Elevated aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in the torsion of ovarian mature cystic teratoma: normalised after operation for torsion.

The aim of the study was to report the elevated liver function test levels in torsion of ovarian mature cystic teratoma (MCT). A retrospective review was performed of 116 patients with MCT who underwent surgery in our hospital between 2010 and 2017. Eleven of 116 patients were with torsion of MCT. Of the 11 torsion of MCT cases, 6 of those showed abnormal elevated levels of aspartate transaminase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT). After operation, AST/ALT levels recovered to normal ranges. Elevated liver function levels require attention to complications associated with anaesthesia and emergency operation. However, the current report shows that emergency surgery should not be delayed to assess other causes of elevated liver function tests.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Abnormal liver function tests require attention to complications associated with emergency surgery.What do the results of this study add: Our study shows that some patients with torsion of MCT returned to normal levels of AST/ALT after surgery without any medications to improve liver function.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study would offer that in some cases with torsion of MCT, emergency surgery should not be delayed and the assessment of other possible causes of these elevations postponed to postoperative period. Additional studies are required to assess the correlation between elevated AST/ALT levels and torsion of MCT.

Blockade of IL-33/ST2 ameliorates airway inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma.

OBJECTIVE: Interleukin (IL)-33 is involved in the development of lung inflammation by inducing or amplifying Th2 type-mediated responses in various animal models of allergic asthma. The ST2 gene is a member of the IL-1 receptor family, producing a transmembrane form (ST2L) and a soluble secreted form (sST2). sST2 has been shown to block this IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway. This study aimed to investigate whether anti-IL-33 and sST2 reduced airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), and the effect of sST2 and anti-IL-33 antibody on airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was evaluated. Furthermore, we measured changes in various cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid when treated with sST2 or anti-IL-33. RESULTS: We observed that anti-IL-33 antibody and sST2 exert a negative regulation on OVA-mediated allergic airway inflammation. Both treatments reduced total cell counts and eosinophil counts in BAL fluid and AHR to methacholine. The Th2 cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in BAL fluid were also significantly decreased after both treatments. However, there were no changes in the level of TGF- ß1 and IL-10 after each treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that anti-IL-33 as well as sST2 have therapeutic potential for allergic asthma through inhibition of Th2 cytokine production.