Prooxidant-Antioxidant Balance in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Its Relationship with Clinical and Laboratory Findings

Aim. This study was aimed at evaluating prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its relationship with laboratory findings and clinical manifestations. Methods. In this case-control study, 60 patients with SLE and 60 healthy individuals were enrolled. The blood samples were collected and their sera were separated. Subsequently, the prooxidant-antioxidant balance value was evaluated using PAB assay for each sample. Results. The mean of PAB values in SLE patients was significantly higher than healthy controls (147.3±42 versus 84.8±32.2 HK, P<0.0001). Furthermore, in SLE patients, there was a positive significant correlation between the PAB and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r=0.492, P<0.001). In addition, the PAB values in patients with alopecia, discoid rash, oral ulcers, arthritis, and nephritis were significantly higher than those without these manifestations. Conclusion. The findings of current study showed that the mean of PAB was significantly higher in SLE patients and PAB was correlated with ESR. Moreover increased PAB was found in SLE patients with alopecia, discoid rash, oral ulcers, arthritis, and nephritis. These findings suggest that the measurement of PAB may be useful to show oxidative stress condition in SLE patients

The Effects of Body Acupuncture on Obesity: Anthropometric Parameters, Lipid Profile, and Inflammatory and Immunologic Markers

A randomized controlled clinical trial in 196 obese subjects was performed to examine the effectiveness of body acupuncture on body weight loss, lipid profile and immunogenic and inflammatory markers. Subjects received authentic (cases) or sham (controls) acupuncture for 6 weeks in combination with a low-calorie diet. In the following 6 weeks, they received the low-calorie diet alone. Subjects were assessed at the beginning, 6 and 12 weeks later. Heat shock protein (Hsps)-27, 60, 65, 70 antibody titers and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were also assessed. A significant reduction in measures of adiposity and improvement in lipid profile were observed in both groups, but the levels of anti-Hsp-antibodies decreased in cases only. A reduction in anthropometric and lipid profile in cases were sustained in the second period, however, only changes in lipid profile were observed in the control group. Anti-Hsp-antibodies and hs-CRP levels continued to be reduced in cases but in controls only the reduction in hs-CRP remained. Changes in anthropometric parameters, lipid profile, and anti-Hsp-antibodies were more evident in cases. Body acupuncture in combination with diet restriction was effective in enhancing weight loss and improving dyslipidemia

Evaluating The Association Between Serum Hsp27 Antibody and Hypertension in Patients without Underlying Cardiovascular Disease

Introduction: An association between heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) antigen with cardiovascular risk factors has been shown previously. Furthermore, higher levels of serum anti-HSP27 antibodies are also related to higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In the current study, we looked at the relationship between serum Hsp27 antibodies and hypertension, as an important cardiovascular risk factor, in individuals without evidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods: A sub-population of hypertensive patients (HTN+) without underlying CVD were recruited from the Mashhad stroke and atherosclerosis heart disease (MASHAD) study to assess the association between serum Hsp27 antibodies and hypertension; independent of other cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 1599 people were studied of whom 288 individuals had hypertension and 1311 were used as controls (HTN-).Results: Mean serum Hsp27 antibody titers were 0.20 (0.27) OD in the whole population sample and was not significantly different in the normotensive (HTN-) compared to HTN+ individuals with different degrees of hypertension.Conclusion: There were no significant associations between serum anti-Hsp27 concentrations and either the presence or severity of hypertension. Future studies are warranted to explore the association of anti-Hsp27 antibody and antigen levels and other cardiovascular risk factors

Relationship between indices of iron status and metabolic syndrome in an Iranian population

Introduction: Iron overload may contribute to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MS). A growing body of evidence indicates that the oxidative stress that results from excess tissue iron can leads to insulin resistance, tissue damage, and other complications observed in MS. The objective of this study was to investigate indices of iron status including serum ferritin, iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) levels, and full blood cell count, together with demographic and anthropometric characteristics, lipid profile components, and other biochemical parameters in subjects with and with-out MS. Methods: A total of, 385 individuals (176 with and 209 subjects without MS) according to the International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) criteria were recruited. Indices of iron status and other clinical and biochemical parameters were determined in MS patients and healthy controls using standard methods. Results: Higher serum iron and ferritin values were observed in subjects with MS in compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). TIBC did not differ significantly between healthy controls and MS patients (P > 0.050). Among the other indices, only red blood cell (RBC) was associated considerably with the presence of MS (P < 0.050). Conclusion: Our data indicate that even in a country with a comparatively high prevalence of iron deficiency, serum iron and ferritin values in MS patients are higher than healthy controls. The reason why ferritin and iron are higher in MS patient may be related to dietary factors

Effect of a High Dairy Diet on Serum Antibody Titers to Heat Shock Protein 27 in Overweight and Obese Children

Objective: An immune response to heat shock proteins appears to be involved in atherogenesis. To date, there has been no report on the impact of dairy or calcium consumption on serum antibody titers to heat shock protein 27 (anti-HSP27). We have investigated whether an increase in dairy food consumption is capable of affecting serum antibody titers to heat shock protein 27 (anti-HSP27) level in children. Methods: Overweight and obese children (n=99, age: 12-18 y, body mass index: 27-40 kg/m2) were randomized to receive a calorie restricted diet providing a 500 kcal/d deficit from total energy expenditure and two (n=38), three (n=26) or four (n=35) servings of dairy products/day. Serum anti-HSP27 level in addition to the serum hs-CRP and lipid profile were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Findings: Serum anti-HSP27 concentrations did not change significantly in any of the mentioned groups. Serum hs-CRP and lipid profile did not change significantly either, apart from a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol in the low-dairy group. Conclusion: An increased intake of dairy products does not lead to a significant change in serum anti-HSP27 level in overweight and obese children

Serum small dense low-density lipoprotein concentrations are elevated in patients with significant coronary artery stenosis and are related to features of the metabolic syndrome

Serum small dense low-density lipoprotein (sd-LDL) concentrations were measured in patients with angiographically defined coronary artery disease (CAD) and compared to concentrations in healthy subjects. Five hundred and seventy patients with stable CAD were divided into CAD- and CAD+ based on angiography. Patients in whom stenosis was 50 % stenosis) had higher levels of sd-LDL compared to patients without significant lesions

Serum selenium and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in Iranian patients with angiography-defined coronary artery disease

This study investigated the relationship between serum selenium (Se) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) among Iranian patients. Three groups were compared: patients undergoing angiography with angiographically defined CAD, individuals with a normal angiogram, and apparently healthy controls with no evidence of overt CAD. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles, serum Se and GPx measurements, and angiographic assessment were carried out using standard protocols. Mean serum Se concentrations were not significantly different between patients with and without CAD and the control group. The mean value of serum GPx in the control group was significantly higher than in patients with or without CAD. Selenium status did not differentiate between patients with and without CAD, which may be related to the fact that angiography is not a very sensitive index of global atherosclerosis, and it is possible that patients who were CAD negative by angiogram still have significant disease. It may also be that Se is not a good marker of CA

Association between indices of body mass and antibody titers to heat-shock protein-27 in healthy subjects

OBJECTIVES We have assessed the relationship between indices of adiposity and antibody titers to Hsp-27 in healthy subjects. DESIGN Two-hundred and fifty subjects were studied, including 50 normal-weight subjects (body-mass-index (BMI) 25 kg/m(2)), 100 overweight subjects (BMI 25 to 30 kg/m(2)) (n=100) and 100 obese subjects (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)). RESULTS Anti-Hsp27-antibody levels in obese subjects were [0.34 (0.20-0.39) absorbency unit], being significantly higher than overweight and normal-weight groups (P<0.05). Anti-Hsp27-antibody levels in overweight subjects [0.29 (0.15-0.34) absorbency unit] were statistically higher than controls [0.18 (0.10-0.23) absorbency unit] (P<0.05). CONCLUSION High anti-Hsp-27-antibody levels in obese-subjects without established coronary disease may be related to a heightened state of immunoactivation associated with obesity