43 research outputs found
Value of Procollagen Type I Aminoterminal Propeptide in Women with Breast Cancer with regard to Metastases
Background. The aim of this study was to show the importance of the bone marker procollagen type 1 aminoterminal propeptide (P1NP) in detecting bone metastases in women suffering from breast cancer. We furthermore investigated to what degree P1NP is correlated to the degree of bone metastases, and if P1NP is increased in patients with metastases other than bone.
Patients and Methods. We analyzed 80 serum samples of women (17 premenopausal/63 postmenopausal) with breast cancer. Therefore we used a specific immunoassay âELECSYS 2010â by Roche Diagnostics. We divided our group of patients with regard to menopausal status, sites of metastases and number of bone metastases. Results. As a result we found higher concentrations of P1NP in women with radiologically confirmed bone metastases (median: 125.75âng/mL) in comparison to the collective without bone involvement (median: 73.61âng/mL). However, both groups showed values above the applied cutoff values of median 27.8âng/mL for premenopausal women and median: 37.1âng/mL for the postmenopausal group due to the fact that all patients had cancer. Furthermore higher P1NP concentrations were found in women with more than 5 sites of bone metastases (median: 183.9âng/mL) than in patients with only one site of bone metastases (median: 37âng/mL). Also patients with no bone involvement but other sites of metastases showed quite high P1NP concentrations (median: 73.61âng/mL). Conclusion. The marker of bone turnover procollagen type 1 aminoterminal propeptide can be considered as a useful tool for estimating the extent of bone involvement and for the detection of bone metastases. P1NP cannot replace conventional methods for detecting bone metastases such as radiological methods but it can help clarify unclear radiological results. This study does not take into account the change of P1NP concentration during the course of therapy
Selective CDK9 inhibition resolves neutrophilic inflammation and enhances cardiac regeneration in larval zebrafish
Live imaging of the immune response to heart injury in larval zebrafish reveals a multi-stage model of neutrophil and macrophage migration
Neutrophils and macrophages are crucial effectors and modulators of repair and regeneration following myocardial infarction, but they cannot be easily observed in vivo in mammalian models. Hence many studies have utilized larval zebrafish injury models to examine neutrophils and macrophages in their tissue of interest. However, to date the migratory patterns and ontogeny of these recruited cells is unknown. In this study, we address this need by comparing our larval zebrafish model of cardiac injury to the archetypal tail fin injury model. Our in vivo imaging allowed comprehensive mapping of neutrophil and macrophage migration from primary hematopoietic sites, to the wound. Early following injury there is an acute phase of neutrophil recruitment that is followed by sustained macrophage recruitment. Both cell types are initially recruited locally and subsequently from distal sites, primarily the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT). Once liberated from the CHT, some neutrophils and macrophages enter circulation, but most use abluminal vascular endothelium to crawl through the larva. In both injury models the innate immune response resolves by reverse migration, with very little apoptosis or efferocytosis of neutrophils. Furthermore, our in vivo imaging led to the finding of a novel wound responsive mpeg1+ neutrophil subset, highlighting previously unrecognized heterogeneity in neutrophils. Our study provides a detailed analysis of the modes of immune cell migration in larval zebrafish, paving the way for future studies examining tissue injury and inflammation
Elevated serum neutrophil elastase is related to prehypertension and airflow limitation in obese women
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neutrophil elastase level/activity is elevated in a variety of diseases such as atherosclerosis, systolic hypertension and obstructive pulmonary disease. It is unknown whether obese individuals with prehypertension also have elevated neutrophil elastase, and if so, whether it has a deleterious effect on pulmonary function. Objectives: To determine neutrophil elastase levels in obese prehypertensive women and investigate correlations with pulmonary function tests.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty obese prehypertensive women were compared with 30 obese normotensive subjects and 30 healthy controls. The study groups were matched for age. Measurements: The following were determined: body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, serum neutrophil elastase, and pulmonary function tests including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV<sub>1</sub>), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV<sub>1</sub>/FVC ratio.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Serum neutrophil elastase concentration was significantly higher in both prehypertensive (405.8 ± 111.6 ng/ml) and normotensive (336.5 ± 81.5 ng/ml) obese women than in control non-obese women (243.9 ± 23.9 ng/ml); the level was significantly higher in the prehypertensive than the normotensive obese women. FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC ratio in both prehypertensive and normotensive obese women were significantly lower than in normal controls, but there was no statistically significant difference between the prehypertensive and normotensive obese women. In prehypertensive obese women, there were significant positive correlations between neutrophil elastase and body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and negative correlations with high density lipoprotein cholesterol, FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Neutrophil elastase concentration is elevated in obese prehypertensive women along with an increase in high sensitivity C-reactive protein which may account for dyslipidemia and airflow dysfunction in the present study population.</p
Investigating the prostate specific antigen, body mass index and age relationship: is an ageâBMI-adjusted PSA model clinically useful?
ToxizitÀt der Tabakpflanze (Giftpflanze des Jahres 2009)
<jats:title>Zusammenfassung</jats:title><jats:p>Die Gattungen Nicotiana tabacum und Nicotiana rustica der Tabakpflanze sind von groĂer wirtschaftlicher Bedeutung. Aus ihnen wird Tabak hergestellt, der mit Alkohol zur weltweit am hĂ€ufigsten konsumierten Genussdroge zĂ€hlt. Aufgrund seiner LegalitĂ€t wird die ToxizitĂ€t trotz steigender Warnung und AufklĂ€rung immer noch unterschĂ€tzt. Die ToxizitĂ€t der Tabakpflanze ist vor allem auf das Alkaloid Nikotin zurĂŒckzufĂŒhren. Dass es selten zu einer Vergiftung durch die reine Pflanze kommt, liegt daran, dass sie optisch kaum zum Verzehr anregt. HĂ€ufiger dagegen ist eine Vergiftung durch z.âŻB. verschluckte Zigarettenstummel, die vor allem fĂŒr Kinder sehr gefĂ€hrlich sein kann. Eine weitere Gefahr der Vergiftung entsteht bei der Tabakernte. Nikotin wird auch ĂŒber die Haut aufgenommen und kann so zu der <jats:italic>Green Tobacco Sickness</jats:italic> bei Tabakplantagenarbeitern fĂŒhren. Im Ernstfall existiert kein Antidot. Aktivkohle sollte so schnell wie möglich gegeben werden, um die Resorption zu vermindern. Ansonsten muss das Nikotin mit einer MagenwĂ€sche aus dem Körper gefiltert werden. PrĂ€ventiv sollten deshalb verstĂ€rkt auf die Gefahren des Tabaks aufmerksam gemacht werden.</jats:p>
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) â ein Marker in der Diagnostik der Sarkoidose
<jats:title>Zusammenfassung</jats:title><jats:p>Die Bestimmung von ACE im Serum oder Heparinplasma stellt einen wesentlichen Bestandteil der Diagnostik, Verlaufskontrolle und TherapieĂŒberwachung von benignen Lungenerkrankungen dar. ACE ist ein Marker, der bei Sarkoidose wertvolle Aussagen zur Diagnosefindung ermöglicht. Hier zeichnet er sich durch hohe SensitivitĂ€t und SpezifitĂ€t aus.</jats:p>
Einfluss der Ergometrie sowie der sportlichen Belastung auf die Konzentration der Blutparameter Kreatininkinase, Laktatdehydrogenase und prostataspezifisches Antigen
<jats:title>Zusammenfassung</jats:title><jats:p>Durch körperliche AktivitĂ€t oder auch im Rahmen einer Ergometrie (Laufband oder Fahrrad) wird die Muskulatur derart belastet, dass sich die Herz-Kreislauf-Funktion verĂ€ndert. Hierdurch ist ca. 2âŻh nach der Belastung der Anstieg der Kreatininkinase (CK) und der Laktatdehydrogenase (LDH) im Blut als Indikator fĂŒr die Muskelbeanspruchung messbar. Auch der Wert des prostataspezifischen Antigens (PSA), insbesondere bei MĂ€nnern, ist ein diagnostischer Parameter zur Beurteilung der Prostatafunktion, der bei Belastung der Prostataregion, wie z.âŻB. Rennradfahren, beeintrĂ€chtigt werden kann. CK samt Isoenzyme, LDH und PSA können gezielt als Indikatoren fĂŒr körperliche Belastung eingesetzt werden, insofern eine Aussage zur VitalitĂ€t des Patienten formuliert werden soll.</jats:p>