Time-Dependent Changes of Plasma Concentrations of Angiopoietins, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, and Soluble Forms of Their Receptors in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Patients Following Surgical Resection

Even when patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer undergo surgical resection at an early stage, recurrent disease often impairs the clinical outcome. There are numerous causes potentially responsible for a relapse of the disease, one of them being extensive angiogenesis. The balance of at least two systems, VEGF VEGFR and Ang Tie, regulates vessel formation. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of surgery on the plasma levels of the main angiogenic factors during the first month after surgery in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients. The study group consisted of 37 patients with stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer. Plasma concentrations of Ang1, Ang2, sTie2, VEGF, and sVEGF R1 were evaluated by ELISA three times: before surgical resection and on postoperative days 7 and 30. The median of Ang2 and VEGF concentrations increased on postoperative day 7 and decreased on day 30. On the other hand, the concentration of sTie2 decreased on the 7th day after resection and did not change statistically later on. The concentrations of Ang1 and sVEGF R1 did not change after the surgery. Lung cancer resection results in proangiogenic plasma protein changes that may stimulate tumor recurrences and metastases after early resection

Evaluation of low density lipoprotein oxidation in a course of hypothyroidism

Wstęp: Celem pracy była ocena wpływu niedoczynności tarczycy na oksydatywną modyfikację lipoprotein małej gęstości (LDL, low density lipoprotein). Materiał i metody: Badaniom poddano 24 pacjentów z jawną niedoczynnością tarczycy oraz 10 pacjentów z subkliniczną postacią niedoczynności tarczycy. Grupę kontrolną stanowiło 24 zdrowych ochotników, u których stwierdzano prawidłowe stężenie hormonu tyreotropowego (TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone) w surowicy. Oksydację lipoprotein oceniano na podstawie stężenia utlenionych LDL (oxLDL, oxidized low density lipoprotein) w osoczu oraz przeciwciał przeciwko utlenionym LDL (anty-oxLDL, against oxidized low density lipoprotein) w surowicy. Wyniki: W grupie pacjentów z jawną hipotyreozą wykazano zwiększone stężenie utlenionych LDL w porównaniu z grupą osób z subkliniczną hipotyreozą i grupą kontrolną. Nie stwierdzono statystycznie istotnej różnicy w stężeniu anty-oxLDL między grupą pacjentów z jawną lub subkliniczną niedoczynnością tarczycy a grupą kontrolną. Stężenie oxLDL w osoczu krwi badanych pacjentów korelowało ujemnie ze stężeniem tyroksyny (FT4, free thyroxine), a dodatnio ze stężeniem TSH i składników lipidowych surowicy (cholesterolu całkowitego, cholesterolu frakcji LDL, triacylogliceroli). Wnioski: W przeprowadzonych badaniach wykazano, że u pacjentów z niedoczynnością tarczycy występuje nasilona oksydacja lipoprotein, zależna od stopnia hipotyreozy i zmian w profilu lipidowym surowicy. Czynnikiem sprzyjającym oksydacji lipoprotein u chorych z niedoczynnością tarczycy było wysokie stężenie cholesterolu i triacylogliceroli w surowicy krwi. Oznaczanie stężenia oxLDL krążących w osoczu może być przydatnym testem diagnostycznym w ocenie zagrożenia aterogenezą u pacjentów z niedoczynnością tarczycy.Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of hypothyroidism on oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL). Material and methods: 24 patients with overt hypothyroidism and 10 patients with mild hypothyroidism were enrolled to the study. The control group consisted of 24 healthy subjects with normal serum TSH. Plasma level of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and serum level of antibodies against oxidized LDL (anti-oxLDL) determined lipoprotein oxidation. Results: Significantly increased plasma oxLDL levels were found in patients with overt hypothyroidism in comparison to patients with mild hypothyroidism and control group. Anti-oxLDL levels in patients with overt or mild hypothyroidism and in the control group showed no significant differences. OxLDL plasma levels in patients with hypothyroidism inversely correlated with FT4 levels and positively correlated with TSH, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels. Conclusions: The presented study indicates increased lipoprotein oxidation in patients with hypothyroidism which depends on the degree of hypothyroidism and changes in lipid profile. Elevated cholesterol and triglicerides levels are the factors increasing lipoprotein oxidation. Plasma oxLDL levels may constitute a useful marker indicating the risk for atherosclerosis in hypothyroidism

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis as prognostic factors after therapy in patients with cervical cancer

The empowerment of the small and medium scale businesses (SMSB) through the employment of technologies are constrained by two factors: (a) the lack of SMSB capacity in adopting the technologies and (b) the less proactive efforts of the technology producers in promoting their technology products. The constraints of the SMSB are, among others, that they are lack of funds for their entrepreneurship, inconsistent in their entrepreneurship, lack of support from the mainstream industries, lack of conducive laws on the technology transfer for SMSB, and not accustomed to using information and data about relevant science and technology for SMSB. On the other hand, the technology providers are constrained by the fact that there has been no appropriate technology package for SMSB while the organization responsible for the information and data concerning science and technology has not yet detected the SMSB's needs of relevant technologies for their actual entrepreneurship activities. One of the ways to overcome the above-mentioned problems is to develop a network of information technology system and some assistance for the SMSB so that the information culture is established. The main factor that has a significant role in developing a network of information technology system and some assistance for the SMSB is the human resources of interrelated institutions. The institutions are, among others, science and technology institutions, SMSB (users), education/ training institutions, financial institutions, and policy-making institutions. Hence, the establishment of an academic discipline in science and technology/engineering academic institution is required to develop some significant values from every output of its technological process for the sake of the improvement of people's welfare. The phenomenon that there is a reciprocal relationship between science and technology discipline and humanities implies that the information being discussed should include not only the information on science and technology but also the information containing the social values needed by the people. The mechanism for establishing such reciprocal relationship has to take place continuously at both the level of SMSBs (users) and at the level of science and technology institutions