Lipocalin-2: A novel diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Viral hepatitis, alcoholism and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis are the most common risk factors. Despite the advances in HCC screening and treatment options, HCC still has a high mortality rate and a high rate of recurrence after treatment. Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) is a glycoprotein transporter that is highly expressed in HCC tissues. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum LCN-2 as a diagnostic marker for HCC. METHODS: The study was carried out in Zagazig university hospitals. It included 210 HCC patients (subdivided in three subgroups), 72 liver cirrhosis patients without HCC and 18 normal control persons (the total is 300 subjects). All the study subjects were evaluated by history taking, physical examination, routine laboratory investigations, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and LCN-2 in addition radiology. RESULTS: In comparison between HCC and control, there was a statistically significant difference in hemoglobin percent (HB%), platelet count, serum ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin, albumin and creatinine. In comparison to AFP, LCN-2 > 225 ng/ml had a higher diagnostic performance in HCC patients and was more accurate in differentiation between cirrhosis and HCC patients. CONCLUSION: LCN-2 is a good candidate for HCC diagnosis and screening.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction without left ventricular hypertrophy in obese children and adolescents: a Tissue Doppler Imaging and Cardiac Troponin I Study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity increases the risk for various cardiovascular problems. Increase in body mass index is often an independent risk factor for the development of elevated blood pressure and clustering of various cardiovascular risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To determine early markers of left ventricular affection in obese patients before the appearance of left ventricular hypertrophy. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 42 obese patients and 30 healthy controls. Their ages ranged from 6 to 19 years. Studied children were subjected to anthropometric, lipid profile, and serum Troponin I level measurements. Echocardiographic evaluation performed to assess the left ventricle included left ventricular dimension measurement using motion-mode echocardiography, based on which patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (10 patients) were eliminated, as well as conventional and tissue Doppler imaging. RESULTS: Tissue Doppler findings in the study groups showed that the ratio of transmitral early diastolic filling velocity to septal peak early diastolic myocardial velocity (E/e') was significantly higher in cases compared with controls [6.9±1.4 versus 9.0±1.6, p (Pearson's coefficient)=0.001, respectively]. The level of cardiac troponin I was significantly higher in cases compared with controls [0.14±0.39 ng/ml versus 0.01±0.01 ng/ml, p (Pearson's coefficient)=0.047, respectively] and there was a significant correlation between troponin I and transmitral early diastolic filling velocity to septal peak early diastolic myocardial velocity ratio (E/e') [R (correlation coefficient)=0.6]. CONCLUSION: Tissue Doppler Imaging and Troponin I evaluation proved useful tools to detect early affection of the left ventricle in obese patients even in the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Paraoxonase-1 and oxidative status in common Mediterranean ß-thalassaemia mutations trait, and their relations to atherosclerosis.

AIMS: Investigation of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity with oxidative status parameters and the increased susceptibility to atherogenesis in ß-thalassaemia-trait (BTT) subjects. METHODS: Sixty BTT subjects and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum PON1, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) were determined. Qualitative detection of ß-thalassaemia mutations was carried out. RESULTS: Serum PON1 activity and TAC were significantly lower in BTT subjects than in controls (p<0.001), while MDA and CIMT were significantly higher (p<0.001). In BTT subjects, TAC, MDA, and CIMT levels were significantly correlated with serum PON1 (r=0.945, -0.900, 0.940 and -0.922 respectively). Serum TAC and MDA were significantly correlated (r=-0.979). CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress is increased, while serum PON1 activity is decreased in BTT subjects. Decrease in PON1 activity is associated with the degree of oxidative stress, anaemia and increase in CIMT. Therefore, BTT subjects may be more prone to development of atherosclerosis.