Continuous and intermittent parathyroid hormone administration promotes osteogenic differentiation and activity of programmable cells of monocytic origin.

Bone healing deficiencies are challenging for orthopedic practice. The use of stem cells with scaffolds to treat bone tissue losses currently is popular for promoting regeneration of tissue. Programmable cells of monocytic origin (PCMO) may differentiate into three germ layers and may be a promising alternative treatment due to their stem cell-like properties. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) participates in bone metabolism. Intermittent administration of PTH promotes osteogenic activity of mesenchymal stem cdells (MSC). We investigated the osteogenic effects of continuous and intermittent administration of PTH on PCMO. Mononuclear cells were harvested from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. Isolated cells were cultured for six days in a de-differentiation medium. Indirect immunocytochemistry using anti-CD14, anti-CD45 and anti-CD90 primary antibodies, as well as electron microscopy were used to detect PCMO. PCMO then were cultured in an osteogenic differentiation medium supplemented with continuous or intermittent 50 ng/ml PTH. The PTH-free control group (CG), intermittent PTH treated group (IPG) and continuous PTH treated group (CPG) were cultured and assessed for their differentiation into osteogenic lineage cells by indirect immunocytochemistry using anti-collagen I, anti-osteonectin and anti-osteocalcin primary antibodies. Osteoblast-like cells obtained by continuous or intermittent PTH administration exhibited increased levels of collagen I, osteonectin and osteocalcin immunoreactivity. We found that continuous and intermittent PTH administration to PCMO enhanced their differentiation to osteogenic lineage cells and increased osteoblastic activity.

Acute oxidative stress and antioxidant status responses following an American football match.

AIM: Intense physical activity is known to induce oxidative stress. Though regular physical training enhances the antioxidant defence system, the effects of diminished training periods are unclear. American football is one of the recently popular sports in Türkiye and is defined as a mixed activity. The aim of the research was to examine some markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status in occasionally competitive American football players following a match, and relations with aerobic power and playing position. METHODS: Twenty two male players volunteered for the study. To determine oxidative stress and antioxidant status from blood samples collected before and immediately following a match, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and total antioxidant status (TAS) were assessed, using spectrophotometric methods. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used to determine the match effect, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare playing position and VO2max effects. RESULTS: Plasma MDA (P<0.001) and NO (P<0.05) levels increased significantly following the match. Antioxidant parameters were unchanged following the match when compared with the resting level, except for a VO2max related effect (P<0.05) on TAS. CONCLUSION: Collected data revealed that an American football match caused excessive production of free radicals and oxidative stress. The training loads players underwent were not high enough to cause positive effects on the antioxidant status. To enhance training-induced antioxidant status adaptation, higher amounts of physical activity may be required.

Relevance between clinical status and exhaled molecules related to neutrophilic inflammation in pediatric cystic fibrosis.

INTRODUCTION: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized with chronic inflammation with neutrophil and related cytokines in airway secretions. We aimed to measure the levels of neutrophil related inflammatory markers as nitric oxide, IL-8, IL-17, leukotriene B4 and neutrophil elastase as well as e-cadherin in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), and to determine their relation with clinical findings. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled cystic fibrosis patients into our clinics between the age of six and eighteen years who could cooperate for exhaled breath condensate to this case-control study (n = 30). The age and sex matched control group (n = 26) was enrolled. Spirometry was performed during the stable period and EBC samples were obtained for measurement of the markers. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects enrolled was 12.1(4.2) years and 40% were positive for P.Aeruginosa in sputum. Subjects who had P.Aeruginosa in sputum cultures had significantly lower FEV1, FVC and FEF 25/75 values compared to the ones without P.Aeruginosa (p = 0.002, p = 0.002 and p = 0.005 respectively). EBC neutrophil elastase levels were significantly higher in the CF patients compared to non-CF controls (3.11 ± 4.71 versus 0.90 ± 2.68, p = 0.04). Nitric oxide, IL-17, IL-8, e-cadherin, neutrophil elastase or leukotriene B4 levels in EBC of CF patients were not related to P.Aeruginosa s infection, FEV1 levels or hospital admission in the last year. CONCLUSION: In our study, neutrophil elastase levels in EBC are higher in CF patients compared to non-CF controls. This is independent of acute infection and is evidence to the persistence of neutrophilic lung injury. However, EBC NO, IL-8, IL-17, e-cadherin, neutrophil elastase and leukotriene B4 levels as inflammatory markers, are not correlated with disease progression or clinical findings.

Serum her-2/neu and survivin levels and their relationship to histological parameters in early-stage breast cancer.

This study was conducted to investigate the serum levels of her-2/neu and survivin in patients with early-stage breast cancer and their relationship with known histological parameters. Forty-one patients with early-stage breast cancer were investigated. Serum samples were collected from patients on their first admission before adjuvant chemotherapy, and from healthy controls. Serum her-2/neu and survivin levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There was no difference in the levels of serum her-2/neu and survivin between the breast cancer patients and the control group. Serum her-2/neu concentration showed moderate correlations with disease stage and the Ki-67 level, and the serum survivin level showed a moderate correlation with progesterone receptor concentration. Serum levels of her-2/neu and survivin were not significantly related to age and histological parameters in patients with early-stage breast cancer. However, much research continues on the prognostic value of serum her-2/neu and survivin levels, and important new knowledge may ultimately emerge.

The effect of 8-week different-intensity walking exercises on serum hepcidin, IL-6, and iron metabolism in pre-menopausal women.

Objective Hepcidin may be an important mediator in exercise-induced iron deficiency. Despite the studies investigating acute exercise effects on hepcidin and markers of iron metabolism, we found no studies examining the chronic effects of walking exercises (WE) on hepcidin and markers of iron metabolism in premenopausal women. The chronic effects of two 8-week different-intensity WE on hepcidin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and markers of iron metabolism in pre-menopausal women were examined. Methods Exercise groups (EG) [moderate tempo walking group (MTWG), n = 11; brisk walking group (BWG), n = 11] walked 3 days/week, starting from 30 to 51 min. Control group (CG; n = 8) did not perform any exercises. BWG walked at ∼70%-75%; MTWG at ∼50%-55% of HRRmax. VO2max, hepcidin, IL-6, and iron metabolism markers were determined before and after the intervention. Results VO2max increased in both EGs, favoring the BWG. Hepcidin increased in the BWG (p < 0.01) and CG (p < 0.05). IL-6 decreased in the BWG and the MTWG (p < 0.05; p < 0.01). While iron, ferritin, transferrin, and transferrin saturation levels did not change in any group, total iron binding capacity (p < 0.05), red blood cells (p < 0.05), and hematocrit (p < 0.01) increased only in the BWG. Conclusion Both WE types may be useful to prevent inflammation. However, brisk walking is advisable due to the positive changes in VO2max and some iron metabolism parameters, which may contribute to prevent iron deficiency. The increase in hepcidin levels remains unclear and necessitates further studies.

The relation of the pleural thickening in tuberculosis pleurisy with the activity of adenosine deaminase.

BACKGROUND: Residual pleural thickening (RPT) still occurs in most patients with tuberculosis pleurisy despite advances in the treatment of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of RPT in tuberculosis pleurisy with the patients clinical findings, biochemical and microbiological properties of pleural effusion and with the total adenosine deaminase (ADA) and isoenzymes levels. METHODS: 121 tuberculosis pleurisy patients were evaluated retrospectively. According to posteroanterior chest x-rays, the 63 (52%) cases with the thickness 2 mm or more in lower lateral hemithorax were grouped as I and the 58 (48%) cases without pleural thickness were grouped as II. The amount of pleural effusion was classified into small, medium or massive according to their chest x-rays. In both groups; sex, age, symptoms score, bacteriological and biochemical tests and ADA levels were recorded. RESULTS: 81 (67%) male and 40 (33%) female, overall 121 patients were enrolled into the study. RPT was found higher in males (p=0.014) and the increase ran parallel with the amount of cigarette smoking (p=0.014). RPT was found to be lower in small effusions (p=0.001). The group with RPT, the serum albumin was found lower (p=0.002), pleural fluid total protein (p=0.047) and the ratio of pleural fluid protein to serum protein (p=0.002) were found higher. In group I, total ADA: 69.5 +/- 38.9 IU/L and ADA2: 41.3 +/- 31.6 IU/L were higher than the cases without RPT (p=0.032, p=0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the immunological mechanisms are effective in the development of pleural thickening.

Recreational and master athletic activity does not affect free and total prostate-specific antigen levels but lowers the free-to-total prostate-specific antigen ratio.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and the ratio of free-to-total PSA are widely used tumour markers, but the effect of exercise on these parameters is unclear. We aimed to determine whether long-term physical training was associated with changes in serum PSA by comparing PSA concentrations in middle-aged master athletes (n = 12), recreational athletes (n = 12) and sedentary controls (n = 12). Serum total PSA and free PSA concentrations were assessed using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay; there were no significant differences among the groups. The free-to-total PSA ratio was significantly lower statistically in master athletes compared with recreational athletes, but this is not clinically significant as both values (0.22 versus 0.31, respectively) were within the normal range. These results indicate that the free-to-total PSA ratio may be affected by long-term athletic training, and could be important when evaluating athletes with prostate-related disorders.

Carnitine as a preventive agent in experimental renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Reactive oxygen species generated during the reperfusion of ischemic kidney, as well as any other tissue, cause lipid peroxidation damaging the cell membrane. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of carnitine in reperfusion injury of the kidney. Male albino rabbits were subjected to unilateral renal 1-h warm ischemia followed by 15 min of reperfusion. Group I (n = 9): control group received 3 cc of isotonic saline solution and group II (n = 9): carnitine group received 100 mg/kg of carnitine. Blood samples were collected at the 15th min of reperfusion from the left renal vein selectively. Preischemic and post-reperfusion serum and renal tissue MDA levels were measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) spectrophotometric analysis. The preischemic serum and tissue MDA values (sham values) for groups I and II were statistically comparable (P > 0.01). Serum and tissue MDA levels were markedly elevated after 15 min of reperfusion in group I (P < 0.01), while the values remained in the baseline levels following reperfusion in group II (P > 0.01). In group I, the major histological differences observed in the reperfused kidneys were marked edema and congestion whereas glomerular and tubular cellular integrity were well preserved in group II. Pre-treatment with carnitine in solid organ transplantations, preschock states, surgical procedures that require temporary vascular clamping etc. may be helpful to minimize the reperfusion injury in the involved tissue, reducing morbidity and mortality.

Serum creatine kinase enzyme levels in the early diagnosis of spermatic cord torsion.

Delay in the diagnosis of spermatic cord torsion (SCT) is still a significant cause of testicular loss in children. The aim of this experimental study was to assess the diagnostic value of serum creatine kinase (CK) in the early period following SCT. Forty male rats were assigned randomly into five similar groups: group A, control; group B, sham, right testis exposed, manipulated, and blood sampling at 6th h; group C, right SCT, blood sampling at 2nd h; group D, right SCT, blood sampling at 4th h; and group E, right SCT, blood sampling at 6th h. Ck and its isoenzymes were measured in the sera of all animals. All testes were removed and examined histopathologically. Significant increases in serum CK levels compared to control and sham groups were observed at 4 and 6 h following SCT. The major increase in CK was observed in the CK-MM isoenzyme fraction. Histologic pictures showed varying degrees of edema, vascular congestion, and hemorrhage in the testicular tissue, but no necrosis in any of the study groups. These results showed that serum CK levels in rats in the early period following SCT increase significantly before necrosis of testicular tissue. This may be of value as a diagnostic test, to corroborate findings from clinical studies.