Tackykinins are involved in the inflammatory process of a large number of diseases. The role of the tachykinins in ischemic brain injury was evaluated by the serum levels of Substance P (SP), one of the most known tachykinins and detected by a competitive enzyme immunoassay. The study was performed in 15 human females and 3 human males with typical manifestation of complete stroke (12 cases) or transient ischemic attack (6 cases). The mean SP level in the serum of patients with transient ischemic attack (0.53+/-0.25 ng/ml) and of patients with complete stroke (0.31+/-0.14 ng/ml), showed significantly higher values than in controls (0.10+/-0.02 ng/ml). Moreover, in transient ischemic attack, the SP values were significantly higher than in cerebral complete stroke. But SP levels, based on the timings of classification of patients (i.e. before 12 hours: 0.34+/-0.15 ng/ml vs. 12 to 24 hours: 0.26+/-0.11 ng/ml) with brain injury, did not show any significant difference. Both values anyway were significantly higher than in controls. Our original results demonstrate the SP increase during cerebral ischemia. Further studies are necessary to verify if SP has an effective physiopathological role in the neurological ischemic damage, or if it is only a concomitant phenomenon. Our data, if confirmed, will be particularly important, not only to improve the knowledge of cerebral ischemic injury, but also for diagnosis and therapeutic approaches.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Chemical mutagenesis].

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Alkylating Agents↗

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Hepatitis C virus: a high risk factor for a second primary malignancy besides hepatocellular carcinoma. Fact or fiction?

PURPOSE: Second primary malignancies occur more and more often. But the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) linked to a second primary cancer is not frequent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study focused on a second primary cancer was performed in 37 patients with HCC, aged between 46 and 81 years, 27 males and 10 females. RESULTS: 5 out of them (13.5%), 3 males and 2 females, developed a second primary neoplasm before or after HCC. In 3 cases the second malignancy was a carcinoma of the kidney, of the breast, and the prostate. The fourth patient had a Hodgkin's lymphoma before HCC. The last and most unlucky case, besides HCC, had a basal cell carcinoma, a colorectal cancer, and a bladder carcinoma. The common data of these 5 patients were the presence of anti-HCV antibodies and the positivity of the HCV RNA polymerase reaction. One patient was also HBV positive. CONCLUSION: Considering that a large number of virus has been found linked to human cancers, our results brought us to hypothesize that HCV could have played an important role not only in the development of HCC but of the second primary malignancy too. This is likely favoured by constitutional or acquired biological and molecular alterations. Tumor suppressor genes alterations have been reported to be frequently linked to cancers of kidney and breast, of colorectal and skin, of prostate, and lymphoemopoietic tissue. Now just these organs are involved in our patients in addition to the liver. Our results, if confirmed, are of a relevant interest, considering that world-wide HCC is constantly increasing for the spreading of the virus risk-factors.

Aged↗

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Serum tryptase in allergic rhinitis: effect of cetirizine and fluticasone propionate treatment.

PURPOSE: A specific reaction against several kinds of inhalant allergens characterizes allergic rhinitis. Mast cells play a crucial role in the allergic inflammation releasing histamine and other mediators. Tryptase is considered to be a specific marker of mast cell activation. This study was devoted to evaluate the serum tryptase in allergic rhinitis and to evaluate the effect of cetirizine and fluticasone propionate on mast cell activation. 13 subjects, suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis induced by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tryptase serum levels were detected by the fluoroenzymeimmunoassay (Pharmacia & Upjohn AB, Uppsala, Sweden). Blood samples were taken four times: before starting the study, after two weeks of 10 mg cetirizine treatment once a day, after two weeks of wash-out, and again after 15 days of 100 micrograms intranasal fluticasone propionate therapy twice a day. RESULTS: In allergic rhinitis, the basal values of serum tryptase (M +/- SD: 6.1 +/- 2.4 micrograms/l) were significantly higher than in controls (M +/- SD: 3.0 +/- 1.2 micrograms/l). After the antihistamine treatment, tryptase values (M +/- SD: 4.4 +/- 1.8 micrograms/l) decreased significantly (p < 0.001). After the stop of antihistamine treatment, tryptase levels increased (M +/- SD: 5.5 +/- 2.6 micrograms/l, p < 0.001). After the topical corticosteroid treatment, tryptase values decreased again significantly (M +/- SD: 4.5 +/- 3.1 micrograms/l, p < 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: All these data seem to confirm the effective action of cetirizine and fluticasone propionate on tryptase serum levels. While the action of corticosteroid is well known, the action of cetirizine is still to define, considering the recent reports on anti-inflammatory effect of the second generation of H1 receptor antagonists. Further studies are necessary to understand if the pharmacological effect on tryptase is a specific one of cetirizine, or if it is common to other anti-H1 molecules.

Administration, Topical↗

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Serum tryptase in allergic rhinitis: effect of cetirizine treatment.

Activated mast cells release a large range of potent mediators of allergic inflammation, including proteases. The tryptase serum levels were evaluated in 13 subjects suffering from allergic perennial rhinitis. Moreover the effects of cetirizine treatment on serum tryptase were studied using the UniCap™ tryptase fluoroenzymeimmunoassay. In allergic patients the serum tryptase values (M±SD: 6.1 ± 2.4 μg/L) were significantly (p < 0.02) higher than the values detected in controls (3.0 ± 1.2 μg/L). In allergic rhinitis, after antihistamine treatment, tryptase values (4.4 ± 1.8 μg/L) decreased significantly (p < 0.001). After two weeks from the cetirizine stop, the tryptase levels increased again (5.5 ± 2.6 μg/l). The results demonstrate that mast cells are constantly activated in perennial allergic rhinitis. The antihistamine treatment is effective in reducing the tryptase release from mast cells, but the mechanism of action of cetirizine is still to understand.

Journal Article↗