Search

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between serum globulin levels and immune restoration and HIV reservoir size during long‐term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: We enrolled 13 patients living with HIV who had been receiving ART for 5 years. We measured levels of serum globulin, cell‐associated (CA) HIV DNA and RNA, and p24 antibody at 0, 1, 3, and 5 years of ART. CD38 and human leukocyte antigen – DR isotype (HLA‐DR) were used as activation markers for T‐cell activation. Serum concentrations of the inflammatory cytokines interferon gamma‐inducible protein (IP)‐10 and soluble CD163 (sCD163) were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. We analyzed the relationship between serum globulin levels, HIV reservoir size, immune restoration, T‐cell immune activation, and inflammatory levels during long‐term ART. Results: Our data showed that serum globulin levels in people living with HIV were higher than in healthy controls and significantly decreased during the first year of ART. Serum globulin levels during long‐term ART were positively correlated with CA HIV DNA, CA HIV RNA, p24 antibody levels, and CD8+ T‐cell counts and negatively correlated with CD4+ T‐cell counts and CD4/CD8 ratios. Moreover, serum globulin levels were positively correlated with CD4+ and CD8+ T‐cell activation and the concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers IP‐10 and sCD163 during long‐term ART. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that serum globulin levels may be associated with HIV reservoir size and immune restoration during long‐term ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is considered as a risk factor for nutritional and metabolic abnormalities, and serum protein is an important marker of the nutritional and immune status. It is still unknown whether HP infection affects serum protein levels. Methods: The participants who underwent health screening from July 2020 to August 2021 were included, among whom, 1485 subjects with 14C-urea breath test (14C-UBT) values ≥ 100 disintegrations per minute (dpm) were defined as HP-positive cases, and 4864 cases with 14C-UBT values < 100 dpm were defined as HP-negative cases. Anthropometric measurements were taken, and biochemical parameters of the blood were analyzed for all subjects. Categorical variables were compared using the χ 2 test and continuous variables using Student's t test. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the effect of HP infection on serum proteins. Results: Age, the proportion of female, globulin levels, total cholesterol levels, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the HP infected group than in the non-infected group (P < 0.05). Height, weight, body mass index, hip circumference, albumin levels, albumin to globulin ratio, triglycerides levels, and uric acid levels were significantly higher in the non-infected group than in the infected group (P < 0.05). Multifactorial analysis revealed that HP infection was significantly associated with the risk of decreased serum albumin levels (odds ratio [OR] = 0.809, P = 3.51× 10− 4); HP infection was significantly associated with the risk of increased serum globulin levels (model 1: OR = 1.257, P = 1.39× 10− 4); and HP infection was significantly associated with the risk of decreased albumin/globulin ratio (OR= 0.775, P = 2.30× 10− 5). Conclusion: HP infection was significantly associated with lower serum albumin levels, elevated globulin levels, and lower albumin/globulin ratio. Thus, it is an important factor affecting nutritional metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the neck occult metastasis in early (T1‐T2 cN0) oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods: The nomogram was developed in a training cohort of 336 early OSCC patients and was validated in a validation cohort including 88 patients. Independent predictors were calculated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: In univariate logistical regression analysis, gender, perineural invasion (PNI), blood vessel invasion, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, aspartate aminotransferase, prealbumin, globulin (GLO), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum sodium (NA), and serum chloride were significant associated with neck occult metastasis. Multivariate logistical regression analysis identified PNI (p <.001), LDH (p =.003), GLO (p =.019), and NA (p =.020) as independent predictors of neck occult metastasis. Cut‐off values for LDH, GLO, and NA obtained from AUC were 142.5, 26.35, and 139.5, respectively. The nomogram based on PNI and categorical GLO, LDH, and NA exhibited a strong discrimination, with a C‐indexes of 0.748 (95%CI = 0.688 to 0.810) in the training cohort and 0.751 (95%CI = 0.639 to 0.863) in the validation cohort. Conclusions: A nomogram based on PNI, LDH, GLO, and NA for predicting the risk of neck lymph nodes occult metastasis in OSCC could help surgeons with therapy decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated that phototherapy may be associated with childhood immune disorders in later life. The present study aimed to assess the effects of phototherapy as a risk factor in the decrease in serum globulin (GLB) levels during neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. A total of 430 full-term infants aged between 1 and 28 days, diagnosed with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, were enrolled in the present study. Neonates with intrauterine infection, genetic abnormalities and congenital diseases were excluded from the cohort. All neonates received single-side phototherapy (halogen lamps for 12 h per day, for 3 days) and/or intravenous albumin (IVALB; 1 g/kg/day, for 2 days) and/or intravenous immunoglobulin (1 g/kg/day, for 2 days). Total serum bilirubin (TSB), albumin (ALB) and GLB levels were examined twice, on the first and fourth days of hospitalization. Neonatal TSB concentrations decreased from 299.6±83.9 to 163.6±57.6 µmol/l following 3 days of intensive treatment (P<0.001). Pearson correlative analysis indicated that TSB was significantly correlated to the GLB level (r=0.249; P<0.01), but not with ALB level. There was a significant decrease in GLB levels following phototherapy+IVALB (P<0.001). The GLB levels decreased to 2–4 g/l (10–20% compared with their baseline levels) and were markedly decreased in infants >16 days old compared with those in patients aged <16 days (P<0.001). The decreases in GLB levels observed were 21.3±4.1 to 18.5±4.2 g/l in the phototherapy group, and 23.0±3.9 to 16.6±4.5 g/l in the phototherapy+IVALB (P<0.001). The decrease in GLB levels was associated with age (95% confidence interval; −0.152, −0.016). The results demonstrated that phototherapy decreased serum GLB levels, particularly in infants aged >16 days, while additional IVALB treatment promoted the decrease, along with increased age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated skin disease with unknown etiology, with an epidermal turnover time of <10 days compared to a normal turnover time of 4-8 weeks. This epidermal hyperproliferation accounts for many of the metabolic abnormalities including alteration in the serum levels of proteins and some trace elements. Aim: The aim was to detect any statistically significant difference in the serum levels of zinc, copper, albumin, globulin and alkaline phosphatase between psoriasis patients and healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Hundred cases of psoriasis and 100 age and sex matched controls were enrolled in a hospital based case-control study. The serum levels of zinc, copper, albumin, globulin and alkaline phosphatase were calculated and compared among the cases and controls and evaluated statistically. Results: Serum zinc levels were significantly low in the psoriasis group as compared with controls (mean 80.028 µg/dl vs. 109.179 µg/dl, P < 0.0001). Serum copper levels were significantly raised among cases as compared with controls (mean 167.317 µg/dl vs. 133.884 µg/dl P < 0.0001). Serum albumin levels were significantly decreased (3.762 g/dl vs. 4.103 g/dl, P < 0.001), whereas serum globulin levels were raised (3.296 g/dl vs. 2.596 g/dl, P = 0.0014) among cases as compared with controls, respectively. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels were comparable between the two groups. Conclusion: The results of this study show significant alterations in the serum levels of copper, zinc, albumin, and globulin in psoriatic patients. This paper aims at highlighting the possible role of trace metals copper and zinc in the aetiopathogenesis of psoriasis and also provides a proposed interplay of factors involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]