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Serum ionized calcium, serum and intracellular phosphate, and serum parathormone concentrations in acute malaria.

Previous studies have shown depressed serum corrected calcium and phosphate concentrations in acute falciparum malaria. To characterize malaria-associated disturbances in mineral homoeostasis further, serum ionized calcium and intracellular phosphate were measured in 18 patients (10 with falciparum malaria, 8 with vivax malaria) and 10 healthy controls. Six patients (4 falciparum, 2 vivax) had admission serum ionized calcium concentrations below the absolute control range (< 1.15 mmol/litre) and a further six (3 falciparum, 3 vivax) developed ionized hypocalcaemia during treatment. The patients with falciparum malaria had the lowest values at presentation (median [95% confidence intervals in brackets]: 1.17 [1.12-1.23] vs. 1.20 [1.18-1.24] mmol/litre in controls, P = 0.035) in the presence of depressed simultaneous serum parathormone concentrations (1.2 [0.6-1.9] vs. 1.6 [1.1-2.6] pmol/litre; P = 0.05). Admission serum phosphate concentrations were lower in the malaria patients (P = 0.007 vs. controls), especially in those with falciparum malaria (0.85 [0.7-1.1] vs. 1.2 [1.1-1.3] mmol/litre in controls; P = 0.002); patients with falciparum malaria also had significantly lower intracellular phosphate than controls (0.74 [0.58-0.90] vs. 0.88 [0.66-1.04] mmol/litre red cells; P = 0.047). There was a weak association between serum corrected and ionized calcium in the malaria patients (rs = 0.31, n = 18, P > 0.1), but serum and intracellular phosphate correlated significantly (rs = 0.71, n = 17, P < 0.001) with a regression line slope of 0.49 and intercept of 0.27 mmol/litre of red cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗

The ability of fetal calf serum, new-born calf serum and normal steer serum to promote the in vitro development of bovine morulae.

The objective of this study was to compare fetal calf serum, new-born calf serum and normal steer serum as medium supplements in the development of bovine morulae in vitro . Bovine morulae were cultured in Hams F-10 tissue culture medium (HF-10) supplemented with 5% or 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum (FCS), new-born calf serum (NBCS) or normal steer serum (NSS). Embryos were recovered at slaughter from mixed bred donor cows of mixed breeding following estrus synchronization with prostaglandin and superovulation with follicle stimulating hormone. A total of 88 morulae were recovered, washed in HF-10 + 1% Bovine Serum Albumin and randomly assigned to treatments. Embryos were cultured in microdrops of medium under paraffin oil at 37 degrees C in a 5% CO(2) humidified atmosphere. Observations for stage of development were made every 24 hours. In vitro development was analyzed by assigning to each embryo a value of 0-5 based on the most advanced stage reached (0= no development, 5= development to a hatched blastocyst). Analysis of variance of these data revealed a significant treatment effect (P<.001) while no level effect or treatment x level interaction was apparent. Comparison of treatment means by Duncans new mulitple range test showed that NSS was superior to NBCS (P<.05) which was in turn superior to FCS (P<.05) as supplements of HF-10 in promoting the in vitro development of bovine morulae.

Journal Article↗

Serum electrolyte, serum protein, serum fat and renal responses to a dietary sodium challenge: allostasis and allostatic load.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess, in borderline hypertensive subjects, the homeostatic and allostatic responses of serum electrolytes, proteins, lipids, hematocrit and renal function to an extreme dietary sodium challenge, and to evaluate whether the responses in these clinical parameters were associated with a concomitant response in blood pressure. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data from middle-aged adults with a diagnosis of mild, uncomplicated borderline hypertension were collected at the end of 1-month randomized trials of low (24 +/- 13 mmol/day) and high (309 +/- 88 mmol/day) dietary sodium intake. A total of 48 subjects (38 men and 10 women) were examined. RESULTS: Serum sodium increased (p < 0.001), while all other serum electrolytes, except chloride, decreased (p < 0.01) from the low to high sodium diets. Serum proteins (p < 0.05) and hematocit (p < 0.001) also declined among subjects on a high sodium diet. However, creatinine clearance (an indicator of glomerular filtration) increased with sodium intake (p = 0.004). None of these biochemical or renal functional responses was associated with a change in blood pressure. CONCLUSION: There are modest yet significant changes in serum electrolytes associated with changes in dietary sodium intake, suggesting that these ions are under an allostatic control mechanism. Serum proteins also appear to function as allostatic compensatory mechanisms, offsetting the net effect of increased serum salinity. It is speculated that the adaptive allostatic renal response to a high sodium diet (an increase in GFR) may result in loss of the ability to appropriately vary renal filtration if that diet is chronically maintained.

Blood Proteins↗

Resistance of normal serum IgA and secretory IgA to bacterial IgA proteases: evidence for the presence of enzyme-neutralizing antibodies in both serum and secretory IgA, and also in serum IgG.

Normal serum IgA and secretory IgA (sIgA) of subclass IgA1 were isolated from pooled human serum and milk, respectively. They were tested for their susceptibility to bacterial IgA proteases from Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Neisseria meningitidis that cleave IgA of only the IgA1 subclass. They were also tested for susceptibility to a novel IgA-protease from Clostridium ramosum that cleaves IgA of the IgA1 as well as the IgA2 subclass of the A2m(1) allotype. Both normal serum IgA1 and sIgA1 exhibited resistance to most IgA proteases. The one exception was the IgA protease from C. ramosum which readily cleaved both the serum IgA1 and sIgA1 into Fab and Fc fragments. Secretory component (SC) had nothing to do with the resistance of these IgAs. The resistance of these IgAs to most of the IgA proteases was found to be due to their enzyme-neutralizing antibody activity, since the Fab but not the Fc fragment of sIgA1 showed enzyme-inhibitory activity against these IgA proteases. Similar enzyme-neutralizing antibody activity was found in the pepsin-digested normal serum IgG-(Fab')2 fragment. These results indicate that the induction of the enzyme-neutralizing antibodies against the bacterial IgA proteases took place not only in mucosal sIgA but also in serum IgA and IgG. No enzyme-neutralizing antibody activity against the novel IgA-protease of C. ramosum was detected in any immunoglobulin preparations used in the present study or in the serum of a patient who carries the IgA protease-producing strain of C. ramosum in his feces.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗

The nature of human serum insulin-like activity (ILA)P Characterization of ILA in serum and serum fractions obtained by acid-ethanol extraction and adsorption chromatography.

Studies were undertaken in an attempt to clarify the apparent heterogeneous nature of human serum insulin-like activity. Methods of preparative zone electrophoresis on Pevikon, acid-ethanol extraction of trichloroacetic acid serum protein precipitates, adsorption chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Dowex 50, gel filtration chromatography, and insulin antiserum immunoreactivity were used. The results establish the presence of a substance in serum with in vitro biological properties similar to insuln but with different physicochemical properties. The major portion of serum ILA measured by bioassay techniques can be attributed to the effects of this substance. Whereas the in vitro biological effects of this substance on muscle and adipose cells were similar to those of crystalline insulin, the substance is distinguished from insulin by: (1) the failure of insulin antiserum to inhibit its in vitro biological effect; (2) a slower electrophoretic mobility (in the gamma-beta globulin zone); and (3) a larger molecular weight, between 40,000 and 50,000 in these studies. It is similar to insulin since both are soluble in acid-ethanol. The results further indicate that previously described insulin-like activity in gamma-beta globulin preparations, the major portion of total serum insulin activity described in acid-ethanol extracts of serum, "bound" insulin, "atypical" insulin, and antibody nonsuppressible insulin-like activity bioassayed in diluted serum are all one and the same substance.

Adipose Tissue↗

Prognostic value of serum albumin combined with serum C-reactive protein levels in older hospitalized patients: continuing importance of serum albumin.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although both serum albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are separately recognized as predictors of adverse outcomes in many illnesses, the predictive value of their combination for adverse outcomes has not been evaluated. We therefore sought to examine the prognostic value of serum albumin for in-hospital mortality in the presence or absence of severe inflammation, as indicated by high CRP levels. METHODS: In this cohort study, we measured serum albumin and CRP levels in 1638 older patients (aged 65 years or older) hospitalized for medical problems, and examined their utility, both separately and in combination, for predicting in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In separate analyses of CRP and albumin, both high CRP levels (> or =5 mg/dl) and hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dl) were associated with risk of in-hospital death. After dividing participants into four groups based on CRP and albumin levels (<5 mg/dl CRP and <3.5 mg/dl albumin), subjects with severe inflammation (CRP > or =5 mg/dl) and hypoalbuminemia were associated with an adjusted relative risk (ARR) of 3.8 for in-hospital mortality when compared with the reference (high albumin and low CRP). Even in the absence of severe inflammation, the presence of severe hypoalbuminemia was associated with an ARR of 2.6 for in-hospital mortality, when compared with patients without hypoalbuminemia. CONCLUSIONS: Both serum CRP and albumin levels are predictors of in-hospital mortality. However, high serum albumin levels may have a protective effect in older patients, regardless of degree of inflammation. Serum albumin levels remain a useful predictor for in-hospital mortality in older hospitalized patients.

Acute Disease↗

At low serum glucan concentrations there is an inverse correlation between serum glucan and serum cytokine levels in ICU patients with infections.

Glucans are fungal cell wall glucose polymers that are released into the blood of infected patients. The role of glucans in infection is unknown. We examined serum glucan and cytokine levels in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with infections. There was an inverse correlation (p<0.001) between serum glucan levels and interleukin (IL)-2), IL-4, tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNFalpha) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) levels in infected ICU patients. The correlation between serum cytokines and serum glucan was only observed at glucan concentrations <40 pg/ml. No change was observed at serum glucan levels of >40 pg/ml. There was no correlation between serum glucan levels and systemic levels of IL-1beta, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 or IFNgamma. Interestingly, blood borne glucans did not suppress systemic cytokine levels in infected ICU patients, instead they were maintained at control levels. We conclude that circulating glucans may prevent cytokine upregulation in response to infection. This may represent an adaptive response to septic injury.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Serum cystatin C is a better marker for preeclampsia than serum creatinine or serum urate.

Altered renal function is an essential component of the pathophysiological process in preeclampsia. The kidneys play a significant part in the turnover of most low molecular weight substances such as creatinine, urate and cystatin C. The present work was undertaken to investigate if the serum levels of these components are altered in characteristic ways in preeclampsia, and can be used to assist in the diagnosis of this condition. The serum levels were therefore determined in samples from 100 healthy women at term as well as in 45 samples of patients with preeclampsia (diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg; urinary albumin excretion >300 mgL(-1)). The levels of all three components were significantly higher in samples from preeclamptic patients with the mean+SD being 1.55+/-0.29 vs. 1.05+/-0.19 mg L(-1) for cystatin C, 70+/-23 vs. 56+/-9.7 micromol L(-1) for creatinine, and 413+/-128 vs. 305+/-61 micromol L(-1) for urate. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that the serum level of cystatin C had a superior diagnostic accuracy for preeclampsia compared to those of serum urate and creatinine and that the diagnostic accuracy of serum urate was better than that of serum creatinine.

Case-Control Studies↗

Association of serum iron, serum transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin with survival in acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The present investigation was motivated from the consideration that a host environment rich in iron, represented by high serum transferrin saturation (TS) and high serum iron and serum ferritin levels might offer favorable growth conditions for leukemic cells in addition to infection, thus affecting survival. Serum measurements were obtained on 113 pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), seen at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between May 20, 1981 and August 8, 1983. A significant difference (p less than 0.001) was found between the survival of patients according to whether their first measured TS was greater than 36% or less than 36%, with fewer deaths in the group with TS less than 36. The relationship between TS and survival was still observed when patients were stratified according to length of time from diagnosis, risk group, French-American-British (FAB) classification, or presence of organomegaly at diagnosis (p less than 0.001). Similar differences were observed between survival of patients grouped according to their first measured serum ferritin. These results independently confirm and extend observations presented earlier and support the consideration that motivated this study. The value of serum iron-related measurements as prognostic variables cannot be established from this type of study; however, these findings suggest the need for a prospective study.

Child↗

Comparison of a serum replacement (Omni Serum) and fetal bovine serum in cell cultures used to isolate herpes simplex virus from clinical specimens.

Traditionally, fetal bovine serum (FBS) has been the principal component in media used in the growth and maintenance of cell cultures. Recent shortages have affected the cost and availability of FBS to clinical laboratories. Furthermore, lot-to-lot variability can affect cell culture performance and growth. We evaluated a commercially available serum replacement (Omni Serum; Advanced Biotechnologies Inc., Columbia, Md.) for use in the growth of cell cultures and for use in maintenance media used for the isolation of herpes simplex virus from clinical specimens. Cells (rhabdomyosarcoma and mink lung) raised on 5% Omni Serum grew as well as those grown on 10% FBS. The sensitivity of the Omni-raised cells to herpes simplex virus that had been isolated from 111 clinical specimens was equal to that of the cells raised and maintained with FBS. Cells grown with 10% FBS and maintained with 2% Omni Serum displayed the same sensitivity and integrity in tubes (rhabdomyosarcoma and mink lung) and vials (MRC-5 cells) as cells grown with 10% FBS and maintained with 5% FBS. This study indicates that Omni Serum is an acceptable substitute for FBS in maintenance media for cell culture tubes and vials used for viral isolation from clinical specimens.

Animals↗

Microtubule dynamics in serum-starved and serum-stimulated Swiss 3T3 mouse fibroblasts: implications for the relationship between serum-induced contractility and microtubules.

It has been established that cell contractility can be stimulated with low or depolymerizing doses of microtubule (MT) poisons. In addition, low doses of nocodazole and vinblastine have recently been shown to decrease MT dynamics in vivo. In this study, investigated whether there is a direct, or reciprocal feedback-type relationship between contractility and microtubule dynamics, by examining MT dynamic behavior in live cells under conditions where contractility is known to be altered. Quiescent, serum-starved Swiss 3T3 mouse fibroblasts have been shown to be weakened in their contractility; serum stimulation increases cell contractility and causes the formation of stress fibers and adhesion plaques. Growing (control), quiescent (Go), and serum-stimulated cells were injected with rhodamine-tubulin, and MT dynamics were determined by analysis of MT length changes obtained from digitized images of the extreme periphery of the cells, where the MT ends were readily apparent. The MTs in quiescent cells were less dynamic than those in control cells: the growth and shortening rates were reduced by 30% and 45%, respectively. Dynamicity decreased by 47%, and the MTs spent more time in pause. After serum stimulation, MT growth rate, dynamicity, and time spent in pause returned to control cell levels. Although the shortening rate increased by 28%, it remained significantly lower than in control cells. In this system, the serum-induced increase in contractility was accompanied by an increase in MT dynamics. However, increased contractility stimulated with low doses of MT poisons is known to be accompanied by a decrease in MT dynamics. These results suggest that the relationship between MT dynamics and contractility is an indirect one.

3T3 Cells↗

Binding of aluminum to human serum transferrin, human serum albumin and rat serum proteins.

Human serum transferrin (HSTF), human serum albumin (HSA) and rat serum were compared for their interaction with AlCl3, in a Tris-HCl buffer solutions (pH 7.4). The AlCl3 was tested in series of concentrations in the range of 50 microM up to 500 microM. HSTF, HSA and their 1:1 mixture and rat serum were incubated at 37 degrees C with series of AlCl3 concentrations. The protein profile of the incubated solutions were compared to control using SDS-PAGE and FPLC tests. The results indicated that HSTF was more specifically responsive to AlCl3 showing a characteristic increase in its UV absorption, peak and area dimensions. Simultaneously, HSA was less affected, but it showed a significant shift with an increase in molecular weight accompanied with a change in its profile. The respective bands of transferrin and albumin in rat serum behaved similarly. The SDS-PAGE and FPLC data coincided and confirmed the preferential affinity of HSTF to bind with Al3+. These results support the suggestion of using HSTF for monitoring levels of Al3+ in human blood samples of exposed population. The importance of further developing such a biomarker is the increased demand for early detection of the hazardous levels of Al3+ in relation to its long term neurotoxic adverse effects.

Aluminum Chloride↗

Serum inhibin B in combination with serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a more sensitive marker than serum FSH alone for impaired spermatogenesis in men, but cannot predict the presence of sperm in testicular tissue samples.

The measurement of serum FSH is useful in the diagnostic workup of the infertile male, but fails to predict the presence of sperm in testicular tissue. We investigated whether inhibin B reflects testicular morphology and the presence of sperm more accurately than FSH. Serum inhibin B and gonadotropin levels were determined in 91 infertile men undergoing diagnostic bilateral testicular biopsy. In 52 of the 91 patients multiple samples were taken for testicular sperm extraction (TESE). Inhibin B levels were (mean +/- SEM) 238+/-32 pg/mL in men with normal spermatogenesis (n = 9), 102+/-18 pg/mL in men with spermatogenetic arrest (n = 15), 98+/-16 pg/mL in hypospermatogenesis (n = 23), 41+/-6 pg/mL in focal Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO; n = 26), and 27+/-8 pg/mL in complete SCO (n = 18). The percentage of SCO tubuli was more strongly correlated to serum inhibin B (r = -0.58; P<0.01) than to FSH (r = 0.34; P<0.05). Similarly, the percentage of tubules with elongated spermatids was significantly (P<0.05) more strongly correlated to serum inhibin B (r = 0.65; P<0.01) than to FSH (r = -0.4; P<0.01). Thus, inhibin B is slightly more sensitive than FSH as an index of the spermatogenic status. Neither FSH nor inhibin B alone, however, could predict the type of spermatogenetic damage exactly. The combination of FSH and inhibin B had high diagnostic sensitivity (88%) and specificity (83%) for the presence of elongated spermatids in testicular biopsies. Sperm could be retrieved in 34 (65%) of the TESE patients. The combination of inhibin B and FSH measurement showed a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 73% when identifying patients in whom sperm could possibly be retrieved by TESE. We conclude that although the measurement of serum inhibin B improves the sensitivity of predictive tests for the presence of sperm in histology or for TESE, this parameter cannot accurately predict TESE outcome.

Adolescent↗

Serum thyroxine, serum % -- T3 -- binding, and serum T3 in Zambians.

Serum total thyroxine (T4) was measured in clinically euthyroid and clinically hyperthyroid subjects, using the method of competitive protein binding. In 26 euthyroid subjects the mean +/- 1SD was 7.7 +/- 1.8 micrograms/dl and in 17 clinically hyperthyroid subjects, the mean +/- 1SD was 18.1 +/- 3.1 micrograms/dl. This difference is statistically significant. Serum % 125(1) -- T3 binding was measured using the principle of competition for 125(1) -- T3 between the unknown serum and the resin in the assay kit. In 18 clinically euthyroid subjects, the mean +/- 1SD was 112.6 +/- 4.4 % while in 14 clinically hyperthyroid subjects the % 125(1) -- T3 binding had a mean +/- 1SD of 71.4 +/- 11%. The difference is statistically significant. Serum total triiodothyronine was measured by radioimmunoassay. In 31 clinically euthyroid subjects the mean +/- 1SD was 146 +/- 19.8 ng/dl while in 19 clinically hyperthyroid sugjects the mean +/- 1SD was 390 +/- 111 ng/dl. This difference is statistically significant. There was a negative correlation which was not statistically significant between the serum T4 and % T3 binding. The measurements of these thyroid function indices were precise.

Humans↗

[The radio immune level of total serum oestriol during pregnancy. An examination of the method and comparison of the concentrations of total serum oestriol, non-conjugated serum oestriol and the excretion of total urinary oestrogens (author's transl)].

The authors report on a preliminary study of the level of total serum oestriol in the third trimester of pregnancy by the bundle method of estimating this with "oestriol 1251 RIA Kit" (Amersham, Buchler). The criteria on which the quality of the method depends, viz, sensitivity, specificity, reliability, and accuracy, together with its practicability are satisfactory. Correlations between total serum oestriol and free serum oestriol and total urinary oestrogens are good and correspond with those given in the literature. This method therefore can be used in clinical practice. All the same, it still has to be established which parameter better reflects the feto-placental state. Is it the free serum oestriol or the total serum oestriol?

Estriol↗

[Serum resistance of Escherichia coli in chronic pyelonephritis. 1. Serum resistance in the human serum pool].

123 patients of the kidney department of the Clinic for Inner Medicine of Rostock University suffering from chronic pyelonephritis were taken into microbiological observation for between one and four years. 170 E. coli strains were bred from 59 patients with significant bacteriuria in the course of the disease and their serum resistence was determined with pooled human serum using Taylor's method. 78.24% of the strains examined were serum-sensitive, 11.18% intermediate and 10.59% serum-resistent. All strains were O-, K- and H-typed. 57.06% were successfully O-typed and were distributed over 40 O-serogroups. 24.12% were not typable and 18.82% were rough colonies. 86.50% of the resistent and intermediate strains strains were O-typable, 13.50% could not be typed. The significance of E. coli antigens (O, K, H) and serum resistence for the maintenance of a chronic infection is discussed.

Antigens, Bacterial↗