Sex hormones and oxidant- antioxidant status in post-menopausal women with coronary artery disease

The strikingly lower prevalence of acute coronary syndromes in pre-menopausal women than in men of similar age, then the progressive narrowing of that difference with age after menopause, suggests an important role for sex hormones and probably oxidative stress in the development of coronary artery disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sex hormones and oxidant stress [malondialdehyde, which is a metabolite of lipid peroxidation] and anti-oxidants [vitamin C and E] status in postmenopausal women with stable coronary artery disease and in those with acute coronary syndromes. This study was conducted on 40 non-hormone user postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease. They were divided into 3 groups: the 1[st] group [17 patients] who had an acute myocardial infarction, the 2[nd] group [10 patients] had unstable angina and the 3[rd] one [13 patients] had stable angina. This is an addition to 20 apparently healthy postmenopausal women of similar age. All cases and control subjects were subjected to thorough history taking, full clinical examination, routine laboratory investigations, resting echocardiography and special laboratory investigations including detection of serum level of; total and free testosterone, total estradiol, morning and nocturnal serum cortisol, malondialdehyde and plasma levels of alpha-tocopherol and vitamin-C. We found a higher serum level of total and free testosterone in cases than control subjects [P-value 0.016 and 0.031 respectively] and the serum free testosterone was significantly higher in the group of acute myocardial infarction than the group of stable angina [P-value 0.008]. The serum level of total estradiol was significantly lower in cases than in control group [P value 0.0001]. Serum malondialdehyde was significantly higher in cases than control subjects [P<0.0001], and it was significantly higher in cases of acute myocardial infarction in comparison to stable angina cases [P-value 0.005]. Vitamin E [[alpha]-tocopherol] and vitamin C were significantly lower in cases than control group [P 0.0001 and 0.048 respectively]. The serum levels of free testosterone as well as malondi-aldehyde were higher in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease. However, serum level of estradiol, vitamin E and C were lower in them in comparison to control subjects

Assessment of some antioxidant vitamins in essential hypertension and renal-related hypertension

Background: hypertension [HTN] and chronic renal failure [CRF] are known risk factors for atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress has been implicated as an important etiologic factor in this complication. Antioxidants can alleviate the process of thermogenesis through multifactorial reactions that finally inhibit lipid peroxidation

Objectives: this work aimed to determine concentrations of the main antioxidant vitamins [serum alpha tocopherol, serum Beta-carotene and plasma ascorbic acid] in essential HTN and to assess the possible effect of hypertension due to end-stage renal disease [ESRD] on these antioxidant vitamins

Subjects and Methods: serum alpha-tocopherol, serum B-carotene and plasma ascorbic acid concentrations were determined by spectrophotometric methods in thoroughly diagnosed 20 patients with essential HTN and 20 patients with renal related hypertension [HTN+CRF]. Similar investigations were done for 15 clinically healthy control volunteers

Results: serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol were subnormal in both essential HTN and renal related hypertension [HTN+CRF] but the decrease was only significant in the latter group. Subsequently, the difference between the essential HTN renal related hypertension groups was significant. With regard to Beta-carotene, its serum concentration was significantly lower than normal in both essential HTN and HTN CAF but the difference between both patient groups was insignificant. With regard to plasma ascorbic acid, its concentration was significantly lower in both essential HTN and HTN + CRF groups than normal mean value but the mean value of plasma ascorbic acid in HTN+ CRF was significantly lower than that in essential HTN alone

Conclusion: HTN is significantly related to the main antioxidant vitamins [a-tocopherol, Beta-carotene and ascorbic acid]. CRF has an additive effect to HTN on both water soluble antioxidant vitamin [ascorbic acid] and lipid soluble forms [alpha tocopherol and Beta-carotene]

Evaluation of myrrh [Mirazid] therapy in fascioliasis and intestinal schistosomiasis in children: Immuno - logical and parasitological study

This study was done on 21 children with fascioliasis and 8 children with schistosomiasis mansoni treated with myrrh [mirazid], which is an oleo-gum resin from the stem of Commiphora molmol tree [family Burseraceae]. Also, ten healthy cross matched children were utilized as controls. The diagnosis was based on the detection of Fasciola hepatica or Schistosoma mansoni eggs in stool by Kato-Katz technique. Mirazid was given as 10 mg/kg/d an hour before breakfast for three consecutive days in schistosomiasis and for six days in fascioliasis. Clinical evaluation and stool analysis were done initially and at 2, 4 and 12 weeks post treatment to evaluate the cure rate. Rectal snip was done for responding schistosomiasis cases to confirm recovery. Automated complete blood count with manual assessment of eosinophils, serum total IgE [enzyme immunoassay] and in vitro cytokines assay [IL-1 beta, IL- 4 and IL-5] by ELISA were performed for all subjects before treatment and repeated at 12 weeks only for patients after therapy. It was concluded that mirazid is an effective fasciolicidal and schistosomicidal drug. IL-1 beta and IL-5 were high in fascioliasis and schistosomiasis, but decreased with therapy denoting immunopathogenesis. The depressed IL-4 production may be a parasite immune evasion or host regulatory mechanism and the cytokines levels may be the criteria of cure