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Journal Article 2006; 27(5): 609-613 PubMed PMID: 17159813 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Carcinoma:genetics, Cell Adhesion Molecules:genetics, DNA Methylation, Female, GPI-Linked Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Humans, Middle Aged, Ovarian Neoplasms:genetics, Promoter Regions, Genetic, RNA, Messenger:metabolism,.   

OBJECTIVE: The expression profile of the OPMCL gene was studied to find out if there was any evidence of a CpG island methylator phenotype and if there was an association of CpG island methylation with the gene downregulation in women with ovarian cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Expression of OPCML in 43 ovarian cancer tumor samples and in 4 normal ovaries was determined by RT-PCR. Methylation status of OPCML promoter region was studied with methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method. Possible associations with selected clinicopathologic variables: FIGO stage, histological grade, patient's age and menopausal status were tested.

RESULTS: In all normal ovarian samples OPCML mRNA was present, but it was not detectable in 24 of 43 ovarian cancer cases. We have not found the relationship between age and menopausal status with the presence of RTPCR product of OPCML. Hypermethylation of OPCML was not correlated to FIGO stage, however, in 80% of cases with methylated OPCML early clinical stage was also present. Tumor grading and histological type had no significant influence on the presence of hypermethylation of OPCML gene. In 20 of 43 cases of ovarian cancer methylated product of MSP amplification was present. In a group of OPCMLmRNA-negative tumors there were 75% of cases with hypermethylated exon of OPCML and the correlation between these variables was statistically significant (chi2 =17.7; p=0,00003). No promoter hypermethylation of the studied gene was found in normal ovaries.

CONCLUSIONS: Reduced OPCMPL gene expression in ovarian cancer in comparison to normal ovaries could be related to the hypermethylation of promoter region. This epigenetic alteration may be the reason of gene silencing and the loss of suppressor function....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 535-537 PubMed PMID: 17136019 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease:complications, Cognition Disorders:etiology, Depression:etiology, Female, Humans, Hypothyroidism:complications, Male, Middle Aged, Thyroxine:blood,.   

: The role of thyroid function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been subject to a number of studies during the last years. We investigated the possible relationship between plasma levels of the biologically active free form of thyroxin (fT4) and cognitive function in 227 outpatients with mild to moderate Alzheimer s disease (AD) in a cross-sectional study design. A significant negative correlation was found between plasma fT4-levels and Mini-Mental state examination (MMSE) score (Spearman Rho = -0.14, p=0.04). When the lowest quartile of fT4-levels (<15.1 pmol/l) was compared to the highest quartile (>19.0 pmol/l), statistically significant lower mean MMSE-scores were seen in the group with the highest fT4-levels (p<0.05, ANOVA). The mean difference between the 1st and the 4th quartile of fT4 was 2.6 MMSE-score points. No correlations were found between plasma total T4-levels, plasma total T3-levels, plasma TSH-levels and the MMSE score (p>0.05). When fT4 quartile groups were compared for depression measured in the Geriatric Depression Score (GDS 15), a slightly higher score was seen in the 1s and 2nd compared to the 3rd and 4th quartile groups without reaching statistical significance (1st quartile of fT4: GDS 5.2 +/- 3.8; 2nd: 5.3 +/- 4.0; 3rd: 4.4 +/- 3.4; 4th: 4.5 +/- 3.8) pointing to a reverse correlation of fT4 levels and depressive mood. This study leads to the conclusion that high levels of plasma fT4 might result in a worsening of cognitive impairment and a positive effect on depressive mood in AD....

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Clinical Trial 2006; 27(4): 433-437 PubMed PMID: 16892008 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Anxiety:physiopathology, Depression:physiopathology, Dexamethasone, Feedback, Physiological:drug effects, Follow-Up Studies, Glucocorticoids, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System:physiology, Immunosuppression, Male, Pituitar.   

OBJECTIVES: Higher rates of dexamethasone test (DST) nonsuppression in schizophrenia have been attributed to depressive symptoms, suicidality and negative symptoms. No study concerning first-episode schizophrenia has yet been published.

DESIGN: In patients hospitalised for the first time with first-episode schizophrenia the DST has been performed before, at the end of the acute treatment and after one year. At the same time the clinical evaluation with PANSS was performed. A cortisol value >5 microgram/dl in either of the postdexamethasone samples indicated nonsuppression of cortisol.

RESULTS: A total of 56 males were included. 18% of pts were DST nonsuppressors at medication-free baseline, 5% and 16% after acute treatment and after one year respectively. After 1 year 42/56 of patients fulfilled the criteria of remission. The rate of nonsuppression was 21.4%, 5% and 16.4% in remitters and 7%, 7% and 14.3% in nonremitters. Significant differences in the whole group were found between postdexamethasone cortisolemia at discharge on the one hand and on admission and at the one-year follow-up on the other. Significant correlations were observed between postdexamethasone cortisolemia and negative symptoms at the end of acute treatment.

MAIN FINDINGS: In first-episode schizophrenia the short-term treatment led to a decrease in cortisolemia and rates of nonsuppression and an increase at a one-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: Rates of DST nonsuppression in schizophrenia including first-episode schizophrenia are influenced by the stage of illness and medication status. The impairment of feedback regulation of cortisol secretion may be related to different biopathogenetic mechanisms depending on the phase of the illness....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 517-522 PubMed PMID: 16892003 Citation  Keywords:  Adenocarcinoma:metabolism, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antibody Specificity, Cell Nucleus:metabolism, Cytoplasm:metabolism, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Male, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Prostate:metabolism, Prostatic Hyperplasia:metabolism, Prostatic Neoplasms.   

BACKGROUND: Ubiquitin is a low molecular weight protein which has been detected in a variety of normal and cancerous tissues. It is involved in many regulatory processes including protein proteolysis. It has been implicated in tumor pathogenesis. The role of ubiquitin in human prostate gland is investigated in this study.

METHODS: In this study, we utilized immunohistochemistry technique to localize ubiquitin in human prostate gland and correlate it with different pathological conditions of the prostate.

RESULTS: Ubiquitin was localized in normal, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic adenocarcinoma with variations in the distribution and intensity. In BPH, ubiquitin immunoreactivity was localized mainly in the nuclei while in the adenocarcinoma was localized mainly in the cytoplasm.

CONCLUSION: The presence of ubiquitin mainly in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm of BPH and prostatic adenocarcinoma, respectively, may suggest a role of ubiquitin in the development of the above mentioned conditions. Ubiquitin could be used as a potential marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of pathological conditions of the prostate....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 453-458 PubMed PMID: 16892000 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Biomarkers:blood, Blood Glucose, C-Reactive Protein:metabolism, Child, Child, Preschool, Cholesterol, HDL:blood, Cholesterol, LDL:blood, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:epidemiology, Female, Fibrinogen:metabolism, Humans, Inflammation:epidemiology, .   

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that low-grade systemic inflammation is closely involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum inflammatory markers and selected parameters known as risk factors of type 2 diabetes in obese children and adolescents.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fasting levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (FB) interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1beta), glucose, insulin, total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, white blood cell count (WBC) and fasting glucose to insulin ratio (FGIR) were measured in 281 obese children and adolescents. Pearson's correlation was used for assessing the relationship between inflammatory markers and selected clinical parameters.

RESULTS: Inflammatory markers correlated significantly with insulin resistance indices, HbA1c, lipid profile, hypertension, positive family history of type 2 diabetes, low physical fitness, and mixed high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet.

CONCLUSIONS: Serum inflammatory markers were significantly correlated with most factors implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes. These data provide additional support for previously reported in adults relationship between subclinical inflammation and the risk of type 2 diabetes....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 415-423 PubMed PMID: 16891999 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Apolipoprotein E2:genetics, Chronic Disease, Dental Amalgam:adverse effects, Dental Restoration, Permanent, Depression:chemically induced, Fatigue:chemically induced, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genotype, Humans, Male, Memory Disorde.   

: In a group of 465 patients diagnosed as having chronic mercury toxicity (CMT), 32.3% had severe fatigue, 88.8% had memory loss, and 27.5% had depression. A significant correlation was found between CMT and the Apo-lipoprotein E4 genotype (p=0.001). An investigation into an additional 864 consecutively seen general practice patients, resulted in 30.3% having evidence consistent with CMT, and once again a significant correlation was found with the APO-E4 genotype (p=0.001). Removal of amalgam mercury fillings when combined with appropriate treatment resulted in a significant symptom reduction (p<0.001) to levels reported by healthy subjects....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 459-464 PubMed PMID: 16891995 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Biomarkers:blood, Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure:immunology, C-Reactive Protein:metabolism, Child, Endothelium, Vascular:immunology, Female, Humans, Inflammation:epidemiology, Insulin:blood, Insulin Resistance:immunology, Intercellular Adhesion.   

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of low-grade, systemic inflammation and endothelial activation in the modulation of blood pressure (BP) independently of other traditional risk factors in obese children and adolescents.

DESIGN: We surveyed 281 obese subjects, aged 6-18 years to investigate the relationship of serum inflammation and endothelial activation markers and blood pressure.

MEASUREMENTS: Clinical variables, indices of obesity, ambulatory 24-h blood pressure and serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), glucose and insulin. HOMA IR was used as a marker of insulin resistance (IR).

RESULTS: CRP, IL-6, IL-1 beta, and ICAM-1 correlated significantly with mean 24-h systolic BP, whereas CRP and IL-6 was positively correlated with mean 24-h diastolic BP. Multiple regression analysis showed that serum IL-6 (P < .001) concentration, HOMA IR (P < .01), and waist to hip ratio (P < .05) were the significant determinants of systolic BP, whereas CRP (P < .05) level was the only predictor of diastolic BP. There were no significant associations of cell adhesion molecules with BP.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that low-grade inflammation may play a role in the modulation of arterial BP relatively early in life....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 507-512 PubMed PMID: 16891993 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Anthropometry, C-Peptide:blood, Cerebral Palsy:complications, Child, Child Nutrition Disorders:etiology, Child, Preschool, Energy Metabolism, Female, Growth Disorders:etiology, Human Growth Hormone:blood, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Leptin:b.   

AIM: Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) are generally undernourished and growth retarded than normal children. The reasons of malnutrition are not only due to poor nutritional status but also nonnutritional factors including negative neurotrophic effects and indirect factor such as immobility, endocrinological abnormalities or spasticity that energy requirements might be contributing factors. Several studies indicated that leptin which is produced by adipocytes, might regulate energy intake and expenditure. The aim of this study is to determine serum leptin levels in children with CP and to investigate the relationship between nutritional status and anthropometric measurements.

METHODS: Forty children with CP and 18 healthy controls were included in this study. The weight, height, body mass index (BMI), upper arm length (UAL) and triceps skinfold thickness (TST) was measured in all children. Serum leptin, growth hormone, C-peptide and cortisol levels were studied. Based on TST measurement CP patients were divided as DSF group (decreased subcutaneous fat) and non-DSF group (nondecreased subcutaneous fat).

RESULTS: UAL were shorter and TST measurements were thinner than control group (p<0.05, p<0.01). Group DSF had lower leptin concentrations compared to Group non-DSF and controls (p<0.001, p<0.001). On the other hand non DSF group had higher leptin levels than controls (p<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation between leptin and anthropometric measurements, especially TST in children with CP. Serum leptin levels were also lower in non-ambulatory children than ambulatory children with CP (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: This study has shown that triceps skinfold thickness is better index for the evaluation of nutritional status in children with CP. Serum leptin levels were lower in CP, especially in DSF group. The possible explanation of this finding may not only related with malnutrition, but also immobility related other factors such as bone metabolism and spasticity. We concluded that leptin which regulates energy intake might have a role of nutritional disorders in cerebral palsy. To better understand this relationship further studies are needed....

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