Neonatal hemochromatosis in monochorionic twins.

Neonatal hemochromatosis (NH) is a form of neonatal liver failure caused by maternal-fetal alloimmune injury to hepatocytes. The etiology of neonatal hemochromatosis is not exactly understood. However, according to one theory neonatal hemochromatosis is believed to be an alloimmune disorder causing liver injury in the fetus. In order to diagnose neonatal hemochromatosis there are some criteria that should be taken into account, such as positive family history, high serum ferritin levels, high serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and siderosis demonstrated by histology or with magnetic resonance.We present a case of a monochorionic newborn twin who applied to our hospital with sepsis clinical symptoms like clinics, was diagnosed with NH and immediately treated with antioxidant therapy while the other twin with same clinical symptoms did not respond to therapy and passed away. NH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases with sepsis-like clinical symptoms that do not respond to antibiotics; early antioxidant therapy in these cases is lifesaving.

Serum levels of interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in patients with gastric carcinoma.

The possible role of inflammation-associated cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was investigated by measuring the levels of these cytokines in serum samples from 21 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. These values were compared with those detected in 17 age-matched controls. The levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 were significantly increased (approximately sixfold) in gastric cancer patients. While there was a modest increase (approximately twofold) in the level of IL-1 alpha, the circulating level of TNF-alpha was greatly reduced (approximately threefold) in the patient group.