Serum and synovial fluid concentrations of CCL2 (MCP-1) chemokine in patients suffering rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis reflect disease activity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine serum and synovial fluid (SF) concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) or CCL2 chemokine, in patients suffering (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and to correlate the values to disease activity, and other patient- and disease-related parameters. METHODS: The CCL-2/MCP-1 chemokine (CK) was measured in serum and SF of 30 RA and 15 OA patients using specific and very sensitive ELISA assay. RESULTS: The CCL2/MCP-1 CK was found in increased amounts in SF compared to serum (p < 0.001) and in RA compared to OA patients (p < 0.001). The values were significantly greater in RA patients with more active disease. Greater mean SF concentrations were observed in older RA patients, in patients with longer duration of RA disease and in those who had been treated with methotrexate. Also positive correlation was found between RA SF concentrations and SF leukocyte numbers (r = 0.497, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The SF and serum CCL2/MCP-1 concentrations are significantly greater in RA than in OA and in hda-RA than in mda-RA; increased SF over serum concentrations suggest that CCL2/MCP-1 is mainly produced locally by activated cells where it may exacerbate and sustain inflammation by attracting proinflammatory leukocytes, predominantly monocytes (Tab. 1, Fig. 2, Ref. 50). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

[Levels of beta-endorphins in peripheral blood plasma in infertile women with and without symptoms of hyperandrogenism]. / Koncentracija beta-endorfina u plazmi periferne krvi sterilnih zena sa znacima i bez znakova hiperandrogenemije.

In 56 infertile women, aged 20 to 35, beta-endorphin (beta-EP) was determined out of the sample of peripheral blood plasma as well as the serum testosterone (T), progesterone (Prg), estradiol (E2), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) at the medium (from the 6th to 9th day) and at the late follicular stage of the menstrual cycle (from the 10th to 14th day), the early luteal stage (from the 15th to 19th day) and at the late luteal stage of the cycle (from the 20th to 25th day). According to the gathered results of T, DHEA-S and the evaluated indexes of free androgenes of--FAI, women were grouped into two groups. Those with hyperandrogenism (n = 30) and those without hyperandrogenism (n = 26), with two subgroups: those with ovulation and those without it. Women with ovulation and without hyperandrogenism showed statistically significant higher concentration of beta-EP at the late luteal stage of the cycle in comparison with those without ovulation belonging to the same group (n = 9; 5.5 +/- 1.4 vs n = 7; 3.5 +/- 0.6; p < 0.01) as well as concerning the early luteal stage of their own cycle (5.5 +/- 1.4 vs 4.3 +/- 0.3; p < 0.5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Hyperinsulinemia in women with hyperandrogenemia]. / Hiperinsulinemija u zena sa hiperandrogenemijom.

In the peripheral blood serum from 24 females with hyperandrogenemia and 12 controls we determined concentrations of total testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and insulin, and calculated Free Androgen Index. In hyperandrogenemic patients we found significantly higher mean concentrations of total testosterone when compared to the controls (n = 192; 3.5 + 1.9 vs n = 76; 1.9 = 0.9; P < 0.001), insulin (n = 95; 23.2 = 15.1; vs n = 33; 9.9 = 4.8; p < 0.001) DHEA-S (n = 70; 6.2 = 1.6 vs n = 27; 3.6 = 1.9; p < 0.001), FAI (n = 65; 27 = 32.9 vs n = 33; 3.9 = 2.1; p < 0.001) while the levels of SHBG in hyperandrogenemics were significantly lower than in the controls (n = 67; 24.6 = 15.9 vs n = 33; 52.8 = 19.3; p < 0.001). We found a positive correlation between the relative body mass and insulin concentrations (r = 0.67) in the form of the repeated sampling mean values; between the relative body mass and the mean values of the total testosterone concentrations (r = 0.42) and between the total testosterone concentrations and insulin (r = 0.32).

[Obesity as a risk factor in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma]. / Gojaznost kao faktor rizika u pacijentkinja sa adenokarcinomom endometrijuma.

In 19 patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma and in 17 healthy women, of approximate age and body weight, concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2), progesterone (PRG) and cortisol were determined by means of the RIA method. Gonadotropins show significantly lower values in the examined patients (FSH = 22.7 +/- 20.5; LH = 13.7 +/- 8.4) in relation to the control group (FSH = 41 +/- 28.3; LH = 23.5 +/- 13.9; P less than 0.001) and significantly elevated values of PRL (383.7 +/- 270) in relation to the control group (268.1 +/- 165.7; P less than 0.005). The correlation of the E2/PRG and Relative Body Mass (RBM) ratio in the examined patients, shows a significant positive correlation indicating an excess of E2, towards which PRG is not opposed to in obese persons. A significant correlation of PRL and E2 elevated values in the patients affected, in contrast to the control group, was also found. These findings confirm the assertion that subtile changes which exist in the hormone relations of affected persons, are linked to obesity.