Urinary glycosaminoglycan concentrations in postmenopausal osteoporosis

the organic bone matrix contains glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Structural changes in bones with inflammatory and degenerative processes generally lead to the break-down of macromolecules from connective tissue and increase their urinary excretion. in the present study, the levels of urinary GAGs were investigated in 28 healthy controls consisting of 18 premenopausal and 10 postmenopausal women and 25 patients with postmenopausal and 10 postmenopausal women and in 25 patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Urinary GAGs were measured in 24 hour collected urine samples by the carbazole method and corrected for the excretion level of creatinine. There was a significant increase in GAGs excretion in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis compared with healthy premenopausal (p<0.01) and healty postmenopausal subjects (p<0.01). (4.57+-0.69 in healty premenopausal and 5.34+-1.64 mm/mol creatinine in healty postmenopausal vs 12.31+-1.01 mmol/mol creatinine in postmnopausal osteoporotic women). Bone mineral density was measured by dual photon absortiometer. Bone mineral density was determined to be significantly lower in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in comparison to the control group (p<0.05). in urine samples collected in the 4. week of salmon calcitonin (SCT) treatment (100 IU/d Miacalsic), GAG excretion decreased significantly in the osteoporotic women, suggesting that this urinary parameter might be useful in monitoring alterations in bone metabolism

Excitatory amino acid levels in cerebrospinal fluids of epileptic patients

Epilepsy is among the most neurologic disorders. Due to its damaging effects on the brain and the psychological problems that it creates in the patients, it deserves extensive study of its pathogenesis and new therapeutical approaches. The most widely accepted hypothesis on the pathogenesis of epilepsy is a failure in the regulation of excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in the brain. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of amino acids in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which was believed to reflect the levels of excitatory amino acids in the brain. CSF glutamate, aspartate and glycine levels were determined by gas -liquid chromatography in 12 epileptic patients (juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) n=7, idiopathic primary generalized epilepsy with tonic clonic seizuren=5) and 12 controls. In the epileptic patients, glutamate and glycine levels were significantly higher than controls (p The findings of this study suggest that further studies with a larger patient population and comparison of levels in CSF and epileptogenic brain tissue would be useful for a better understanding of the role excitatory amino acids in the pathogenesis of epilepsyEpilepsy is among the most neurologic disorders. Due to its damaging effects on the brain and the psychological problems that it creates in the patients, it deserves extensive study of its pathogenesis and new therapeutical approaches. The most widely accepted hypothesis on the pathogenesis of epilepsy is a failure in the regulation of excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in the brain. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of amino acids in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which was believed to reflect the levels of excitatory amino acids in the brain. CSF glutamate, aspartate and glycine levels were determined by gas -liquid chromatography in 12 epileptic patients (juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) n=7, idiopathic primary generalized epilepsy with tonic clonic seizuren=5) and 12 controls. In the epileptic patients, glutamate and glycine levels were significantly higher than controls (p The findings of this study suggest that further studies with a larger patient population and comparison of levels in CSF and epileptogenic brain tissue would be useful for a better understanding of the role excitatory amino acids in the pathogenesis of epileps

Sjögren sendromunda tükrük nitrik oksid düzeyleri

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to be involved in mechanisms mediating nerve-evoked vasodilatory and secretory responses in salivary glands. In the present study, the stabil nitric oxide metabolites nitrite and nitrate levels were measured in primary Sj;ouml;gren's syndrome (pSS) patients' saliva. Methods: Fifty patients with pSS fulfilling EC criteria for pSS (47.3 ;plusmn; 9.48 years old, mean ;plusmn; SD), and 32 healthy con-trols (35 ;plusmn; 8.2 years old) were enrolled to the study. Salivary nitrite was measured by the Griess reaction and nitrate by the enzymatic method of Bories and Bories. Results: Two or four joint involvement was observed in 23 of patients. 60% of the patients have shown ANA, 50% RF, 42% anti-La and 54% anti-Ro autoantibody positivity. Salivary NO (nitrite+nitrate) levels were significantly higher in pSS patients when compared to the controls (392.9 ;plusmn; 94.97 and 162.72 ;plusmn; 85.69 $\mu$mol/L, respectively, p=0.0001). There were not significant differences in NO levels between patients with and without arthiritis and ANA, anti-La, anti-Ro and RF pozitive and negative pa-tients, one by one. Conclusion: pSS patients had significantly increased salivary NO concentrations. Although the mechanism of actions of NO remains to be identified, it has been suggested that it may involve inhibition of some secretory mechanisms. Increased NO may contribute to the pathophysiology of xerostomia in pSS.Giriş: Nitrik oksidin tükrük bezinde sinirsel uyarı yoluyla oluşan vazodilator ve sekretuar cevaplarda rol aldığı gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, Primer Sjögren Sendromu (pSS)'da tükrükte stabil nitrik oksid metabolitleri olan nitrit ve nitrat düzeyleri araştırılmıştır. Yönemler: Çalışmaya Avrupa Topluluğu sınıflama kriterlerine göre pSS tanısı alan 50 hasta (yaşları: 47.3 ± 9.48, ortalama ± SD) ile 32 sağlıklı kontrol (yaşları: 35 ± 8.2) dahil edilmiştir. Tükrükte nitrit, Griess reaksiyonu ile ve nitrat, Bories ve Bories'in enzimatik metodu ile ölçülmüştür. Bulgular: Toplam 23 hastada eklem tutulumu mevcuttu. Hastaların %60'ında ANA, %50'sinde romatoid faktör (RF), %42'sinde anti-La antikor, ve %54'ünde ise anti-Ro antikor pozitifliği saptandı. Olguların eritrosit sedimentasyon hızı 29.2 ± 16.5 mm/saat olarak bulundu. SS'lu hastalarda tükrük nitrit + nitrat düzeyleri kontrollerden anlamlı yüksek saptandı (sırasıyla, 392.9 ± 94.97 ve 162.72 ± 85.69 $\mu$mol/L, p=0.0001). Artriti olan 23 hasta ile artrit bulgusu olmayan 27 hasta arasında ve her bir parametre ayrı ayrı ele alındığında ANA, anti-La, anti-Ro ve RF için pozitif olan hastalarla negatif olanlar arasında nitrit ve nitrat düzeyleri istatistiksel anlamlı farklı bulunmadı. Sonuç: pSS'lu hastaların tükrüğünde NO düzeyleri yükselmiştir. NO'in etki mekanizması tam aydınlatılamamakla beraber, henüz belirlenmemiş sekretuar mekanizmaların inhibisyonuna katıldığı öne sürülmektedir. Artmış NO, pSS'da kserostominin patofizyolojisine katkıda bulunabilir

The relationship between kidney histology, joint involvement and urine excretion of glycosaminoglycans in SLE patients

In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients, renal involvement is the most important complication during the disease course and directly effects the prognosis of the disease. Its presence and especially histologic type modulates the treatment protocol. It is very important to know the presence and severity of renal lesions in SLE cases both for physician ad patient but the cold face of biopsy and fear is more important for patients than physicians. Hence, it has been thought that without using invasive methods as biopsy, some biochemical parameters in urine might also give a clue about the severity and presence of the renal involvement. In this study, we tried to show that whether the value of glycosamino glycans (GAG), a major element of connective tissue, in urine would be a reasonable test to show the presence and severity of renal lesions. The excretion of GAG found to be higher in 65 patients than 17 control group (p<0.05). We observe that total urine GAG excretion did not change in the patients regardless of with or without lupus nephritis and was not correlated to the histological classification and activity/chronity index in the renal involvement group. As we expected, total GAG values were positively correlated with the number of effected joints and found to be higher in patients with more inflammatory joints.In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients, renal involvement is the most important complication during the disease course and directly effects the prognosis of the disease. Its presence and especially histologic type modulates the treatment protocol. It is very important to know the presence and severity of renal lesions in SLE cases both for physician ad patient but the cold face of biopsy and fear is more important for patients than physicians. Hence, it has been thought that without using invasive methods as biopsy, some biochemical parameters in urine might also give a clue about the severity and presence of the renal involvement. In this study, we tried to show that whether the value of glycosamino glycans (GAG), a major element of connective tissue, in urine would be a reasonable test to show the presence and severity of renal lesions. The excretion of GAG found to be higher in 65 patients than 17 control group (p<0.05). We observe that total urine GAG excretion did not change in the patients regardless of with or without lupus nephritis and was not correlated to the histological classification and activity/chronity index in the renal involvement group. As we expected, total GAG values were positively correlated with the number of effected joints and found to be higher in patients with more inflammatory joints