METHODS: A total of 213 subjects across all ages who were investigated for WD were recruited. WD was confirmed in 55 patients, and the rest were WD free. Based on serum copper and caeruloplasmin values, NCC, NCC%, CCR and adjusted copper were calculated for each subject. A function was derived using discriminant analysis, and the cut-off value was determined through receiver operating characteristic analysis. Classification accuracy was found by cross-tabulation.
RESULTS: Caeruloplasmin, total copper, NCC, NCC%, CCR, adjusted copper and discriminant function were significantly lower in WD compared to non-WD. Discriminant function showed the best diagnostic specificity (99.4%), sensitivity (98.2%) and classification accuracy (99.1%). Caeruloplasmin levels <0.14 g/L showed higher accuracy than the recommended 0.20 g/L cut-off value (97.7% vs. 87.8%). Similarly, molar NCC below the European cut-off of 1.6 umol/L showed higher accuracy than the American cut-off of 3.9 umol/L (80.3% vs. 59.6%) (P < 0.001). NCC%, mass NCC, CCR and adjusted copper showed poorer performances.
CONCLUSION: Discriminant function differentiates WD from non-WD with excellent specificity, sensitivity and accuracy. Performance of serum caeruloplasmin <0.14 g/L was better than that of <0.20 g/L. NCC, NCC%, CCR and adjusted copper are not helpful in diagnosing WD.
AIMS: To assess the estradiol induced changes in plasma ceruloplasmin concentration on exposure of the rats to acute stress.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Acute stress was induced by forcing the rats to swim till exhaustion. The rats were overiectomised bilaterally to remove the primary source of sex hormones. And hormone replacement was done later.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Wistar albino female rats were used. Acute stress was induced before overiectomy, following recovery from surgery, and again after Estradiol Valerate injection (for 10 days) in same group of rats. The plasma ceruloplasmin was estimated immediately after stress during each stage--that is preoperative control, stressed control, after overiectomy and then following treatment with Estradiol Valerate.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Paired sample T test was applied to analyze the findings.
RESULTS: We found lowest ceruloplasmin level after stress in overiectomised animals, while on substitution of estradiol the trend appeared to be reversed.
CONCLUSION: The result suggested a direct effect of estrogen on hepatic ceruloplasmin production/release and this could account for some of the beneficial effects of hormone replacement therapy.
OBJECTIVE: In the present study, BBP was investigated for it's in vivo innate and adaptive immune responses mediated by different humoral and cellular immune factors.
METHODS: Male Balb/c mice were orally fed with BBP (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) for a period of 14 days and immunized with sheep red blood cells (sRBC) on day 0 for the determination of adaptive responses. The effects of BBP on phagocytosis process of neutrophils isolated from blood of treated/untreated animals were determined. The ceruloplasmin and lysozyme serum levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) plasma level were also monitored. The mechanism was further explored by assessing its effects on the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes subsets CD4+ and CD8+ and on the secretion of Th1/Th2 cytokines as well as serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM) and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction.
RESULTS: BBP showed a significant dose-dependent reduction on the migration of neutrophils, Mac-1 expression, phagocytic activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In comparison to the sensitized control group, a dose-dependent inhibition was observed on lymphocyte proliferation along with the downregulation of effector cells expression and release of cytokines. Moreover, a statistically significant decrease was perceived in serum levels of ceruloplasmin, lysozyme and immunoglobulins and MPO plasma level of BBP-treated mice. BBP also dose-dependently inhibited sheep red blood cells (sRBC)-induced swelling rate of mice paw in DTH.
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest the potential of BBP as a potent immunosuppressive agent.