<p>Plasma Acute Phase Proteins as Predictors of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction in Lung Transplant Recipients</p>

Abstract

Cumulating reports suggest that acute phase proteins (APPs) have diagnostic and prognostic value in different clinical conditions. Among others, APPs are proposed to serve as markers that help to control the outcome of transplant recipients. Here, we questioned whether plasma concentrations of APPs mirror the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). We performed blinded analysis of serial plasma samples retrospectively collected from 35 lung transplanted patients, of whom 25 developed CLAD and 10 remained stable during the follow-up period of 3 to 4.5 years. Albumin (ALB), alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRPH), antithrombin-3 (AT3), ceruloplasmin (CER), and alpha2macroglobulin (A2MG) were measured by the nephelometric method. We found that within the first six months post-transplantation, levels of A2MG, CER and AAT were higher in stable patients relative to those who later developed CLAD. Moreover, in stable patient's plasma CRPH levels decreased during the follow-up period whereas opposite, in those developing CLAD, the CRPH gradually increased. The ALB levels became significantly lower at the end of the followup period in CLAD relative to a stable group. A logistic regression model based on A2MG, CER and AT3 at cutoffs levels of ≥175.5 mg/dL, ≥37.8 mg/dL and ≥27.35 mg/dL enabled to discriminate between stable and CLAD patients with a sensitivity of 87.5%, 100% and 62.5%, and specificity of 65.9%, 72.7% and 79.5%, respectively. We identified A2MG (below 175.5 mg/ dL) as an independent predictor of CLAD (hazard ratio 11.5, 95% CI (1.5-91.3), p<0.021). Our findings suggest that profiles of certain APPs may help to predict the development of lung dysfunction at the very early stages after transplantation.

Differences of Sleep Disorders Between Vestibular Migraine and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

“…Some shortcomings in this study should be mentioned here: (i) the number of included participants was relatively small, which made our findings needing future studies to validate further and support (34,35); (ii) all of the included BPPV and VM patients were from the same place, which could limit the applicability of our results; (iii) we only explored the sleep disorders of two kinds of neuropsychiatric disorders; neurotologists should further investigate the sleep problems of patients with other neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression (36)(37)(38); (iv) sex and age were two mainly confounding factors in life science researches (39)(40)(41). In this study, limited by the relatively small sample size, we did not analyze whether there were sex-or agespecific sleep disorders in patients with VM or BPPV; this point was worthy of further investigations.…”

Changes of alpha-2-macroglobulin activity in tear fluid in experimental retinal pigment epithelium atrophy of rabbits

“…Исследование СЖ при глазной патологии можно отнести к развиваемому в настоящее время направлению в клинической диагностике и особенно в трансплантологиижидкостной биопсии, когда для оценки патологи ческого процесса во внутренних органах, чтобы дополнительно не травмировать ткани, используют биологические жид кости, метаболизм которых связан с обменными процессами в этом органе. Так, определение уровня ЭТ-1 и 2 -МГ в биологических жидкостях используется для оценки состояния трансплантатов внутренних органов [21,24]. Результаты данной работы свидетельствуют о том, что исследование метаболических процессов в СЖ, в частности уровня ЭТ-1 и 2 -МГ, может быть использовано для мониторинга посттрансплантационного процесса и адекватности проводимой терапии при пересадке РПЭ.…”

Novel biomarkers of chronic lung allograft dysfunction: is there anything reliable?

“…Acute phase proteins also showed very distinct profiles relative to future CLAD development. Levels of alpha 2-macroglobulin, ceruloplasmin and antithrombin-3 could discriminate between CLAD and control patients [44]. Lipocalin is another marker involved in macrophage-related innate immunity and was increased in RAS compared with BOS and control [45].…”