Barbara Rybus-Kalinowska

Visfatin serum levels in chronic hepatitis C patients

Summary.  Visfatin is a new adipokine involved in several processes. The data concerning visfatin in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is small. To assess visfatin serum concentration and to study its association with biochemical and morphological features in CHC. Seventy nonobese patients with CHC (Group 1) confirmed by the presence of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐RNA and 20 healthy volunteers (Group 2), similar in age and BMI with normal fasting glucose and lipid profile were included. Visfatin was significantly increased in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (55.6 ± 23.1 vs 23.7 ± 3.8 ng/mL; P < 0.001). Visfatin was negatively associated with necro‐inflammatory activity grade (r = −0.36; P = 0.007). The lowest levels were found in patients with the most advanced inflammation: grades 3–4 – 46.8 ± 17.1, grade 2 – 52.6 ± 18.4 and grade 1 – 75.2 ± 27.6 ng/mL; P = 0.017. A significant difference was also shown comparing patients with minimal inflammatory activity to the rest of the cohort (P = 0.009). Visfatin receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for different necro‐inflammatory activity – grade 1 vs grades 3–4 with area under the curve 0.81 indicated a good discriminant power for differentiation of moderate/severe inflammation, with the cut‐off set at 57.6 ng/mL (sensitivity 75%, specificity 90%, positive predictive value 0.90, negative predictive value 0.75). Serum visfatin concentration increases significantly in CHC patients. These findings suggest that visfatin is important in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory process in CHC. Visfatin may play a dual role as a pro‐inflammatory or/and protective factor. The measurement of visfatin serum concentration may serve as an additional tool in distinguishing more advanced grades of the necro‐inflammatory activity.

sPECAM-1 and sVCAM-1: role in pathogenesis and diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C and association with response to antiviral therapy:

Aim: To analyze the relationship between pretreatment clinical or histological features and the levels of soluble platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (sPECAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), to determine their serum concentration in responders and nonresponders, to evaluate the behavior under antiviral therapy, to explain their relationship in response to therapy and to assess the association between these two molecules in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Methods: The study analyzed 65 CHC patients, including 50 patients (Group 1) with marked fibrosis treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin, 15 patients without fibrosis (Group 2) and 13 healthy volunteers (the control group, Group 3). sPECAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels were assessed by an immunoenzymatic method (ELISA) before and after therapy. Results: sVCAM-1 and sPECAM-1 serum concentrations increased significantly in CHC patients (p<0.001). sPECAM-1 levels corresponded to inflammatory grade (p = 0.03) and fibrosis stage (p = 0.01). sVCAM-1 increased only in advanced fibrosis. After therapy, sPECAM-1 levels decreased significantly (p<0.001) with no difference between responders and nonresponders. sPECAM-1 correlated positively with inflammatory activity (p = 0.02), fibrosis stage (p<0.001), sVCAM-1 (r = 0.56, p<0.001) and alanine aminotransferase activity (r = 0.30, p = 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a good discriminant power of serum sPECAM-1 concentrations for detection of liver fibrosis — stage 0 versus stage 1—3, AUC 0.81; cut-off 221.0 ng/ml and a fair discriminant power for distinguishing bridging fibrosis, AUC 0.78; cut-off 237.1 ng/ml. Conclusions: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection results in upregulation of sPECAM-1 and sVCAM-1. sPECAM-1 levels are related to necroinflammatory activity and may also identify patients with advanced fibrosis. The sPECAM-1 value was decreased by therapy but its measurement cannot predict therapy outcome and confirm HCV persistence. sPECAM-1 may influence VCAM-1 expression.

Histamine in cheeses – a potential danger?

Cheeses are complex products with high content of fat, protein and other inorganic compounds. It is a food product, which may differ because of their origin, the manufacturing conditions, the microbiological flora and enzymatic activity. All these parameters can affect the efficiency analysis, which in turn may constitute an impediment to the determination of the cheese histamine concentration. The main factors influencing the formation of biogenic amines, including Received: 06.06.2016 Revised: 12.06.2016 Accepted: 13.06.2016 Published online: 30.12.2016 Adres do korespondencji: Mgr Katarzyna Chojnacka, Zakład Etyki i Deontologii Medycznej, Wydział Zdrowia Publicznego, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, ul. Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, e-mail: kchojnacka@sum.edu.pl Copyright