Increase In Serum Values Research Articles

Increase of serum pancreatic enzymes during hospitalization for acute heart failure.

Acute heart failure (AHF) is associated with end-organ dysfunction. The effect of AHF on the pancreas has not been studied. We aim to evaluate serum markers of pancreatic damage during hospitalization for AHF. In data from the Pragmatic Urinary Sodium-based treatment algoritHm in Acute Heart Failure (PUSH-AHF) study, amylase and lipase values were extracted from available serum samples at baseline, and at 24 and 72hafter hospitalization. The differences between pancreatic enzymes between timepoints were evaluated using the Friedman test. Associations with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were tested using linear regression analysis. The study population consisted of 274 patients. Mean age was 73±11years, and 117 (43%) were women. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 38±14%; 53 (19%) patients had HF with a preserved LVEF (≥50%). At baseline, median amylase and lipase were within normal range (47 [33-63] U/L and 30 [21-44] U/L, respectively). Both enzymes significantly increased in the first 72h (P-value for trend <0.001); mean change was 9±22U/L for amylase, and 10±22U/L for lipase. Moreover, NT-proBNP at baseline showed a positive correlation with mean change in pancreatic enzymes in 72h (P=0.02 for amylase and P=0.006 for lipase). Patients admitted for AHF exhibited a significant increase in serum values of pancreatic enzymes in the first 72h, suggesting that an episode of AHF affects the pancreatic tissue. This rise in pancreatic enzymes was associated with HF severity, as reflected by NT-proBNP.

Serum cardiac troponin i and lactate as prognostic markers of Canine African Trypanosomiasis

The study was aimed at understanding the nature and pattern of serum lactate, cardiac troponin I changes associated with acute Trypanosoma brucei infection of dogs. It also seeks to investigate the usefulness of these biomarkers in monitoring disease progression and predicting mortality. Twenty healthy adult dogs of both sexes were used for the study. All the dogs were intra-peritoneally inoculated with 1ml of phosphate buffered saline diluted blood containing 1x106 of Lafenwa strain of T. brucei. The serum lactate, cardiac troponin I, potassium, sodium, chloride and bicarbonate were monitored before and at 16 and 24 days after infection. There was a progressive increase in serum values of lactate, cardiac troponin I and potassium at various days after infection. A significant association was found between lactate and heart rate, chloride and heart rate, potassium and cardiac troponin I. This result has shown that there could be myocardial damage due to hypoxia of anemia and hypo-perfusion in canine African trypanosomiasis. The progressive increase in serum lactate and cardiac troponin I could help in predicting severity and outcome of Canine African Trypanosomiasis. The Lactic acidosis may increase ventilation drive and consequently the heart rates of infected dogs.

COVID-19 AND THE THYROID FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH HCV- ASSOCIATED HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA.

COVID-19 is more than a respiratory infection, with deep implications regarding multiple systems and organs. Thyroid damage is frequent in COVID-19 and may overlap previous HCV or HCC associated diseases. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of COVID-19 in patients with HCV associated HCC and thyroid comorbidities. We performed a retrospective study of the thyroid function tests and autoantibodies in patients with HCV-associated HCC prior and during COVID-19. We included 52 consecutive patients with HCV-associated HCC and documented thyroid disease, diagnosed with COVID -19 between April and October 2020. Serum values of thyroid-stimulating hormone, free T3, free T4, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and anti-thyroid peroxydase antibodies were determined and compared to baseline levels. At baseline, 44 patients had positive antithyroid antibodies, 6 had hypothyroidism in substitution and 2 had hyperthyroidism under treatment. During COVID-19 we found an increase in serum values of antithyroid antibodies, and decreased levels of TSH, freeT3 and freeT4 levels. Specific therapies were discontinued in one patient with hyperthyroidism and 3 patients with hypothyroidism. There is a significant impact of COVID-19 on the thyroid homeostasis; a long-term prognostic value for patients with HCC infected with COVID-19 required further extensive research.

Effect of Physical Fitness and Endurance Exercise on Indirect Biomarkers of Recombinant Growth Hormone Misuse: Insulin-Like Growth Factor I and Procollagen Type III Peptide

Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and procollagen type III peptide (P-III-P) have been proposed as indirect biomarkers of rhGH misuse in sports. The purpose of the present study was to investigate concentrations of these biomarkers in athletes at different levels of physical fitness and endurance exercise. Serum total IGF-I and P-III-P were measured in 96 elite athletes of various sports along the training season; in 21 recreational athletes at baseline non-exercising conditions and in another 129 recreational athletes before and after long-distance races (10 and 21 km). No differences were evidenced for IGF-I concentrations, but statistically higher values of serum P-III-P were found in elite athletes compared to recreational ones. Among elite athletes, the specific sport did not affect serum IGF-I. However, P-III-P was statistically higher in the sport performed by the youngest athletes (rhythmic gymnastics), even after correction of the logarithm of the concentration by the reciprocal of age. Over the training season, the within-athlete variabilities of IGF-I and P-III-P in elite athletes were low (22.8 % and 21.7 %, respectively). Recreational athletes taking part in a 21 km competition race showed a significant increase in serum values of IGF-I and P-III-P immediately after the event. Exercise workload and age had a significant effect on serum concentration of P-III-P, while age alone affected IGF-I serum concentrations. Therefore, athlete's reference concentration ranges for doping detection should include subjects from as many different ages and sports as possible.

Activities of Diagnostic Enzymes and Lipid Content in Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Blood Vessels

Al-Qarawi A. A., H. A. Abdel-Rahman, S. A. El-Mougy: Activities of Diagnostic Enzymes and Lipid Content in Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Blood Vessels . Acta Vet. Brno 2002: 71: 19-22. A number of tissue enzymes are a valuable tool as diagnostic agents. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), glutamyl transpeptidase (GGP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), in addition to cholesterol and triglycerides are demonstrated to be constituents of some of the major camel blood vessels. Any damage to these blood vessels could result in a significant increase in serum values becoming a valuable diagnostic tool for vascular diseases. The enzyme activities in the blood vessels of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius), were measured. The blood vessels were the aorta abdominalis, vena cava caudalis, arteria carotis communis, arteria coronaria dextra, vena jugularis dextra, arteria pulmonalis dextra, vena pulmonalis dextra, arteria renalis, arteria plantaris medialis dextra, vena plantaris medialis dextra. The results indicated extremely elevated activities of the enzymes ALP, ALT, AST, CK, GGT LDH (8.47, 300.93, 17.12, 1.71, 10.94 and 411.11 nKat⋅g‐1, respectively) and lipids CHO and TG (12.03 and 6.9 mmol·g, respectively) in the a. coronaria dextra. At the same time there was no evidence for any difference between the arteries and veins. Thus, our results provides the first preliminary reference values of some diagnostic enzymes in the blood vessel wall that may be used when evaluating damage to the vasculature resulting in the leakage of the enzymes and lipids. Blood vessels, camel, enzymes, cholesterol, triglycerides

Predicting and Monitoring of Growth in Children with Short Stature during the First Year of Growth Hormone Treatment

Fifteen prepubertal short stature children (10 girls, 5 boys), mean age 9.6 years (range 5.2-12.7 years), with normal response to growth hormone stimulation tests (group A) or partial growth hormone deficiency (GHD) of idiopathic nature (group B) were included in a controlled longitudinal study for evaluation of predictive parameters for the long-term growth response after administration of biosynthetic human growth hormone (B-hGH). The average knee-heel length velocity for the first 3 months was significantly correlated to total body height velocity during the following 9 months (p less than 0.0008). By contrast, this association could not be found for height velocity during the same period. The increase in serum values of alkaline phosphatase and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) during the first month of treatment was not significantly correlated to height velocity during the first year. During one year of treatment with B-hGH the mean height velocity for groups A and B increased from 4.4 cm/year (range 2.5-6.5) to 7.6 cm/year (range 4.7-10.6). Bone age advanced by 1.08 +/- 0.60 per chronological year. The ratio between total height and knee-heel length prior to treatment was 3.34 +/- 0.10 and after one year 3.33 +/- 0.10, suggesting a proportional linear growth. An inverse relationship was observed between the ratio and chronological age. In conclusion, early knee-heel measurement may be a useful non-invasive predictor of long-term linear growth in children during treatment with growth hormone, and the ratio of total height to lower leg length may be of importance in detecting dysproportional growth.

Effects of Metrizoate and Iohexol on the Liver at Visceral Angiography

Hepatic angiography was performed in a double-blind two-group study in 60 patients using iohexol 350 mg I/ml and metrizoate 350 mg I/ml. A slight increase in serum values of hepatic enzymes was found when metrizoate was used, particularly in patients with impaired liver function. Iohexol gave considerably less pain and sensation of heat than did metrizoate. A non-expected significant increase of creatine kinase was recorded when iohexol was used. The reason for this is not yet known.