Establishment of age- and -gender specific reference intervals for amino acids and acylcarnitines by tandem mass spectrometry in Turkish paediatric population.

Introduction: We determined age- and gender-specific reference intervals (RIs) for acylcarnitines and amino acids by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in the Turkish paediatric population by using laboratory information system (LIS) data. Materials and methods: A total of 9156 MS/MS results of children between 0-18 years of age, were downloaded from the LIS. Premature infants and newborns followed in the intensive care unit were excluded and only the first result of each patient attending outpatient clinics was included. Children with a known or suspected diagnosis of metabolic disease, malignancy, epilepsy, mental retardation, or genetic disorder were excluded. Laboratory results were evaluated and children with any pathological laboratory finding were excluded, resulting in a final sample size of 3357 (2029 boys and 1328 girls). Blood was collected by capillary puncture and spotted on Whatman 903 filter paper cards and analysed by MS/MS (Shimadzu LCMS-8050, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan). Data were evaluated for age and gender differences and age partitioning was performed according to the literature and visual evaluation of the data. Age subgroups were: ≤ 1 month, 2 months-1 year, 2-5 years, 6-10 years, and 11-18 years. Results: There were significant age-related differences for the majority of amino acids and acylcarnitines thus age dependent RIs were established. Gender-specific RIs were established for tyrosine, leucine-isoleucine, isovalerylcarnitine (C5) and hexadecanoylcarnitine (C16). Conclusions: Establishing age-related RIs can enhance the quality of medical care by facilitating early diagnosis and therapy, especially in certain metabolic disorders presenting with mild biochemical abnormalities and subtle clinical manifestations.

Analysis of the association of chronic spontaneous urticaria with interlekin-4, -10, transforming growth factor-ß1, interferon-γ, interleukin-17A and -23 by autologous serum skin test.

AIM: To contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) by identifying its relationship with autoimmunity and cytokines using the autologous serum skin test (ASST) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture (PBMC) method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Interleukins (IL)-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF-ß1), interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-17A, and IL-23 levels in cell supernatants obtained by the PBMC method were measured using ELISA. Disease activity was assessed by determining the urticaria activity score (UAS). RESULTS: A total of 40 patients diagnosed with CSU participated in this study. Twenty patients had positive ASST results, and 20 had negative results. The control group included 20 healthy volunteers. We found that the IL-23 (p = 0.01), IL-10 (p = 0.04) and IL-4 (p = 0.04) levels of the patient groups were significantly lower compared with those of the control group. The IL-23 (p = 0.009), IL-10 (p = 0.009), IL-4 (p = 0.001), and IL-17 (p = 0.05) levels of the ASST(-) patient group were significantly lower compared with those of the control group. In addition, the IL-4 (p = 0.03) and IFN-γ (p = 0.05) levels of the ASST(+) patient group were significantly lower compared with those of the control group, and the ASST(+) patients had a significantly higher UAS than the ASST(-) patients (p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: These results, when considered together with current reports in the literature, indicate that immune dysregulation occurs in the pathogenesis of CSU, causing cytokine imbalance.

Oxidative stress markers, cognitive functions, and psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder: an empirical cross-sectional study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress markers and cognitive functions and domains of psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder. Methods: Oxidative stress markers, cognitive functions, and domains of psychosocial functioning were evaluated in 51 patients with bipolar disorder who were in remission. Correlation analyses between these parameters were calculated with data controlled for duration of illness and number of episodes. Results: There was no statistically significant correlation between oxidative stress markers and cognitive functions. In terms of psychosocial functioning, significant correlations were found between malondialdehyde and sense of stigmatization (r = -0.502); household activities and superoxide dismutase (r = 0.501); participation in social activities and nitric oxide (r = 0.414); hobbies and leisure time activities and total glutathione (r = -0.567), superoxide dismutase (r = 0.667), and neurotrophin 4 (r = 0.450); and taking initiative and self-sufficiency and superoxide dismutase (r = 0.597). There was no correlation between other domains of psychosocial functioning and oxidative stress markers. Conclusion: These results imply that oxidative stress markers do not appear to correlate clearly with cognitive impairment and reduced psychosocial functioning. However, there were some associations between selected oxidative markers and activity-oriented functional markers. This may represent a true negative association, or may be an artifact of oxidative stress being a state rather than a trait marker. .

Oxidative stress in schizophrenia: a case-control study on the effects on social cognition and neurocognition.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder that presents impairments in neurocognition and social cognition. Several studies have suggested that the etiology of schizophrenia can be partly explained by oxidative stress. However, our knowledge about the implications of oxidative stress on illness-related cognitive deficits is still far from being clear. The aim of this work was to study the role of oxidative stress molecules on social cognition and neurocognition in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: We assessed the peripheral levels of several molecules associated with oxidative stress, namely nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), homocysteine, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and neurotrophin 4/5 (NT4/5), in forty-one patients with schizophrenia and forty-three healthy participants. A battery of tests to measure neurocognition and social cognition was also administered to the schizophrenia group. RESULTS: We found that the schizophrenia group presented substantially higher levels of oxidative stress than the control group, as revealed by elevated quantities of the pro-oxidants NO and MDA, and decreased levels of the antioxidants GSH, SOD and NT4/5. Interestingly, the levels of NT4/5, which have been shown to have antioxidant effects, correlated with executive functioning, as measured by two distinct tests (WCST and TMT). However, social cognition and symptom severity were not found to be associated with oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a protective role of NT4/5 against oxidative stress, which appears to have a potentially beneficial impact on neurocognition in schizophrenia.

Oxidative stress markers, cognitive functions, and psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder: an empirical cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress markers and cognitive functions and domains of psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder. METHODS: Oxidative stress markers, cognitive functions, and domains of psychosocial functioning were evaluated in 51 patients with bipolar disorder who were in remission. Correlation analyses between these parameters were calculated with data controlled for duration of illness and number of episodes. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant correlation between oxidative stress markers and cognitive functions. In terms of psychosocial functioning, significant correlations were found between malondialdehyde and sense of stigmatization (r = -0.502); household activities and superoxide dismutase (r = 0.501); participation in social activities and nitric oxide (r = 0.414); hobbies and leisure time activities and total glutathione (r = -0.567), superoxide dismutase (r = 0.667), and neurotrophin 4 (r = 0.450); and taking initiative and self-sufficiency and superoxide dismutase (r = 0.597). There was no correlation between other domains of psychosocial functioning and oxidative stress markers. CONCLUSION: These results imply that oxidative stress markers do not appear to correlate clearly with cognitive impairment and reduced psychosocial functioning. However, there were some associations between selected oxidative markers and activity-oriented functional markers. This may represent a true negative association, or may be an artifact of oxidative stress being a state rather than a trait marker.

Elevated glucose level at 30 minutes during an oral glucose tolerance test in obese adolescents: a new disorder of glucose tolerance.

We observed glucose levels >140 mg/dL measured at 30 minutes (min) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in some obese patients. We aimed to investigate the significance of this finding by comparing lipid profiles, insulin resistance indices, and systemic inflammatory mediators between obese adolescents with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and elevated glucose levels at 30 min. The study involved 80 obese (body mass index >95(th) percentile for age and sex) adolescents (48 female, 32 male) between 11 and 16 years of age. Depending on OGTT results, patients were divided into NGT and IGT groups. The third group was recruited from the NGT group as having glucose levels > 140 mg/dL at 30 minutes. Lipid profiles, [interleukin-6 (IL-6)], neopterin, and lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2)] were assessed. Neopterin and Lp-PLA2 levels were significantly higher in obese adolescents with elevated glucose levels at 30 min. compared with those in both NGT and IGT groups (p=0.013, and 0.004, respectively). In these adolescents, IL-6 levels were significantly higher only than the NGT group (p=0.01). In logistic regression analysis, IL-6, neopterin and Lp-PLA2 levels were detected to be related to high blood glucose levels at 30 min (OR 1.11, p=0.01; OR 9.03, p=0.013; OR 1.01, p=0.004 respectively). Obese adolescents with elevated glucose levels at 30 min. demonstrated higher inflammatory mediators levels, which were atherosclerotic indicators, than obese adolescents with NGT and IGT. These results suggest that glucose levels >140 mg/dL measured at 30 min during an OGTT may be a new disorder of glucose tolerance in obesity.