Evaluation of paraoxonase, malondialdehyde, and lipoprotein levels in patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To compare lipoprotein and malondialdehyde levels and paraoxonase-1 activity between subjects with asymptomatic cholelithiasis and controls. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty subjects with asymptomatic cholelithiasis (55 women, 25 men, mean age: 51, SD 14 years) and 40 control subjects without cholelithiasis (25 women, 25 men, mean age: 51, SD 12 years) were enrolled to the study. Serum paraoxonase activity, lipoproteins, and malondialdehyde were measured. RESULTS: In the cholelithiasis group, serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and malondialdehyde were significantly higher and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and paraoxonase-1 were significantly lower than the controls. In cholelithiasis patients with serum glucose level>100 mg/dL, body mass index, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher than cholelithiasis patients with serum glucose level<100 mg/dL. Paraoxonase-1 activity was significantly lower in patients with serum glucose level>100 mg/dL. In cholelithiasis patients with TG>150 mg/dL, mean age, body mass index, glucose, total cholesterol, and malondialdehyde were significantly higher than in cholelithiasis patients with TG<150 mg/dL. In cholelithiasis subgroup with TG>150 mg/dL, HDL-C level and paraoxonase-1 activity were lower than in the cholelithiasis subgroup with TG<150 mg/dL. All of the above comparisons were statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis have evidence of increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant capacity. Patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis with components of the metabolic syndrome have more lipid peroxidation and less antioxidant capacity than patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis but without the components of the metabolic syndrome.

Serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels are lower in reproductive-age women with Crohn's disease compared to healthy control women.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Crohn's disease (CD) decreases fertility both directly, by inducing inflammation in the fallopian tubes and ovaries, and indirectly, through the surgical interventions and tubal adhesions associated with disease treatment. Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) is a reliable indicator of ovarian reserve in women. We aimed to compare serum AMH levels between reproductive-age women with CD and healthy controls. METHODS: Serum AMH levels were measured by ELISA in 35 women with CD and 35 age-matched healthy women controls. RESULTS: CD patients and controls were similar in terms of age, height, weight and BMI. Mean CD duration was 60 months. CRP, ESR and leukocyte counts were significantly higher in CD patients compared to the controls (p<0.001, p=0.004 and p=0.04, respectively). AMH levels in CD patients (1.02 ± 0.72) were significantly lower compared to the controls (1.89 ± 1.80) (p = 0.009). Serum AMH levels in CD patients with active disease (0.33 ± 0.25) were significantly lower compared to CD patients who were in remission (1.53 ± 0.49) (p = 0.001). Serum AMH levels were similar in CD patients with a disease duration of less than 5 years (17 patients) and CD patients with a disease duration of greater than 5 years (18 patients) (p = 0.8). In CD patients, a negative correlation between CDAI and serum AMH levels was found (r = -0.718, p < 0.001). Serum AMH levels were similar in CD patients who had (6 patients) and had not undergone (29 patients) surgical treatment (p = 0.2). CONCLUSION: Serum AMH levels of reproductive-age women with CD were significantly lower compared to the controls. CDAI and AMH are inversely correlated.