UNLABELLED:Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is involved in regulating the Th-1/Th-2 balance, favoring the development of the Th-2 compartment which enhances fibrosis, one of the main characteristics of Chronic Lung Disease (CLD) in premature newborns. Limited data is available concerning a possible association between early epithelial lining fluid (ELF) concentrations of IGF-1 (total and free forms), IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), beta2-microglobulin and subsequent development of CLD in preterm neonates. If neutropenic, preterm neonates are frequently treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF). The objective of the study was to correlate ELF concentrations of IGF-1 and beta2 microglobulin during the first week of life both in non-neutropenic and in rhGCSF-treated neutropenic preterm neonates, with subsequent development in CLD. Thirty preterm neonates with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (6 with neutropenia) were studied. Eleven out of 24 non-neutropenic preterm infants (46%) and all of the six neutropenic subjects (100%) developed CLD. With the exception of first day values, there was a clear similarity in the behaviors of assayed molecules between non-neutropenic and neutropenic patients developing CLD. Non-neutropenic patients without CLD showed significantly lower values of free IGF-1 and beta2M both on days 1 and 3. Total IGF-I and cell counts were different only on the 3rd day.CONCLUSIONS:1) the mechanisms leading to CLD might be mediated by high levels of IGF-family molecules soon after birth 2) beta2M could be a marker of increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cellularity with potential inflammatory properties 3) G-CSF treatment induces an increased synthesis of IGF-1 molecules by cells recruited in the lung, with possible enhancement of the fibrogenic mechanisms.

Monoject, and Greiner Vacuette are comparable to Becton Dickinson glass SS tubes when used to collect specimens for endocrine testing.There may be minor differences among the three brands, but they are unlikely to be clinically significant.Some analytes, such as ACTH, are inherently unstable, but this is not accentuated by plastic tubes.Conversely, there is also no evidence for the widely held belief (quoted in the specimen requirement instructions of many laboratories) that significant amounts of ACTH adsorb to nonsiliconized glass tubes.To improve ACTH stability in either tube type, it appears likely that further measures, such as addition of potent protease inhibitors, might have to be taken; however, this lies outside the scope of our study.There are a few minor provisos, however.Storage of serum in plastic gel tubes for long periods may alter CA-125 results, but after 1 week at 4 °C, such changes are usually not clinically significant.There may be some other analytes that could be affected similarly or worse, and stability studies should probably be performed for any analyte that is considered for long-term storage.Another issue is that for three analytes (PTH, IGF-I, and OHPG) our study did not include samples that contained analyte concentrations above the upper limit of the reference interval.It is conceivable, but unlikely, that plastic tubes may behave differently at higher analyte concentrations.Finally, plastic is the better specimen container to reduce interference from hemolysis in clinical testing, which is particularly relevant to insulin measurements but may affect other tests.

Background. Oxygen-free radicals can play a role in the development of chronic pancreatitis, altering the redox state with damage of cell constituents and decrease in antioxidant defences.Aims. To measure levels of lipoperoxidation products, conjugated dienes and lipid hydroperoxides, in pure pancreatic juice and serum of chronic pancreatitis patients and compare them to that in controls. To investigate a possible correlation with serum indexes of pancreatic inflammation (amylase and lipase).Patients. Pancreatic juice was collected during ERCP, after secretin stimulation, in 20 patients with chronic pancreatitis and I I controls with biliary diseases.Methods. Lipid hydroperoxide levels were determined with FOX2 method and measured as absorbance at 560 nm. Conjugated diene levels were measured using second-derivative spectroscopy.Results. No substantial difference was present in serum levels of lipid hydroperoxides, conjugated dienes (in both isomeric forms) and isomer-ratio values between those of patients with chronic pancreatitis and controls. In pancreatic juice, there was a significant increase in lipid hydroperoxides and conjugated dienes levels (especially trans-trans isomers) in chronic pancreatitis patients compared with controls, with a decrease in cis-trans isomers and a significant difference in isomer-ratio values.Conclusions. Increased levels of lipid hydroperoxides and conjugated dienes in the pancreatic juice of chronic pancreatitis patients is indicative of an enhanced lipoperoxidation and antioxidants consumption in pancreatic tissue, confirmed by the decreased isomer-ratio values as an indirect index of decreased antioxidant capacity. The lack of significant difference in conjugated diene and lipid hydroperoxide levels in the serum of chronic pancreatitis patients versus that of controls suggests an oxidative stress limited to pancreatic tissue and indicative of an organ-specific pathology, confirmed by the parallel behaviour of oxidative parameters (lipid hydroperoxides and conjugated dienes) and indexes of pancreatic inflammation (amylase and lipase). (C) 2003 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background:Oxygen free radicals (OFR) are generated by activated immune cells during inflammatory process.Histology, which is able to evaluate amount of inflammatory infiltration do not give information on oxidative stress.Lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence has bean recently proposed as a non invasive method to determine in real time OFR formation in various tissues during reoxygenation.Methods:2 male pigs (weight 25+-3 Kgs.) were submitted to upper GI fibroendoscopy (Fujnon, Japan) before, during and after 30 minutes of clamping of the coeliac artery.In basel condition and during the 30 minutes following repartusion, an optical junction between the fibroendoscope and a luminograph apparatus (Berthold LB981, Germany) was assembled.Before each phase, 1 mM of lucigenin (bis-N-methylacridiniumnitrate, Sigma, USA), specific enhancer of superoxide generation was injected in the left gastric artery of the animal.Luminescent images from the antrum and the fundus, expression of OFR production, were continuously recorded, analyzed by a specific software and successively superimposed to live images.Results:Lucigenin-enhanced luminescence, expression of anion superoxide production, was not observed in basal condition.However, luminescence significantly increased during the early phase of reperfusion, reaching a madmum peak after 10-15 rain and decreasing progressively thereafter.The overlapping of live and luminescence images allows to discriminate regional generation of OFR.Conclusions:These preliminary observations draw interest on a novel technique for the real-Ume determination of oxydative stress of the GI tract during endoscopy.The application could find an interest in a broad spectrum of conditions in which an inflammatory status is present.

The presence of myocardial ischemia in syndrome X (chest pain, "ischemia-like" electrocardiogram changes, and normal coronary angiograms) is uncertain possibly because, when focally distributed, it may not cause contractile dysfunction or lactate production. We measured lipid hydroperoxides (ROOHs) and conjugated dienes (CDs), two sensitive, independent markers of ischemia-reperfusion oxidative stress, in paired aortic and great cardiac vein blood samples before and after pacing-induced tachycardia in nine patients with syndrome X. Diagnostic ischemic S-T segment changes during pacing were followed by a consistent increase in ROOH and CD levels in the great cardiac vein (from 4.83 +/- 1.18 micromol/l at baseline to 7.88 +/- 1.12 micromol/l and from 0.038 +/- 0.002 to 0.051 +/- 0.003 arbitrary units, respectively, P < 0.01). In controls, ROOH and CD levels did not change after pacing. The large postpacing cardiac release of lipid peroxidation products, consistently observed in all patients and similar to that previously observed after ischemia caused by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, is consistent with an ischemic origin of syndrome X.

Objective. We sought to investigate whether a brief episode of myocardial ischemia produces a detectable cardiac oxidative stress in patients undergoing elective coronary angioplasty (PTCA).Background. Although cardiac oxidative stress has been dearly demonstrated in experimental models of ischemia-reperfusion, its presence in patients after transient myocardial ischemia is still unclear.Methods. In order to evaluate oxidative stress in ischemic cardiac regions, plasma conjugated dienes (CD), lipid hydroperoxides (ROOHs) and total antioxidant capacity (TRAP), independent indexes of oxidative stress, were measured in the aorta and great cardiac vein (GCV) before (t(0)), 1, (t(1)), 5 (t(5)) and 15 min (t(15)) after first balloon inflation in 15 patients undergoing PTCA on left anterior descending coronary artery (Group 1); six patients with right coronary artery stenosis (Group 2), which is not drained by the GCV, were studied as controls.Results. In Group 1 at baseline, CD and ROOHs levels were higher in GCV than in aorta (p < 0.01 for both), and TRAP levels were lower (p < 0.01). Aortic levels of CD, ROOHs and TRAP did not change at any time after t(0); venous levels of CD and ROOHs levels markedly increased at t(1), at t(5) and remained elevated ar t(15) (P < 0.01 for all comparisons vs. t(0)); venous levels of TRAP decreased at t(1) and t(5) (p < 0.01 vs. t(0)) and returned to normal at t(15). In Group 2, CD, ROOHs and TRAP levels were similar in the aorta and GCV and did not change throughout the study.Conclusions. Short episodes of myocardial ischemia duringPTCA induce a sustained oxidative stress, which is detectable in the venous eifluent oireperfused myocardium. (C) 2000 by the American College of Cardiology.