Background: Establishing the associations between anthropometric parameters and thyroid hormones and serum proteins in apparently healthy young women may identify early predictors of possible latent pathology with potential impact on future pregnancy outcome and offspring heath. Methods: Body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, hip circumference, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH], free tri-iodothyronine [fT3], free thyroxine [fT4]) and serum proteins (total protein [TP], electrophoretic profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], thyroxine-binding globulin [TBG], transthyretin [TTR]) were measured in 101 young (22.1±1.1 years) healthy women.
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between lactoferrin and iron and its binding proteins in women with endometriosis by simultaneously measuring these parameters in plasma and peritoneal fluid. Ninety women were evaluated, of whom 57 were confirmed as having endometriosis. Lactoferrin was measured by ELISA, transferrin, ferritin and iron on a Cobas 8000 analyser. Lactoferrin and transferrin in peritoneal fluid were lower compared to plasma, in contrast to ferritin and iron. In plasma, lactoferrin showeds associations with iron and transferrin in endometriosis and with ferritin in the group without endometriosis. Lactoferrin in peritoneal fluid correlated with lactoferrin, iron and transferrin of plasma in patients without endometriosis. The ratio of lactoferrin concentration in peritoneal fluid to plasma differentiated stage I versus IV of endometriosis and was negatively correlated with the iron ratio in patients without endometriosis. The ferritin ratio differentiated women with and without endometriosis. The very high ferritin ratios, especially in advanced stages of endometriosis, suggest the protective involvement of this protein in peritoneal fluid and the loss of this role by lactoferrin. The results demonstrate the validity of assessing iron metabolism in women with endometriosis, which may be useful as a marker of the disease and its progression.
Establishing the associations between anthropometric parameters and thyroid hormones and serum proteins in apparently healthy young women may identify early predictors of possible latent pathology with potential impact on future pregnancy outcomes and offspring health. Anthropometric measurements were carried out in accordance with The International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, hip circumference, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH], free tri-iodothyronine [fT3], free thyroxine [fT4]) and serum proteins (total protein [TP], electrophoretic profile, high-sensi- tivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], thyroxine-binding globulin [TBG], transthyretin [TTR]) were measured in 101 young (22.1±1.1 years) healthy women. Serum TSH, fT3 and fT4 were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. The correlations between the parameters within each group were assessed by Spearman's rank-order correlation test. The statistical analyses were performed using STATISTICA version 13.3. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. BMI was not associated with serum thyroid hormone concentrations, TP, hs-CRP, TBG, TTR and protein electrophoretic fractions (p>0.05). Interconnections (p<0.05) between serum thyroid hormones and protein concentrations were highest at normal weights and differed between underweight and overweight subjects. In underweight subjects, a negative association was between waist circumference and fT3/fT4 ratio (r=-0.49, p<0.05). In overweight subjects, hip circumference was positively associated with the fT3/fT4 ratio (r=0.75, p<0.05). In conclusion, interdependencies of serum thyroid hormone concentrations with protein profiles between young normal-, under- and overweight women may indicate involvement of these parameters in the regulation of body-weight-dependent metabolic processes. Waist circumference in underweight females and hip circumference in overweight individuals may signal altered local metabolic homeostasis involving thyroid hormones. In conclusion, the differences in the association between anthropometric indices and the thyroid hormone panel and serum proteins demonstrated in healthy young women in the preconception period, suggest a chance to select a set of test parameters of prognostic potential, specifically targeted to this sex and age group.
Abstract Aim Characteristics of variability of concentrations total protein and its electrophoretic fractions in serum of healthy pregnant women between successive trimesters and post‐partum for initial classification of proteins involved in specific metabolic processes associated with pregnancy. Methods Total serum protein concentrations were measured by biuret method and serum protein fractions were electrophoretically separated in 166 serum samples collected from healthy pregnant women in three trimesters of pregnancy (1st, n = 55; 2nd, n = 42; 3rd, n = 39) and in post‐partum ( n = 30), and in 20 samples from nonpregnant controls. Results Across pregnancy, there were gradual, but occurring at different rates, decreases over time in serum total protein, albumin and gamma globulins compared to controls ( P < 0.05). In 1st trimester, serum concentrations of total protein, albumin and gamma globulins were <10% lower than in nonpregnant state, with further decreases in 2nd and 3rd trimesters and in post‐partum. The concentrations of alpha‐1‐, alpha‐2‐, beta‐1‐ and beta‐2‐globulins were elevated compared to controls ( P < 0.05) with different dynamics of change and with the highest percentage increase for alpha‐1‐globulin. Conclusion Pregnancy‐associated alterations in the serum concentrations of total protein and in its individual electrophoretic protein fractions in each trimester of pregnancy and differences versus normal ranges in nonpregnant healthy females could be a simple screening method for classification useful laboratory parameters that help obstetricians and gynecologists to make multidirectional judgments about the state of health of pregnant women.
Background: Pathophysiological mechanisms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are unknown and there are no specific markers unique to this disorder.The hypothesis of a subclinical gradual development of local intestinal inflammation which generates IBS remains to be confirmed.The aim of the study was to search for a laboratory parameter or their panel among the acute-phase proteins in the blood and confirm their possible association with faecal calprotectin and alpha-1-antitrypsin which are specific markers forlocal intestinal inflammation.Methods: Concentration of serum alpha-1-antitrypsin, orosomucoid (ORS), transferrin , hs-CRP and faecal alpha-1-antitrypsin were measured by immunopreciptation while faecal calprotectin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 38 patients with IBS (Rome II diagnostic criteria), including 18 patients with diarrhoeapredominant IBS , 12 with constipation-predominant IBS and 8 with alternating IBS .Results: In all patients with IBS, there was significant correlation between the serum concentrations of positive acute-phase proteins (alpha-1-antitrypsin, ORS, hsCRP).The concentrations of faecal calprotectin (μg/g dry faeces) considerably varied between subjects (range: 0.16-19.83)and a significant correlation was observed with ORS alone (r=0.40,p=0.014).In diarrhoea-predominant IBS: (1) the ORS concentrations were elevated compared to constipation-predominant IBS (p=0.030);(2) hs-CRP was increased (p=0.007) in patients with ORS concentrations > 1.0 g/l.Conclusions: ORS is the serum acute-phase protein with the highest specificity for diarrhoea-predominant IBS.Significant correlation between faecal calprotectin and serum ORS in diarrhoea-predominant IBS suggest the usefulness of the two parameters as a diagnostic panel to screen patients with suspicion of IBS for low-grade intestinal inflammation.
