Acute effect of hemodialysis on serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokines.

Chronic inflammation is a common feature of end-stage renal disease, which carries a heightened risk of atherosclerosis and other co-morbid conditions. Dialysis treatment per se can bring additional risk factors for inflammation, such as increased risk of local graft and fistula infections, impure dialysate or bio-incompatible membranes. Our study was designed to determine whether a hemodialysis session leads to an acute substantial alteration in the plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, the T-lymphocyte activation factor soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and an inflammation mediator and chemotactic granulocyte factor, IL-8, in end-stage renal disease patients receiving chronic intermittent HD. In this study, 21 (12 male/nine female) patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis were enrolled. The acute effect of a hemodialysis session on serum cytokine concentrations was assessed by comparison of pre-hemodialysis and post-hemodialysis determinations. Serum IL-1beta, sIL-2R, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha levels were determined with chemiluminescence enzyme immunometric assays. A significant difference was not observed for IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and sIL-2R concentrations in pre-hemodialysis and post-hemodialysis specimens (p>0.05). Serum median (25th-75th percentiles) IL-8 concentration was 69.4 (34.9-110.3) pg/ml before hemodialysis, and decreased to 31.5 (18.0-78.8) pg/ml following hemodialysis (p: 0.006). Clearance of IL-8 increased by 0.47+/-0.08 pg/ml for each unit increase in pre-dialysis IL-8 (p<0.001) and decreased by 5.63+/-2.59 pg/ml for each unit increase in pre-dialysis urea mmol/l (p<0.05). In conclusion, the results of our study demonstrate that a hemodialysis session markedly decreases IL-8 concentration, which is significantly affected by pre-dialysis concentrations, indicating that removal of IL-8 is a concentration gradient-dependent action, but does not change the serum levels of IL-1beta, sIL-2R, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, underlining importance of the structural characteristics of the molecules

Pro-inflammatory cytokines in Turkish children with protein-energy malnutrition.

BACKGROUND: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) results from food insufficiency as well as from poor social and economic conditions. Development of PEM is due to insufficient nutrition. Children with PEM lose their resistance to infections because of a disordered immune system. It has been reported that the changes occurring in mediators referred to as cytokines in the immune system may be indicators of the disorders associated with PEM. AIMS: To determine the concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in children with PEM, and to find out whether there was an association with the clinical presentation of PEM. METHODS: The levels of serum total protein, albumin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 were measured in 25 patients with PEM and in 18 healthy children as a control group. PEM was divided into two groups as kwashiorkor and marasmus. The kwashiorkor group consisted of 15 children and the marasmus group consisted of 10 children. RESULTS: Levels of serum total protein and albumin of the kwashiorkor group were significantly lower than both the marasmus group and controls (p < 0.05). In view of tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels, there was no difference between groups (p > 0.05). While levels of interleukin-6 in both the marasmus group and the kwashiorkor group were significantly higher compared with controls (p < 0.05), there was no significant difference between the groups of marasmus and kwashiorkor (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that the inflammatory response had increased in children with malnutrition

An overview of burst, buckling, durability and corrosion analysis of lightweight FRP composite pipes and their applicability

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The main aim of this review article was to address the performance of filament wound fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite pipes and their critical properties, such as burst, buckling, durability and corrosion. The importance of process parameters concerning merits and demerits of the manufacturing methods was discussed for the better-quality performance. Burst analysis revealed that the winding angle of ±55° was observed to be optimum with minimum failure mechanisms, such as matrix cracking, whitening, leakage and fracture. The reduction of buckling effect was reported in case of lower hoop stress value in the hoop to axial stress ratio against axial, compression and torsion. A significant improvement in energy absorption was observed in the hybrid composite pipes with the effect of thermal treatment. However, the varying winding angle in FRP pipe fabrication was reported as an influencing factor affecting all the aforementioned properties. Almost 90% of the reviewed studies was done using E-glass/epoxy materials for the composite pipe production. By overcoming associated limitations, such as replacing synthetic materials, designing new material combinations and cost-benefit analysis, the production cost of the lightweight FRP composite pipes can be decreased for the real-time applications.Peer reviewe

Experimental study on compressive behavior and failure analysis of composite concrete confined by glass/epoxy ±55° filament wound pipes

YesThis paper investigates the strength and ductility of concrete confined by Glass/Epoxy ±55° Filament Wound Pipes (GFRP) under axial compression. A total of 24 cylinderical specimens were prepared with expansive and Portland cements, properly compacted and un-compacted for different composite fresh concrete matrix. Test results showed that compressive strength and axial deformation at failure of concrete confined with GFRP tubes increased by an average of 2.85 and 5.57 times these of unconfined concrete, respectively. Macro and micro analyses of GFRP pipes after failure were also investigated. Debonding, whitening, matrix/transfer cracking, delamination and splitting mechanisms were detected at failure, respectively. The experimental results were also employed to assess the reliability of design models available in the literature for confined concrete compressive strength