The aim of the study was to assess plasma and scales levels of interleukin (IL) 18 collected from psoriatic patients with different disease activity. IL-18 concentrations were measured using an enzyme immunoassay in the plasma and scales of 34 patients with chronic plaque type psoriasis. IL-18 levels were analysed with respect to plasma-transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), the disease duration and the duration of the present relapse, and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Plasma IL-18 concentration varied from 90 to 1300 pg ml-1 and means (368.2 +/- 42.4 pg ml-1) were significantly elevated in comparison with healthy controls (205.9 +/- 31.8 pg ml-1). The presence of IL-18 was also demonstrated in scales from skin lesions. Treatment caused a significant decrease of plasma IL-18 concentration to 250.2 +/- 13.8 pg ml-1. There was a significant correlation between plasma IL-18 levels and PASI values (r = 0.554). There was no correlation between IL-18 concentration in scales and PASI, between IL-18 concentrations in plasma and scales, and between plasma IL-18 and the disease duration or duration of present relapse. Plasma TGF-beta1 concentration demonstrated a significant correlation with PASI (r = 0.353), but not with IL-18 levels in plasma (r = 0.063) and scales (0.141). The sum of plasma levels of IL-18 and TGF-beta1 divided by the optimal coefficient demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with the highest r-value. The findings confirm an association between plasma IL-18 concentration and psoriasis severity. Moreover, it was shown that combined measurement of IL-18 and TGF-beta1 in plasma can be considered as a possible biomarker of psoriasis activity.

Biomarkers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Serum protein patterns in patients with colonic neoplasms].

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Blood Proteins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Studies on the exocrine function of healthy human pancreas: pancreatic juice and its certain components.

The exocrine function of healthy pancreas was studied continuously during 9 days in a 28-year-old man. Pancreatic juice was collected by means of a drain passed into Wirsung's duct. The 24-hour volume of the juice was 1118 +/- 117 ml. In daytime the mean rate of juice secretion was 56 ml/hour and in the night it decreased to 20 ml/hour. Amylase and lipase activity in the pancreatic juice was very high and significantly higher in nocturnal secretion. Administration of 2% HCL or secretin (1.5 mu/kg) increased the volume of juice by 30 ml in the following hour without changes in the activities of amylase and lipase. Atropine ephedrine and pancreatin reduced the juice volume by 20-40 ml but the enzymatic acitivity decreased only after atropine. The rise in the juice volume was associated with an increase in its HCO3 concentration and a fall in CL- concentration. The levels of Ca++, K+ and Na+ as well as protein were also determined and it was found that protein concentration in the juice ranges from 0.1 to 4.1 g/100 ml.

Adult↗