Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid levels for ALOX5, S100B, DEFA1, and GFAP in infectious meningitis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine how the levels of peptide and protein-based biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid change in bacterial, tuberculous, and aseptic meningitis, and to determine the success of these agents in distinguishing between different types of infectious meningitis. METHODS: The levels of arachidonate-5-lipoxygenase, S100 calcium-binding protein B, defensin-α 1, and glial fibrillary acidic protein in cerebrospinal fluid samples from 20 tuberculosis, 40 bacterial, 25 aseptic meningitis patients, and 55 control groups were measured and compared using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 37.9 ±â€…14.4 years. The parameter that contributed the most to the differential diagnosis of the infectious meningitis groups was S100 calcium-binding protein B. The S100 calcium-binding protein B levels were significantly higher in the tuberculous meningitis group than in the other groups, and arachidonate-5-lipoxygenase levels were significantly higher in the tuberculous meningitis and bacterial meningitis groups (P < .05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that cerebrospinal fluid arachidonate-5-lipoxygenase, and S100 calcium-binding protein B levels may differ in bacterial, aseptic, and tuberculous meningitis, and the results obtained may be quite effective as important potential biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of different types of meningitis.

Determination of Serum Differential Carnitine Ester Levels in HIV(+) Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: It has been reported that carnitine deficiency is observed in various viral infections and in the follow-up of the prognosis of some diseases. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine how carnitine ester derivatives change in HIV-positive patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 25 HIV-infected patients who applied to Harran University Faculty of Medicine Education Research and Practice Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Outpatient Clinic and who did not receive any antiretroviral treatment, as well as 25 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Carnitine ester levels in serum samples were measured by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method (Shimadzu North America, Columbia, MD, USA). RESULTS: While suberoylcarnitine (C8DC), myristoleylcarnitine (C14:1), tetradecadienoylcarnitine (C14:2), palmitoleylcarnitine (C16:1), and linoleylcarnitine (C18:2) levels in HIV(+) patients were quite low compared to the control group, tiglylcarnitine (C5:1) levels were high (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, C5:1 and C14:2 index parameters according to VIP score, and C5:1 and C14:1/C16 index parameters according to ROC analysis were determined as markers with high potential to distinguish HIV(+) patients from healthy volunteers. CONCLUSION: This study showed that levels of acylcarnitine derivatives might be altered in HIV(+) patients, and the results obtained may contribute to a better understanding of carnitine metabolism.

Can zaprinast and avanafil induce the levels of angiogenesis, bone morphogenic protein 2, 4 and 7 in kidney of ovariectomised rats?

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated effects of zaprinast and avanafil on angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 2, 4 and 7. METHODS: Female rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6). Sham; abdomen was approximately 2 cm opened and closed. Ovariectomised (OVX); abdomen was opened 2 cm and the ovaries were cut. OVX + zaprinast and OVX + avanafil groups; after the same procedure with OVX, 10 mg/kg zaprinast and avanafil were orally administered for 2 month, respectively. Angiogenesis and the levels of VEGF, BMP2, 4 and 7 were determined. RESULTS: VEGF, BMP2, 4 and 7 levels in OVX + zaprinast and especially OVX + avanafil groups were higher than the sham and OVX (p < .05). However, only VEGF and BMP2 levels in OVX + zaprinast group were significant according to sham (p < .05). Also, angiogenesis in OVX + zaprinast and OVX + avanafil groups was dominant according to sham and OVX (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Zaprinast and avanafil induced BMP2, 4 and 7 levels synergistically with increased VEGF and angiogenesis in renal tissue.

Zaprinast and avanafil increase the vascular endothelial growth factor, vitamin D3, bone morphogenic proteins 4 and 7 levels in the kidney tissue of male rats applied the glucocorticoid.

Objective: This study investigated effect of zaprinast and avanafil on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 4 and 7, and vitamin D3 levels against the negative effect of dexamethazone.Method: Rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6). Control: Empty a syringe was immersed and removed subcutaneously. Dexamethasone (DEX): 120 µg/kg DEX was injected subcutaneously once a day for 28 days. DEX + zaprinast and DEX + avanafil groups: 10 mg/kg zaprinast and avanafil were administrated to rats in addition to the same procedure in the DEX, respectively. VitaminD3, VEGF, BMP4 and 7 levels by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and angiogenesis by histopathological/immunohistochemical were evaluated.Results: BMP4 values in the DEX were lower than the other groups (p < .05). DEX + zaprinast and DEX + avanafil exhibited an increase in all the parameters compared to the control and DEX (p < .05). However, these were not significant for the DEX + zaprinast (p > .05). Also, there was a significant increase in angiogenesis in the DEX + zaprinast and DEX + avanafil.Conclusion: Zaprinast and significantly avanafil induced vitamin D3, BMP4 and 7 levels by increasing angiogenesis in renal.

Within-subject and between-subject biological variation of first morning void urine amino acids in 12 healthy subjects.

Background Urine amino acid analysis is used for the assessment of various diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate the valid biological variation (BV) components (within- and between-subjects) required for the safe clinical application of free urine amino acids. Methods First morning void urine samples were taken from 12 healthy subjects (five females, seven males) once a week for 10 consecutive weeks, and amino acid analysis was performed using an Agilent 6470 triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer instrument. The obtained data were subjected to normality, outlier and variance homogeneity analyses prior to coefficient of variation (CV) analysis. Within- and between-subject BV values (CVI and CVG) of 39 amino acids were determined for all subjects. In addition, the index of individuality (II), reference change value (RCV), imprecision, bias and total error were estimated using BV data obtained from our study. Results The CVI values ranged from 8.9 (histidine) to 36.8% (trans-4-hydroxyprolin), while the CVG values ranged from 25.0 (1-methyl-L-histidine) to 63.3% (phenylalanine). The II value of most amino acids was less than 0.6 and ranged between 0.21 and 0.88. The imprecision, bias and total error ranged between 4.45 and 16.6, between 7.69 and 16.6, and between 18.4 and 43.2, respectively. Conclusions This study, designed according to a rigorous protocol, has the feature of being the first to give information about BV data of urine amino acids. We believe that the reference intervals have a limitation in the evaluation of consecutive results from an individual, so the use of RCV would be more appropriate.