Systemic acute phase proteins response in calves experimentally infected with Eimeria zuernii

BACKGROUNDSerum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein mainly synthesized by the liver. SAA induces inflammatory phenotype and promotes cell proliferation in activated hepatic stellate cells, the major scar forming cells in the liver. However, few studies have reported on the serum levels of SAA in human liver disease and its clinical significance in various liver diseases.AIMTo investigate the serum levels of SAA in patients with different liver diseases and analyze the factors associated with the alteration of SAA levels in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.METHODSTwo hundred and seventy-eight patients with different liver diseases and 117 healthy controls were included in this study. The patients included 205 with CHB, 22 with active autoimmune liver disease (AILD), 21 with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 14 with drug-induced liver injury (DILI), and 16 with pyogenic liver abscess. Serum levels of SAA and other clinical parameters were collected for the analysis of the factors associated with SAA level. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the serum SAA levels of patients with various liver diseases with those of healthy controls. Bonferroni test was applied for post hoc comparisons to control the probability of type 1 error (alpha = 0.05/6 = 0.008). For statistical tests of other variables, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistically significant factors determined by single factor analysis were further analyzed by binary multivariate logistic regression analysis.RESULTSAll patients with active liver diseases had higher serum SAA levels than healthy controls and the inactive CHB patients, with the highest SAA level found in patients with pyogenic liver abscess (398.4 ± 246.8 mg/L). Patients with active AILD (19.73 ± 24.81 mg/L) or DILI (8.036 ± 5.685 mg/L) showed higher SAA levels than those with active CHB (6.621 ± 6.776 mg/L) and NASH (6.624 ± 4.891 mg/L). Single (P < 0.001) and multivariate logistic regression analyses (P = 0.039) for the CHB patients suggested that patients with active CHB were associated with an SAA serum level higher than 6.4 mg/L. Serum levels of SAA and CRP (C-reactive protein) were positively correlated in patients with CHB (P < 0.001), pyogenic liver abscess (P = 0.045), and active AILD (P = 0.02). Serum levels of SAA (0.80-871.0 mg/L) had a broader fluctuation range than CRP (0.30-271.3 mg/L).CONCLUSIONSerum level of SAA is a sensitive biomarker for inflammatory activity of pyogenic liver abscess. It may also be a weak marker reflecting milder inflammatory status in the liver of patients with CHB and other active liver diseases.

BackgroundIn order to follow subclinical inflammation and adjust the therapy for an optimal disease control, clinicians seek for readily accessible, affordable and reproducible markers. C reactive protein (CRP) is widely...

Objective: To explore the correlation of damage-associated molecular pattern molecules(DAMPs) serum S100, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and uric acid (UA) with age and body mass index (BMI) to provide direction for further study of metabolic inflammation and inflammaging. Methods: The observational study method was used,and three hundred and sixty-six healthy people (131 males and 235 females) were selected from the physical examination center of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province from May to October 2020. They were divided into three age groups according to the age interval of 20 years, including 156 (53 males and 103 females) aged 20-40 years, 110 (36 males and 74 females) aged 41-60 years, and 100 (42 males and 58 females) aged 61-80 years. Kruskal Wallis H test was used to compare the differences of serum S100, CRP, SAA and UA levels among different age groups. According to the Health Industry Standards of the People's Republic of China-Weight Determination for Adults, the boundary is BMI =24 kg/m2. The healthy people were divided into non overweight (BMI<24 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2) two groups. The 1∶1 propensity score was used to match the age and gender. There were 96 non overweight subjects [43 males, 53 females, age 52 (35, 66) years], 96 overweight subjects [44 males, 52 females, age 52 (36, 64) years]. The serum levels of S100, CRP, SAA and UA in different BMI groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The median serum UA concentrations in males and females were 356 and 277 μmol/L, and the levels of serum UA of male was significantly higher than that of female (Z=-10.428, P<0.001); the median serum SAA concentrations in males and females were 3.1 mg/L and 4.4 mg/L, while the serum SAA level of female was significantly higher than that of male (Z=3.652, P<0.001); for 20-40, 41-60, and 61-80 years old group, the median concentration of serum S100 was 0.058, 0.057, 0.070 μg/L, and the median concentration of serum CRP was 0.32, 0.58, 0.93 mg/L; the median serum SAA concentrations were 3.2, 4.0, 5.2 mg/L; serum uric acid concentrations were (301.8±61.5), (298.6±69.8), (329.0±77.8) μmol/L. The levels of serum S100, CRP, SAA, UA in 61-80 years group were significantly higher than those of 20-40 years group (H=-2.749, H=-6.731, H=-5.033, H=-2.521, P=0.018, P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.035) and 41-60 years old group (H=-2.719, H=-2.539, H=-2.540, H=-2.486, P=0.020, P=0.033, P=0.033, P=0.039).The levels of serum CRP of 41-60 years group was significantly higher than that of 20-40 years group (H=-4.108,P<0.001). There was no significant difference in levels of serum S100, SAA and UA between 20-40 years group and 41-60 years group (H=0.189, H=-2.360, H=-0.165, P=1.000, P=0.055, P=1.000); the levels of serum CRP and SAA were positively correlated with age (rs =0.342, rs =0.301, P<0.001, P<0.001); for overweight, non-overweight group, the median concentrations of serum S100 were 0.065 μg/L, 0.059 μg/L, the median concentrations of serum CRP were 0.92 mg/L, 0.47 mg/L, the median concentrations of serum SAA were 5.0 mg/L, 4.1 mg/L, the median concentrations of serum UA were 339.5 μmol/L, 301.5 μmol/L, the levels of CRP, SAA and UA in the overweight group were higher than those in the non-overweight group (Z=4.278, Z=2.025, Z=3.787, P<0.001, P=0.043, P<0.001); the levels of S100 in the overweight group was higher than those in the non-overweight group, but there was no significant difference in S100 between the two groups (Z=0.862, P=0.388); the levels of Serum CRP and UA were positively correlated with BMI (rs =0.348, rs =0.264, P<0.001, P=0.009). Conclusions: With the increase of age, the serum S100, CRP, SAA and UA levels of healthy people may be on the rise, especially the serum CRP and SAA levels are positively correlated with age; the serum S100, CRP, SAA and UA levels of overweight people may be higher than those of non-overweight people, especially the serum CRP, UA levels are positively correlated with BMI.

Objectives: To evaluate predictive values of serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for infection and mortality in patients with febrile neutropenia (FEN). Methods: Daily measurement of serum SAA and CRP levels of patients during antibiotherapy for FEN. Results: Sixty-five FEN episodes of 52 patients were evaluated. Median CRP and SAA levels on 1st day of FEN were 137 mg/L (23-420 mg/L) and 547 mg/L (11-1660 mg/L), respectively. For detection of infection of infection the sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of SAA at a level of >80 mg/L were as 100%, 48% and 100%. Whilethe sensitivity, PPV, and NPV of CRP at a level of >50mg/L were as 86%, 47% and 60%, respectively. Predictive values of initial SAA and CRP levels for infection didn’t differ significantly (CRP: p=0.24, SAA: p=0.39). SAA and CRP levels on the last day of FEN course were significant for infection and mortality (for infection: p=0.003 for CRP and p=0.026 for SAA; for mortality: p<0.001 for CRP and p=0.021 for SAA). Both initial and daily SAA and CRP levels correlated with each other positively and statistically significantly (p<0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) on the re ceiver operating character (ROC) curve for CRP and SAA were 0.72 (p=0.003, 95% CI: 0.59-0.86) and 0.68 (p=0.19, 95% CI: 0.54-0.82), respectively. Conclusions: Despite low predictive values in decision of initial therapy, these parameters would be helpful in decision of modification and evaluation of response to therapy. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 4(4): 128-135

BackgroundDissociation between the responses of a number of acute-phase proteins (APP) is well known. C reactive protein (CRP) levels have been used extensively to model disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis...

<h3>Background</h3> Dissociation between the responses of a number of acute-phase proteins (APP) is well known. C reactive protein (CRP) levels have been used extensively to model disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, biologic therapy reduce CRP levels, even without associated reductions in RA disease activity. Serum amyloid A (SAA) also models RA disease activity and has been suggested as a better biomarker for RA disease activity. <h3>Objectives</h3> To determine if SAA levels had better correlation with conventional clinical and serological assessments in RA than CRP and ESR. <h3>Methods</h3> A cross-sectional study was performed. Samples were analyzed from RA patients under biologic therapy of a reference hospital in northern Portugal. We compared the correlation between SAA, CRP and ESR levels with swollen and tender joints counts (SJC and TJC), DAS28-4v, SDAI, CDAI, HAQ and visual analogue scale for pain (VAS-P). Correlation was calculated using the Spearman rank correlation (r). P-values &lt;0.05 were regarded as significant. <h3>Results</h3> 173 patients were evaluated, 86.7% (n=150) were women. The mean (SD) age was 56 years (10.75). Mean disease duration was 16.31 years (8.87). Most of patients had positive serology (rheumatoid factor and/or anti-CCP antibody) (n=146, 84.4%). Ninety eight patients (56.6%) were under TNF antagonists, 23.7% (n=41) were under rituximab and the remaining under tocilizumab (TCZ). SAA levels were moderately correlated with CRP levels (r=0.49, p&lt;0.001) but there was no statistically significant correlation with ESR (r=0.03, p=0.75). Correlation analysis of SAA and CRP levels with several conventional assessments showed (SAA and CRP, respectively): SJC - 0.17 vs 0.08, TJC - 0.18 vs 0.09, DAS28-4v - 0.32 vs 0.41, SDAI - 0.23 vs 0.18, CDAI - 0.18 vs 0.11, ESR – 0.32 vs 0.55; all p values &lt;0.05 except SJC, TJC and SDAI for CRP values. There was no statistically significant correlation of these acute-phase protein with HAQ and VAS-P. ESR levels showed very weak correlation with all parameters (p&gt;0.05), except with DAS28-4v (r=0.58, p&lt;0.001). We also noted that SAA levels were raised (&gt;6.4mg/L) in 37.6% (n=65) of patients in which the CRP concentration was normal (&lt;0.3mg/dL). However, only 6% (n=11) with normal SAA levels had raised concentrations of CRP. When evaluated SAA and CRP levels in patients with active disease (DAS28-4v ³2.6, SDAI&gt;3.3 and CDAI&gt;2.8) we found more patients with normal CRP values than SAA (62 vs 26, 82 vs 32, 84 vs 33, respectively). Interestingly, when comparing the effects of biological therapy on APP we noted that in TCZ group the CRP, ESR and SAA levels were lower than in group under TNF antagonists and rituximab (p&lt;0.001 for all, Mann-Whitney test). <h3>Conclusions</h3> The lack of a strong correlation between SAA and CRP or ESR levels coupled with their better correlation with markers of RA activity suggests that changes in their levels may provide a more sensitive indicator of disease activity, especially during treatment with biologic therapy. <h3>Disclosure of Interest</h3> None declared

Timely, accurate diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) is hampered by the lack of effective circulating biomarkers. No single test has emerged that improves upon the commonly used biomarker cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) to discriminate PA from benign conditions effectively. The goals of this study were to validate two acute-phase proteins, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA), as biomarkers for PA and determine if the combination of haptoglobin, SAA, and CA 19-9 would improve PA diagnosis over CA 19-9 alone. Levels of haptoglobin, SAA, and CA 19-9 were measured in pretreatment sera from 75 PA patients, 32 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 42 patients with other benign pancreatic disease or biliary stricture, and 150 healthy control subjects by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or colorimetric binding assay. Relative levels of haptoglobin or SAA were compared between groups using analysis of variance. The diagnostic accuracy of serum haptoglobin and SAA levels were investigated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. Using classification tree analysis, an algorithm was developed that used haptoglobin, SAA, and CA 19-9 in a diagnostic screening panel. Both haptoglobin and SAA were significantly elevated in sera from PA patients compared to healthy control subjects (p<0.0001) and patients with chronic pancreatitis (p=0.01). Haptoglobin was significantly elevated in sera from PA patients relative to patients with other benign diseases (p=0.0015), whereas SAA fell short of significance in the same comparison (p=0.0508). ROC analysis indicated that haptoglobin [area under the curve (AUC)=0.792] was a better diagnostic marker than SAA (AUC=0.691) over multiple threshold cutoffs. Using specific cutoffs that minimized overall misclassification, haptoglobin yielded a sensitivity of 82.7% and a specificity of 71.1%, and SAA yielded a sensitivity of 34.7% and a specificity of 90.2% when discriminating PA cases from all non-PA controls. In the same sample set, CA 19-9 yielded a sensitivity of 77.3% and a specificity of 91.1%. Combining data from haptoglobin, SAA, and CA 19-9 in a diagnostic screening panel improved the overall accuracy when compared to CA 19-9 alone, yielding a sensitivity of 81.3% and a specificity of 95.5%. These data demonstrate that haptoglobin and SAA are useful for discriminating PA from benign conditions as well as healthy controls when used in a diagnostic screening panel. This study supports the use of combined biomarkers for improved accuracy in the diagnosis of PA.

BackgroundOccupational exposure to particles may be associated with increased inflammation of the airways. Animal experiments suggest that inhaled particles also induce a pulmonary acute phase response, leading to systemic circulation of acute phase proteins. Greenhouse workers are exposed to elevated levels of bioaerosols. The objective of this study is to assess whether greenhouse workers personal exposure to bioaerosol components was associated with serum levels of the acute phase proteins Serum Amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP).MethodsSAA and CRP levels were determined in serum sampled repeatedly from 33 greenhouse workers. Blood was drawn repeatedly on Mondays and Thursdays during work weeks. Acute phase protein levels were compared to levels in a comparison group of 42 people and related to individual exposure levels to endotoxin, dust, bacteria, fungi and β-glucan.ResultsSerum levels of SAA and CRP were not significantly different in greenhouse workers and a reference group, or on the two work days. In a mixed model, SAA levels were positively associated with endotoxin exposure levels (p = 0.0007). Results for fungi were not clear. CRP levels were positively associated with endotoxin exposures (p = 0.022). Furthermore, when workers were categorized into three groups based on SAA and CRP serum levels endotoxin exposure was highest in the group with the highest SAA levels and in the group with middle and highest CRP levels. SAA and CRP levels were elevated in workers with asthma.ConclusionGreenhouse workers did not have elevated serum levels of SAA and CRP compared to a reference group. However, occupational exposure to endotoxin was positively associated with serum levels of the acute phase proteins SAA and CRP. Preventive measures to reduce endotoxin exposure may be beneficial.

To assess the value of serum amyloid A (SAA), procalcitonin (PCT) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) complicated by pneumonia. We collected serum samples from patients with pneumonia, patients with PTB, patients with PTB complicated by pneumonia and patients with PTB complicated by sepsis hospitalized in our hospital between April, 2019 and April, 2020. Serum levels of SAA, PCT and hs-CRP were tested, and receiver- operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate their efficacy for predicting PTB with concurrent pneumonia and the possibility of differentiating PTB cases with pneumonia from those with sepsis using these 3 parameters. We also tested serum levels of SAA, PCT and hs-CRP in patients with PTB and those with PTB complicated by pneumonia admitted from May to July in 2020 to verify the accuracy of these 3 parameters combined for predicting the complication of PTB by pneumonia. Compared with the patients with PTB, the patients with pneumonia had significantly higher SAA and hs-CRP levels; serum SAA, PCT and hs-CRP levels were all significantly elevated in patients with PTB complicated by pneumonia (all P < 0.05). The levels of hs-CRP, white blood cell, D-dimer, FIB, APTT and neutrophil ratio were positively correlated with serum SAA level (all P < 0.05). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) for serum SAA, PCT, and hs-CRP were 0.762, 0.781, and 0.800, respectively, and their combined AUC was 0.849 (all P < 0.001). For predicting PTB complicated by pneumonia, SAA combined with PCT had the same sensitivity (53.85%) and specificity (90.48%) as SAA, PCT and hs-CRP all combined. Serum SAA and PCT levels were similar between PTB patients with pneumonia and those with sepsis. Combined detection of serum SAA and PCT levels can be helpful in the diagnosis of PTB complicated by pneumonia, but neither of them is capable of differentiating the complication of pneumonia from sepsis possibly due to influence by abnormal blood coagulation.

Background Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance is of prime importance in Kawasaki disease (KD). In this study, we examined the value and mechanism of serum amyloid A (SAA) level in predicting IVIG resistance in patients with KD. Methods SAA levels were measured in 497 consecutive patients with KD before IVIG therapy in the training set. The patients were divided into two groups (IVIG-responsive and IVIG-resistant) according to the American Heart Association (AHA) definition of IVIG resistance. Demographic, echocardiographic, and laboratory data were also retrospectively analyzed and tabulated to predict IVIG resistance. The predictive value of SAA was validated on test sets of prospective data. Cytokine microarrays were analyzed from 4 patients with resistant to IVIG, 4 patients with responsive to IVIG and 4 healthy volunteers. Results During the training set, 409 patients with KD were enrolled, of whom 43 (10.5%) were resistant to initial IVIG treatment and 47 (11.49%) had coronary artery lesions (CALs). Serum levels of SAA were higher in the IVIG resistant group compared to the IVIG responsive group, (380.00 [204.40–547.25] vs 230.85 [105.40–490.00] mg/L; p = .008). The values of total bilirubin, C-reactive protein, neutrophils, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, interleukin-6(IL-6), and procalcitonin were significantly higher in the IVIG-resistant group than in the IVIG-responsive group (p < .05); however, the lymphocytes, platelets, serum sodium levels, and duration of fever before IVIG therapy were significantly lower (p < .05). There was no significant difference in SAA levels between patients with KD with and without CALs. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that SAA (p = .008), neutrophils (p < .001), total bilirubin (p = .001), platelet count (p = .004), and serum sodium level (p = .019) were independent factors influencing IVIG resistance. The optimal cutoff value of SAA for IVIG resistance prediction was 252.45 mg/L, with a corresponding clinical sensitivity of 69.8% and specificity of 54.4%. Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, the area under the curve (AUC) of combined detection with these five indicators was 0.800, clinical sensitivity was 69.8%, and specificity was 76.2%. In the prospective data, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of SAA for identifying IVIG resistance KD were 77.8%,69.0%, and 70.0%, respectively. Compared with IVIG- responsive group and healthy children, the levels of IL-6 was upregulated significantly in IVIG-resistant group through cytokine microarrays. Conclusions SAA may be a potential biomarker for predicting IVIG responsiveness to KD, Combined detection of SAA levels, total bilirubin, neutrophil count, platelet count, and serum sodium levels is superior to that of any other single indicator for predicting IVIG resistance in KD. And elevated SAA may accompany with IL-6 in KD patients, its use in clinical practice may be helpful for treatment management.

Acute phase proteins, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, nitric oxide and oxidative stress markers in horses with cutaneous habronemosis under field condition

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for predicting acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: One hundred and seventy-five AAD patients and 160 patients with acute coronary syndrome (disease control group) who were admitted to Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Hospital of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2018 to June 2020 were retrospectively selected. Meanwhile, 148 healthy subjects (healthy control group) who underwent physical examination were also enrolled. The latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay and the latex immunoturbidimetric assay were used to determine the serum SAA and CRP levels of all subjects, and related clinical data were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the independent risk factors, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to calculate the diagnostic value of SAA and CRP for predicting AAD. Results: The levels of SAA and CRP in the AAD patient group ((165.7±7.4) mg/L and (76.0±4.0)mg/L) were significantly higher than those of the healthy control group ((6.5±0.4) mg/L and (3.9±0.2) mg/L) and the disease control group ((27.2±1.3) mg/L and (9.4±3.2) mg/L), with significant differences (all P<0.05). Compared with patients less than 60 years, levels of SAA and CRP in AAD patients over 60 years old decreased ((150.6±12.7) mg/L and (73.9±7.3) mg/L), and there were significant differences (both P<0.05). Likewise, SAA levels in AAD patients with high-risk pain characteristics over 6 h increased compared to those with pain less than 6 h, and there was a significant difference (P<0.05). SAA was positively correlated with CRP (r=0.053 4, P<0.05). ROC analysis showed that SAA and CRP levels were independently related to the risk of AAD (P=0.001), and the ROC curve of SAA for predicting AAD showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of type A aortic dissection (TAAD) and type B aortic dissection (TBAD) were 0.997 and 0.995, respectively (both P<0.001). And the ROC curve of CRP for predicting AAD demonstrated that the AUC of TAAD and TBAD were 0.998 and 0.991, respectively (both P<0.001). The best cut-off values of SAA and CRP for predicting AAD were 175.17 mg/L and 72.96 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: Increased levels of SAA and CRP have high predictive value for AAD, and SAA combined with CRP is expected to serve as a laboratory marker to assist the diagnosis of AAD.

Background Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a common pathogen of community‐acquired pneumonia in children. In the present study, serum amyloid A (SAA), C‐reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in children with MP infection were analyzed and the differential diagnoses of MP evaluated.MethodsThe study included 152 children with MP infection hospitalized in Tai’an Central Hospital in Shandong Province and 50 healthy children as controls. SAA, CRP, and PCT, as well as serum immunoglobulins and T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed during the acute and convalescent phases. Among the MP‐infected children, 30 cases were selected to monitor the SAA, immunoglobulins, and T lymphocyte subset levels for a week.ResultsThe SAA, CRP, PCT, IgA, and IgM levels were significantly higher in the MP‐infected group than in the control group (F (SAA) = 83.91, p < 0.05; F (CRP) = 40.79, p < 0.05; F (PCT) = 60.58, p < 0.05; F (IgA) = 43.45, p < 0.05; F (IgM) = 233.88, p < 0.05). In addition, the levels of these factors were significantly higher in the acute phase than in the convalescent phase (p < 0.05). However, significant difference was not observed in the IgG level between these two groups (p > 0.05). The CD3+ and CD4+ levels in the MP‐infected group were lower than in the control group ( F (CD3+)= 60.58, P < 0.05; F (CD4+) = 89.05, p < 0.05), and the CD8+ level was higher than in the control group ( F (CD8+)= 96.96, p < 0.05). The CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ levels were significantly different between the acute phase and the convalescent phase (CD3+: acute phase vs. convalescent phase, q = 2.79, p < 0.05; CD4+: acute phase vs. convalescent phase, q = 2.83, p < 0.05; CD8+: acute phase vs. convalescent phase, q = 3.15, p < 0.05). The changes in serum SAA levels in the MP‐infected group positively correlated with the changes in IgA, IgM, and CD8+ levels and negatively correlated with CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+.ConclusionSAA, CRP, and PCT were specific markers for diagnosing early MP infection in children. These findings are important in the differential diagnosis of MP infection and clinical guidance for MP treatment.

To explore serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as potential diagnostic biomarkers for gastric cancer (GCa) and the application value of the combined diagnosis of SAA, IL6, and Cancer embryonic antigen. Serum samples were collected before the initial surgery from 159 patients comprising samples from 122 patients with GCa and 37 patients with benign gastric disease. All patients were hospitalized at Beijing Aerospace General Hospital in China between 2018 and 2020. The IL-6 and SAA levels were assessed using standard laboratory protocols. The levels of SAA and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with GCa than in controls. Compared with the healthy group, the concentration of SAA and IL-6 in FIGO III–IV group were significantly higher and the difference were statistically significant. In addition, significant differences were observed between the FIGO III–IV group and FIGO I–II groups. The Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the combined detection of SAA, IL-6, and Cancer embryonic antigen showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.948, sensitivity of 91.0%, and specificity of 89.2%. Spearman’s correlation analysis indicated obvious correlations among the levels of serum SAA, IL-6, advanced FIGO stage, lymphatic invasion, and distant metastasis. AA and IL-6 may serve as useful biomarkers for poor prognosis of GCa. Clinical diagnosis combined with SAA and IL-6 may help assess therapeutic outcomes.

Background Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute-phase protein that activates immune cells and induces cytokines and chemokine. SAA levels in the blood have been reported to be elevated in case of inflammation, infections, neoplasia, and tissue injury. This study measured the SAA in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and evaluated the association between the severity of AD and their values. Patients and methods A total of 52 patients with AD (22 males and 30 females) were involved in our study. Subjects were characterized as having atopic eczema (eAD; n=25) extrinsic type AD or nonatopic (iAD; n=27) intrinsic AD by serum immunoglobulin E level. Serum soluble IL-2R (IL-2R) and SAA levels were measured. Results The serum SAA levels was detectable in all patients with AD, showing significantly higher levels (P=0.026) in the patients with eAD (207 pg/ml; 95% confidence interval: 172–242 pg/ml) compared with those with iAD (144 pg/ml; 95% confidence interval: 116–178 pg/ml). The serum SAA levels were significantly correlated with eosinophil counts and sIL-2R levels and showed a tendency to correlate with SCORAD index and serum immunoglobulin E levels. Conclusion These results suggest SAA level as a parameter of AD activity and may support its possible role in the pathogenesis of AD.