Volume 78 - 2015 - Fasc.2 - Original articles
Serum levels of nitrate, nitrite and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Background and study aims : Oxidative stress is increased and anti-oxidant defense mechanisms are impaired in patients with hepatosteatosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the serum levels of several oxidant and anti-oxidant markers in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Patients and Methods : Thirty-four patients with NAFLD, and 19 healthy controls were included. In this study, we measured serum nitrate and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) as the oxi- dizing products and nitrite as the anti-oxidizing marker. Nitrate and nitrite levels were measured using a calorimetric method, and levels of serum AOPP were measured by a spectrophotometric method using a commercial ELISA kit.
Results: Serum nitrate and AOPP levels were significantly higher in the NAFLD group compared to the control group. Serum nitrite and N-N levels were similar between the two groups. Serum nitrate and N-N levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with elevated ALT levels compared to patients with normal ALT levels. Serum nitrite and AOPP levels were comparable between these groups. Mean platelet volume (MPV) was significantly lower in the NAFLD group compared to the control group.
Conclusions : Serum levels of oxidizing agents including nitrate and AOPP increase in patients with NAFLD. In contrast, serum nitrite, an antioxidant agent, does not adequately increase to com- pensate for the oxidizing effects in these patients. (Acta gastro- enterol. belg., 2015, 78, 201-205).
Association between serum vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels in turkish patients with colonic polyps
Epidemiological and investigational studies have proved that vi- tamin D is important in autoimmune processes and has antican- cerogenic properties. But the interplay between serum vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PtH) in colorectal polyps has been less clearly put forward. We evaluated serum vitamin D, PtH levels in turkish people and tried to stratify colorectal polyps according to risk factors. Patients undergoing colonoscopy between January 2012 and March 2012 were considered to study serum vitamin D levels during winter. Study population comprised of 98 colorectal polyp and 197 normal colonoscopy patients. Results : Serum vita- min D levels were not different between the groups (mean vitamin D level in polyp group 14.3 ± 11.1 vs. 12.7 ± 6.74 the normal group, p = 0.12). Likewise serum PtH levels were not different between the groups Patients with polyps were further classified as high and low risk polyps. When discriminant function analysis was conduct- ed, the effects of vitamin D or PTH levels were not again significant. During the study period 16 colorectal carcinoma cases were detect- ed. Serum vitamin D or PTH levels were not significantly different between colorectal cancer or overall study group patients. Finally serum vitamin D levels were stratified into quartiles. Likewise there was not any significant difference between the groups. The present study suggests that serum vitamin D and PtH levels were not different between colorectal polyp and control groups. And se- rum vitamin D levels were significantly low in both groups suggest- ing a significant vitamin D deficient state in Turkish patients. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2015, 78, 206-211).
New insight to IL-23-IL-17 axis in Iranian infected adult patients with gastritis : effects of genes polymorphisms on expression of cytokines
Background and Objective : Chronic inflammation is the hall- mark of the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced gastric cancer. IL- 17A and IL-17F are inflammatory cytokines expressed by a novel subset of CD4+Th cells and play critical function in inflammation. We evaluated the relationship between IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G and IL23R+2199 A/C polymorphisms with IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23 and TGF-ss1 mRNAs expression in regard to H. pylori infection with chronic gastritis.
Materials and Methods : Total RNA and genomic DNA were ex- tracted from gastric biopsies of 58 H. pylori-infected patient with gastritis. Afterward, mucosal IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23 and TGF-ss1 mRNAs expression and polymorphisms in IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G and IL-23R +2199A/Cin gastric biopsies were determined by real-time PCR and PCR-RFLP.
Results : Our results show that IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G andIL23R +2199A/C polymorphisms have no effect on mucosal expression of IL-6, IL-17, IL-21 and TGF-ss1 mRNAs expression in H. pylori-infected patients with chronic gastritis.
Conclusion : These results suggest that IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G and IL23R +2199A/C polymorphisms no alter mucosal cy- tokine pattern in Iranian patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis diseases. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2015, 78, 212-218).
Calcium level may be a predictive factor for pseudocyst formation after acute pancreatitis
Pancreatic pseudocysts (PPs) are defined as fluid collections more than 4 weeks old that are surrounded by a nonepithelial wall of fibrous or granulation tissue. Many risk factors have been asso- ciated with pseudocyst development but predictive factors remain to be explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, and biochemical parameters that may predict the development of a PPs after an attack of acute pancreatitis (AP).
The medical charts of 102 patients diagnosed with AP were en- rolled into the study. Demographic, clinical and laboratory details were recorded at admission and at the 48th hour. There were sev- eral risk factors on admission and at the 48th hour that was predic- tive of PP formation when evaluated by univariate analysis such as : Alanine aminotransferase level at 48 hrs, calcium level at ad- mission, base excess at 48 hrs, calcium level at 48 hrs, and albumin level at 48 hrs. In multivariate analysis, low calcium level at admis- sion was the only variable that was shown to predict formation of PPs.
Lower serum calcium level may be a predictive factor for the development of PPs after AP attack. We advise that patients with calcium levels below 8 mg/dl, after AP should be followed more closely. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2015, 78, 219-222).
Role of lymphatic vessel density in colorectal cancer : prognostic significance and clinicopathologic correlations
Backgrounds and aims : Over the past decades the identification of several molecules that are expressed specifically in the lymphatic endothelial cells has resulted in marked advances in the field of lymphangiogenesis. We aimed to measure LVD in colorectal cancer patients and to compare it with microvascular density (MVD) - a marker of angiogenesis - and patients' clinicopathological param- eters and survival, as the measurement of lymphatic vessel density (LVD) has been documented in various tumor types, including colorectal cancer.
Patients and methods : Fifty one patients who had undergone surgical resection for stage I-III colorectal cancer entered this study. LVD and MVD were determined immunohistochemically with the use of D2-40 and CD34 antibody respectively. The evalua- tion of LVD was performed by both visual and computer-aided image analysis.
Results : The majority of lymphatic vessels were located in the peritumoral areas rather than within the tumor. The results obtained from the image analyzer correlated significantly with the data obtained using visual counting with light microscopy. Both visual and image analysis LVD failed to correlate with patients' age and gender and tumor location, stage, grade, MVD count and survival.
Conclusions : The biologic role of the lymphatic vasculature in tumor progression remains controversial. The present study failed to associate LVD with outcome markers and prognosis and further studies would be required to verify our results. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2015, 78, 223-227).
