Leptin in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent condition associated with obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Leptin plays a key role in the control of energy balance, and insulin sensitivity. In this study, we aimed to examine whether serum leptin levels correlate with insulin resistance, oxidative stress parameters and the severity of histological changes in NAFLD.

Serum YKL-40 levels and chitotriosidase activity as potential biomarkers in primary prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Background: YKL-40, also called human cartilage glycoprotein-39 (HC gp-39) and chitotriosidase are homologs of family 18 glycosyl hydrolases secreted by human macrophages. Although high levels of YKL-40 and chitotriosidase are associated with several diseases, the physiological functions of these enzymes are still unclear. YKL-40, a growth factor for connective tissue cells, a migration factor for endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, is expressed by several types of solid human carcinoma, including prostate carcinoma.

Serum chitotriosidase activity in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Atherosclerosis is considered to be an inflammatory disease in which the initial process is augmented infiltration of monocytes into the vessel wall and their subsequent differentiation from macrophages into lipid-laden foam cells. Chitotriosidase is one of the most quantitative proteins secreted by activated macrophages, so the aim of this study was to investigate the association of the level of serum chitotriosidase activity with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: A total of 200 subjects undergoing coronary angiography were divided into 4 subgroups according to the number of diseased vessels and their serum chitotriosidase activity levels were measured.

Effects of atorvastatin therapy on hypercholesterolemic rabbits with respect to oxidative stress, nitric oxide pathway and homocysteine.

Hypercholesterolemia is characterized with changes in lipid profile, nitric oxide pathway and oxidative stress markers. This study is designed to evaluate the effects of hypercholesterolemic diet and atorvastatin therapy on oxidative stress, lipid peroxide and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), NO pathway markers, nitric oxide(NO) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), homocysteine, and paraoxonase activity (PON1) in rabbits. Twenty rabbits fed with high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks were randomly divided into 2 groups on the fourth week of the hypercholesterolemic diet.

Dialysate CA125 levels in children on continuous peritoneal dialysis.

This prospective study was conducted to assess dialysate cancer antigen 125 (dCA125) levels in pediatric peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and to investigate whether it exhibits any alterations during or after recovery from peritonitis, and also to analyze the relationships between dCA125 and age, duration of PD treatment, peritonitis incidence, time passed since the last episode of peritonitis, PD prescription parameters, and peritoneal transport parameters. Forty-seven standardized 4-h peritoneal equilibration tests (PET) were performed in 38 children (mean age 11.6+/-4.

Effectiveness of morphine via thoracic epidural vs intravenous infusion on postthoracotomy pain and stress response in children.

Background: Thoracotomy causes severe pain in the postoperative period. The aim was to evaluate effectiveness of two pain treatment methods with morphine on postthoracotomy pain and stress response.

Methods: Thirty-two children undergoing major thoracotomy for noncardiac thoracic surgery were allocated to receive either single dose of thoracic epidural morphine 0.

Effects of systemic and epidural morphine on antidiuretic hormone levels in children.

Background: Although the use of opioids during general anaesthesia suppresses stress response to surgery and pain, the effects on antidiuretic hormone (ADH) are controversial. The aim of this study was to find the effects of morphine with either intravenous infusion or epidural route on ADH and other stress hormones.

Methods: Fifty children aging (1-15 years) undergoing major genito-urinary or abdominal operations were included in this study.

Hypoxic initiation of pulmonary hypertension is mediated by serotonin secretion from neuroepithelial bodies in chemodenervated dogs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stimulatory effect of hypoxia on the secretion of serotonin by neuroepithelial bodies (NEB) as well as to determine the relation between its level and changes in pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and also to determinate the effect of serotonin antagonists (pizotifen and methysergide) on the responses of pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures. The experiments were carried out in peripheral chemoreceptor-denervated dogs anesthetized with Na penthabarbital (30 mg/kg i.v.