The hepatoprotective effects of curcumin against drugs and toxic agents: an updated review

Curcumin, the major phenolic compound in turmeric, shows preventive effects in various diseases. Curcumin is commonly found in rhizome of the Curcuma species and traditionally used in herbal medicine. Numerous studies have indicated that curcumin posses protective effects against toxic agents in various tissues including liver. This study found that curcumin may be effective in hepatic diseases induced by toxic agents. However, due to the lack of information on human health, further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of curcumin as an antidote agent. The present study aimed to critically review the recent literature data from 2014 to 2016 regarding the protective effects of curcumin against agent-induced hepatotoxicity.     

Alkaline phosphatase histochemistry and biochemistry in the diagnosis of complete hydatidiform mole

The purpose of this study was a complementary method to the diagnosis and prognosis of complete hydatidiform mole (CHM) and differentiate it from the other cases of gestational trophoblatic diseases. This was done by examining the quality and quantity of the total and the placental alkaline phosphatase activity. The ALP in the tissues and sera from 12 patients were compared with 13 control normal non-pregnant and 30 control pregnant females. The enzyme activities were determined by biochemical and histochemical examination.The placental tissues were obtained from uterine curettage, or after delivery which then were frozen in a liquid nitrogen and processed for biochemical study. Cryosections were histochemically stained for ALP and PLAP by the azo coupling method. Isoenzyme specificity was evaluated by heating the tissue at 65 degrees C for 15 min while the including L-phenylalanine (50 mM), D-phenylalanine (50 mM) and L-homoarginine (50 mM) were used for chemical inhibition study. The activity of ALP and PLAP of patients were reduced in comparison with pregnant control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the patients and non-pregnant control (P<0.05) group. The localization of enzyme activities in cryosections of all groups were in the basal, apical, and the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast cells. The ALP in all the groups was thermostable (65 degrees C for 15 min) and was inhibited by L-phenylalanine, but no inhibition was seen with L homoarginine in patients group only. These findings suggest that the PLAP is a useful marker in the diagnosis and prognosis of hydatidiform mole.     

Impact of the positive pathergy test on the performance of classification/diagnosis criteria for Behcet’s disease

Background

The only diagnostic test that currently exists for Behcet’s disease (BD) is the pathergy test. A positive pathergy test (PPT) is an important component of many of the 16 sets of classification/diagnosis criteria used to diagnose BD. The aim of this study was to determine the importance of a PTT in the performance of the diagnosis/classification criteria for BD.

Patients and methods

All patients listed in the BD registry of the Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran (6,727) and 4,648 BD controls were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was clinical when no other diagnosis could explain the patient’s manifestations. The criteria were tested with and without PPT results. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated.

Results

Without PPT, all sets of criteria lost sensitivity, gained specificity, and lost accuracy, with the exception of the Cheng–Zhang criteria. The largest loss in sensitivity was for the Hubault–Hamza (35 %) and Dilsen (17.3 %) criteria; the least was for the Curth (1.9 %) and ICBD (6.5 %) criteria. The largest gain on specificity was for the Dilsen (4.7 %) and Curth (3.1 %) criteria; the least was for the Japan (0.1 %) and Japan revised (0.1 %) criteria. The greatest loss in accuracy was for the Hubault–Hamza (20.4 %) and Dilsen revised (9.3 %) criteria; the least was for the ICBD (3.6 %), while Curth gained 0.3 %.

Conclusion

Without PPT as a criterion for the diagnosis of BD, the sensitivity and accuracy of the sets of classification/diagnosis criteria decrease, while the specificity improves.