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Normal Healthy Controls (normal + healthy_control)
Selected AbstractsCytotoxic factor-autoantibodies: possible role in the pathogenesis of dengue haemorrhagic feverFEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2001U.C. Chaturvedi Abstract During dengue virus infection a unique cytokine, cytotoxic factor (hCF), is produced that is pathogenesis-related and plays a key role in the development of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). However, what regulates the adverse effects of hCF is not known. We have previously shown that anti-hCF antibodies raised in mice, neutralise the pathogenic effects of hCF. In this study we have investigated the presence and levels of hCF-autoantibodies in sera of patients with various severity of dengue illness (n=136) and normal healthy controls (n=50). The highest levels of hCF-autoantibodies (meanąS.D.=36ą20 U ml,1) were seen in patients with mild illness, the dengue fever (DF), and 48 out of 50 (96%) of the sera were positive. On the other hand the hCF-autoantibody levels declined sharply with the development of DHF and the levels were lowest in patients with DHF grade IV (meanąS.D.=5ą2 U ml,1; P=<0.001 as compared to DF). Only one of the 13 DHF grade IV patients had an antibody level above the ,cut-off' value (mean plus 3 S.D. of the control sera). The analysis of data with respect to different days of illness further showed that the highest levels of hCF-autoantibodies were present in DF patients at >9 days of illness. Moreover, the DF patients at all time points, i.e. 1,4, 5,8 and >9 days of illness had significantly higher levels of hCF-autoantibodies (P<0.001) than patients with DHF grade I, II, III and IV. In addition DHF grade I and grade II patients had significantly more positive specimens than DHF grade III and grade IV patients at all time points. These results suggest that elevated levels of hCF-autoantibodies protect the patients against the development of severe forms of DHF and, therefore, it may be useful as a prognostic indicator. [source] Physical fitness indices and anthropometrics profiles in schoolchildren with sickle cell trait/diseaseAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Hisham Moheeb Abstract The current studies aimed at determining physical fitness indices and anthropometrics profiles of school children with sickle cell trait (SCT) and sickle cell disease (SCD). Male school children (150) comprising 3 Groups participated in the studies. Group 1 has 50 normal healthy controls, while Groups 2 and 3 each has 50 children who were suffering from SCT and SCD, respectively. Anthropometrics measurement and parameters of physical fitness were assessed in all subjects. All children were also subjected to a 5-min running exercise test on a flat motorized treadmill at speed corresponding to 5 km/hr. Throughout the test, heart rate was monitored and recoded during exercise and for 10-min during recovery. Blood lactate was measured before and 5 min following the completion of test. The mean values of lean body mass and height were lower in the SCD children (P < 0.05) compared with the healthy subjects and SCT individuals. Children with SCD exhibited a higher mean value (P < 0.05) for percent body fat and fat mass than the normal healthy subjects and SCT individuals. Although all groups tolerated well the treadmill exercise protocol, the SCD group exhibited higher (P < 0.05) mean values of heart rate during exercise than those observed in the SCT and normal control children. In addition, SCD children showed higher serum lactate values before and after treadmill exercise compared to the other groups. Children with SCD exhibit high level of adiposity; low level of fitness and their exercise performance appears to be physiologically more stressful as indicated by heart rate and blood lactate concentration responses. Am. J. Hematol., 2006. Š 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Total antioxidant response in patients with schizophreniaPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 4 2006BILAL USTUNDAG md Abstract, There is a large amount of convincing data demonstrating that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in initiation and development of many different forms of neuropsychiatric disorders. The levels of oxidants and antioxidants in schizophrenia have been evaluated. However, measurements of total antioxidant response (TAR) were not evaluated up to now. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to investigate plasma TAR levels in schizophrenia subtypes. A total of 76 patients with schizophrenia and 25 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (SANS and SAPS, respectively) were applied to patients. TAR values were determined in the plasma of normal healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia. Plasma TAR levels of each schizophrenia subtype were significantly lower than healthy controls (P < 0.01 for disorganized, residual and undifferentiated subtypes and P < 0.01 for paranoid subtype). When intragroup comparisons were performed, paranoid subtype had higher plasma TAR levels compared to other subtypes (P < 0.01). Accordingly, as a whole group, patients with schizophrenia had lower plasma TAR levels compared to controls. Plasma TAR levels were significantly and negatively correlated with SANS scores, and duration of illness was evaluated but not related to other parameters. Consequently, the present study further emphasizes the growing consideration that free radical damage may have an important etiopathogenetic role on the development of schizophrenia and suggests that decreased plasma total antioxidant levels may be related to the progression of illness. [source] Plasma nitrate values in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorderPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 5 2005MURAD ATMACA md Abstract Recently there has been increasing evidence that free oxygen species may play an important role in the pathophysiology of various neuropsychiatric disorders. The present study was performed to assess the changes in plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) compared to age- and sex-matched normal controls. Twenty-three patients with OCD and 23 healthy volunteers were included in the study. NO values were determined in the plasma of normal healthy controls and the OCD patients. Plasma nitrate levels in OCD patients were significantly higher than those in controls and were significantly and positively correlated with Yale-Brown Obsession Compulsion Scale scores but not related to age or to the duration of illness. These findings indicated a possible role of increased NO may be relevant to the pathophysiology of OCD. [source] Dendritic Cell Subset Ratio in Peripheral Blood Correlates with Successful Withdrawal of Immunosuppression in Liver Transplant PatientsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 6 2003George V. Mazariegos Human dendritic cell (DC) subsets appear to play distinct roles in the induction and regulation of immune responses. While monocytoid DC (DC1) induce T-helper (Th) 1-type responses, plasmacytoid DC (DC2) have been reported to selectively induce Th2 responses. In blood, their precursors (p) can be identified as HLA-DR+ lineage, cells that are further characterized as CD11c+ CD123,/lo (IL-3R,,/lo) (pDC1) or as CD11c, CD123hi (pDC2) by rare event, flow cytometric analysis. We compared the incidences of pDC1 and pDC2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell populations isolated from normal healthy controls and from 3 groups of clinically stable liver transplant patients. Group A had been successfully withdrawn from immunosuppression, whereas group B were undergoing prospective drug weaning and on minimal anti-rejection therapy. In group C, drug withdrawal had either failed or never been attempted and patients were on maintenance immunosuppression. Assessment of DC subsets and the pDC2 : pDC1 ratio showed good intra-and interassay reproducibility. Compared with patients in group C, those in groups A and B demonstrated a significantly higher relative incidence of pDC2 and a lower incidence of pDC1 , similar to those values observed in normal healthy controls. Moreover, the pDC2 : pDC1 ratio was significantly higher in patients undergoing (successful) weaning and in those off immunosuppression compared with patients on maintenance immunosuppression. [source] | ||||||||||