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Adipokines regulate glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, lipids metabolism, reproduction, as well as endothelial and platelets function. The study compares the plasma and adipose tissue concentrations of total adiponectin, leptin, leptin receptor and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (LAR) in morbidly obese patients. Additionally it evaluates selected adipokines (leptin, adiponectin), endothelial markers and LAR depending on the gender in morbidly obese and non-obese subjects. The study involved 51 patients (31 women aged 21 - 60 (mean age of 39) and 20 men aged 24 to 60 (mean age of 41)). The eligibility criterion included the BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2. The non-obese group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers with the BMI < 24.9 kg/m2; nineteen women, aged 24 - 53 (mean age of 41), and 11 men aged 21 - 52 (mean age of 38). In the plasma and adipose tissue, the concentrations of total adiponectin, leptin, leptin receptor and plasma soluble forms of E-selectin, P-selectin, thrombomodulin were measured applying immunoassay techniques. There were noted significantly higher plasma leptin and sE-selectin concentrations, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio, additionally lower concentrations of plasma leptin receptor and sP-selectin in obese subjects regardless of the gender. Significantly higher concentrations of total adiponectin, leptin, leptin receptor expressed per 1 mg of total protein in adipose tissue, as compared to plasma in morbidly obese patients, were observed. Significant positive correlations between the BMI and the concentration of leptin and between total adiponectin and sP-selectin were reported in the subject group. Similarly there were noted significant negative correlations between leptin receptor and the BMI and between leptin-to-adiponectin ratio and sP-selectin in obese patients. The study has shown that adiponectin has a positive impact on platelets through a possible reduction in sP-selectin, and thus on platelets activation. On the other hand an elevated sE-selectin reveals perspective about the endothelium stimulation and a higher risk of endothelial damage in morbidly obese patients. Also in morbidly obese the higher leptin level and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio and simultaneously lower concentration of leptin receptor are associated with leptin resistance, additionally in possible future risk of insulin resistance and diabetes type 2.

Background: Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a rare bullous disease of autoimmune etiology. It is an intestinocutaneous syndrome, in which vesicopapular cutaneous lesions are accompanied by gluten-dependent enteropathy. The diagnosis of DH is based on immunopathological investigation of unaffected skin fragment (granular IgA deposits present at the tops of dermal papillae and IgA - EmA present in the serum)., Material/methods: The studied group consisted of 33 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis - 23 males and 10 females aged 22-78 (mean age 44.7). In all the patients, the following parameters of blood coagulation systems were determined in the plasma Levels of prothrombin fragments 1+2 (F(1+2)), levels of thrombin - antithrombin III (TAT) complexes, antithrombin III activity (AT III)., Results: In patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, the main level of F(1+2) fragments amounted to 9.08 nmol/l, as compared with 1.14 nmol/l in the control group (the difference statistically significant, p<0.0001). In DH patients, the levels of TAT complexes were over twice higher than among the controls and that difference also reached statistical significance (p<0.0001). Mean antithrombin III activity (AT III) in patients with DH reached 102.60% and was similar to that observed in the control group (104.68%)., Conclusions: In patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, increased levels of F(1+2) prothrombin fragments and TAT complexes indicate enhanced in vivo thrombinogenesis. No statistically significant differences of F(1+2), TAT and AT III levels in DH patients related to their sex, age and duration of the disease were observed.

Background: Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a very rare bullous dermatitis of autoimmune origin. It is a syndrome involving dermal and intestinal pathology, in which vesicopapular skin lesions are accompanied by gluten-dependent enteropathy. The diagnosis of DH is based on immunopathological investigation of unaffected skin bioptate (presence of granular IgA deposits in the upper portions of dermal papillae)., Material/methods: The study was carried out in a group of 33 patients, including 23 males and 10 females aged 22-78 (mean age 44.7 years). The following fibrinolysis system parameters were determined in the sera of all patients: tissue plasminogen activator concentration (t-PA: Ag), urokinase plasminogen activator concentration (u-PA: Ag), plasminogen activator inhibitor concentration (PAI-Ag), plasminogen level, alpha-2 antiplasmin activity (alpha-2-AP), plasmin-- alpha-2 antiplasmin complexes concentration (PAP)., Results: Mean t-PA concentration in DH patients was 5.52 ng/ml, vs. 4.8 ng/ml in controls. The respective u-PA concentrations amounted to 0.33 ng/ml, and 0.39 ng/ml. PAI-1 concentration was markedly higher in DH patients (36.2 ng/ml) than in controls (22.40 ng/ml), whereas plasminogen level was significantly lower (86.0% vs. 115.9%). In patients, alpha-2-AP activity was 92% and was lower than in controls -103.4%. DH patients demonstrated also higher concentrations of PAP complexes (327.45 ng/ml) than the control group (203.03 ng/ml)., Conclusions: Patients with DH were found to have lower plasminogen and alpha-2 antiplasmin levels and increased concentrations of PAP complexes, which indicates increased plasminogenesis in vivo. Increased type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor level (PAI-1) may reflect a chronic inflammatory condition present in DH patients.