Interleukin-6 concentration changes in plasma and saliva in bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws.

AIM: To determine the plasma and saliva levels of IL-6 in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) and to investigate whether there is a correlation between more advanced stages of BRONJ and levels of IL-6. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied three groups: group 1 consisted of 30 patients with BRONJ due to intravenous bisphosphonates (ivBP), group 2 consisted of 25 patients treated with ivBP but without BRONJ, and group 3 consisted of 15 healthy controls. In each case, we assayed plasma and saliva IL-6 samples using an ELISA test. RESULTS: Significantly, higher IL-6 values were found in both saliva and plasma in group 1 vs groups 2 and 3 (P < 0.01). Group 1 showed no differences in plasma or saliva IL-6 according to patient gender (P > 0.05), type of tumor, BRONJ location, etiology of BRONJ, or disease stage (P > 0.05). We found higher plasma and saliva IL-6 values in the more advances stages of BRONJ, although the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma and saliva IL-6 values were higher in our patients with BRONJ than in controls and therefore might be a useful tool for monitoring the severity of BRONJ.

Crataegus laevigata decreases neutrophil elastase and has hypolipidemic effect: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Crataegus laevigata is a medicinal plant most commonly used for the treatment of heart failure and psychosomatic disorders. Based on previous experimental findings, this double-blind placebo-controlled study was aimed at finding beneficial effects of C. laevigata on biomarkers of coronary heart disease (CHD). The study included 49 diabetic subjects with chronic CHD who were randomly assigned to the treatment for 6 months with either a micronized flower and leaf preparation of C. laevigata (400 mg three times a day) or a matching placebo. Blood cell count, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, neutrophil elastase (NE) and malondialdehyde were analyzed in plasma at baseline, at one month and six months. The main results were that NE decreased in the C. laevigata group compared to the placebo group. In the C. laevigata group, baseline figures (median and interquartile range) were 35.8 (4.5) and in the placebo group 31 (5.9). At the end of the study, values were 33.2 (4.7) ng/ml and 36.7 (2.2) ng/ml, respectively; p<0.0001. C. laevigata, added to statins, decreased LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) (mean±SD) from 105±28.5 mg/dl at baseline to 92.7±25.1 mg/dl at 6 months (p=0.03), and non-HDL cholesterol from 131±37.5 mg/dl to 119.6±33 mg/dl (p<0.001). Differences between groups did not reach statistical significance at 6 months. No significant changes were observed in the rest of parameters. In conclusion, C. laevigata decreased NE and showed a trend to lower LDL-C compared to placebo as add-on-treatment for diabetic subjects with chronic CHD.

[Effect of oxidative stress in patients with chronic renal failure]. / Efecto del tratamiento con hemodiálisis sobre el estrés oxidativo en pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease remains the single most common cause of excess morbidity and mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and the traditional risk factors can't explain the high incidence of these events. New "non-traditional" risk factors are analysed in uremic patients and the increased oxidative stress is postulated to be an important contributor to uremic cardiovascular risk. METHODS: In order to evaluate the effects of the hemodialysis treatment, a complete oxidative stress study was performed in fifteen uremic patients. Representative antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), together with oxidized/reduced glutathione ratio (GSSG/GSH) and other oxidation indicators including malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), were analysed to assess oxidative stress status in normal control volunteers and in uremic patients treated with hemodialysis (HD). In the latter group blood samples were taken prior and after HD to evaluate the effect of the session of HD over the oxidative markers. RESULTS: Low levels of antioxidant enzyme activities were observed in the uremic patients as compared with normal control subjects. HD treatment results in a significant recovery of these enzyme activities but remain lower as compared with control values. Levels of GSSG and GSH concentrations were increased and reduced respectively in uremic patients. These differences were even higher before the HD and were reduced upon treatment to levels closer to those observed in controls. MDA levels and 8-oxo-dG levels were also increased in uremic patients with the highest values observed in the pre-treated HD group. Even though HD treatment decreases the levels of oxidation products in mononuclear cells of uremic patients the values of the control group are not reached. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that hemodialysis by itself could correct the oxidative status in these patients. The possible mechanisms involved in the oxidative stress changes with the hemodialysis treatment will be discussed below.

Metabolismo oxidativo en las neoplasias ováricas / Oxidative metabolism in ovarian neoplasms

Objetivo: Valorar el estatus oxidativo de las neoplasias ováricas mediante la determinación de las enzimas antioxidantes más importantes, los valores de glutatión reducido y oxidado, la formación de malondialdehído, como índice de peroxidación molecular, y el grado de oxidación del material genético mediante la cuantificación de la base mutagénica 8-oxo-deoxiguanosina. Material y métodos: Estudio prospectivo de 52 casos de neoplasia ovárica: 43 casos de cáncer de ovario epitelial, de los que nueve habían recibido quimioterapia previa a la cirugía, y otros nueve con tumoraciones benignas. Resultados: En el tejido tumoral, al compararlo con tejido sano de las mismas pacientes, se evidenció disminución de las enzimas antioxidantes catalasa y superóxido-dismutasa, así como un aumento del resto de los parámetros estudiados. La quimioterapia anuló las diferencias entre el ovario sano y el tumoral. Conclusiones: El metabolismo oxidativo se encuentra alterado en el tejido tumoral ovárico si se compara con el tejido sano de las mismas pacientes. La quimioterapia ejerce efecto sobre dicho metabolismo (AU)