The effects of arterial blood pressure reduction on endocan and soluble endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and CAMs ligands expression in hypertensive patients on Ca-channel blocker therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the effect of arterial blood pressure (BP) reduction on endocan and soluble cell adhesion molecules' (sCAM) plasma concentration and expression of their ligands on circulatory leukocyte subpopulations. METHODS: 24 hypertensive subjects of both sexes (age: 53±8 yrs) were treated with Ca-channel blocker, amlodipin (5-10 mg/day for 8 weeks; to reach BP≤139/89mmHg). The serum sCAMs and endocan concentrations were determined by ELISA kits. Level of ICAM/VCAM ligands on leukocytes was assessed by flow cytometry. Paired t-test, or t-test were used as appropriate, with Pearson's correlation calculated; p<0.05 was considered significant (SigmaPlot v.11). RESULTS: sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were decreased (p≤0.001 and p=0.002, respectively), while E-selectin concentration was increased after amlodipin treatment (P=0.014). CD11a/LFA-1 (ICAM-1 and endocan ligand) was significantly increased in all three cell types with BP decrease. CD15 and CD49d/VLA-4 (VCAM-1 ligand) did not change after the treatment. There was significant positive correlation of systolic and diastolic BP with ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, and significant negative correlation of systolic BP with CD11a/LFA-1. Endocan significantly positively correlated with ICAM-1. CONCLUSIONS: The increased expression of ICAM/VACM ligands, together with decrease of sCAMs and endocan suggests the de-activation of endothelium with reduction in BP, decreasing the adherence of circulatory leukocytes to endothelium; subsequently decreasing the risk for development of atherosclerosis.

Clinical characteristics of patients with spondyloarthritides and HLA-B27 positive antigen.

The aim of this study was to present our experiences in diagnosing spondyloarthritides (SpA), and to list the most common clinical features of HLA-B27 positive patients. The study included 65 HLA-B27 positive patients with confirmed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who were analyzed between 2009 and 2010 in Clinic of Internal Medicine in Osijek. The diagnosis of seronegative spondyloarthritides was based on the ASAS (Assessment in AS Working Group) classification criteria for axial and then supplemented with ASAS criteria for peripheral SpA and was confirmed by radiological techniques. For diagnosing the ankylosing spondylitis (AS), there have been applied the modified New York criteria. Radiological criteria for definite sacroiliitis according to the modified New York criteria is bilateral sacroiliitis, grade 2-4 (> or = 2) or unilateral sacroiliitis, grade 3-4. For diagnosing the psoriatic arthritis (PsA), there were used CASPAR diagnostic criteria. Other features of SpA are defined within the existing classification criteria. HLA-B27 antigen was determined by direct immune-fluorescence technique using flow cytometer. The average age of patients was 50.34 years, of whom 27 female (41.53%), 38 male (58.46%). Duration of illness was 15.79 years on average. With 75.38% of patients, there had been determined the diagnosis of AS; 24.62% of patients had the diagnosis of PsA. The most common clinical characteristics that patients had were: inflammatory back pain (pain Inflammation along the lumbosacral spine), peripheral arthritis, intermittent pain in the gluteus, sacroiliitis, enthesitis, uveitis, dactilitis.

Role of zinc in chronic gastritis.

Oxidative stress occurs in inflammation of gastric mucosa. The role of zinc in modulating oxidative stress has recently been recognized. Zn deficiency results in an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and have a higher risk of musoca damage in inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine wheather chronic inflammation affects on the concentration of Zn2+ ions in gastric mucosa of patients with chronic gastritis. Forthy-three patients with chronic gastitis were enrolled. Patients were endoscoped. Histology and scoring of gastritis was performed following the guidelines of the updated Sydney system. Endoscopic finding of mucosa were scored according to a Lanza scoring system. The diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, histopathologic changes, intensity of inflammation and zinc concentration were determined from biopsies of gastric mucosa. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine tissue concentrations of zinc. Twenty of 43 patients with chronic gastritis were uninfected by H. pylori. There was no statistically significant difference in tissue concentrations of zinc between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative patients. From those infected patients 53.3% had chronic active gastritis. There was no statistically significant difference in tissue concentrations of zinc between patients with chronic active gastritis and patients with chronic inactive gastritis (p = 0.966). Zn in antrum showed positive correlation with density of H. pylori in antrum (Spearman' rho = 0.481, p = 0.020), negative correlation with density of H. pylori in corpus (Spearman' rho = -0.492, p = 0.017) and with zinc in corpus (Spearman' rho = 0.631, p =0.001). Tissue concentration of zinc was not affected by chronic inflammation of gastric mucosa in patients with chronic gastritis.