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Cardiovascular mortality is a leading cause of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD), as is IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The purpose of this study is to find different biomarkers to estimate the outcome of the disease, which is significantly influenced by the changes in vessels (characterized by arterial stiffness) and the heart. In our cross-sectional study, 90 patients with IgAN were examined. The N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was measured as a heart failure biomarker by an automated immonoassay method, while the carboxy-terminal telopeptide of collagen type I (CITP) as a fibrosis marker was determined using ELISA kits. Arterial stiffness was determined by measuring carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Renal function and routine echocardiography examinations were performed as well. Based on eGFR, patients were separated into two categories, CKD 1-2 and CKD 3-5. There were significantly higher NT-proBNP (p = 0.035), cfPWV (p = 0.004), and central aortic systolic pressure (p = 0.037), but not CITP, in the CKD 3-5 group. Both biomarker positivities were significantly higher in the CKD 3-5 group (p = 0.035) compared to the CKD 1-2 group. The central aortic systolic pressure was significantly higher in the diastolic dysfunction group (p = 0.034), while the systolic blood pressure was not. eGFR and hemoglobin levels showed a strong negative correlation, while left ventricular mass index (LVMI), aortic pulse pressure, central aortic systolic pressure, and cfPWV showed a positive correlation with NT-proBNP. cfPWV, aortic pulse pressure, and LVMI showed a strong positive correlation with CITP. Only eGFR was an independent predictor of NT-proBNP by linear regression analysis. NT-proBNP and CITP biomarkers may help to identify IgAN patients at high risk for subclinical heart failure and further atherosclerotic disease.

Background: Simultaneous determination of the two main actin scavenger proteins in sepsis has not been investigated until now. In our pilot study, we elucidated the predictive values of Gc globulin and gelsolin (GSN) in sepsis by comparing them to classic laboratory and clinical parameters. Methods: A 5-day follow-up was performed, including 46 septic patients, 28 non-septic patients and 35 outpatients as controls. Serum Gc globulin and GSN levels were determined by automated immune turbidimetric assay on a Cobas 8000/c502 analyzer. Patients were retrospectively categorized according to the sepsis-3 definitions, and 14-day mortality was also investigated. Results: First-day GSN also differentiated sepsis from non-sepsis (AUC: 0.88) similarly to C-reactive protein (AUC: 0.80) but was slightly inferior to procalcitonin (PCT) (AUC: 0.98) with a cutoff value of GSN at 22.29 mg/L (sensitivity: 83.3%; specificity: 86.2%). Only first-day SOFA scores (0.88) and GSN (0.71) distinguished septic survivors from non-survivors, whereas lactate (0.99), Gc globulin (0.76) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (0.74) discriminated septic shock from sepsis. Logistic regression analyses revealed SOFA scores and GSN being significant factors regarding 14-day mortality. First-day GSN levels were higher (p Conclusions: Both serum GSN and Gc globulin may have predictive values in sepsis. Considering the small sample size of our study, further measurements are needed to evaluate our results. Measurement of Gc globulin and GSN maybe useful in assessment of sepsis severity and in therapeutic decision-making.

Introduction Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are normal metabolic products of living cells. However, a decrease of the defense mechanisms against the effects of ROS or increased ROS production maybe one important causative factor of cellular damage. A non-enzymatic scavenger system is considered to be responsible for the maintenance of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as a protection against oxidative injuries that exist in all higher plants and in mammals as well. Methods In our work, we optimized and validated a luminol-peroxidase-4-iodophenol-H2O2 enhanced chemiluminescence-based (ECL) TAC measurement technique. BSA was applied in the reagent to prevent peroxidase from auto-oxidation. The ECL method was suitable for plant extracts and for human blood serum as well. Our TAC technique was adapted to microplates and compared to ORAC assay using plant extracts. Results and discussion The ECL method is fast (10 min) with an interassay precision of < 10% as CV. TAC values of ethanolic extracts of 10 plant species did correlate (ECL vs ORAC assay data: r = 0.84, 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.78–0.89, P < 0.001) but with systematic bias. Analysis of serum samples obtained from septic and control patients showed significantly higher TAC values in the patient group compared to those of controls (p < 0.01). Moreover, we could discriminate between surviving and non-surviving patients, based on their TAC values (p < 0.01). Pearson's statistics showed the strongest positive correlation with serum uric acid (r = 0.73). Besides the routine laboratory parameters, our novel TAC method might give complementary information on the severity of systemic inflammation. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.

The present study investigated the acute effect of eccentric exercise on blood plasma actin, gelsolin (GSN) and orosomucoid (AGP) levels in untrained and moderately trained individuals, and their correlation with exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) markers (CK, intensity of muscle soreness and maximal voluntary contraction torque deficit). Healthy physical education students (6 untrained, 12 moderately trained) participated in this research. Actin, GSN, AGP and CK levels were measured in blood plasma at baseline, immediately, 1 h, 6 h and 24 h post-exercise comprising 90 eccentric quadriceps contractions performed on a dynamometer. There was significant time main effect for GSN, AGP, CK and significant difference was found between baseline and the lowest value of post-exercise GSN (p < 0.05), as well as baseline and the highest value of post-exercise AGP (p < 0.05). Relationships were found between GSN levels and other indirect EIMD markers (between all GSN levels at post-exercise and CK activity at 6 h, p < 0.05; GSNMIN and muscle soreness at post-exercise, p < 0.04), GSN and AGP; however, actin did not correlate at any time points with GSN. Actin, GSN, AGP and CK responses after eccentric exercise do not seem sensitive to training status. The plasma actin level is used as an indicator of injury, however, our results suggest that it is not an accurate marker of EIMD, while plasma GSN concentrations show a better relationship with EIMD and the post-exercise inflammatory process. The elevated plasma AGP and the correlation between GSN and AGP seem to be promising for assessment of exercise-induced muscle injury.

Objectives For appropriate sepsis care, prognostic laboratory markers are mandatory. The aim of our study was to evaluate the predictive value of serum actin, gelsolin and the recently defined actin/gelsolin ratio during sepsis by comparison it to classical clinical and inflammatory laboratory parameters. Design & methods We analyzed sera of severe septic (n = 32) and SIRS (n = 12) patients for 5 days. Ophthalmologic patients (n = 27) served as controls. Besides serum actin, gelsolin and actin/gelsolin ratios classical laboratory parameters (WBC count, serum procalcitonin, hsCRP) and clinical scores (APACHE II, SAPS II, SOFA), were also assessed. Results Septic patients showed significantly decreased first-day gelsolin levels and increased actin/gelsolin ratios compared to SIRS patients (p