Acute cellular rejection leads to morbidity after heart transplantation and invasive techniques are needed for its diagnosis. We investigated the presence of cardiomyocyte
apoptosis in transplanted hearts, its progression, its relationship with rejection, and the possibility that serological markers of apoptosis can be used to detect rejection noninvasively.
Methods. Overall, 130 endomyocardial biopsies obtained sequentially from 14 consecutive patients during the first 6 months following heart transplantation underwent histochemical AZD6094 concentration analysis. The degree of acute rejection was determined, myocyte apoptosis was assessed using the TUNEL method, and caspase-3 activity was measured. In the first 10 patients, soluble Fas, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (INF alpha) and interleukin 6 levels were determined in serum collected at biopsy.
Results. Apoptotic cells were
detected in 81.5% of biopsies. No significant correlation was found between the apoptotic index and either the degree of rejection or the time from transplantation; there was only a trend to higher values during prolonged episodes of rejection, which did not reach statistical significance. An inverse correlation was observed between the degree of rejection and the TNF alpha level (r(s)=-0.33; P=.003). There was no correlation with any other variable.
Conclusions. Cardiomyocyte loss due to apoptosis was observed in transplanted hearts, but no correlation was observed with either acute rejection or the time from transplantation. Our findings suggest
there could be an inverse correlation between rejection and the serum TNFa level. No serum parameter evaluated was regarded as EVP4593 suitable for the noninvasive diagnosis of acute rejection.”
“Background: Despite its importance in the central nervous system as a precursor for acetylcholine and membrane phosphatidylcholine, the role of choline in mental illness has been little studied.
Objective: We examined the cross-sectional association between plasma choline concentrations and scores of anxiety and depression symptoms in a general population PXD101 sample.
Design: We studied a subsample (n = 5918) of the Hordaland Health Study, including both sexes and 2 age groups of 46-49 and 70-74 y who had valid information on plasma choline concentrations and symptoms of anxiety and depression measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-the latter 2 as continuous measures and dichotomized at a score >= 8 for both subscales.
Results: The lowest choline quintile was significantly associated with high anxiety levels (odds ratio: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.69) in the fully adjusted (age group, sex, time since last meal, educational level, and smoking habits) logistic regression model. Also, the trend test in the anxiety model was significant (P = 0.007). In the equivalent fully adjusted linear regression model, a significant inverse association was found between choline quintiles and anxiety levels (standardized regression coefficient = -0.027, P = 0.045).