Serum Levels Of Bcl-2 Research Articles

Bcl-2 and caspase-9 serum levels in children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy and active seizures.

In the present study we investigated the levels of proapoptotic caspase-9 and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins in the sera of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy and tried to relate the findings to the patients' clinical parameters. This retrospective study consisted of 118 children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy, categorized according to type and number of seizures, duration of the disease and the control of seizures and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. The relapse of seizures was taken into consideration. Mean serum level between Bcl-2 and caspase-9 was significantly higher only in Bcl-2 patients, compared to controls (P≤0.0001) and (P=0.987) respectively. Significant difference in Bcl-2 level was found among the different types of focal seizures. Caspase-9 level was statistically different in patients with two or more seizures per month compared to those with one seizure per month (P=0.048). No correlation was found between Bcl-2 and caspase-9 levels and age, gender, seizure frequency, total number of seizures and the duration of epilepsy. No significant difference was found in patients with and without drug treatment. Bcl-2 displays an association with apoptosis and highlights the potential of being a surrogate biomarker for active seizures and epilepsy. There is a significant difference in Bcl-2 serum level among the different types of focal seizures. Proapoptotic caspase-9 cannot act as a marker of active seizures and epilepsy. Caspase-9 serum level is increased acutely in controlled cases after a single relapse.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Cell Apoptotic Pathways in Patients with HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis: A Systematic Review.

We aimed to verify the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic cell apoptotic pathways on the inhibition of cellular apoptosis in patients with tropical spastic paralysis/myelopathy related to human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1. The databases accessed were PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science. Neither the time of publishing nor the language of the articles was limited. The descriptors used for this systematic literature review were: Tropical Paraparesis, Proto-Oncogenic Protein C, Bcl-2, Bcl-X Protein, Bax protein, Fas ligand (FasL) protein, Fas receptor, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD)-like apoptosis regulating. The search resulted in 546 articles from which 9 articles were selected for analysis; ranging from serum levels of Bcl-2, Fas and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the levels of cellular expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL the TCD4+ lymphocytes accessed by western blot. Most studies accessed either gene expression or polymorphism of Fas, FasL, and TRAIL in patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), whereas one study used flow cytometry and fluorescence to determine Fas expression. Increased Bcl-xL expression inhibited T lymphocyte apoptosis, whereas Bcl-2, serum levels, and cellular expression did not influence T lymphocyte apoptosis and serum levels of Fas were significantly higher and associated with markers of leukocyte activation in patients with HAM/TSP. In addition, Fas polymorphism (FAS-670AA) was associated with higher proviral load. There is a need for additional research on this issue since the number of patients was small and the studies presented higher heterogeneity.

The Effect of Phototherapy on Apaptosisin Hyperbilirubinemic Preterm Neonates

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of hyperbilirubinemia and Intensive phototherapy on apaptosis in peripheral blood of preterm infants. Patients and Method: The study was conducted on 18 preterm infants with non-hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia and 9 control healthy preterm infants. Apaptosismarkers (anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2, and pro-apoptotic protein BAX) was assessed using ELISA technique. Blood samples wereobtained at enrollment in all infants and after24 hours of exposure to intensive phototherapy in jaundiced infants. Result: Before phototherapy, no significant difference in the serum levels of bcl2 and Bax protein between jaundiced and non-jaundiced preterm infants (P = 0.570, p= 0.329 respectively), After phototherapy The serum levels of Bcl2 decrease while The serum levels of BAX increased significantly (P=0.003, p<0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Hyperbilirubinemia does not influence apaptosis whereas intensive phototherapy do in preterm infants with hyperbilirubinemia.

The Study of Programmed Death-1 Receptor, Programmed Death-1 Ligand (Pd-1/Pd-L1) and Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Patients: A Potential Mechanism of Immune Escape

Introduction: The associations between programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and the prognosis of various cancers have always been a research topic of considerable interest.However, the prognostic value of PD-L1 in breast cancer patients remains a controversial subject. We aimed to evaluate the role of programmed death-1 receptor and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) expressing lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes, as potential mechanism of immune escape in breast cancer patients. Also, serum levels of Bcl-2 were analyzed among patients with different stages of breast cancer. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on a total of seventy-five females; fifty-five of them represented the breast cancer females at early (24 females) and advanced (31 females) stages and 20 ages matched female donors represented the control group. Patients were recruited from the Cancer Research and Management Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University. Venous blood samples obtained from all females under study were used for determination of PD-1/PD-L1 expression using flowcytometry technique and measurement of Bcl-2 serum levels using ELISA technique. Results: Significantly higher expression levels of PD-L1 were found in patients with positive lymph node, advanced tumor stage, histological grade II, tumor size T2, ER, PR, Her-2 negativity and TNBC subtype. Whilst a general increase in PD-1 positive expression between the breast cancer patients and control group regarding percentage and MFI of positive PD-1 expressing monocytes and granulocytes. Also, the results showed a highly significant association between PD-1+ and PD-L1+ expression in early and advanced breast cancer patients (p<0.0001). There was a significant increase in the mean of Bcl-2 serum concentration in patients compared to healthy individuals. Finally, the results showed that Bcl-2 serum concentration correlated positively with positive PD-L1+ expressing granulocytes. While the correlation between serum Bcl-2 and PD-1+ expressing lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes did not show any statistical significance. Conclusions: Our study suggested that PD-L1 could serve as an important target for antibody based immunotherapies, especially in the TNBC, where treatment options are limited. The direct correlation between PD-L1+ expression and serum Bcl-2 concentration may explore a role of apoptotic machinery in the pathogenesis of breast cancer.

The Cardioprotective Effects of Remote Ischemic Conditioning in a Rat Model of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BackgroundCardiac remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a noninvasive cardioprotective method in ischemia-reperfusion injury and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of RIC in a rat model of AMI.Material/MethodsAdult male Sprague-Dawley rats included the AMI group that underwent ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery (n=24), the RIC group that consisted the AMI rat model treated with RIC once daily in the left hind limb until days 1, 7 and 14 (n=24), and the sham group (n=24). Myocardial infarct size was measured by routine histology with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and Masson’s trichrome histochemical staining for myocardial necrosis and fibrosis, respectively. Serum levels of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The apoptosis index was detected using the TUNEL assay. Spectrophotometry of the myocardium was used to identify mitochondrial complexes and myocardial ATP.ResultsThe RIC group showed improved cardiac hemodynamics, reduced the size of the myocardial infarction, upregulated expression of Bcl-2, and down-regulation of the levels of Bax, caspase-3, and iNOS, and reduced cardiac myocyte apoptosis and inhibited the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP).ConclusionsIn a rat model of AMI, RIC improved the hemodynamic index, reduce the levels of apoptosis and myocardial injury, and improved mitochondrial function.

Effect of serum containing Xihuang pill on proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 Cells

To study the effect of serum containing Xihuang pill on the proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 and the gene and protein expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, TP53, in order to explore the effect and mechanism of Xihuang pill in resisting breast cancer. The serum of the rats was prepared by the method of MTT assay. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by RT-PCR. The serum levels of Bcl-2 and Bax and the mRNA expression of TP53 were detected by immunofluorescence. The rats with serum containing Xihuang pill could inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-435 cells and MCF-7 cells (P<0.05). The serum containing Xihuang pill increased TP53 and Bax in MDA-MB-435 cells (P<0.05), and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the serum containing Xihuang pill could up-regulate the mRNA expression of Bax in MCF-7 cells and decrease the expression of Bcl (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the expression of TP53mRNA and Bax protein expressions after the treatment of MCF-7 cells with Xihuang pill serum. Serum containing Xihuang pill can induce the apoptosis of human breast cancer cells, and the mechanism of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cell apoptosis may be induced by up-regulating the mRNA expression of TP53, which can induce the expression of Bax and promote the metastasis of Bax to mitochondria, and ultimately play the role of inducing apoptosis.

Bcl-2 and Caspase-9 serum levels in children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy and active seizures

In the present study we investigated the levels of proapoptotic caspase-9 and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins in the sera of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy and tried to relate the findings to the patients' clinical parameters. This retrospective study consisted of 118 children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy, categorized according to type and number of seizures, duration of the disease and the control of seizures and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. The relapse of seizures was taken into consideration. Mean serum level between Bcl-2 and caspase-9 was significantly higher only in Bcl-2 patients, compared to controls (P≤0.0001) and (P=0.987) respectively. Significant difference in Bcl-2 level was found among the different types of focal seizures. Caspase-9 level was statistically different in patients with two or more seizures per month compared to those with one seizure per month (P=0.048). No correlation was found between Bcl-2 and caspase-9 levels and age, gender, seizure frequency, total number of seizures and the duration of epilepsy. No significant difference was found in patients with and without drug treatment. Bcl-2 displays an association with apoptosis and highlights the potential of being a surrogate biomarker for active seizures and epilepsy. There is a significant difference in Bcl-2 serum level among the different types of focal seizures. Proapoptotic caspase-9 cannot act as a marker of active seizures and epilepsy. Caspase-9 serum level is increased acutely in controlled cases after a single relapse.

Bcl-2 associated with severity of manic symptoms in bipolar patients in a manic phase

B cell lymphoma protein-2 (Bcl-2) may contribute to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder, and may be involved in the therapeutic action of anti-manic drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of Bcl-2 in bipolar patients in a manic phase, and evaluate the Bcl-2 changes after treatment. We consecutively enrolled 23 bipolar inpatients in a manic phase and 40 healthy subjects; 20 bipolar patients were followed up with treatment. Serum Bcl-2 levels were measured with assay kits. All 20 patients were evaluated by examining the correlation between Bcl-2 levels and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores, using Spearman׳s correlation coefficients. The serum Bcl-2 levels in bipolar patients in a manic phase were higher than in healthy subjects, but without a significant difference. The YMRS scores were significantly negatively associated with serum Bcl-2 levels (p=0.042). Bcl-2 levels of the 20 bipolar patients were measured at the end of treatment. Using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, we found no significant difference in the Bcl-2 levels of bipolar patients after treatment. Our results suggest that Bcl-2 levels might be an indicator of severity of manic symptoms in bipolar patients in a manic phase.

The effect of ACTH&lt;sub&gt;4-10&lt;/sub&gt;Pro&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;Gly&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;Pro&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt; and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor in moderate head injury: clinical outcome and serum Bcl-2 concentration

Background: An important component of brain tissue damage is apoptotic neuronal death. Bcl-2 is an anti-apoptotic protein, which inhibits the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. ACTH4-10Pro8Gly9Pro10 and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor are known for their neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to compare the effect of standard therapy, ACTH4-10Pro8Gly9Pro10, and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (simvastatin 40 mg/day) on serum Bcl-2 levels, clinical outcome, and reduction of hospital stay. Methods: Sixty subjects with moderate head injury without any indication for surgery were taken consecutively and separated into three groups: standard treatment only (control group), standard treatment combined with ACTH4-10Pro8Gly9Pro10, and standard treatment combined with inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. Blood samples were taken on day-1 and day-5 from each subject for measurement of Bcl-2 concentration. Barthel Index and MMSE were measured at discharge and hospital length of stay was noted. Difference in mean was analyzed with one way ANOVA and correlation between Bcl-2 and clinical outcome was measured with Pearson correlation test. Results: Bcl-2 serum levels on day-1 and day-5 were tespectively as follows: in control group were 1.39 ± 0.75 and 1.48 ± 0.77 ng/mL; in ACTH4-10Pro8Gly9Pro10 group 1.39 ± 0.70 and 3.70 ± 1.01 ng/mL which was significantly higher compared to other groups and associated with the shortest length of stay. In simvastatin group, 1.53 ± 0.55 and 2.17 ± 0.56 ng/mL. We found the length of stay in the ACTH4-10Pro8Gly9Pro10 group to be significantly shorter (p &lt; 0.001). The correlation of clinical outcome (Barthel index and MMSE) with serum Bcl-2 levels was not significant. Conclusion: ACTH4-10Pro8Gly9Pro10 significantly increased serum Bcl-2 concentration in head injury and associated with shorter length of stay. An increase of serum Bcl-2 concentration was also found in simvastatin group, but it was not significant. (Med J Indones. 2013;22:221-6. doi: 10.13181/mji.v22i4.604)

Bcl-2 associated with positive symptoms of schizophrenic patients in an acute phase

B cell lymphoma protein-2 (Bcl-2) may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in the brain. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of Bcl-2 in schizophrenic patients in an acute phase, and evaluate Bcl-2 level changes after antipsychotic treatment. We consecutively enrolled 41 schizophrenia patients in an acute phase; 28 were followed up with a 4-week antipsychotic treatment. Serum Bcl-2 levels were measured with assay kits. All patients were evaluated by examining the correlation between Bcl-2 levels and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores, using Pearson correlation coefficients. In schizophrenic patients in an acute phase, positive PANSS subscores were significantly negatively correlated with Bcl-2 levels. In addition, we found Bcl-2 levels had a significantly negative correlation with PANSS total scores and positive subscores in male patients in an acute phase. Using the paired t-test, we found no significant changes in Bcl-2 levels in schizophrenia patients who had received the 4-week treatment with antipsychotic drugs (n=28). In conclusion, our results suggest that Bcl-2 might be an indicator of schizophrenia severity in the acute phase. In addition, Bcl-2 levels might be associated with positive symptoms in male patients with schizophrenia.

P03-202 - Serum levels of BCL-2 protein in patients with schizophrenia

In order to identify a patophysiological mechanism that could explain the progressive elements of schizophrenia and its relationship with neurodevelopment, oxidant stress, glutamate excitotoxicity, neurochemical sensitisation and a disregulation of apoptosis were considered.To test apoptotic process in schizophrenia, Bcl-2 protein was determined in sera from 30 patients with schizophrenia and from 30 age and gender matched healthy subjects by an ELISA method. Although mean serum Bcl-2 protein concentration in patients with schizophrenia was lower than in healthy volunteers, there was no any significant difference between patient (0.276 ± 0.07 ng/mL) and control (0.332 ± 0.22 ng/mL) values. No significant difference was found between males and females. Similar Bcl-2 concentrations were obtained in the group showing almost equally positive and negative symptoms, in the group with a relative predomination of positive symptoms and in the group with a relative predomination of negative symptoms. Serum Bcl-2 protein concentration in patients treated with first generation antipsychotics was 0.301 ± 0.075 ng/mL, and it was significantly higher in comparison with the values obtained in patients receiving the second generation antipsychotics (0.233 ± 0.052 ng/mL, p&lt; 0.05). A significant correlation was found between serum levels of Bcl-2 and FasL (r = 0.418, p &lt; 0.01). There was not any significant correlation between serum Bcl-2 concentration and heredity, the first onset of the disease, the number of psychotic episodes and the duration of psychosis. To our knowledge to date, this has been the first demonstration of Bcl-2 concentration in sera of patients with schizophrenia, showing significantly different values between patients treated with typical or atypical antipsychotics.

Serum Bcl-2 concentrations in overweight-obese subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

To shed some light on the relationship between anti-apoptotic serum Bcl-2 concentrations and metabolic status, anthropometric parameters, inflammation indices, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease severity were investigated in 43 young individuals with fatty liver (FL) and 41 with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Circulating levels of Bcl-2 were detected in 84 patients with ultrasonographic findings of "bright liver" and/or hyper-transaminasemia of unknown origin and/or increase in γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (γ-GT) strictly in the absence of other acute or chronic liver disease, whose age was not advanced, who gave consent to liver biopsy and were then divided on the basis of the histological results into two groups (43 with FL and 41 with NASH). Twenty lean subjects, apparently healthy and young, were chosen as controls. Serum Bcl-2 concentrations were significantly higher in the FL group than in the NASH group. Insulin resistance and γ-GT activity were significantly higher in NASH subjects. Apoptotic hepatocytes were significantly more numerous in NASH patients. NASH patients presented with larger spleens and augmented C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations than healthy subjects. Steatosis grade at histology was similar in both NASH and FL populations. The number of apoptotic cells was significantly related to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein values in FL patients. Bcl-2 serum levels positively correlated to body mass index (BMI) values (P ≤ 0.0001) but not to age of the population. Triglycerides/HDL ratio correlated well to waist circumference in males (P = 0.0008). γ-GT activity was associated with homeostatic metabolic assessment (HOMA) (P = 0.0003) and with serum ferritin (P = 0.02). Bcl-2 concentrations were not related to either spleen size or CRP values. NASH patients presented a weak negative correlation between lobular inflammation and Bcl-2 levels. A prediction by low values of serum Bcl-2 towards a greater presence of metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese patients (MUOs) was evidenced. HOMA, BMI and uric acid, in that sequence, best predicted serum Bcl-2 concentrations. MUOs could be detected by Bcl-2 levels. By favoring the life span of hepatocytes, and enhancing triglyceride formation, the anti-apoptotic process inhibits free fatty acids toxicity in FL.

An Immunohistochemistry Study of Tissue Bcl‐2 Expression and Its Serum Levels in Breast Cancer Patients

Variations in Bcl-2 expression have been reported in malignant tissues with various origins. In the case of breast cancer, the involvement of Bcl-2 overexpression in tumorigenicity and metastatic potential has been stated. However, association of tumor progression and loss of Bcl-2 in tumor cells is also being investigated. Augmentation of plasma levels of Bcl-2 was speculated in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The present study was designed to evaluate Bcl-2 protein expression in breast tumor paraffin-embedded fixed tissue and sought to investigate association with the Bcl-2 protein release in patient serum, as well as its relationship with clinicopathological features. Immunohistochemistry methods were applied to breast tumor sections from 35 surgically removed patient samples and 35 normal or benign tissue samples. The sera taken from both the patient and control groups were tested for soluble Bcl-2 (BMs244/3 Kit) using ELISA technique. Tumor type, grade, and size and patient menopause status and age were considered to analyze the association between these parameters. The analysis shows that 67.6% of the tumor sections were positive for Bcl-2 expression and 32.4% negative. Bcl-2 protein expression was positive in 57.1% of normal/benign section tumors. The Bcl-2 serum levels were 3.6 +/- 1.1 ng/mL in the patient group and 3.23 +/- 0.06 ng/mL in the control group. A weak correlation was found between Bcl-2 serum levels and tissue expression of the molecules (r= 0.382, P= 0.049). A negative association (but not statically significant) was obtained between Bcl-2 and low-grade stages (r=-0.375, P= 0.08). A positive and significant correlation was shown between Bcl-2 and menopause (r= 0.523, P= 0.005) and between age and serum Bcl-2 (r= 0.488, P= 0.011). Although a majority of the breast tumor tissue expresses Bcl-2, the mean Bcl-2 serum levels were not different between patient and control groups. The present data would lead us to use the Bcl-2 expression in tissue at the level of protein expression or would suggest the use of mRNA levels, but the use of serum levels would be very limited for clinical purposes.

Serum levels of bcl-2 and cellular oxidative stress in patients with viral hepatitis

This study was conducted to investigate the presence of bcl-2 protein in the serum of patients with viral hepatitis and to find out if there is any correlation between bcl-2 protein levels and cellular oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis. This study was carried out on 130 patients with viral hepatitis, 70 with chronic hepatitis, 30 with liver cirrhosis and 30 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in addition to 20 healthy persons as the control. Serum bcl-2 protein was estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and antioxidant enzymes (GSH, GSH-px, GR and SOD) were measured using spectrophotometric analysis. bcl-2 protein level was significantly elevated in the serum of HCC, cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis groups as compared to control group. There were significant positive correlations between higher bcl-2 protein level and viral hepatitis markers (HBsAg, anti-HCV antibodies) in HCC and cirrhotic patients as compared to chronic hepatitis group. An increase in oxidative stress markers (MDA, NO) and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GSH and GSH-px) were observed. However, there was a negative correlation between bcl-2 levels and GR in all studied patient groups. The release of oxidative free radicals, deficiency in antioxidant enzymes and the expression of bcl-2 protein might play a role in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis. The ability to measure bcl-2 protein in the serum could be useful as a prognostic marker of cancer patients.

Glomerular expression and elevated serum Bcl-2 and Fas proteins in lupus nephritis: preliminary findings

Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is involved in glomerular injuries leading to glomerulonephritis. Bcl-2 and Fas are proteins that promote cell survival and death, respectively. This study tests the hypothesis that lupus nephritis is associated with alterations of Bcl-2 and Fas protein expression. Thirty-six patients with lupus nephritis and 10 controls (normal individuals) were included in this study. Bcl-2 and Fas positive cells were examined in kidney biopsies by immunohistochemistry. Bcl-2 and Fas serum levels were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the glomeruli of normal kidneys, Bcl-2 and Fas proteins were completely absent. In lupus nephritis patients, glomerular expression of Bcl-2 and Fas was seen in mesangial cells (1.3 +/- 0.1 and 2.0 +/- 0.1 for Bcl-2 and Fas, respectively). Similarly, a statistically significantly higher Bcl-2 (217.1 +/- 85.9) and Fas (767.9 +/- 271) serum levels were found in lupus patients compared to controls (148.6 +/- 87, 550.3 +/- 91 for Bcl-2 and Fas, P < 0.05). A direct correlation between serum Bcl-2 and Fas and chronicity index was also found. Compared to normal controls, lupus nephritis is associated with glomerular expression and elevated serum levels of Bcl-2 and Fas proteins. These findings suggest possible roles for Bcl-2 and Fas in glomerular injury during evolution of lupus nephritis. The diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic ramifications of our findings are open to further investigation.

Serum level of IL13 and expression of BCL2 in Behcet’s disease

Background BD: BCL2 family is a large family of apoptosis regulating proteins consisting of both blockers and promoters of cell death. Immunological processes and a variety of cytokines may play a role in pathophysiological process. Defective regulation of programmed cell death (apoptosis) also play a role in development of Behcet’s disease Objective: To investigate the level of BCL2 and IL13in BD and to determine their to relation monitory disease activity. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on thirty patients (15 active and 15 inactive) and 15-health control, the activity of BD was evaluated according to international study group for BD disease, using ELISA technique for IL 13 and flow cytometry forBCL2. Results: Elevated serum levels of IL13 in patient with active BD than inactive and both had elevated levels than control(P< 0.01) and also the serum levels of Bcl2 was elevated in patient with active BD than inactive and control(P< 0.01). Concolusion: The data suggested that IL13 and BCL2 could be involved in the pathogenesis of BD and its serum levels can be used as marker to monitor disease activity.

Serum bcl-2 and survivin levels in melanoma

This study was conducted to investigate the serum levels of bcl-2 and survivin in patients with melanoma and the relationship with tumour progression and known prognostic parameters. Forty-four patients with cutaneous melanoma were investigated. Serum samples were obtained on first admission before adjuvant and metastatic treatment were given and at follow-up. Serum bcl-2 and survivin levels were determined using enzyme immunometric assay (EIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The baseline serum bcl-2 levels were significantly higher in patients with melanoma than in the control group (P=0.01). For the serum survivin levels, no difference was found (P=0.6). No significant correlations were found between the prognostic parameters analysed and the serum survivin concentrations. The same was true of the serum bcl-2 values, except for the age of the patient (P=0.025) and nodal involvement (P=0.003). No significant relationship was found between the serum levels of bcl-2 and survivin (r=-0.13, P=0.4). In node-positive patients (n=8) both of these anti-apoptotic substances were unchanged after interferon-alpha-2b therapy. However, serum survivin concentrations were significantly increased in 10 patients with metastatic melanoma who underwent dacarbazine (DTIC)-based cytotoxic chemotherapy (P=0.047). A similar finding was not determined for the serum bcl-2 levels. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that decreased apoptosis is associated partly with an increase in serum bcl-2. However, much research continues in this field, and exciting new knowledge will ultimately emerge.

Serum levels of bcl-2 in patients with colorectal cancer

Many recent studies focus on the immunohistochemical evaluation of Bcl-2 expression, and its prognostic significance in colorectal cancer (CRC). Our aim was to investigate the presence of bcl-2 protein in the serum and to examine the association between its levels, stage and tumour load, in patients with CRC. A commercially available ELISA was used for the estimation of bcl-2 levels, in 94 patients with different stages of CRC. Forty-eight healthy blood donors served as controls. Concentrations ranging 2SD above and below the controls median were accepted as "normal". bcl-2 was detected in the serum of patients with CRC. A significantly higher proportion of patients with non-metastatic disease (61%), had high serum bcl-2 values, compared to patients with metastatic disease (28%, p<0.0001). Serum bcl-2 in patients with CRC may reflect the degree of Bcl-2 expression in cancer tissue. Serum bcl-2 is easily determinable, and could be useful as a prognostic marker in CRC.

Elevated serum levels of the apoptosis related molecules TNF-alpha, Fas/Apo-1 and Bcl-2 in oral lichen planus.

The serum circulatory levels of apoptosis related molecules measured in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and healthy individuals in order to investigate possible alterations associated with the clinical forms of OLP. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, soluble Fas (sFas) and Bcl-2 studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in whole blood samples in 13 OLP reticular, 13 OLP atrophic-erosive form patients and 26 healthy subjects. Significantly elevated levels of TNF-alpha and sFas detected in OLP patients as compared with controls. Serum concentrations of Bcl-2 although increased in 17/26 patients, they were not statistically significant. Reticular OLP exhibited slightly elevated TNF-alpha and significantly elevated Bcl-2 serum levels, compared with erosive OLP. These data suggest that a putative dysfunction in the Fas/FasL mediated apoptosis might be involved in the OLP pathogenesis. A downregulation of Bcl-2 serum levels in the atrophic-erosive OLP may be associated with promotion of the disease activity.

Dysregulation of apoptosis in scorpion envenomed children: its reflection on their outcome

In the present study, 46 children in Upper Egypt (less than 13 years old) were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for scorpion envenomation. They were compared with 20 apparently healthy children of matching age and sex as controls. Out of the studied victims, 25 children (54%) showed signs of severe envenomation and multiple organ dysfunction (MOD), while 21 victims (46%) showed signs of mild envenomation. The serum levels of apoptotic markers, soluble Fas (sFas), soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) and Bcl-2, were determined for both victims and controls. In addition, the serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) and lipid peroxides (LPO) were also measured. Scoring of MOD was evaluated using Logistic Organ Dysfunction System Score (LODS) for the severely envenomed victims. All victims (both severe and mild cases) showed significantly higher mean levels of sFas, LPO and NO and significantly lower serum levels of Bcl-2 in comparison to the controls. The level of sFasL was not detectable in the sera of the healthy control group. The case fatality rate was 15%. The severely envenomed children with MOD as well as the non-survivors showed significantly higher serum levels of sFas, sFasL, LPO and NO and significantly lower serum levels of Bcl-2 in comparison to the mild envenomed victims and the surviving victims of severe cases, respectively. The LODS score of the severely envenomed victims showed significant positive correlations with sFas and LPO and significant negative correlation with Bcl-2. In all victims, a significant positive correlation was detected between sFas and NO. On the other hand, Bcl-2 was significantly negatively correlated with both sFas and LPO. In conclusion, our study revealed that scorpion envenomation can increase apoptosis as shown by up-regulation of sFas/sFasL system and down-regulation of Bcl-2 that was associated by elevation of LPO and NO. This dysregulation of apoptosis was increased with the severity of scorpion envenomation and its extent increased as MOD score and outcome increased. Therefore, sFas and Bcl-2 may be of value in predicting the outcome of these cases. The increase of the extent of apoptosis detected in this study seems to play a role in the outcome of scorpion envenomation, and hence, should be taken into consideration for strategies of therapeutic regimen.