Lymphocyte apoptosis and proliferation related gene products in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The aim of the study is to characterize markers of apoptosis in children with ALL in relation to treatment outcome of the disease. The study was performed on 34 children with ALL and 60 healthy children as a control group. Apoptosis was assessed by cell morphology; DNA fragmentation; ELISA and RT-PCR for CD95, CD95L, BcL2 and NF-KB; and flowcytometry for CD95, CD40, CD49d, and CD11a. Apoptosis was significantly lower in cases than controls. Apoptosis detected by CD95 ligand was significantly lower in cases with no remission after treatment than those with remission. Antiapoptotic factors: CD40, BcL2, and NF-KB were all found to be higher in cases than controls and in cases with no remission than those with remission, CD49d was significantly lower in cases than controls, and significantly lower in cases with no remission. CD11a levels were not different among various groups. Delayed apoptosis of ALL cells is genetically controlled either directly or indirectly by a network of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. CD40 appeared to stimulate both T and lineage and is considered the most potent influencer and predictor to resistance to therapy. Inhibitors for the activity of CD40, 8c/2 and NF-kB as well as stimulants to CD95 could have a potential therapeutic benefit

Blood antioxidant activity in preterm neonates with and without respiratory distress

Concentrations of circulating antioxidants were considered being important in the pathogenesis of diseases in preterm infants. Plasma total antioxidant status [TAS], some preventive and chain breaking antioxidants were studied in 20 preterm infants with respiratory distress on the first and fifth day of life. Ten preterm infants without respiratory distress and ten full term healthy neonates were also evaluated. On the first day of life, the plasma TAS, uric acid, transferrin % saturation levels were significantly high in the preterm infants with respiratory distress. On the contrary, serum albumin, total iron binding capacity [TIBC], ceruloplasmin, red blood cell superoxide dismutase [SOD] and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase [GSHPx] levels were significantly low, By the fifth postnatal day, plasma TAS, uric acid, transferrin % saturation, and red cell GSHPx levels were significantly decreased while, serum bilirubin, ceruloplasmin, TIBC and red cell SOD levels were significantly increased in preterm infants with respiratory distress. The duration of oxygen therapy was negatively correlated with plasma TIBC and was positively correlated with transferrin % saturation on the first and fifth day of life. Plasma TAS, uric acid, serum bilirubin and transferrin % saturation were significantly high while, serum albumin and TIBC were significantly low in non-survived preterm infants who had respiratory distress. Recurrent apneas, elevated uric acid levels and decreased TlBC on the first day of life in addition to increased duration of oxygen therapy and high transferrin % saturation on the fifth day of life, were significant predictors of mortality. These major postnatal changes in blood antioxidant activity in preterm infants with respiratory distress may influence their susceptibility to oxygen toxicity