Detection of circulating tumor cells during follow-up of patients with early breast cancer: Clinical utility for monitoring of therapy efficacy.

Introduction: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection prior to and during therapy is considered as an independent and strong prognostic marker. The present study was designed to isolate and characterize CTCs in peripheral blood of an early breast cancer (BC) patient as a biomarker for monitoring treatments efficacy.

Materials And Methods: In total, 54 early breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy regimens were enrolled into a prospective study.

Identification of rice proteins recognized by the IgE antibodies of patients with food allergies.

Similarity among food allergens is a great problem affecting the specificity of diagnosis and treatment of allergic patients. We have observed that 80% of patients with food (including wheat) and pollen allergies have increased IgE antibodies against rice proteins. By immunoblotting, we documented that boiling decreased solubility and IgE reactivity of PBS-extracted rice and wheat proteins, yet in SDS extracts this reactivity was only slightly changed.

Phosphatidylserine-dependent anti-prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) in infliximab-treated patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Purpose: To (1) examine the occurrence and concentrations of aPS/PT and aPL in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients at the beginning of and during anti-TNF-alpha therapy with infliximab; (2) investigate the link of the aPS/PT and aPL presence with antibodies to infliximab (ATI) formation; and (3) examine possible clinical consequences of aPS/PT and/or aPL positivity in IBD patients.

Materials And Methods: Thirty (30) IBD patients treated with infliximab were analyzed regarding aPS/PT, aPL, and ATI antibody serum levels by standardized ELISAs at treatment weeks 2 (W2) and 14 (W14).

Results: At W2, 40 % of infliximab-treated patients had elevated aPS/PT and 16.

Matrix metalloproteinases in serum and the follicular fluid of women treated by in vitro fertilization.

Purpose: To assess levels of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in follicular fluids and sera of female patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, and discover the role of MMPs in IVF outcome prediction.

Methods: Sera and follicular fluids were obtained from 58 female patients treated for infertility by IVF. Twenty-nine of them became pregnant after the embryo-transfer; another 29 were not successful in IVF and did not conceive.

Impaired deoxyribonuclease I activity in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Background and Aims. Deoxyribonuclease I (DNaseI) is an endonuclease that facilitates chromatin breakdown and promotes susceptibility to autoimmune disorders. The aim of current study was to investigate serum DNase I activity in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

Intracellular cytokine production in peripheral blood lymphocytes: a comparison of values in infertile and fertile women.

Problem: To analyze the relation of the fertility and pregnancy of women of childbearing age to the intracellular (IC) production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukins 2 and 4 (IL-2 and IL-4).

Method Of Study: Intracellular cytokine production in peripheral blood CD3(+)  CD4(+) lymphocytes was analyzed by flow cytometry in 185 women being treated for infertility and 50 fertile women of childbearing age.

Results:  Infertile women have a significantly higher IC production of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 and higher ratios of TNF-α/IL-2, TNF-α/IL-4, and TNF-α/IFN-γ compared to the fertile women.

Changes of immunological profiles in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the course of treatment.

In the previous paper of ours we compared, prior to start any treatment, a number of immunological parameters in 24 chronic myeloid leukemia patients with the same number of healthy subjects matched by age and sex. We found significant differences in the levels of immunoglobulins, the C4 component of complement, the C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, the composition of lymphocyte population and the production of some cytokines by stimulated CD3+ cells. Eleven of these patients were followed longitudinally.

Concentrations of sRAGE in serum and follicular fluid in assisted reproductive cycles--a preliminary study.

Background: To investigate inflammatory processes during ovarian hyperstimulation, we have studied the soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) levels in sera and follicular fluids of women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle.

Methods: A total of thirty-three women undergoing IVF treatment were recruited, the number of follicles in investigated IVF cycles was 18 +/- 10 (mean +/- SD), oocytes 12 +/- 8, and the clinical pregnancy rate was 42% (14/33). The control group of serum samples was comprised of 35 healthy female blood donors.

Anti-inflammatory effect of biological treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: calprotectin and IL-6 changes do not correspond to sRAGE changes.

Aim: The main objective was to examine the relationship between the soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and calprotectin concentrations in faeces and serum of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) during biological treatment with infliximab.

Materials And Methods: A total of 29 IBD patients treated with infliximab were evaluated. Calprotectin and sRAGE in serum and faeces and serum IL-6 and CRP were measured during the induction regimen of infliximab treatment at weeks (W) 0, 2 and 10.

Anticarbohydrate antibodies as markers of inflammatory bowel disease in a Central European cohort.

Background: The study discusses the role of antichitobioside carbohydrate antibody (ACCA), antilaminaribioside carbohydrate antibodies (ALCA), and antimannobioside carbohydrate antibodies (AMCA) in Central European patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Patients And Methods: Twohundred and seventy-two serum samples were used - 116 Crohn's disease (CD), 84 ulcerative colitis, and 72 healthy control samples. All samples were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the following four anticarbohydrate assays: ACCA, ALCA, AMCA, and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (gASCA).

Plasma calprotectin in chronically dialyzed end-stage renal disease patients.

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate plasma calprotectin levels and clearance end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with and without acute infection undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD).

Materials And Methods: Blood samples from 54 HD patients were obtained before and after the HD and 42 healthy blood donors were examined as controls. The blood levels of calprotectin, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and intracellular production of interleukins 10 and 12 in monocytes were determined in both groups.

Detection of galectin-3 in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: new serum marker of active forms of IBD?

Objective: It is an open question whether multifunctional galectin-3 can be a serum marker in inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods: Western blots and commercial ELISA detected and quantitated the lectin immunocytochemistry using double labeling localized it in tissue sections.

Results: Serum concentrations were significantly increased in specimen of patients with active and remission-stage ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, associated with emerging positivity of CD14(+) cells.

Novel anti-carbohydrate autoantibodies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: are they useful for clinical practice?

The objective of this study was to test the diagnostic accuracy of novel anti-carbohydrate assays in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, namely in Crohn's disease. These carbohydrate assays are based on oligosaccharide chitobioside carbohydrate - anti-chitobioside carbohydrate antibodies (ACCA), laminaribioside carbohydrate anti-laminaribioside carbohydrate antibodies (ALCA), and mannobioside carbohydrate - anti-mannobioside carbohydrate antibodies (AMCA). We compared these assays with the anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) assay.