Effect of Antibiotics on Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Functions and Myeloperoxidase Activity, Glutathione and Malondialdehyde Levels in Allergic Asthma.

We investigated the effect of ciprofloxacin, rifampicine and doxycycline on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in allergic asthma patients and healthy volunteers. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were isolated with ficoll-hypaque gradient centrifugation method. MPO activity was assayed with modified o-dianisidine, GSH by Ellman's and MDA levels by Beuge's method.

Potential adjuvant effects of Nigella sativa seeds to improve specific immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis patients.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Nigella sativa seed supplementation on symptom levels, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functions, lymphocyte subsets and hematological parameters of allergic rhinitis.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty-four patients randomly selected from an experimental group of 31 (mean age 34 years) sensitive to house dust mites with allergic rhinitis and a control group of 8 healthy volunteers (mean age 23 years) were treated with allergen-specific immunotherapy in conventional doses for 30 days. After a month of immunotherapy, 12 of the 24 patients and the 8 healthy volunteers were given N.

Effect of oral administration of kefir on serum proinflammatory cytokines on 5-FU induced oral mucositis in patients with colorectal cancer.

In order to investigate the effect of kefir consumption on mucositis induced by 5-FU based chemotherapy (CT), we monitored the systemic immune response by measurement of the serum proinflammatory cytokine levels and we evaluated the anti-microbial effect of kefir with an agar diffusion method. Forty patients with colorectal cancer were included in this randomized prospective study. On the first 5 days of each CT cycle, the study group received oral lavage with kefir and then swallowed 250 ml of kefir while control group received oral lavage with 0.

Colonic delivery of compression coated nisin tablets using pectin/HPMC polymer mixture.

Nisin containing pectin/HPMC compression coated tablets were prepared and their in vitro behavior tested for colonic delivery. Nisin is a 34-amino-acid residue long, heat stable peptide belonging to the group A lantibiotics with wide antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The invention can be useful for treating colonic infectious diseases such as by Clostridium difficile, and also by colonization of vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

Effect of the function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and interleukin-1 beta on wound healing in patients with diabetic foot infections.

Objectives: This study was carried out prospectively to determine the effect on prognosis of phagocytic activity index (PAI) and intracellular killing activity (IKA) of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), and the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) on prognosis in patients with diabetic foot infection (DFI).

Methods: The evaluation of PAI and IKA in PMNL and the levels of IL-1beta were performed at the beginning and in the second and fourth weeks of therapy in all diabetic patients, who were categorized into a healing group (HG) and a non-healing group (NHG) on the basis of therapy results.

Results: Sixty-six cases (38 diabetic patients and 28 non-diabetic controls) were included in the study.