Chronic fatigue syndrome: physical and cardiovascular deconditioning

We investigated whether chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients have physical and/or cardiovascular de-conditioning, in 273 CFS patients and 72 healthy controls. We used laboratory tests to assess haematological, biochemical, endocrinological and immunological systems. The cardiovascular system was assessed by echocardiography and carotid echography. Body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). CFS patients had smaller left ventricular end systolic (p < 0.001) and diastolic (p = 0.008) dimensions but thinner posterior walls (p = 0.02) than corresponding values in healthy controls. Left ventricular mass was also reduced in CFS patients (p = 0.006). Both maximum (p < 0.001) and minimum (p < 0.008) diameter of the carotid artery were smaller in CFS patients. The laboratory screening tests showed significant differences in serum albumin (p = 0.05), phosphate (p = 0.02), HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.03), HDL:total cholesterol ratio (p = 0.01), triglycerides (p = 0.02), neutrophils (p = 0.01) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (p = 0.04) between CFS patients and controls. Male CFS patients had an increased percentage of fat mass compared with healthy male subjects (p = 0.02). This large group of CFS patients had evidence of physical and cardiovascular de-conditioning, suggesting that in these patients a graded exercise programme could lead to physical reconditioning and could increase their ability to perform physical activities.      

Antibodies to cyclic citrullinized peptide in rheumatoid arthritis

AIM: To estimate a diagnostic value of antibodies to cyclic citrullinized peptide (CCP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was made of 85 RA patients. Of them, 48 patients had early RA, i.e. of 8 month and less duration. The control group consisted of 35 patients with non-differentiated arthritis (NDA) and 8 healthy donors. Concentrations of CCP antibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF) IgM and RF IgA were measured with enzyme immunoassay (EIA). RESULTS: The level of CCP antibodies in RA patients (76.3 +/- 43.8; median 100.0 U/ml) was significantly higher than in NDA patients (25.1 +/- 43.9; median 0.8 U/ml; p < 0.05) or in donors (0.38 +/- 0.36; median 0.2 U/ml; p < 0.05). A correlation was found between the CCP antibodies level and that of RF IgM (chi2 = 15.4; p = 0.001) and RF IgA (chi2 = 10.3; p = 0.001). Sensitivity (82%) and specificity (90%) of CCP antibodies in RA diagnosis was higher than these parameters for RF IgM and IgA (78%, 86% and 72%, 83%, respectively). Simultaneous tests for CCP antibodies, RF IgM and RF IgA led to a 93% specificity. CCP antibodies were detected in 50% patients seronegative by RF IgM and in 62% patients seronegative by IgA. Detection of CCP antibodies was closely associated with early RA (chi2 = 30.8; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The EIA for CCP antibodies is a sensitive and specific serological test for early RA diagnosis.     

Antibodies to beta2-glycoprotein I and antibodies to cardiolipin in antiphospholipid syndrome: analysis of sensitivity and specificity

To study sensitivity and specificity of antibodies to beta 2-glycoprotein I (B2GP-I) and antibodies to cardiolipin (CL) in diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), we examined 19 patients with primary antiphospholid syndrome (PAPS), 23 patients with secondary APS (SAPS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 73 patients with SLE. Antibodies to B2GP-I and CL of IgG isotype were measured at enzyme immunoassay. The levels of IgG aCL and IgG aB2GP-I in the serum of PAPS patients were 69.9 +/- 116.0 GPL, 74.1 +/- 117.4 SGU, respectively; of SAPS and SLE patients 60.5 +/- 68.9 GPL and 66.2 +/- 88.3 SGU, respectively. These values were significantly higher than in SLE patients (19.5 +/- 27.6 GPL, p = 0.0025 and p = 0.0012; 14.5 +/- 41.9 SGU, p = 0.0001, respectively) and donors (3.9 +/- 3.8 GPL, p = 0.0001; 5.7 +/- 1.2 SGU, p = 0.001). By IgG aCL and IgG-aB2GP-I, PAPS and SAPS patients differed insignificantly (p > 0.05), but these values correlated positively (r = 0.85; p < 0.0005 for PAPS and r = 0.9, p < 0.005 for SAPS). Simultaneous detection of IgG aCL and IgG aB2GP-I occurred in 36.8% in PAPS, 52.4% in SAPS and 12.3% in SLE. 10.5% PAPS patients were positive by IgG aCL as well as 9.5% with SAPS and 13.4% with SLE. Isolated rise of IgG aB2GP-I concentration was observed in 21.1% patients with PAPS, in 9.5% patients with SAPS and 9.6% patients with SLE. Of 43 patients with a history of thrombosis, 46.5% were positive by IgG aCL and IgG aB2GP-I, 7.0% positive only by IgG aCL and 11.6% only by IgG aB2GP-I. Levels of IgG aCL and IgG aB2GP-I in patients with thrombosis (64.7 +/- 87.5 GPL and 66.0 +/- 94.8 SGU, respectively) were significantly higher than in patients without them (19.6 +/- 3.8 GPL, p = 0.009 and 16.4 +/- 52.2 SGU, p = 0.0001). In venous thrombosis IgG aCL and IgG aB2GP-I were higher than in arterial thrombosis (p < 0.004). For diagnosis of APS sensitivity and specificity of IgG aB2GP-I and IgG aCL were 60.0 and 83.8%; 57.1 and 73.5% (p > 0.05), respectively. As to thrombosis, the sensitivity and specificity were 58.1 and 84.6%; 54.5 and 72.7% (p > 0.005), respectively. Thus, IgG aB2GP-I is an essential additional marker of APS. In the presence of APS symptoms, but in negative results of APS test it is justified to confirm APS diagnosis by aB2GP-I test results. To make APS diagnosis more accurate, it is valid to make simultaneous measurements of aCL using standard B2GP-I dependent enzyme immunoassay and aB2GP-I.     

Post-genomic platform for development of oligonucleotide vaccines against RNA viruses: diamond cuts diamond

Inflammation Research - The coronavirus pandemic has starkly demonstrated the need to create highly effective vaccines against various viral diseases. The emerging new platforms for vaccine...     

Alcohol use in pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption in Russia is reportedly high for both men and women; most studies of Russian drinking have used questionnaires not designed specifically to measure alcohol consumption or to interview women. This study was designed specifically to measure drinking patterns among pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women. METHODS: Eight hundred ninety-nine women of child-bearing age in St. Petersburg, Russia, were interviewed in employment centers, educational centers, and at obstetric and gynecologic (OB/GYN) clinics and hospitals. Measurement of drinking used several types of drinking questions and time frames. RESULTS: Nearly all nonpregnant Russian women (95.9%) reported consuming alcohol in the last 12 months. Among nonpregnant women drinkers, 7.6% reported drinking heavily (29.58 mL or more ethanol/d), and 18.4% reported drinking >or=5 on at least 1 occasion. Contrary to expectations of Russian obstetricians, pregnant Russian women readily answered detailed questions about their drinking behavior during pregnancy. Nearly all pregnant women drank in the year before they became pregnant; of these, 60.0% reported drinking when they knew they were pregnant, and 34.9% drank in the past 30 days. Among pregnant women who drank in the past 30 days, 7.4% reporting having >or=5 drinks on at least 1 occasion. Nevertheless, more than 90% of pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women believed that alcohol has a detrimental effect on pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women were willing to answer detailed questions about their drinking behavior. Although most pregnant women studied reduced their drinking during pregnancy, one-third of the pregnant women did not stop drinking. It is important to find out what enabled two-thirds of the pregnant women to stop drinking before or during their pregnancy.     

MR monitoring of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition of angiogenesis in a human breast cancer model in rats

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate the ability of macromolecular contrast medium (MMCM)-enhanced dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to depict vascular changes in response to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition of angiogenesis in a human breast cancer model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional committee for animal research approved this study. A human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, was implanted in 30 female homozygotous athymic rats that were alternately assigned to either a drug treatment group that received celecoxib on a daily basis for 7 days or a control group that received saline. Each animal underwent MR imaging after intravenous administration of a high-molecular-weight contrast agent at baseline and again 24 hours and 7 days after administration. Eleven rats in each group successfully underwent all three studies and had data sets of sufficient technical quality. A bidirectional two-compartment tissue model was used to estimate transendothelial permeability (K(PS)) and fractional plasma volume (fPV) for each tumor. Microvessel density was also measured to enable histologic assessment of angiogenesis. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and unpaired two-tailed t tests were used to evaluate differences in mean values between MR examinations performed in the same rats and between baseline values in treated and control rats, respectively. RESULTS: MR imaging-assayed microvascular K(PS) decreased significantly after 7 days of treatment with celecoxib (P < .05), but it was not significantly changed after 7 days in the control group. Likewise, microvascular density, a histologic surrogate of angiogenesis, was significantly (P < .05) lower in the treatment group than in the control group. The fPV did not significantly change in either group. CONCLUSION: Dynamic MR imaging revealed microvascular permeability to a high-molecular-weight contrast agent was significantly reduced by treatment with celecoxib.