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Helpful Marker (helpful + marker)
Selected AbstractsAlpha2 macroglobulin elevation without an acute phase response in depressed adults with Down's syndrome: implications,JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2000J. A. Tsiouris Abstract Studies of immune function during depression in persons without intellectual disability (ID) have revealed elevated levels of ,2 macroglobulin (,2M) and an acute phase protein (APP) response. Clinical observation suggests that people with Down's syndrome (DS) may have associated genetic abnormalities in their immune systems. The APP response and ,2M changes in depressed versus non-depressed adults with DS was the subject of the present study. The serum pan-proteinase inhibitor ,2M, and the AP proteins c-reactive protein (CRP), ,1 antitrypsin (,1AT), ceruloplasmin (Cp), ,2 Macroglobulin (,2M), transthyretin (Trans), serum amyloid protein (SAP), and albumin (Alb) were measured in 38 adults with DS, 19 of whom were diagnosed with and 19 without depression using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The DSM-IV criteria were used for diagnoses. Medical and neurological examinations excluded medical disorders associated with APP response. Only ,2M and CRP were significantly different in the depressed versus non-depressed groups. The ,2M was higher, a response similar to one observed in depressed people without ID, but the CRP was lower in the depressed group, especially in those subjects not on psychotropic medications, contrary to the expected APP response to depression. The results suggest that ,2M elevation in depressed adults with DS is independent of the APP response. An alternative explanation for its elevation is proposed linking the core symptom of depression with the mammalian dormancy/hibernation process. Further studies are needed to confirm that ,2M elevation is specific to depression and that it might provide a helpful marker for the diagnosis of depression in people with ID. [source] OCT4: biological functions and clinical applications as a marker of germ cell neoplasiaTHE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2007L Cheng Abstract Germ cell tumours (GCTs) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, which develop in the gonads as well as in extragonadal sites, that share morphological patterns and an overall good prognosis, owing to their responsiveness to current surgical, chemotherapeutic, and radiotherapeutic measures. GCTs demonstrate extremely interesting biological features because of their close relationships with normal embryonal development as demonstrated by the pluripotentiality of some undifferentiated GCT variants. The similarities between GCTs and normal germ cell development have made it possible to identify possible pathogenetic pathways in neoplastic transformation and progression of GCTs. Genotypic and immunophenotypic profiles of these tumours are also useful in establishing and narrowing the differential diagnosis in cases of suspected GCTs. Recently, OCT4 (also known as OCT3 or POU5F1), a transcription factor that has been recognized as fundamental in the maintenance of pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and primordial germ cells, has been proposed as a useful marker for GCTs that exhibit features of pluripotentiality, specifically seminoma/dysgerminoma/germinoma and embryonal carcinoma. The development of commercially available OCT4-specific antibodies suitable for immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded specimens has generated increasing numbers of reports of OCT4 expression in a wide variety of gonadal and extragonadal GCTs. OCT4 immunostaining has been shown to be a sensitive and specific marker for seminomatous/(dys)germinomatous tumours and in embryonal carcinoma variants of non-seminomatous GCTs, whether in primary gonadal or extragonadal sites or in metastatic lesions. Therefore, OCT4 immunohistochemistry is an additional helpful marker both in the differential diagnosis of specific histological subtypes of GCTs and in establishing a germ cell origin for some metastatic tumours of uncertain primary. OCT4 expression has also been reported in pre-invasive conditions such as intratubular germ cell neoplasia, unclassified (IGCNU) and the germ cell component of gonadoblastoma. Additionally, OCT4 immunostaining shows promise as a useful tool in managing patients known to be at high risk for the development of invasive GCTs. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Low glycosylated ferritin, a good marker for the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndromeARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 5 2008Laurence Fardet Objective A very low percentage of glycosylated ferritin (<20%) has only been reported in association with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), a disease classically associated with hemophagocytic syndrome. We undertook this study to determine whether hemophagocytic syndrome outside the context of AOSD is also associated with a very low percentage of glycosylated ferritin. Methods From October 2006 to September 2007, the serum level of glycosylated ferritin was determined in all consecutive patients seen in 3 departments and for whom the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome was suspected. The level of glycosylated ferritin in these patients was compared with that in age- and sex-matched controls with a marked inflammatory syndrome not associated with hemophagocytic syndrome. We assessed the value of glycosylated ferritin as a marker for the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome. Results Forty-two patients were included in the study (14 with confirmed hemophagocytic syndrome, 7 with suspected but unconfirmed hemophagocytic syndrome, and 21 controls). The median level (interquartile range [IQR]) of total serum ferritin was significantly higher in patients with confirmed hemophagocytic syndrome (3,344 ,g/liter [2,074,7,334]) than in patients with suspected but unconfirmed hemophagocytic syndrome (555 ,g/liter [464,1,420]) (P = 0.02) or in controls (451 ,g/liter [126,929]) (P < 0.001). The median (IQR) percentage of glycosylated ferritin was significantly lower in patients with confirmed hemophagocytic syndrome (10% [3,14]) than in patients with suspected but unconfirmed hemophagocytic syndrome (40% [36,47]) (P < 0.001) or in controls (36% [26,49]) (P < 0.001). The diagnostic performance of glycosylated ferritin tended to be higher than that of total serum ferritin for the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% confidence interval] 0.97 [0.92,1.00] versus 0.79 [0.59,1.00]; P = 0.10). Conclusion These results suggest that glycosylated ferritin may be a helpful marker for the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome. [source] Useful parameters for distinguishing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with mild steatosis from cryptogenic chronic hepatitis in the Japanese populationLIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 8 2006Naoki Tanaka Abstract: Background/Aims: As detecting mild steatosis is difficult by abdominal ultrasonography (US), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with mild steatosis may sometimes be confused with cryptogenic chronic hepatitis. We aimed to test this possibility and to isolate factors that may indicate NASH. Methods: First, 53 Japanese patients diagnosed as having cryptogenic chronic hepatitis by laboratory examination and US were enrolled. These patients were histologically divided into NASH and non-NASH groups, and their clinical features were compared. Second, the diagnostic accuracy of predictors of NASH was examined prospectively. Results: Fifteen patients (28%) were histologically diagnosed as having NASH with mild steatosis. Multivariable analysis revealed that body mass index (BMI) and serum ferritin level were independent predictors of NASH. The best cutoff values to detect NASH were assessed by using receiver-operating characteristic curves: BMI>25.2 kg/m2 and serum ferritin level >142 ng/ml. When both markers were concomitantly negative, the negative predictive value to detect NASH was 100%. Conclusions: In cases of mild steatosis, US is not a perfect tool for the accurate diagnosis of NASH. BMI and serum ferritin level are useful discriminators of NASH from cryptogenic chronic hepatitis, and might be helpful markers for diagnosing NASH more accurately in Japanese patients. [source] | ||||||||||