Biomedical subjects

K S Bjerve

Publications and source records attributed to K S Bjerve.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Androgen levels in pregnant women decrease with increasing maternal age.

BACKGROUND: To investigate a possible effect of age on maternal androgen levels in uncomplicated pregnancies. METHODS: A study of 134 parous women with uncomplicated pregnancies was carried out at three university hospitals in Norway and Sweden. Maternal levels of androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, testosterone and the free testosterone index were measured during weeks 17 and 33 of pregnancy. RESULTS: Maternal levels of androstenedione and testosterone had a negative association with maternal age in weeks 17 and 33 of pregnancy, while dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and the free testosterone index were associated negatively in week 33 only. Adjustment for maternal parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, smoking and fetal gender did not affect the results. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal androgen levels decrease with increasing maternal age. The cause and possible implication of this finding remain unknown.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Hereditary haemochromatosis in two cousins with cluster headache.

A 60-year-old woman with secondary chronic cluster headache had increased serum ferritin and serum transferrin saturation and was homozygous for the C282Y mutation in the HFE gene, which is indicative of hereditary haemochromatosis. Treatment with venesection that normalized her iron stores led to a radical improvement of her headache complaints that had been daily for several years. Later, the headache returned to some degree in spite of normal serum ferritin levels. Her cousin, a 33-year-old man who had had episodic cluster headache for several years, also had increased transferrin saturation and was compound heterozygous for two mutations, a genotype known to be associated with a slightly increased frequency of haemochromatosis. This is the first report of a headache disorder in a patient with hereditary haemochromatosis. The coexistence of the two disorders may be a mere coincidence, but the temporary improvement of headache from depletion of iron stores may indicate a causal relation, possibly mediated by iron deposits in pain-modulating centres in the brainstem.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Reference intervals for procalcitonin and C-reactive protein after major abdominal surgery.

Procalcitonin (PCT). a new marker proposed as a diagnostic tool for bacterial infections, triggers a systemic-inflammatory reaction in the body (sepsis, septic shock) and has potential use in a wide range of patient settings. To interpret the results from PCT measurements, we depend on reference intervals established from relevant populations. PCT and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were analysed in 47 patients with a normal postoperative course after major abdominal surgery. The mean concentration of PCT declines from the first day and reaches half its initial values on the second day after the operation. whereas the mean concentration of CRP increases in the first 48 h and reaches half its maximum value on the fifth day after the operation. We present a continuous reference interval for plasma PCT and CRP concentrations in the first week following major abdominal surgery. For PCT we also present a graphic display of expected mean and expected upper reference limits predicted from the value measured on the first postoperative day.

Abdomen↗

PubMed2002

Effects of long-term fasting on insulin responses to fatty acids in man.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the prolonged physiological elevation of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) seen in man during fasting associates with an altered acute insulin response to NEFA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fourteen non-diabetic subjects, age 18-25 years, BMI 23.2 +/- 0.8 kg/m2 underwent hyperglycemic clamps (blood glucose 11 mM) for 120 min, during which either saline or Intralipid was administered in the last 60 min. Subjects were tested after an overnight as well as after a 58 h fast. RESULTS: After the overnight fast, insulin levels increased during Intralipid infusion, at min 120 reaching an increment of 33.0 +/- 8.5 microU/ml vs. 9.5 +/- 4.4 microU/ml during saline; p<0.05 for difference. Conversely, after the 58 h fast. Intralipid failed to promote a successive increase of insulin levels (increment during Intralipid at min 120: 0.5 +/- 5.8 microU/ml vs. -4.3 +/- 2.5 microU/ml during saline, NS). Insulin sensitivity as assessed by the amount of infused glucose and its ratio to insulin was enhanced by Intralipid after an overnight fast, but was decreased after a 58 h fast. CONCLUSION: Long-term elevated NEFA during fasting associates with diminished beta cell responsiveness to an acute elevation of fatty acids in conjunction with negative effects on insulin sensitivity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Persons with screening-detected haemochromatosis: as healthy as the general population?

BACKGROUND: Hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disease leading to iron deposition in the liver and other organs. Early treatment will prevent clinical disease and population-based screening for HH has been advocated. However, the benefit of screening depends on the morbidity of HH. We have compared the morbidity in HH persons detected by screening with the morbidity in the rest of the population. METHODS: All inhabitants 20 years or older in a Norwegian county (94,191 persons) were invited to participate in a health survey programme. Of 65,717 participating persons, a blood specimen for transferrin saturation was obtained from 65,238. After repeated laboratory testing and clinical examination, 269 persons were found to have phenotypic HH, while 297 had genotypic HH (the C282/C282Y mutation). Using self-reported data, clinical examinations and analysis of non-fasting blood samples, the morbidity in phenotypic and genotypic HH persons was compared with the morbidity in the rest of the population. All data were collected before subjects were diagnosed with HH, and all comparisons were corrected for age and gender. RESULTS: Compared to control persons, phenotypic and genotypic HH men and women had a higher score on 1 of 17 questions dealing with joint complaints. Phenotypic and genotypic HH women below 50 years of age had a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism (15.2% and 12.5%, respectively, compared to 3.0% in the control population). Phenotypic HH women below 50 years of age had higher diastolic blood pressure than control women. Phenotypic HH men above 50 years of age and genotypic HH men scored lower than control men on a compound myocardial infarction risk score variable, in part due to lower serum cholesterol concentration. Fewer phenotypic HH men above 50 years of age reported having angina pectoris. Otherwise, the health of phenotypic and genotypic HH persons was not different from the health of control persons. CONCLUSION: When corrected for age and gender, the morbidity in persons with screening-detected HH was not very different from the morbidity in the control group, indicating that population-based screening may not be as beneficial as anticipated.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Benefit of population-based screening for phenotypic hemochromatosis in young men.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disease leading to accumulation of iron in the body, most notably in the liver. More men than women become clinically ill. The prognosis is excellent if phlebotomy treatment is started before liver cirrhosis develops. Screening has been recommended, but the benefit of population-based screening has never been shown in a randomized clinical trial. In this article, we estimate the benefit of screening young men, using a theoretical model. METHODS: A phenotypic screening scenario was modelled using a decision tree. Gain of quality-adjusted life-years was used as a measure of benefit, and estimated using Markov processes. Data on the accuracy of the screening tests, the prevalence of HH and the risk of liver cirrhosis were mainly derived from a cross-sectional study on the prevalence and morbidity of HH in 30509 men. Data on the excess mortality of cirrhosis were taken from relevant literature. Sensitivity analysis was done for important variables. RESULTS: Assuming basal case values for variables, screening a cohort of 1000 men aged 30 years for phenotypic HH would gain about 8 quality-adjusted life-years, compared to awaiting symptomatic disease. Based on actual costs of our cross-sectional study, the screening cost was US$250 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. The prevalence of phenotypic HH, the excess mortality of liver cirrhosis, the quality of life in non-cirrhotic HH patients, and the fractions of patients compliant with treatment were the most important variables in the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: Incorporating screening for phenotypic HH in health survey programmes for young men may be worthwhile.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Screening for hemochromatosis: high prevalence and low morbidity in an unselected population of 65,238 persons.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disease leading to accumulation of iron in several organs, most notably the liver. The C282Y/C282Y mutation in the HFE gene is found in most cases. In order to prevent clinical disease and to study the cost and feasibility of screening, a large population was screened. METHODS: In a Norwegian county, all inhabitants 20 years or older were invited to participate in a population-based health survey programme. Screening for HH was one of several subprojects. Blood samples were obtained from 65,238 persons. Subjects with high serum transferrin saturation in two tests and high serum ferritin were clinically evaluated for HH. All subjects with high serum transferrin saturation in two tests were offered genotyping. RESULTS: HH was newly diagnosed in 92 women and 177 men. Phlebotomy treatment was performed in 64 women and 152 men. Severe organ damage (liver cirrhosis) was ascertained in only 4 men. We found no correlation between serum ferritin and age. The estimated cost was US$ 1.6 per subject screened and US$ 390 per newly discovered HH subject. The estimated prevalence of phenotypical HH not previously known was 0.34% in women and 0.68% in men. The prevalence of the C282Y/C282Y mutation was at least 0.68%. CONCLUSION: Large-scale screening for HH can be performed at a relatively low cost if combined with a health survey programme. The yield in terms of newly discovered cases is considerable, but few cases were found seriously ill. Better knowledge of the natural course of HH is necessary if we are to be able to estimate the cost-effectiveness of large-scale screening.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Birthweight in a fishing community: significance of essential fatty acids and marine food contaminants.

BACKGROUND: Marine food provides essential fatty acids that are important during pregnancy, but the benefits may be limited at high intakes and by seafood contaminants. METHODS: In the fishing community of the Faroe Islands, 182 pregnant women with spontaneous singleton births were consecutively recruited for a cohort in 1994- 1995. Concentrations of fatty acids and seafood contaminants in blood samples were analysed as predictors of gestational length and birthweight. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) increased with maternal marine food intake, while the tendency was less clear for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). An increase in the relative concentration of DHA in cord serum phospholipids by 1% was associated with an increased duration of gestation by 1.5 days (95% CI : 0.7-2.2). However, birthweight adjusted for gestational length decreased by 246 g (95% CI : 16-476) for each increase by 1% of the EPA concentration in cord serum. Concentrations of the seafood pollutants mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were associated with fatty acids levels, but the contaminants did not appear to affect any of the outcome parameters. CONCLUSION: An increased intake of marine fats appears to prolong the duration of gestation, but birthweight adjusted for gestational age may decrease at high intake levels. This effect does not seem to be due to increased exposures to seafood contaminants.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed2001

Detection of alcohol abuse in neurological patients: variables of clinical relevance to the accuracy of the %CDT-TIA and CDTect methods.

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol-related neurological diseases are encountered frequently. Early diagnosis is essential, because minimal intervention effectively reduces hazardous alcohol consumption and may prevent permanent neurological damage. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is a valuable tool for the identification of alcohol abuse, but for unselected patient populations, reduced test accuracy has been reported. Recently, factors other than alcohol use have been shown to influence CDT levels. Our aim was to identify clinically relevant factors that might reduce test accuracy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 397 neurological patients consecutively hospitalized for seizures, ischemic stroke, or sciatica and 87 patients who attended routine outpatient controls for epilepsy. Blood samples were analyzed for CDT by using two commercially available tests, %CDT-TIA and CDTect. All patients underwent a semistructured clinical interview that included a record of the reported ethanol consumption during the last 8 days, and all completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Current medication, medical history, and demographic information also were obtained. RESULTS: Both tests were elevated in female antiepileptic drug users, compared with others who reported no recent ethanol intake. A higher number of false-positive cases was seen for CDTect than for %CDT. Various combinations of CDT and gamma-glutamyltransferase improved sensitivity, but at the cost of reduced specificity. Variables that predicted the variation of CDT included antiepileptic drug use, sex, body mass index, and smoking. Total transferrin levels were reduced significantly in postmenopausal women, whereas a falling trend was seen for CDTect. Transferrin alterations caused a higher number of false-positive results for CDTect than for %CDT. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for women was higher for CDTect than for %CDT, and for %CDT, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was higher for men than for women. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of CDT for detection of alcohol abuse in neurological patients was generally low, particularly for women. Combination variables of CDT and gamma-glutamyltransferase did not increase test accuracy. Variables that were associated with higher CDT levels included female sex, antiepileptic drug use, transferrin alterations, and possibly low body mass index. When factors known to cause poor accuracy in particular patient groups are appreciated, CDT may be a good adjunct to the clinical examination.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Quantification of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins by use of proton NMR spectroscopy, multivariate and neural network analysis.

New approaches for quantification of human blood plasma lipids and apolipoproteins are presented. One method is based on multivariate analysis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of human blood plasma. Although similar approaches have been developed previously, this is the first time principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression (PLS) have been applied to this particular task. Further, a large proportion of the subjects in this study were cancer patients undergoing treatment, which introduced a new dimension to the quantification of lipoprotein distributions. Calibration models for prediction of lipids and apolipoproteins were constructed by use of PLS, and blind samples were used to test the predictive ability. Comparison of the predicted vs observed data obtained by standard clinical chemical procedures gave good agreement; the correlation coefficient for total plasma triglyceride was 0.99, for total plasma cholesterol 0.98, for LDL cholesterol 0. 97, and for HDL cholesterol 0.88. These results are comparable with those obtained with other methods. The quantitative analysis of 14 components (including total cholesterol and total triglyceride) of human blood plasma was also undertaken using various neural network (NN) analyses of selected portions of the spectra. Conventional fully connected backpropagation neural network topologies were capable of providing excellent predictions for the majority of the variables, confirming and reinforcing literature related to this approach. However HDL triglycerides were poorly predicted, while intermediate-quality results were obtained for the LDL cholesterol, plasma apoA1 and LDL apoB variables. In these instances, applying significantly different neural network algorithms involving either general regression or polynomial neural networks in combination with genetic adaptive components for parameter optimisation made improved predictions.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Fatty acid chain length and degree of unsaturation are inversely associated with serum triglycerides.

Little is known about the association between dietary fatty acids and serum triglycericle concentrations. Plasma fatty acids may reflect dietary intake and can be used to study the relationship between concentrations of individual fatty acids and serum lipids. We examined the cross-sectional relationship of plasma fatty acids with serum nonfasting triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations. Relative concentrations of individual plasma phospholipid fatty acids were determined by gas liquid chromatography among 4,158 men aged 40-42 yr, who participated in a population study. The pattern of associations between individual fatty acids and cholesterol was different from that between individual fatty acids and triglyceride concentrations. All fatty acids displayed positive associations with total cholesterol concentration except linoleic acid, which was inversely related to cholesterol. In contrast, associations between individual fatty acids and triglyceride concentrations differed in strength and direction depending on both carbon chain length and the degree of unsaturation. Concentrations of very long chain (20 carbon atoms or more) saturated, monounsaturated, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids showed significant inverse associations with triglycerides, whereas shorter fatty acids within these classes were positively associated with triglyceride concentrations. The present data suggest that the associations between concentrations of serum triglycerides and plasma phospholipid fatty acids depend on both fatty acid chain length and the degree of unsaturation.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Essential fatty acids in the nutrition of severely neurologically disabled children.

Essential fatty acids (EFA) are important for the normal development and functioning of the brain, retina and immune competent cells. Severely neurologically handicapped children often have feeding difficulties, and the composition of the diet may be critical with respect to an optimal nutrient content. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate if the dietary intakes and serum phospholipid concentrations of EFA were adequate in a group of severely neurologically impaired children in an institution. To achieve this, a prospective study was done. The investigation showed low dietary intakes of both n-6 fatty acids (FA) and n-3 FA. The serum concentrations of total n-6 FA, linoleic acid and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) as proportions of the total serum phospholipid FA concentration were initially low. The serum concentrations of 20:3n-9 and 22:5n-6 cholesterol, triacylglycerol, total saturated FA, total monounsaturated FA and apolipoproteins A-I and B were high compared with levels in a reference group of healthy children. Following supplementation with fish oil and soyabean oil, the serum lipid profile approached normal. We conclude that the study children had suboptimal intakes of EFA and that elevated serum concentrations of 20:3n-9 and 22:5n6 were useful serological markers of suboptimal EFA status. Recommended dietary allowances for EFA given as a percentage of energy underestimate EFA requirements in children with a low energy intake. Severely disabled children with feeding difficulties should probably be monitored with serum phospholipid FA measurements or calculation of dietary absolute intakes of EFA.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Effect of dietary advice and n-3 supplementation in newly diagnosed MS patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether supplementation with fish oil given together with dietary advice and vitamin supplementation influenced the clinical outcome in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixteen consecutive, newly diagnosed patients with multiple sclerosis were recruited to an open intervention study. They were given dietary advice and supplemented with 0.9 g/day of long-chain marine fatty acids and vitamins. The patients were followed for 2 years with respect to dietary habits, blood parameters and neurological assessment including exacerbation rate. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the mean annual exacerbation rate and the mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) as compared to pre-study values. The plasma total phospholipid n-3 fatty acids increased and n-6 fatty acids decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that fish oil supplementation given together with vitamins and dietary advice can improve clinical outcome in patients with newly diagnosed MS.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2000

The inflammatory response following treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms: a comparison between open surgery and endovascular repair.

OBJECTIVES: to compare the inflammatory response following endovascular and conventional AAA repair. DESIGN: prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ten patients were selected for open surgery (OPEN) and ten for endovascular (ENDO) AAA repair. Leukocytes, platelets, myeloperoxidase, lactoferrin, beta-thromboglobulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and complement activation products were measured before, during and after surgery. RESULTS: in the OPEN group the median hospital stay was longer (6 vs. 12 days, p=0.001) and more patients required transfusion (p=0.02). IL-6 and CRP increased postoperatively, most in OPEN (p<0.01). Platelet counts decreased after the first angiography in ENDO (p<0.01) and before aortic cross-clamping in OPEN (p<0.05). The decrease was larger in OPEN (p=0.02). Leukocyte counts decreased after the first angiography in ENDO, and thereafter increased (p=0.001). An equivalent increase was observed in OPEN after declamping (p=0.001). Leukocyte and platelet degranulation products increased after the first angiography in ENDO and after declamping in OPEN. Changes in complement activation products were small. TNF-alpha did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: endovascular AAA repair caused significant leukocyte and platelet activation. Based on the timing of activation this could be caused by radiographic contrast media.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗

PubMed2000

Detection of an unusual combination of mutations in the HFE gene for hemochromatosis.

In the present paper, we describe an individual, found as part of a screening study, being homozygous for the C282Y mutation and at the same time heterozygous for the H63D mutation in the HFE gene. Identical results were obtained by three different methods, i.e., by PCR-RFLP, by sequencing, and by melting curve analysis. Thus, the common conception that the C282Y and the H63D mutations are mutually exclusive is not valid. Clinical symptoms and laboratory data on the individual were similar to hemochromatosis patients homozygous for the C282Y mutation. The implications of our finding for diagnostic analytical laboratory procedures are briefly discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Validity of carbohydrate deficient transferrin and other markers as diagnostic aids in the detection of alcohol related seizures.

OBJECTIVE: The role of alcohol misuse in the genesis of seizures is probably often undetected. The aim was to investigate the utility of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) compared with other biomarkers and clinical examination in the diagnosis of alcohol related seizures. METHODS: The study included consecutively 158 seizure patients-83 men and 75 women-with mean age 45 (16-79) years. Seizures related to alcohol use were identified by a score > or =8 in the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT positive). AUDIT was applied as the gold standard to which sensitivity and specificity of the various markers were related. Blood samples were obtained from 150 patients on admission and analysed for ethanol, liver enzymes, and CDT, using AXIS Biochemicals' %CDT-TIA kit. RESULTS: 53 patients (34%) were AUDIT positive. Using the commonly applied decision value for %CDT of 5.0%, a sensitivity of 41% and a specificity of 84% were obtained. Analysis of receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves disclosed an optimal cut off value for %CDT of 5.4%, which yielded a sensitivity of 39% and a specificity of 88%. At a specificity of 80%, the sensitivity was 43% for %CDT and 26% for GGT. The %CDT sensitivity was markedly higher for men than for women. Compared with GGT, ASAT, ALAT, and ASAT/ALAT ratio, CDT was the best single biomarker for alcohol related seizures. However, even in the subgroup of withdrawal seizures, the sensitivity level barely exceeded 50%. Clinicians scored alcohol as the main cause of the seizure in only 19 cases (12%). In 38 (24%) cases, clinicians suspected that alcohol had a role (sensitivity of 62% at a specificity of 89%). Their ability to identify AUDIT positive patients was better than that of any biomarker, but many cases were missed. Agreement of clinicians' scores to CDT was only fair (kappa=0.28). CDT concentrations were significantly increased among alcohol abstaining patients on enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs. Six out of 16 patients with false positive CDT results were exposed to such drugs. CONCLUSIONS: CDT is not recommended as a stand alone marker for alcohol related seizures, but may provide a useful contribution to the overall diagnostic investigation of seizures. Confirmatory studies are needed as to the apparent vulnerability of CDT to antiepileptic drugs.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Plasma saturated and linoleic fatty acids are independently associated with blood pressure.

The role of individual fatty acids in blood pressure regulation is unclear. We studied the cross-sectional relationship of blood pressure, total plasma phospholipid fatty acid concentrations, and proportions of individual fatty acids among participants in a population study. Blood pressure was measured automatically, and plasma phospholipid fatty acids were determined by gas-liquid chromatography in 4033 healthy men 40 to 42 years old. Significant positive linear associations existed between total fatty acids and saturated fatty acids and blood pressure, whereas polyunsaturated linoleic acid was inversely associated with blood pressure. In multiple regression analyses, a 2-SD increase in total fatty acids was associated with an increase of 6.0 (95% CI, 5.1 to 6.8) mm Hg systolic blood pressure. A 2-SD increase in saturated palmitic acid was associated with 1.4 (95% CI, 0.5 to 2.3) mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure. In contrast, a 2-SD increase in polyunsaturated linoleic acid was associated with a 1.9 (95% CI, 1.0 to 2.8) mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure. We conclude that plasma levels of total fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated linoleic acid are independently associated with blood pressure. The present study supports the hypothesis that the composition of dietary fat influences blood pressure.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Specificity of endogenous fatty acid release during tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis in WEHI 164 fibrosarcoma cells.

Recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha (rTNF-alpha)-induced release of endogenous fatty acids was examined in WEHI 164 clone 13 fibrosarcoma cells using a highly sensitive HPLC method. The initial rTNF-alpha-induced extracellular release of endogenous fatty acids was dominated by 20:4n;-6, 22:4n;-6, 24:4n;-6, and 18:1n;-9 showing relative rates of 2.9, 0.9, 1.1, and 1.0, respectively. Release of endogenous AA and DNA fragmentation occurred simultaneously and preceded cell death by approx. 2 h. Methyl arachidonoyl fluorophosphonate and LY311727, specific inhibitors of Ca(2+)-dependent cytosolic PLA(2) (cPLA(2)) and secretory PLA(2) (sPLA(2)), respectively, neither blocked rTNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity or endogenous AA release. However, both inhibitors reduced rTNF-alpha-induced release of other endogenous fatty acids. In comparison, the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) completely inhibited the rTNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity as well as AA release mediated through the TNF receptor p55, while the very similar antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene had no effect. BHA did not inhibit recombinant cPLA(2) or sPLA(2) enzyme activity in vitro. Furthermore, stimulation of cells with rTNF-alpha for 4 h did not increase cPLA(2) enzyme activity. The data indicate that neither cPLA(2) or sPLA(2) mediate rTNF-alpha-induced apoptosis and extracellular AA release in WEHI cells. The results suggest that a BHA-sensitive signaling pathway coupled to AA release is a key event in TNF-induced cytotoxicity in these cells.

Animals↗