Immunoautoradiographic determination of beta-1 gamma globulin in the blood serum of patients with trophoblastic tumors]

The authors determined beta1-G-globulin (beta1GG) in the sera of patients with different malignant tumours and of normal donors by means of the immunodiffusion method (ID) and immunoautoradiography (IAR). In the ID-negative sera beta1GG was revealed by means of IAR in 7 out of 8 patients with chorionepithelioma of the uterus and in 1 out of 7 patients with teratomblastoma of the testis before the treatment. After the treatment the beta1GG was determined in 7 out of 21 patients with chorionepithelioma of the uterus. At the early stage of trophoblastic tumours of the uterus beta1GG could be found in 77.7% of cases by means of IAR and in 16.8% of cases by means of the ID method.     

Renalase in children with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Background: Renalase is kidney-derived molecule initially considered as catecholamine-inactivating enzyme. However, recent studies suggest that renalase exerts potent cardio- and nephroprotective actions, not related to its enzymatic activity.

Purpose: To assess renalase level in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Material and methods: Serum renalase, BMI, arterial stiffness, peripheral and central blood pressure, intima-media thickness (IMT), medications, and biochemical parameters were analyzed in 38 children with CKD (12.23?±?4.19?years) (stage G2-5). Control group consisted of 38 healthy children.

Results: In the study group, GFR was 25.74?±?8.94?mL/min/1.73 m²; 6 children were dialyzed; 26 had arterial hypertension. Renalase level was higher in the study group compared to control group (p?<?0.001). In CKD children renalase correlated (p?<?0.05) with BMI Z-score (r?=?–0.36), alfacalcidol dose (r?=?0.41), GFR (r?=?–0.69), hemoglobin (r?=?–0.48), total cholesterol (r?=?0.35), LDL-cholesterol (r?=?0.36), triglycerides (r?=?0.52), phosphate (r?=?0.35), calcium-phosphorus product (r?=?0.35), parathormone (r?=?0.58), and pulse wave velocity Z-score (r?=?0.42). In multivariate analysis GFR (β?=?–0.63, p?<?0.001), triglycerides (β?=?0.59, p?=?0.002), and alfacalcidol dose (β?=?–0.49, p?=?0.010) were determinants of renalase.

Conclusions: In children with CKD there is a strong correlation between renalase level and CKD stage. Furthermore, in these patients renalase does not correlate with blood pressure but may be a marker of arterial stiffness.     

Noninvasive measurement of the tension-time index in children with neuromuscular disease.

Respiratory muscle weakness is common in children with neuromuscular disease (NMD). We hypothesized that weakness puts them at risk for respiratory muscle fatigue, a harbinger of chronic respiratory failure. We therefore measured a noninvasive index of respiratory muscle fatigue, the tension-time index of the respiratory muscles (TT(mus)), in 11 children with NMD and 13 control subjects. Spirometric flow rates and maximal inspiratory pressure were significantly lower in the NMD group than in controls (43 +/- 23 vs. 99 +/- 21 cmH2O, P < 0.001). The mean TT(mus) was significantly higher in the NMD group than in controls (0.205 +/- 0.117 vs. 0.054 +/- 0.021, P < 0.001). The increase in TT(mus) was primarily due to an increase in the ratio of average mean inspiratory pressure to maximal inspiratory pressure, indicating decreased respiratory muscle strength reserve. We found a significant correlation between TT(mus) and the residual volume-to-total lung capacity ratio (r = 0.504, P = 0.03) and a negative correlation between TT(mus) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = -0.704, P < 0.001). In conclusion, children with NMD are prone to respiratory muscle fatigue. TT(mus) may be useful in assessing tolerance during weaning from mechanical ventilation, identifying impending respiratory failure, and aiding in the decision to institute therapies.     

Interaction of myasthenic serum globulin with the acetylcholine receptor.

A serum factor from patients with myasthenia gravis which inhibited the binding of 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin to acetylcholine receptor extracted with Triton X-100 from rat muscle has been studied in detail. The inhibitory activity was localized to the IgG fraction based upon the fractionations by sodium sulfate precipitation and DEAE chromatography as well as reaction with anti-IgG globulin. The myasthenic globulin inhibited toxin binding to receptors extracted from degenerated muscle but did not inhibit toxin binding to normal junctional receptors. At saturation levels of myasthenic globulin, the number of denervated acetylcholine receptors available for toxin binding was reduced approx. 50 percent. The myastehnic globulin was found to bind to denervated acetylcholine receptors but not to normal acetylcholine receptors by a radioimmunoassay technique in which myasthenic globulin incubated with 125I-labeled alpha bungarotoxin-receptor complexes was precipitated by anti-IgG serum. The globulin binding was saturable over the same range as inhibition of toxin binding. The data suggest that the myasthenic IgC binds to a site on the receptor complex juxtaposed to the acetylcholine receptor site. The myasthenic globulin appears to be a useful probe for investigation differences between acetylcholine receptors extracted from normal and denervated muscle and for investigating the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis.     

Simultaneous measurement of multiple Th1 and Th2 serum cytokines in psoriasis and correlation with disease severity

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic plaques have been shown to contain increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, IL-8, and interferon (IFN)-gamma have been reported elevated in psoriatic patients. AIM: To evaluate serum cytokine profiles in psoriasis patients by improved enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and to correlate these levels with disease severity. METHODS: We analyzed single serum samples from 10 patients with active untreated psoriasis, two patients with active treated psoriasis, and five healthy volunteers for major T helper type 1 and T helper type 2 cytokines using the LINCOplex ELISA multi-analyte detection system that permits simultaneous detection of multiple cytokines from a single sample. The disease severity, including erythema, induration, scale, and surface area, was assessed. RESULTS: IFN-gamma was markedly elevated in all sera from psoriasis patients, 33.8 +/- 1.3 pg/ml (mean +/- standard error) versus 8 +/- 1.5 pg/ml for normal controls (p < 0.01), and positively correlated with all indices of disease severity (Spearman r > 0.6). IL-8 was also increased in psoriasis patients (24.4 +/- 1.8 pg/ml) versus normal controls (3.6 +/- 1.2 pg/ml) (p < 0.05) and positively correlated with the degree of erythema (Spearman r > 0.6). Mean IL-12 levels were decreased in sera from psoriasis patients (8.5 +/- 1.2 pg/ml) compared with normal controls (42.2 +/- 5.3 pg/ml) (p < 0.01). Also, serum IL-10 levels were below detection levels in psoriatics compared with controls (6.4 +/- 1.3 pg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: This new ELISA system allowed rapid and reliable detection of numerous cytokines in single serum samples from patients with psoriasis. We observed that IFN-gamma and IL-8 cytokines were elevated in psoriatics and correlated with parameters of disease severity while IL-10 and IL-12 were decreased.