ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate hepatic chemerin mRNA, serum chemerin concentration, and immunohistochemical staining for chemerin and and chemokine receptor-like 1 (CMKLR1) in hepatic tissue in 56 morbidly obese women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to search for a relationship with metabolic and histopathological features. Chemerin mRNA was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR, chemerin, and CMKLR1 immunohistochemical expression with specific antibodies, while serum chemerin concentration was assessed with commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Serum chemerin concentration reached 874.1 ±234.6 ng/ml. There was no difference in serum chemerin levels between patients with BMI < 40 kg/m2 and ≥ 40 kg/m2. Serum chemerin concentration tended to be higher in patients with hepatocyte ballooning, greater extent of steatosis, and definite nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Liver chemerin mRNA was observed in all included patients and was markedly, but insignificantly, higher in those with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2, hepatocyte ballooning, greater extent of steatosis, and definite NASH. Hepatic chemerin mRNA might be a predictor of hepatic steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and NAFLD activity score (NAS) but seemed not to be a primary driver regulating liver necroinflammatory activity and fibrosis. The lack of association between serum chemerin and hepatic chemerin mRNA may suggest that adipose tissue but not the liver is the main source of chemerin in morbidly obese women.
Subject(s)
Chemokines/metabolism , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Liver/metabolism , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/etiology , Obesity, Morbid/complications , Adult , Female , Humans , Liver/pathology , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/pathology , Obesity, Morbid/metabolism , RNA, MessengerABSTRACT
One of the most distinct features of middle ear cholesteatoma is bone destruction. Aetiology of cholesteatoma is thought to be multifactorial. Endotoxins produced by bacteria are thought to initiate the inflammation process in the middle ear leading to cholesteatoma. There are physiological differences in bone metabolism between men and women. The aim of our study was the immunohistochemical evaluation of the contents of two key components of the OPG/RANK/RANKL triad-RANKL and OPG in cholesteatoma, to analyse if there are any differences between the sexes and to evaluate the bacteria species isolated from cholesteatoma just before surgical treatment and to evaluate their plausible influence on the expression of OPG and RANKL in cholesteatoma. Twenty-one adult patients with acquired cholesteatoma who underwent surgery were analysed. There were no statistically significant differences in the expression of both regulators of osteoclastogenesis between the sexes. In 38.1 % patients cholesteatoma was not infected, whereas in 61.9 % patients various bacterial infections or mycosis were found. The most frequently isolated species was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.29 % infections) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (9.52 % infections). There were no statistically significant differences in expression of both OPG and RANKL between uninfected and infected cholesteatomas.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Infections/metabolism , Cholesteatoma/metabolism , Osteoclasts/metabolism , Osteogenesis/physiology , Adult , Bacterial Infections/complications , Bacterial Infections/microbiology , Bone and Bones/metabolism , Cholesteatoma/complications , Cholesteatoma/microbiology , Female , Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Inflammation , Male , Middle Aged , Osteoprotegerin/metabolism , Pilot Projects , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , RANK Ligand/metabolism , Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B/metabolism , Staphylococcus aureusABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The results of pancreas transplantation depend in a large degree on appropriate pancreas allograft donor selection. Several risk factors of early surgical complications or pancreas allograft loss following transplantation have been identified, but the final decision on pancreas harvesting for transplantation belongs to the surgeon. In the present study we aimed to assess whether histopathological examination may be utilized for detection of fibrosis and lipomatosis in tissue from a potential pancreas allograft. Additionally, we aimed to test whether presence of pancreatic fibrosis and lipomatosis may be explained solely by donor age and/or body mass index (BMI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pancreata retrieved from 50 deceased organ donors referred to our institution and not transplanted between 2010 and 2013 were used for the present study. Tissue samples were excised from pancreata, fixed in formalin, and embedded in paraffin. Presence and intensity of pancreatic fibrosis and lipomatosis were assessed semi-quantitatively. RESULTS: Fibrosis was found in the majority of study samples (72%), but it was usually mild or moderate. Lipomatosis was present in 34% of the study cases. Presence of fibrosis was more frequent in older donors, but was still not rare in donors under 40 years old. Presence of lipomatosis did not seem to be significantly related to donor age. Neither pancreatic fibrosis nor lipomatosis was related to donor BMI. CONCLUSIONS: There is no clear relationship between histological parenchymal changes in potential pancreas allograft and donor age and BMI. Histopathological assessment of pancreatic fibrosis and/or lipomatosis can potentially facilitate decision making on pancreas allograft acceptance for solid organ transplantation.