Assessment of Lipocalin 2, Clusterin, Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1, Interleukin-6, Homocysteine, and Uric Acid Levels in Patients with Psoriasis

Background. Chronic inflammation may play a role in psoriasis pathogenesis. Lipocalin 2, clusterin, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR-1), interleukin-6, homocysteine, and uric acid are inflammatory and/or biochemical markers. However, both the roles of these markers and the pathogenesis of psoriasis are unknown.Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of lipocalin 2, clusterin, sTNFR-1, interleukin-6, homocysteine, and uric acid in patients and controls groups.Methods. Fifty-six patients with psoriasis and 33 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum concentrations of the markers were evaluated by ELISA. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was evaluated in all psoriasis patients. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing weight (kg) by height (m) squared.Results. The serum value of lipocalin and sTNFR-1 were significantly higher in psoriasis patients than in controls (resp.,P&lt;0.001,P&lt;0.05). The others showed no significant differences between psoriasis and the control groups (all of themP&gt;0.05). The mean PASI score in the patient group was8.3±6.5.Conclusions. These findings suggest that lipocalin 2 and sTNFR-1 might play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and can be used as markers of the disease.</jats:p

Assessment of Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (supAR) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by a progressive airflow limitation. Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is released from the membrane-bound plasminogen activator, and is positively correlated with the activation of immune system.Aims: Release of inflammatory mediators is increased in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly during exacerbations. The objective of this study was to compare plasma levels of suPAR and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) during exacerbation and stable periods in patients with COPD.Study Design: Prospective clinical study. Methods: The patients with COPD were divided into 3 groups for evaluations: those with stable COPD [SCOPD] (n= 54), pre-treatment acute exacerbation COPD [AECOPD] (n= 53), and post-treatment AECOPD (n= 52). Plasma suPARand serum CRP levels were assessed for each patient.Results: Whereas the increased serum CRP levels of the participants were 54.82±56.63 mg/l during acute exacerbation period, during the stable period it was 5.02±6.31 mg/l and statistically significant (p= 0.0001). The suPAR level was 1.28±0.52ng/ml during the acute exacerbation period vs.1.21±0.59ng/ml during the stable period, without a difference (p= 0.49). There was a statistically significant decrease in the CRP serum levels; yet, although not statistically significant  a remarkable decrease was seen in the suPAR levels obtained before and after the management of exacerbations (p= 0.001 and p= 0.06 respectively).Conclusion: These results support the idea that suPAR, a novel biomarker, might be an important indicator if verified with further prospective studies in evaluating COPD exacerbations and treatment response like CRP used for decades

Diagnostic Value of Clinical and Laboratory Findings in Childhood Meningitis

Abstract Objective Acute meningitis in childhood is a serious infectious disease that requires immediate medical assessment to ensure appropriate treatment and healthy outcomes. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate clinical and laboratory findings in the diagnosis of acute meningitis in children. Materials and Methods Between February 2011 and March 2013, 258 children aged between 1 month and 18 years who were admitted to Konya Training and Research Hospital, Turkey, with clinically suspected meningitis and undergoing lumbar puncture were enrolled in the study. Patient charts were reviewed using a standardized data collection tool. Fifty-nine patients were excluded because of incomplete data or because they did not meet the enrollment criteria. Further statistical analysis was conducted on the remaining 199 patients. The diagnostic values of clinical and laboratory findings for acute meningitis were investigated. IBM SPSS 21.0 for Windows was used for the statistical analysis. Results Of the 199 patients (61.3% male; median age: 24 months), 101 (50.8%) were diagnosed with meningitis. A definitive diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was made in 16 patients, while 5 patients had probable bacterial meningitis. In addition, 80 patients diagnosed as aseptic meningitis and 47 of these patients had human enterovirus meningitis. Headache was more common in patients with meningitis. In patients without meningitis, the most common complaints were seizures or seizures accompanied by fever. Erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR), levels of cerebrospinal fluid protein, and cell counts in cerebrospinal fluid examinations were higher in the meningitis group. C-reactive protein, ESR, and procalcitonin higher than 22.55 mg/L, 36.5 mm/hour, and 6.795 mg/mL, respectively, indicated bacterial meningitis. Conclusion Our results showed that a combination of clinical and laboratory markers could facilitate recognition of bacterial meningitis in children.</jats:p