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Journal Article 2012; 33(4): 442-445 PubMed PMID: 22936267 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Autoantibodies:blood, Female, Humans, Iodide Peroxidase:immunology, Male, Middle Aged, Thyroid Gland:immunology, Thyroid Nodule:blood, Thyrotropin:blood, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to evaluate the possible association between autoimmunity and thyroid nodular disease (TND).

DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a study on 58 patients who were treated in outpatient setting at the Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine. Serum samples were analyzed for TSH concentration and anti-TPO antibodies titers. Thyroid ultrasonography was performed in each subject in order to evaluate volume of the gland, and the number and size of nodules.

RESULTS: TND occurred in 70% of anti-TPO positive subjects and in 57.9% of anti-TPO negative subjects, but statistical analysis did not demonstrate a significant concordance between the presence of anti-TPO antibodies and prevalence of TND (p>0.05). We showed that the mean (0.82 vs 0.75; p=0.49), minimal (0.2 vs 0.3; p=0.89) and maximal (2.7 vs 2.4; p=0.49) diameters of a nodule were similar in both groups. Solely in anti-TPO positive patients, anti-TPO titers positively correlated with the number of nodules (p=0.04).

CONCLUSION: Our results favor the role of autoimmunity in TND development although associations between thyroid nodules and thyroid autoimmunity are complicated and may be the subject of much controversy. Increased anti-TPO may influence the number of nodules rather than the presence of TND itself....

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Comparative Study 2011; 32(4): 530-539 PubMed PMID: 21876509 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Antibodies:pharmacology, Biomarkers, Tumor:metabolism, Biopsy, Carcinoma in Situ:metabolism, Disease-Free Survival, Female, Humans, Lymphatic Vessels:immunology, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Invasiveness, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local:metabolism, Predi.   

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the immunohistochemical expression of vascular endothelial growth factors VEGF-C and D, as well as the expression of VEGFR-3 in VIN and vulvar invasive cancer and to compare the density of lymphatic marker D2-40 antibody in both groups, and to compare them with different clinicopathologic features.

MATERIALS & METHODS: The study was performed using tissue material and clinical data from 100 women diagnosed with VIN and 100 women diagnosed with invasive vulvar cancer.

RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the expression of VEGF-C and -D or VEGFR-3 between those patients with VIN and those with invasive vulvar cancers. Weak expression of VEGF-C was confirmed only in two cases of the analyzed series; in all cases, expression of VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 was observed. The strongest expression of VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 was observed in the group of invasive cancers. The highest density of lymphatic vessels per 2 mm was observed in VIN. In the cancer group, small lymphatic vessels with a narrow oval lumen were observed. Moreover, in two cases of vulvar cancer, the presence of intratumoral lymphatic vessels was observed.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that lymphangiogenesis begins at the preinvasive stage of vulvar carcinogenesis and suggests the important role of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3 and LV (D2-40) as prognostic factors in the process of carcinogenesis in the vulvar area....

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Case Reports 2011; 32(4): 411-414 PubMed PMID: 21876503 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antibodies, Bacterial:blood, Autoantibodies:blood, Borrelia burgdorferi:immunology, Central Nervous System:immunology, Cross Reactions, Demyelinating Diseases:immunology, Female, Humans, Lyme Neuroborreliosis:complications, Male, Middle Aged,.   

: The work describes three cases of patients at various ages, diagnosed for CNS demyelinating disease. The presence of specific antibodies to B. burgdorferi sensu lato, and findings of B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA, identified in one case as the genospecies B. garinii in the liquor, indicated previous experience with the infection. Presumably, persistence of borrelia in the organism could act as one of the autoimmune process triggers, resulting in the demyelinating disease....

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Clinical Trial 2011; 32(2): 141-147 PubMed PMID: 21552193 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antibodies:blood, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Biomarkers:blood, Case-Control Studies, Dehydroepiandrosterone:analogs & derivatives, Female, Homocysteine:blood, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Immunologic Factors:blood, Iodide Peroxidase:imm.   

OBJECTIVE: Serum levels of neuro- and immunomodulatory adrenal steroids together with selected hormonal, lipid and other relevant biochemical parameters were investigated to examine the differences between first-episode schizophrenia patients and age-matched healthy subjects, and the effect of treatment with atypical antipsychotics.

METHODS: The patient´s group consisted of 22 drug-naive patients (13 men and 9 women), diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria, before and after six-months treatment with atypical antipsychotics of olanzapine or non-olanzapine type. Biochemical markers included steroids cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, its sulfate, 7-hydroxylated metabolites of dehydroepiandrosterone, prolactin, thyrotropin, free thyroxine, autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin, glucose levels, four major lipid parameters, homocysteine and three other aminothiols. Steroids, prolactin and thyroid parameters were determined by radioimmunoassays, the other markers by standard biochemical methods.

RESULTS: Significantly lower dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and of 7α-hydroxy- dehydroepiandrosterone levels than in controls were found in male patients. In the female group, the only difference in steroid spectra was significantly higher cortisolemia in the patients. The patients had also higher titres of autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase. Compared to controls, the patients displayed worse lipid spectra, and higher homocysteinemia. Medication did not lead to significant changes in the parameters, with the exception of expected increase in prolactin levels in non-olanzapine treated subgroups.

CONCLUSION: Lower levels of 7α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone, abundant especially in brain, determined for the first time in schizophrenia patients, are in agreement with recent opinion of their neuroprotective and immunoprotective role. High levels of autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase in the patients support the autoimmunity hypothesis of schizophrenia....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(3): 310-312 PubMed PMID: 20588240 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antibodies, Protozoan:blood, Female, Fetal Blood:immunology, Humans, Immunoglobulin A:blood, Immunoglobulin M:blood, Infant, Newborn, Parturition:blood, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious:blood, Serologic Tests:methods, Toxocara canis.   

OBJECTIVE: Parasitic diseases, particularly the congenital form of toxoplasmosis, can negatively affect the mortality and morbidity of newborns and infants.

METHODS: The authors examined 152 samples of umbilical blood in 152 women who had experienced premature delivery with or without PROM. The samples were examined for the titre of antibodies - the CFR, levels of immunoglobulins IgA and IGM (toxoplasmosis) and for titres of antibodies against toxocariasis.

RESULTS: No presence of IGM was demonstrated in association with the congenital form of toxoplasmosis. The values of titres of antibodies against toxocariasis were negative. There was only one case of a titre in a newborn higher than that in the mother. There was no clinical manifestation of the disease.

CONCLUSION: In spite of the negative result, the authors point out the possibility of a timely diagnosis of these parasitic diseases....

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Comparative Study 2010; 31(2): 229-237 PubMed PMID: 20424579 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic:blood, Autoantibodies:blood, Blood Sedimentation, China:epidemiology, Female, Humans, Hyperlipidemias:blood, Hypothyroidism:blood, Incidence, Kidney:physiopathology, Liver:physiopathol.   

OBJECTIVE: POEMS syndrome is a unique clinical entity. It was described by the presence of several typical characteristics as paraproteinemia, polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, and skin changes. Few people reported characteristics of Chinese POEMS patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of Chinese patients with POEMS syndrome was carried out to reveal clinical features and compare with foreign series reported previously. In addition to typical characteristics, Chinese patients often were presented with extravascular volume overload (84%), papilledema (44%), bone lesions (41%), raynaud phenomenon (31%) and Clubbing (22%).

RESULTS: Clinical laboratory tests found most patients had increased erythrosedimentation rate, hyperlipidemia, liver disorder and renal involvement. 70% patients had hypothyroidism, including overt hypothyroidism (6 patients) and subclinical hypothyroidism (13 patients). High prevalence of positive antimitochondrial antibody (ANA) and positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) was the more common phenomenon. Chinese patients with bone damage in the incidence are lower than in the West and Japanese reports.

CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study demonstrate the POEMS syndrome diagnostic criteria proposed by Dispenzieri et al is also more high applicability in the Chinese population.At the time of diagnosis, we should not pay attention on the typical characteristics of the disease, but also on the changes in thyroid, liver, kidney function and lipid metabolism....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(3): 414-420 PubMed PMID: 19855370 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antibodies, Viral:blood, Blood Donors, Borna Disease:complications, Borna disease virus:metabolism, Czech Republic, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mood Disorders:complications, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales.   

OBJECTIVES: Borna disease virus (BDV) is an RNA virus belonging to the family Bornaviridae. BDV is a neurotropic virus that causes changes in mood, behaviour and cognition. Patients with psychiatric disorders have a higher incidence of BDV positivity than healthy individuals.

METHODS: We examined the seropositivity of BDV circulating immunocomplexes (CIC) in psychiatric patients and healthy individuals (blood donors). We examined 39 psychiatric inpatients for the presence of BDV CIC in the serum by ELISA on day 0, 28 and 56. During the same period psychopathology was measured using psychiatric scales (CGI, CGI-I, MADRS, SDS, PANSS). This is the first such study performed in the Czech Republic.

RESULTS: BDV CIC positivity was detected in 66.7% of psychiatric patients (26/39) on day 0, in 53.9% (14/26) on day 28 and in 52.9% on day 56 (9/17). The control group was 22.2% (28/126) positive. The incidence of BDV CIC was significantly higher in psychiatric patients than in healthy individuals (p=0.001). The significantly higher level of BDV CIC was associated with the higher severity of psychopathology in comparison with patients with mild or moderate psychopathology (p=0.03). We did not find any association between BDV CIC positivity and other characteristics (age, diagnosis, family, personal history, the history of infectious diseases, contact with animals).

CONCLUSION: In our study psychiatric patients had significantly higher levels of BDV CIC than the control group. The highest levels of BDV CIC were detected in patients with more severe psychopathology....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 949-952 PubMed PMID: 19112403 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Autoantibodies:blood, Embryo Transfer, Female, Fertilization in Vitro, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:blood, Humans, Infertility, Female:immunology, Ovary:immunology, Ovulation:immunology, Reproductive Techniques, Assisted, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the effects of antiovarian antibodies (AOA) on ovarian responsiveness in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET).

METHODS: 233 infertility women younger than 36 years undergone IVF/ET because of single salpingemphraxis were attended in the study, whose fast blood was taken to detect serum AOA by ELISA. Among them there were 35 women with serum AOA positive composed the study group and the other with serum AOA negative composed the control. Ovarian volume, antral follicle number, basal FSH, gonadotropin dosage and recollected oocytes were compared between the 2 groups.

RESULT(S): There's no difference in ovarian volume between serum AOA positive group with negative group, P>0.05. The number of antral follicles was less and basal FSH was higher in AOA positive group than in control, P<0.05; what's more, the ampoules of gonadotrophin consumed in AOA positive group exceed significantly in control, and less recollected oocytes in AOA positive group than in control, P<0.01. Of the 233 infertility women, the serum AOA positive rate was 73.08% in the women who got less than 5 recollected oocytes, significantly higher than the other women in the study, P<0.01.

CONCLUSION(S): The existing of anti-ovarian antibodies had suppressive effects on the ovarian responsiveness in ovarian stimulation in IVF/ET cycle and on ovarian function. AOA should be detected before IVF/ET to evaluate ovarian responsiveness and further treatment seems necessary....

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