Interaction of apelin, elabela and nitric oxide in schizophrenia patients.

Background: Apelin (APLN), elabela (ELA), and nitric oxide (NO) have effects on physiological and behavioural properties in biological systems. This study was designed to determine APLN, ELA and NO levels in schizophrenia patients and assess whether these molecules are of diagnostic value.

Methods: A total of 33 schizophrenic patients and 32 ageand sex-adjusted healthy participants were included in the study.

NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 in the Blood and Follicular Fluid in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Poor Ovarian Response.

Background: Failure to respond adequately to standard protocols and to recruit adequate follicles is called 'poor ovarian response'. The relationships between metabolic alterations and NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 levels were explored in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Methods: This case-control study involved 20 infertile women with PCOS and 20 control women diagnosed as poor ovarian responders stimulated with a GnRH antagonist.

A Novel Biomarker Renalase and Its Relationship with its Substrates in Schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia, particularly the form related to excessive dopamine (DA), is a chronic psychotic disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Renalase metabolizes its catecholamine (CA) substrates, including DA, suggesting that there might be an association between renalase levels and schizophrenia occurrence. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the renalase and CA levels in the serum of patients with schizophrenia.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocal in protein levels as an acute appendicitis biomarker in children.

Objective: Appendicitis is very commonly encountered in emergency clinics. There is an urgent need for early and accurate predictive biomarkers of appendicitis in order to save lives, because currently-available biomarkers are imprecise and their delayed response impairs the ability of emergency doctors and pediatric surgeons to provide timely and potentially effective therapies. This study was performed to determine whether changes in the blood levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) can help to diagnose acute appendicitis in children and distinguish acute appendicitis from abdominal pain.