Serum Prolidase Enzyme Activity Research Articles

Assessing the relationship between antipsychotic drug use and prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in schizophrenia patients: a case-control study.

The relationship between proline, its association with oxidative stress, and its connection to schizophrenia is a subject that has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible effects of atypical and combined (typical and atypical) antipsychotic use on serum prolidase enzyme activity (SPEA) and serum oxidative stress parameters, and to assess the relationship between SPEA and oxidative stress in patients with schizophrenia. A total of 57 patients with schizophrenia, of which 34 were using atypical (AAPG) and 23 were using combined (typical and atypical) (CAPG) antipsychotic therapy, and 28 healthy volunteers (control group) were included in this case-control study. SPEA levels of AAPG and CAPG were significantly lower than that of control group ( P = 0.003). The oxidative stress index (OSI) value of AAPG was significantly higher than the other two groups ( P = 0.001). SPEA (<1860 U/l) and OSI (≥0.54) could discriminate schizophrenia patients with antipsychotic therapy from control groups ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). Lower SPEA levels were associated with antipsychotic use ( P = 0.007). The SPEA values of patients with schizophrenia on antipsychotics were significantly lower compared to controls. OSI values were significantly higher in atypical antipsychotic recipients compared to those on combined antipsychotics and healthy controls.

Comparison of the optimized direct spectrophotometric serum prolidase enzyme activity assay method with the currently used spectrophotometric assay methods and liver fibrosis indexes to distinguish the early stages of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

The aim of this study was to optimize the currently used direct spectrophotometric serum prolidase enzyme activity (SPEA) assay method and compare its diagnostic accuracy with current precipitation and direct spectrophotometric assay methods, AST-to-ALT ratio, age platelet index, AST-to-platelet ratio index, cirrhosis discriminate score, Doha score, FIB-4, FibroQ, fibrosis index, Goteborg University Cirrhosis Index , King's score, and Pohl score for distinguishing Ishak F0 from F1-F3 in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Liver biopsy results from 112 patients were included in this study. The SPEA values were 529(292-794) U/L, 671(486-927) U/L, and 1077(867-1399) U/L with the precipitation, current, and optimized direct spectrophotometric assay methods, respectively. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis optimized direct spectrophotometric SPEA was the only statistically significant parameter to predict the early stages of liver fibrosis. Optimized direct spectrophotometric SPEA assay method could be used to distinguish early stages of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB infection instead of the currentlyused spectrophotometric SPEA assay methods and other evaluated liver fibrosis indexes.

Role of prolidase activity and oxidative stress biomarkers in unexplained infertility

Our aim was to explore the significance of serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in women with unexplained infertility (UEI). In this case-control study (n=160; 86 cases; 74 controls) prolidase enzyme activity and total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and vitamin E were measured in plasma using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Prolidase enzyme activity and TAS levels were particularly higher in the patient group (P=0.013, P=0.001, respectively). Decreased OSI levels were detected in the patient group (P=0.001). There was a positive relationship of prolidase with vitamin E in both patient and control groups (r=0.892, P=0.001, and r=0.659, P=0.001, respectively). A positive, but weak, relationship was identified between prolidase activity and TOS levels and also between vitamin E and TOS levels in the UEI group (r=0.265, P=0.049, and r=0.288, P=0.014, respectively). No association was found between prolidase and TOS levels or between vitamin E and TOS levels in the control group (r=0.0097, P=0.527, and r=0.085, P=0.610, respectively). Our results showed an association between serum prolidase activity and oxidative stress in UEI patients. Further studies including greater groups are required to show the role of reactive oxygen species in UEI.

The Association of Serum Prolidase Enzyme Activity with the Presence of Familial Mediterranean Fever

The Association of Serum Prolidase Enzyme Activity with the Presence of Familial Mediterranean Fever

Relationship between renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and serum prolidase enzyme activity

Abstract Objectives The severity of interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IFTA) is the most important determinant of the irreversible progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Prolidase is the key enzyme in collagen turnover and is associated with an extracellular matrix increase. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the presence and degree of IFTA and serum prolidase enzyme activity (SPEA) in patients undergoing a renal biopsy. Methods This cross-sectional study included 56 patients who underwent a renal biopsy (30 males; mean age 45.3 ± 16.8 years) and also 54 healthy volunteers (21 males; mean age 42.7 ± 8.2 years). IFTA scoring was performed on the basis of percentage of IFTA presence in renal biopsy tissues (1=&lt;10%; 2=10–24%; 3=25–50%; 4=&gt;50%). SPEA was measured by spectrophotometric method. Results The proteinuria and SPEA levels of the patients were significantly higher than the controls (p&lt;0.001 and p&lt;0.001, respectively). SPEA decreased significantly when the IFTA score increased (p&lt;0.002). In the correlation analysis, the IFTA score was negatively correlated with SPEA (rs=−0.461, p&lt;0.001), and positively correlated with proteinuria (rs=0.274, p=0.041). Conclusion These findings suggest that increased collagen turnover decreases over time concerning the progression of renal fibrosis. Monitoring of SPEA level may useful as a biomarker for early determination of CKD progression and severity.

The Serum Prolidase Enzyme Activity as a Biomarker for Evaluation of the Subclinical Vascular Damage in Children with Epilepsy.

Backgroud:Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition requiring long term or even lifelong therapy. Various researches have shown that epilepsy patients have vascular risk factors such as abnormal lipids, insulin, elevated oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and subclinical atherosclerosis.Objectives:The purpose of the present study was to determine serum prolidase enzyme activity as a biomarker in children taking antiepileptic drug treatment through comparison with control cases.Materials and Methods:The present study group consists of 61 children (20 females, 41 males) with epilepsy and a control group was formed of 32 healthy individuals (14 females, 18 males). Aspectrophotometric method was used to measure serum prolidase enzyme activity.Results:The epilepsy group demonstrated statistically significantly higher prolidase enzyme activity values when compared with the control group (P = 0.003). It was measured that the serum TOS and OSI values were significantly elevated in patients with epilepsy compared to controls (P < 0.001). However, serum TAS values were significantly lower in the epilepsy group than in the control group (P = 0.032).Conclusions:These results supported that epileptic patients taking the antiepileptic treatment had increased serum prolidase enzyme activity, suggesting that it may show an increased risk of subclinical vascular damage related to both chronic inflammation and fibrotic process associated with degenerated collagen turnover. Therefore, serum prolidase enzyme activity could be considered a useful biomarker for evaluation of the subclinical vascular damage in children with epilepsy on some antiepileptic drugs.

Evaluation of serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in patients with tinnitus

IntroductionTinnitus is defined as the perception of sound in the head or in the head in the absence of external sounds. The cause of tinnitus is still unknown. ObjectiveWe aimed to compare the serum levels of total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, serum prolidase enzyme activity and the oxidative stress index in patients with tinnitus to those of normal subjects. MethodsTwenty five patients with tinnitus (mean age 34.3) and 25 healthy controls (mean age 37.2) were included in the study. ResultsTotal oxidant status levels in the patient group were significantly higher than in the control group (p=0.037). The mean total oxidant status value was 2.54±0.95mmoL/L in the patient group, and 2.06±0.98mmoL/L in the control group. The mean oxidative stress index level was 0.22±0.10AU in the patient group, while it was 0.17±0.08AU in the control group. Oxidative stress index was significantly higher in the patient group (0.026). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of total antioxidant status values (p=0.838). The mean serum prolidase enzyme activity level was 202.74±33.56U/L in the patient group and 175.46±42.68U/L in the control group. Serum prolidase enzyme activity levels in the patient group were significantly higher than in the control group (0.040). ConclusionWe detected that the total oxidant status, oxidative stress index and serum prolidase enzyme activity levels were higher in patients with tinnitus when compared to the healthy controls. This finding suggests that oxidative stress index and serum prolidase enzyme activity may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of tinnitus.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity as a diagnostic marker for acute ischemic stroke

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether Serum Prolidase Activity (SPA) levels could be used as a potential diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarker in Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) patients or not. Materials and Methods: SPA levels were prospectively evaluated in 37 patients aged between 20 and 85 y who were admitted within 24 h of the onset of AIS. The control group included 37 healthy volunteers of similar age without any disease. Results: In AIS patients, mean SPA was significantly higher compared to healthy controls (1331 ± 399 pg/ml vs. 1169 ± 221 pg/ml, respectively; p=0.035). SPA was not correlated with age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, hemoglobin, c-reactive protein, or hemoglobin A1c levels (p>0.05 for all comparisons). However, patients with new diagnostic atrial fibrillation had higher levels of prolidase acitvity than the others (1647 ± 403 pg/ml vs. 1270 ± 384 pg/ml, p=0.032). SPA levels were also uncorrelated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, infarct volume, Trial of Org 10172 and the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classifications, and duration of hospitalization (p>0.05, for all comparisons). Conclusions: Increased levels of serum prolidase enzyme activity may be an independent predictor of AIS and may contribute to stroke pathophysiology. However, further studies with larger populations are needed to reveal the role of SPA in AIS.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity in obese subjects and its relationship with oxidative stress markers

BackgroundThe relationship between increased serum enzyme activity of prolidase and increased rate of collagen turnover in the arterial wall has been asserted in previous studies. Collagen reflects much of the strength to the connective tissue involved in the arterial wall. Atherosclerosis is very common vessel disease and oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis. Our objective was to examine the serum enzyme activity of prolidase and its possible relationships with oxidative stress parameters in obese subjects. MethodsOur present study was conducted 27 obese subjects and 26 age-matched healthy control subjects. The serum enzyme activity of prolidase in all study population was evaluated spectrophotometrically. Oxidative stress levels in obese subjects were analyzed with total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) as well as oxidative stress index (OSI). ResultsObese subjects have higher serum TOS and OSI indicators as well as prolidase activity than those in control subjects (for all; p<0.001). Moreover, obese subjects have lower levels of TAC than in those in healthy subjects (p<0.001). In the Pearson's correlation analysis, enzyme activity of prolidase was positively related with TOS (p<0.001, r=0.529) and OSI (p<0.001, r=0.519) as well as BMI (p<0.001, r=0.692) and inversely related with TAC (p<0.05, r=−0.405) in obese subjects. ConclusionsIncreased serum prolidase activity and decreased antioxidant levels are likely to be a results of increased of oxidative stress levels in obese subjects. The significantly correlation between increased oxidative stress and increased prolidase activity may play a pivotal role in etiopathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in obese subjects.

Systemic Prolidase Activity and Oxidative Stress in Keratoconus

ABSTRACTAim: Our aim was to evaluate the serum prolidase activity, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) in patients with keratoconus.Material and method: A total 69 keratoconus patients and 72 control subjects with similar age and gender were evaluated within the scope of this study. The keratoconus group was divided into four stages with the modified Krumeich classification. Serum prolidase activity, TAC and TOS were measured and compared between the patient and control groups.Results: The median serum prolidase enzyme activity value was 528.3 (684.1–416.7) U/L in the keratoconus group and 606.2 (812.9–482.3) U/L in the control group. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p = 0.027). The median TAC value was 1.24 (1.37–1.05) mmol/L in the keratoconus group and 1.29 (1.38–1.18) mmol/L in the control group. The median TOS value was 2 (4–1) μmol/L in the keratoconus group and 3 (4–2) μmol/L in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of TAC or TOS (p = 0.113 and p = 0.366, respectively). There was a positive correlation between TAC and TOS in keratoconus group but not in the control group (r = 0.670, p = 0.001 and r = 0.141, p = 0.241, respectively). No significant relationship was seen between the keratoconus group stages and serum prolidase activity, TAS or TOS (p = 0.894, p = 0.155 and p = 0.381, respectively).Conclusion: In conclusion, a significant relationship was found between decreased serum prolidase activity and keratoconus but there was no significant relationship between keratoconus and serum TAC or TOS.

Prolidase activity in chronic plaque psoriasis patients.

IntroductionPsoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, T-cell-mediated and hyperproliferative skin disease characterized by erythematous, squamous, sharply circumscribed and infiltrated plaques. The metabolisms of the collagen proteins undergo considerable changes due to the acceleration of their turnovers as a result of increased prolidase activity in psoriasis patients.AimTo determine the level of prolidase activity in psoriasis patients and evaluate its relationship with the oxidative system.Material and methodsThe serum prolidase enzyme activity, total antioxidant levels and total oxidant levels of 40 psoriasis patients and a control group including 47 healthy individuals were analyzed by using their serum samples, and their oxidative stress indices were calculated.ResultsThe prolidase levels (p < 0.01), total oxidant levels (p < 0.01) and oxidative stress index levels (p < 0.001) of the patient group were higher than the corresponding parameters in the control group. The total antioxidant level was low (p < 0.01). Although a positive correlation was found between the prolidase and total antioxidant levels and the total oxidant level, no correlation was found between prolidase and the oxidative stress index.ConclusionsIt has been determined that the activity of the prolidase enzyme increases due to the increased collage turnover in psoriasis patients. Increased serum oxidant levels and oxidative stress indices values may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Serum prolidase activity and oxidant-antioxidant status in children with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

BackgroundChronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a global health problem that can result in serious complications associated with collagen degradation. Prolidase is a specific imidodipeptidase that plays an important role in the breakdown of collagen. The aim of this study was to investigate prolidase activity and oxidant–antioxidant status in children with CHB.MethodsThis prospective case control study includes 38 patients with CHB, 31 patients with inactive hepatitis B (IHB), and 29 healthy matched control subjects. Serum prolidase enzyme activity (SPEA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidative activity (TOA), and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were measured and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated for each group.ResultsPatients with CHB had significantly higher SPEA levels (207.82 ± 186.80 IU/L) than did the controls (58.6 ± 38.1 IU/L) and IHB patients (67.1 ± 39.9) (p < 0.001). CHB patients also had significantly higher TOA (45.0 ± 19.9 vs. 29.4 ± 11.7 (μmolH2O2 Eq./L), p = 0.005), OSI (33.1 ± 21.4 vs. 17.5 ± 10.2, p = 0.002) and MDA (13.4 ± 4.0 vs. 7.8 ± 2.6 μm/L, p < 0.001) values compared with the controls. TOA (32.0 ± 10.0) and OSI (15.4 ± 11.0) values of IHB patients were significantly lower than those of CHB patients (p < 0.05). SPEA had significant correlations with HBV- DNA and ALT values (r =0.514 and r =0.454, p < 0.001).ConclusionOur results suggest that prolidase activity can be considered as a reliable marker for CHB and increased oxidative stress appears to be related to chronicity of the disease.

Evaluation of the utility of serum prolidase as a marker for liver fibrosis.

Liver dysfunction is common and often unrecognized. Liver biopsy is the gold standard in the assessment of liver fibrosis, but has disadvantages. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of serum prolidase enzyme activity (SPA) in predicting the presence and degree of liver fibrosis, as compared with liver biopsy. Further, we evaluated the effect of hemolysis on measured SPA levels. We undertook a prospective case control study. Thirty eight outpatients without apparent liver illness and 20 patients with liver pathology scheduled to undergo liver biopsy had their SPA levels measured. Patients undergoing liver biopsy had higher SPA levels (361 (268) IU/l [median (interquartile range)]) compared with controls (169 (160) (P < 0.001)). A SPA cutoff value of 200 IU/l yielded a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 59%, an odds ratio of 11.5, negative predictive value of 92%, and a positive predictive value of 50%. Hemolysis causes an apparent increase in SPA levels. Higher SPA levels in patients undergoing liver biopsies compared with controls may reflect the presence of liver fibrosis. SPA levels could not be used to stage the degree of fibrosis. SPA measurement may be useful in the diagnostic workup of suspected liver disease.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress levels in patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke

Background. It has been indicated that oxidative damage contributes to secondary brain injury in both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Collagen is a major component of the extracellular matrix, and prolidase plays a role in collagen synthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum prolidase activity, nitric oxide (NO) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) in patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke. Methods. Twenty-five patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke and 25 controls were enrolled. Serum prolidase activity, catalase activity, NO levels, TAC and TOS were measured spectrophotometrically. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Results. Serum TAC levels and catalase activity were significantly lower in acute hemorrhagic stroke patients than controls (both, p < 0.001), while NO levels, TOS levels, OSI values and prolidase activity were significantly higher (all, p < 0.01). When patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke were divided according to gender, no differences were observed between females and males in respect to serum prolidase enzyme activity, NO levels, TAC levels, TOS levels and OSI values (all, p > 0.05). Conclusions. Findings from the study suggest an association between increased oxidative stress levels, decreased antioxidant levels and increased prolidase enzyme activity in patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke compared with controls. More studies are needed to elucidate mechanistic pathways on oxidative stress in patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative status in patients with fibromyalgia

ObjectiveThis study was performed to investigate serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM).MethodsThe study population consisted of 40 patients with a previous diagnosis of FM and 30 healthy subjects. We measured serum prolidase enzyme activity, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidative status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) levels.ResultsOn average, FM patients were diagnosed within 3.2 years of symptom onset, and patients had a mean of 14 tender points. There were no significant differences between patients and controls in age, body mass index, serum TAS, or PON-1 levels. However, patients with FM demonstrated higher serum prolidase activity, TOS, and OSI than the control group. Serum prolidase activity was positively correlated with serum TOS, OSI, and visual analog scale pain and fatigue scores. No correlation was found between serum prolidase activity and FM duration or the average number of tender points.DiscussionOur results demonstrate a previously unreported association between serum prolidase enzyme activity and FM. Increased prolidase activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of FM, and measuring serum prolidase enzyme activity may be a useful FM biomarker.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress levels in patients with diabetic neuropathy

Previous studies have suggested that prolidase and nitric oxide (NO) regulate many processes, such as collagen synthesis and matrix remodeling. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of microvascular complications in diabetic patients. Data on serum prolidase activity in patients with diabetes mellitus or diabetic neuropathy (DN) are limited and conflicting. The aim of this study was to measure serum prolidase activity, NO, total antioxidant status (TAS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in patients with DN. Forty-five patients with DN and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum prolidase activity, TAS, MDA, and NO levels were determined. Serum MDA and NO levels were significantly higher in DN patients than controls (p = 0.002, p = 0.001, respectively), while prolidase activity and TAS levels were lower (p = 0.003, p = 0.001, respectively). Prolidase activity was negatively correlated with NO and MDA (r = -0.911, p < 0.001; r = -0.905, p < 0.001, respectively), while positively correlated with TAS (r = 0.981, p < 0.001) in DN patients. The current study is the first showing the decreased serum prolidase enzyme activity. Our results suggest that decreased collagen turnover may occur in DN patients, who have increased oxidative stress and increased NO levels. Decreased prolidase activity seems to be associated with increased NO levels and oxidative stress along with decreased antioxidant levels in DN. Therefore, decreased prolidase activity may play a role in pathogenesis of DN. Prospective clinical studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative status in patients with Behçet's disease

ObjectivesTo assess serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in patients with Behçet's disease (BD).MethodsThe study population consisted of BD patients (n = 42) and healthy participants (n = 29). BD patients were classified as active (n = 18) or inactive (n = 24) according to disease activity. Serum prolidase enzyme activity, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidative status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured.ResultsIn BD patients with active disease, serum prolidase activity was significantly higher compared with the inactive and control participants. Serum prolidase activity was also significantly higher in all BD patients in comparison with controls. Serum prolidase activity was also positively correlated with OSI, C-reactive protein, and active BD. MDA, TOS, and OSI levels were all significantly higher in the BD group when compared with the healthy control participants. Serum TAS levels were significantly lower in BD patients in comparison with healthy controls.ConclusionHigh prolidase activity may indicate critical biological activities relevant to pathological events in BD, and this activity may be a biological indicator of disease. Further studies are needed to verify these findings.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and its relation to histopathological findings in patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis

The aim of this study was to investigate serum prolidase enzyme activity and to find out its association with liver biopsy specimens' histopathological findings in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Thirty-six patients with biopsy-proven NASH and 29 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum prolidase enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Serum prolidase enzyme activity was significantly higher in patients with NASH than controls (P=0.016). A significant correlation was observed between serum prolidase enzyme activity and fibrosis score in patients with NASH (r=0.661, P<0.001). Serum prolidase activity seems to be correlated with the level of fibrosis. Monitoring serum prolidase activity may be a useful adjunctive tool in predicting liver fibrosis, especially in the absence of advanced fibrosis and other conditions, which may affect the interpretation of prolidase activity.

Diagnostic Value of Serum Prolidase Enzyme Activity to Predict the Liver Histological Lesions in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Surrogate Marker to Distinguish Steatohepatitis from Simple Steatosis

Determination of the liver histological lesions with noninvasive tests is an important part of the diagnostic work-up of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to determine the predictive value of noninvasive biochemical markers, serum prolidase enzyme activity (SPEA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and AST/ALT ratio for the liver histological lesions. Fifty-four liver biopsy-proven patients with NAFLD and 37 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. The diagnostic accuracies of biochemical markers were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multiple linear regression analysis to predict the degree of fatty infiltration, lobular inflammation, NAFLD activity score, and stage of fibrosis. The SPEA of patients with steatohepatitis is significantly increased compared with the patients with simple steatosis and controls (1,338 [1,138-1,624] U/l; 974 [768-1,160] U/l; 972 [862-1,122] U/l, shown as median [25th-75th interquartile range], respectively, P < 0.0001). SPEA was positively correlated with the grade of liver fatty infiltration, lobular inflammation and NAFLD activity score, and stage of fibrosis, (r = 0.377, P < 0.005; r = 0.443, P < 0.001; r = 0.457, P < 0.001; r = 0.321, P < 0.018, respectively). SPEA was the best predictor for distinguishing steatohepatitis from simple steatosis according to the ROC analysis (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.85). Multivariate analysis revealed that the most useful single test for predicting lobular inflammation, NAFLD activity score, and fibrosis was SPEA, and for predicting the fatty infiltration, it was ALT (P < 0.00001, P < 0.001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively). This study demonstrated that SPEA can accurately predict the degree and stage of all histological lesions in NAFLD. It could be helpful for distinguishing steatohepatitis from simple steatosis and reducing the need for liver biopsy in the majority of patients with NAFLD.

Prolidase activity in serum and pleural fluids in patients with tuberculous pleural effussion

Objectives Pleural tuberculosis, which is present in around 4% of all tuberculosis cases may resolve spontaneously or associated with progressive disease and a high recurrence rate. Recently upon exposed to cytokines and bacterial products, mesothelium has been shown to produce collagen that may be involved in pleural inflammatory responses. Prolidase is involved in the final stage of degradation in collagen catabolism. In this study we aimed to evaluate pleural fluid and serum prolidase activities in patients with tuberculous (TB) pleurisy and compared with those in non-tuberculous (non-TB) pleural effusions. Design and methods 21 patients with tuberculous (TB) pleurisy (11 F/10 M), ages 35–52 (median 44) and 22 patients (10 F/12 M), ages 41–63 (median 52) with non-tuberculous pleurisy included as non-tuberculous (non-TB) pleurisy group consecutively referred to our pulmonary clinic for evaluation. Serum and pleural prolidase activities in 21 TB and 22 non-TB pleurisy patients were analyzed by photometric method. Results Prolidase enzyme activities in serum and pleural fluids of TB group (1072 ± 171 and 1392 ± 215 U/L, respectively) were significantly higher than those values in non-TB group (787 ± 144 and 943 ± 174 U/L, respectively). Prolidase activities in pleural fluid were significantly higher than those in serum in both groups. There was a significant positive correlation between pleural and serum prolidase activities in TB group ( r = 0.579 and p = 0.006) and in non-TB group ( r = 0.858 and p < 0.001). In Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, sensitivity and specificity values were 86% and 82% for a cut-off value of 1130 U/L for pleural prolidase activity and were 81% and 82% for a cut-off value of 952 U/L for serum prolidase activity, respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, there is an elevated pleural fluid and serum prolidase enzyme activity in patients with TB pleurisy compared with non-TB pleurisy group. The higher enzyme activities in TB group might reflect increased collagen turnover in those patients.