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Biomedical subjects

A Orem

Publications and source records attributed to A Orem.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Plasma polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase levels and its relation to disease activity in psoriasis.

Although some increased enzyme activities in PMN leukocytes isolated from the circulation of psoriatic patients have been previously described, none of these enzymes had been studied in plasma for determination of disease activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether plasma PMN elastase levels might be a good marker for determination of disease activity of psoriatic patients. Plasma PMN elastase and some acute phase reactants including alpha-1 antitrypsin, alpha-2 macroglobulin, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), and transferrin were studied in thirty-nine patients with psoriasis, including 16 controlled patients, and forty healthy control subjects. PMN elastase and the acute phase reactants except transferrin were found to be significantly higher in the psoriatic patients than in control subjects. The PMN elastase level in the patients was about 6-fold higher than that of the control group. The PMN elastase levels in the patients in the inactive period was two-fold higher than in the control subjects. PMN elastase was found to correlate significantly with PMN leukocyte count and alpha-1 antitrypsin in active and inactive periods of the disease, but with fibrinogen and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) only in the active period of the disease. We conclude that plasma PMN elastase level may be a more specific and sensitive inflammatory marker than alpha-1 antitrypsin, alpha-2 macroglobulin, ESR, and may be a good marker for diagnosis and follow up of the disease activity of the psoriatic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Relationship between lipid peroxidation and disease activity in patients with Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease is a chronic multi-systemic disorder which is characterized by a relapsing systemic inflammatory process. The alteration of lipid profile and lipid peroxidation resulting from the inflammatory process may he associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis in patients with Behcet's disease. We investigated lipids, lipoprotein and lipid peroxidation and their inter-relationships considering the disease activity. Eighteen patients (11 male and 7 female) and 20 age-matched healthy subjects (10 male and 10 female) were studied. Lipid profile including total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), apoAI and apoB, and acute phase reactants including polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase, PMN leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and complements (C3, C4) were evaluated in patients in active and inactive periods of Behçet's disease and control subjects. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) were assessed as an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation was found to he increased in the active period compared to the inactive period of the disease and control subjects. Also, lipid peroxidation showed correlations of various degrees with atherogenic lipid parameters in both periods of the followed-up patients. In conclusion, patients with Behçet's disease in the active period may be much more susceptible to atherogenic events than those in the inactive period of the disease and control subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The importance of plasma polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase determination in patients with uveitis.

PURPOSE: Polymorphonuclear elastase is used as an important marker for inflammatory disease. We wanted to show whether polymorphonuclear elastase could be a marker in uveitis. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with uveitis and 30 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Polymorphonuclear elastase levels were determined by immunoactivation method before and after periods of corticosteroid and/or cyclosporin treatments. RESULTS: The levels were high in all of the patients before treatment; the levels reached normal range with treatment. In some cases, however, uveitis could not be suppressed in spite of treatment; these patients had high polymorphonuclear elastase levels. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that determination of polymorphonuclear elastase level may be used for monitoring of uveitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase levels in depressive disorders.

The present study was carried out to determine polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase levels and to explain whether or not altered levels may be a factor in depression. The patient group included a total of 68 patients with depression (32 with major depression, 36 with dysthymia). The control group included 40 volunteer, healthy subjects. WBC, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), immunogloblins (Ig A, IG G, IgM), and complements (C3 and C4) levels of the patient and control groups were determined. The mean PMN elastase levels, determined by immunoactivation method, in patients with major depression without and with melancholia, dysthymia and healthy subjects were found to be 99.5 (10.8) microgram(s)/L [arithmetic mean (SEM)], 289.0 (71.3) microgram(s)/L, 55.7(5.5) microgram(s)/L, and (47.3(2.6) microgram(s)/L, respectively. The mean PMN elastase level was found to be statistically higher in patients with depression, especially in patients with major depression, than that of healthy subjects. It was concluded that severe depression is associated with immunological and inflammatory alterations may be showed easily by PMN elastase measurements.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Serum interleukin-1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels in protein malnourished patients during acute infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the response of serum interleukin-1 (IL-1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to infection of malnourished patients. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Paediatric clinics of Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey. SUBJECTS: 13 protein-depleted (kwashiorkor marasmic kwashiorkor), 15 marasmic nutritionally repleted kwashiorkor (NRK), and 12 well-nourished control subjects. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical and laboratory data, and serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels during acute infections were examined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: White blood cell count, pc of circulating neutrophils (%PNL), serum total protein, albumin (ALB), IL-1 and GM-CSF levels. RESULTS: Fever, pcPNL, serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels of kwashiorkor patients were lower than those of marasmic and control patients (p < 0.005). Fever, neutrophil pc(PNLpc), serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels of NRK patients during further acute infection were not significantly different from those of marasmic and control patients, but higher than those of the kwashiorkor patients. Although there were positive correlations between serum IL-1 and ALB levels (r = 0.922, p < 0.001), and between serum GM-CSF and ALB levels (r0.730, p = 0.005) in the kwashiorkor group, there were not significant correlations between the same parameters in the other groups (r < 0.5, p > 0.05). And also, although there was not significant correlations between PNL% and IL-1 levels in the kwashiorkor group (r0.312, p = 0.299), there were significant positive correlations between the same parameters in the other groups (r < 0.5, p > 0.05). However, significant positive correlations were found between fever and IL-1 levels, and between IL-1 and GM-CSF levels in all groups (r > 0.5, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The responses of serum IL-1 and GM-CSF to acute infection of kwashiorkor patients are defective, and nutritional-repletion therapies restore the production of these cytokines.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase levels in patients with Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease is a chronic multisystem disorder characterized by a relapsing inflammatory process of unknown aetiology. The increased activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in Behçet's disease has been intensively studied. PMN elastase, an acute phase reactant, was investigated to determine whether it may serve as a biochemical marker in Behçet's disease. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, protein electrophoresis, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), complement components (C3, C4) as well as PMN elastase were evaluated in 42 patients with Behçet's disease and 40 healthy subjects. The mean PMN elastase levels were found to be 244.2 micrograms/l (median 210 micrograms/l, S.D. 126.8) in patients with Behçet's disease and 44.3 micrograms/l (median 45, S.D. 19.2) in healthy subjects (P < 0.001). In addition, the mean PMN elastase levels were found to be 321.5 micrograms/l (median 300, S.D. 117.9) in the acute phase and 159 micrograms/l (median 162, S.D. 59.3) in remission (P < 0.001). It was concluded that PMN elastase may be a good biochemical marker for diagnosis and therapy control in patients with Behçet's disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] as a risk factor for coronary artery disease in the Turkish population.

OBJECTIVE: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] is an atherogenic particle that structurally resembles a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle but contains a molecule of apolipoprotein (a) attached to apolipoprotein B-100 by a disulfide bond. Because of the fact that elevated plasma levels of Lp (a) have been shown to be an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), we determined plasma Lp(a) levels in CAD for Turkish population, and compared them with previous findings of some developed countries. RESULTS: The mean plasma Lp (a) levels in CAD group (mean +/- SD; 0.41 +/- 0.21, g/L) was found approximately twofold higher than that of the control group (0.21 +/- 0.17 g/L). Also, it was found to be higher than the mean levels of CAD group in the other populations described in previous reports. But CAD prevalence in the Turkish population is lower than in those of developed countries, especially the United States. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the interaction between plasma Lp (a) levels and many other factors such as face and heredity affecting development of CAD may show different effects for development of CAD in each of those populations separately.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Lp(a) lipoprotein levels as a predictor of risk for thrombogenic events in patients with Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether plasma levels of Lp(a) lipoprotein (Lp(a)) are predictors of defective fibrinolytic activity, leading to thrombosis, in patients with Behçet's disease. METHODS: Plasma Lp(a) was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, lipids and lipoproteins by enzymatic methods, and apolipoproteins A-I and B, fibrinogen (turbidimetric method), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and D-dimer levels by enzyme immunoassay. Their levels and interactions were evaluated in 33 patients with Behçet's disease (including five with thrombotic complications) and 30 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: Plasma Lp(a) concentration was significantly greater in the patients than in controls. Nine patients (27%) had levels > 0.30 microgram. There was no correlation between Lp(a) and other lipids and lipoproteins apart from apolipoprotein B. Lp(a) showed inverse correlation with t-PA (r = -0.34, p < 0.05) and D-dimer (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). Patients with thrombotic complications had significantly greater Lp(a) and PAI-1, and lower D-dimer concentrations than control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of plasma Lp(a) levels in patients with Behçet's disease may provide useful information regarding the potential development of thrombotic events, because of its possible role in defective fibrinolysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Plasma Lipoprotein(a) and its relationship with disease activity in patients with Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease is characterized by orogenital ulcerations and ocular lesions. Other features include arthritis, thrombophlebitis, neurological abnormalities and skin lesions. The disease is characterized by a relapsing inflammatory process of unknown aetiology. Lipoprotein(a) is an LDL-like particle with a large glycoprotein called apolipoprotein(a) attached to its apolipoprotein B moiety through one or more disulphide bonds. Apolipoprotein(a) is related to plasminogen from which the enzyme plasmin, that hydrolyses fibrin blood clots, is released by tissue plasminogen activators. The unique structural features of Lp(A) give it the potential for atherogenic and thrombogenic activities. In the present study 35% of patients with Behçet's disease were shown to have higher Lp(a) concentrations than the cut-off point (0.30 g/l) for atherosclerosis. Plasma Lp(a) concentrations in the remission period were also found to be lower than during the active period in the same patients (23% decreased). Lp(a) showed significant correlations with acute phase reactants such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase activity. Therefore, it was concluded that the fluctuations of plasma Lp(a) levels with the activity of disease may be a contributing risk factor in the development of thrombogenic complications in patients with Behçet's disease.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1994

Distribution of serum lipoprotein (a) concentrations in a healthy Turkish population.

Serum lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] concentrations are highly skewed in different populations. We measured serum Lp (a) by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 248 healthy Turkish subjects (127 male, 121 female). The mean Lp (a) value was 0.21 g/L and values did not differ between the sexes. The Lp (a) frequency distribution showed less skewness than those of Asian and Western populations but it clearly deviated from a Gaussian distribution. Plasma Lp (a) concentration did not correlate significantly with age, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1 and B or triglyceride concentration.

Adolescent↗