An Evaluation of Thiol/Disulphide Homeostasis and HDL Values in Patients with Cholelithiasis: A Prospective Case-control Study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the changes in thiol/disulphide homeostasis in patients determined with asymptomatic cholelithiasis and to investigate any potential correlation between these thiol-disulphide parameters and HDL cholesterol.

STUDY DESIGN

A descriptive, comparative study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

Ankara City Hospital between 15 September and 31 December 2019.

METHODOLOGY

This study included 42 patients aged 18-70 years, who presented at the Gastroenterology Clinic and were diagnosed with cholelithiasis on ultrasound examination. A control group was formed of 51 healthy volunteers aged 18-70 years. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis and HDL cholesterol was noted and compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The mean age was 44.16 ± 13.35 years in cholelithiasis patient group and 31.88±13.27 years in the control group. The triglyceride, VLDL, total cholesterol/HDL, and non-HDL levels were significantly higher and HDL level was significantly low in the patient group (both p <0.05). Regarding thiol-disulphide balance, native thiol, total thiol, and albumin values were found to be statistically significantly low in the patient group (p <0.05), and the IMA, index-1, index-2, and index-3 values were significantly high (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

The oxidant/antioxidant balance shifted towards oxidation in patients with asymptomatic gallstones. The non-HDL value was increased. There was a positive correlation between the thiol-disulphide parameters and the non-HDL value. The increasing non-HDL amount could be effective in the pathogenesis of gallstone disease by disrupting the oxidative balance.

KEY WORDS

Cholelithiasis, Thiol-disulphide homeostasis, Lipid profile, Non-HDL, HDL, Oxidative stress.

Association between serum vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels in Turkish patients with colonic polyps

Epidemiological and investigational studies have proved that vitamin D is important in autoimmune processes and has anticancerogenic properties. But the interplay between serum vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in colorectal polyps has been less clearly put forward. We evaluated serum vitamin D, PTH levels in Turkish people and tried to stratify colorectal polyps according to risk factors. Patients undergoing colonoscopy between January 2012 and March 2012 were considered to study serum vitamin D levels during winter. Study population comprised of 98 colorectal polyp and 197 normal colonoscopy patients.

RESULTS

Serum vitamin D levels were not different between the groups (mean vitamin D level in polyp group 14.3 ± 11.1 vs. 12.7 ± 6.74 the normal group, p = 0.12). Likewise serum PTH levels were not different between the groups Patients with polyps were further classified as high and low risk polyps. When discriminant function analysis was conducted, the effects of vitamin D or PTH levels were not again significant. During the study period 16 colorectal carcinoma cases were detected. Serum vitamin D or PTH levels were not significantly different between colorectal cancer or overall study group patients. Finally serum vitamin D levels were stratified into quartiles. Likewise there was not any significant difference between the groups. The present study suggests that serum vitamin D and PTH levels were not different between colorectal polyp and control groups. And serum vitamin D levels were significantly low in both groups suggesting a significant vitamin D deficient state in Turkish patients.

Serum iron parameters in cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis: detailed description

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Serum iron parameters are affected by liver disorders. It is believed that the tests are unreliable in chronic liver disease, and systemic iron overload should be evaluated histologically in these patients. However, the effect of severity of chronic liver disease on serum iron parameters has not been evaluated. Similarly, differences between liver disease- and iron overload related iron parameter changes have not been clarified. We aimed to describe the effect of severity of chronic liver disease on serum iron tests and to elucidate the differences of liver disease- and iron overload-related iron parameter changes.

METHODS

Commonly used serum iron parameters were studied in patients with cirrhosis, chronic viral hepatitis and in persons with confirmed hemochromatosis. Cirrhosis cases were categorized according to Child-Pugh classification.

RESULTS

We found that cirrhotic persons of any Child-Pugh class had deviations from normal results. Patients with chronic hepatitis had normal serum iron parameters. Total iron binding capacity decreased as liver disease progressed from hepatitis toward Class C cirrhosis (r= -0.53, p<0.001). Changes in ferritin and transferrin saturation were essentially opposite to this trend (r=0.3, p=0.01 and r=0.47, p<0.001, respectively). Serum iron level was lower in cirrhosis compared to hepatitis. Increased transferrin saturation and ferritin levels resembling iron overload were limited to Class C cirrhotics. Patients with true iron overload could be easily differentiated from these cases by hyperferremia.

CONCLUSION

Aberrant serum iron test results indicate cirrhotic stage in chronic liver disease. Cirrhosis and systemic iron overload cause characteristically different changes in serum iron parameters.

A Male Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting With Fulminant Hepatitis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with unknown etiology. Although liver dysfunction is rare in SLE, 25 - 50% of patients may develop abnormal liver functions. Here, we described a case presented as fulminant hepatitis and diagnosed as SLE.