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. RESULTS: LTD(4), LTE(4), and LTB(4) were detectable in all samples. Concentrations of LTC(4) in EBC were either close to or below the detection limit of 1 pg/ml. Median exhaled LTD(4), LTE(4), and LTB(4) concentrations in asthmatic adults were increased 4.1-fold (p<0.001), 1.8-fold (p<0.01), and 2.6-fold (p<0.001), respectively, compared with values in healthy adults. Median exhaled LTD(4), LTE(4), and LTB(4) concentrations in asthmatic children were increased 2.8-fold (p<0.001), 1.3-fold (p<0.001), and 1.6-fold (p<0.001), respectively, compared with those in healthy children. In patients with asthma there was a correlation between exhaled LTD(4) and LTE(4) in both adults (r = 0.87, p<0.0001) and children (r = 0.78, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry can be used to accurately quantify exhaled LTs which are increased in asthmatic adults and children compared with controls.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/administration & dosage , Asthma/metabolism , Leukotrienes/analysis , Administration, Inhalation , Adult , Asthma/drug therapy , Breath Tests , Child , Chromatography, Gas , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Forced Expiratory Volume/physiology , Humans , Male , Mass Spectrometry , Vital Capacity/physiologyABSTRACT
Considerable interest of specialists all over the world has focused on the measurement of the markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the exhaled breath condensate in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases recently. Use of exhaled condensate is based on the hypothesis that aerosol particles exhaled in human breath reflect the composition of the bronchoalveolar extracellular lining fluid. The standard collection of the material requires condensation of exhaled air and the samples have to be kept in biologically inert containers. Measurement of the very low concentrations of selected substances requires very sensitive analytical methods. The examination of exhaled breath condensate is absolutely non-invasive method, which can be repeated as often as needed and it is extremely well tolerated both by children and seniors. Markers in the condensate enable detection and quantification of the inflammation process, the disease monitoring, and assessment of the response to the treatment. The breath condensate diagnostics is a new progressive method and in the patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease it can bring complementary information to the very sensitive method of determination of exhaled nitric oxide.