Serine proteases are extensively known to play key roles in many physiological processes. However, their dysregulation is often associated to several diseases including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Here, we used specific substrates to monitor fecal protease activities in a large cohort of healthy and IBD patients. Of interest, serine protease activity was 10-fold higher in IBD fecal samples compared to healthy controls. Moreover, functional analysis of these fecal proteolytic activities revealed that the most increased activities are trypsin-like, elastase-like and cathepsin G-like. We also show for the first time, an increase of proteinase 3-like activity in these samples compared to controls. Results presented here will guide further investigations to better understand the relevance of these peptidases in IBD.

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is associated with poor prognosis and risk of acute heart failure after liver transplantation or interventional procedures. We aimed to assess the relationship between the severity of cardiac impairment and hepatic disease. Eighty patients and eighty controls underwent echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking measures. We assess the correlation between echocardiographic parameters and Child and MELD scores. Systolic parameters function (s wave, p < 0.001) and global longitudinal strain (p < 0.001) as well as diastolic parameters were significantly more impaired in cirrhotic patients compared to controls. There were no differences among the different groups in ‘Child score’ regarding systolic function as well as diastolic function. Paradoxically, the left atrium size correlated positively to both Child (p = 0.01, r = 0.26) and MELD scores (p = 0.02, r = 0.24). Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in decompensated patients as compared to compensated patients(p = 0.02).. We did not identify any association between severity of liver disease and cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, a transthoracic echocardiography should be performed in all cirrhotic patients before interventional and surgical procedures regardless of the severity of liver disease.

Background/Aims:Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn's disease (CrD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders. The precise etiology of IBD remains unclear, and it is thought that interactions among various factors, including, genetic factors, the host immune system and environmental factors, cause disruption of intestinal homeostasis, leading to dysregulated inflammatory responses of the gut. As inflammation is intimately related to formation of reactive intermediates, including, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of IBD. The purpose of this study is to examine the lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and anti-oxidative profile in Tunisian IBD.Materials and Methods:Malondialdehyde (MDA), conjugated dienes (CD), protein thiol levels, as well as the catalase (CAT) activity were evaluated in intestinal biopsies of 17 patients affected by IBD (12 CrD and 5 UC) and 12 healthy control individuals.Results:Oxidative stress was confirmed in these two types of disease biopsies as compared to controls. MDA and CD levels were significantly increased in both UC and CrD patients’ biopsies as compared to controls’ biopsies (P < 0.001). CAT activity was similar in UC and CrD biopsies’ and was not significantly increased in IBD patients’ biopsies compared with controls’ biopsies (P > 0.05). Anon-significant decrease in thiol (SH) level was observed in both UC and CrD patients’ biopsies compared with controls’ biopsies (P > 0.05).Conclusion:Increased levels of MDA and CD in IBD patients’ biopsies underline the implication of oxidative stress in the physiopathology of IBD.

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