The albumin globulin ratio (A/G ratio) is meant to represent the ratio of alterations in serum proteins, since, in liver disease, globulins (G) rise following serum albumin (SA) decrease. pathophysiological value, its' use has been limited. Alternatively, we have developed an index, the globulin compensation index (GCI) to measure the changes in serum globulins when albumin is decreased. The index is calculated as follows: G - 25 / 35 - SA. The GCI has been tested using retrospective patients' data from the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. Analysis of the data shows that the GCI may be of potential value in showing the actual serum protein status, especially in cases where globulins are decreased along with albumin. Furthermore, globulin rise in cases with reduced albumin was found in 72.3% of cases of hepatic diseases, whereas this finding occurred in up to 32.3% of cases of non-hepatic, systemic diseases.
INTRODUCTION: Decreased serum albumin (SA) levels have been used extensively as prognostic indicators in many chronic debilitating diseases. The decrease may be partly compensated by globular proteins. The failure of globulins to compensate may reflect advanced disease. We examined the prognostic value of the level of serum globulins in colorectal and breast cancers.
METHODS: Data of 80 patients with advanced colon and breast cancers were analysed. Of these, 46 patients died within six months of measurement of their serum proteins, and the rest were followed-up for more than six months after measurements of their serum proteins were taken. A mathematical formula, representing the globulin compensation index (GCI), was recently developed from the measured SA levels and globulins. Patients were then classified into three categories: negative GCI and negative compensation; GCI of 0 to less than 1.0 with partial compensation; and GCI equal or greater than 1.0 with full compensation.
RESULTS: Among the deceased patients, 45.7 percent had negative GCI, compared to 26.5 percent of patients in the survivors group. For partial compensation, 30.4 percent of patients were from the deceased group, and 32.4 percent were from the survivors group. For full compensation (elevated GCI), 23.9 percent of patients were from the deceased group, compared to 41.1 percent from the survivors group (p-value equals 0.031).
CONCLUSION: Patients with low GCI are more likely to have bad prognoses, whereas those with higher GCI have more favourable prognoses. Globulin compensation may be a reliable prognostic factor in advanced colorectal and breast cancers, and possibly in other chronic illnesses. The GCI may serve as a useful tool in the measurement of this compensation.
Recently, the fruits of Hylocereus polyrhizus, known as red dragon fruit, have received much attention from growers worldwide. However, there is little toxicological information regarding the safety of repeated exposure to these fruits. The present study evaluated the potential toxicity of a methanol extract of H. polyrhizus fruit after acute and subchronic administration in rats. In the acute toxicity study, single doses of fruit extract (1250, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg) were administered to rats by oral gavage, and the rats were then monitored for 14 days. In the subchronic toxicity study, the fruit extract was administered orally to rats at doses of 1250, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. There was no mortality or signs of acute or subchronic toxicity. There was no significant difference in body weight, relative organ weight or hematological parameters in the subchronic toxicity study. Biochemical analysis showed some significant changes, including creatinine, globulin, total protein and urea levels. No abnormality of internal organs was observed between treatment and control groups. The lethal oral dose of the fruit extract is more than 5000 mg/kg and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of the extract for both male and female rats is considered to be 5000 mg/kg per day for 28 days.
Injectable vitamin A was given to six pregnant beef cows in their last third of pregnancy to study the effect of this vitamin in their calves. Average birth weight and growth rate of calves from the treated cows were higher than that of calves from the nontreated cows. Prepartum vitamin A injections also resulted in a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), total serum protein and globulin fraction of serum protein in calves of treated cows.
1. A skin lesion was made in rats by dorsal incision and the insertion of a polythene tube. 2. Over a period of 25 days after wounding, assays were performed for ascorbic acid, DNA, hydroxyproline, methionine, tryptophan, tyrosine and free amino acids in the lesion tissue. 3. The neutral-salt-soluble proteins of the lesion tissue were fractionated on DEAE-Sephadex, with the separation of fibrinogen and gamma-globulin from a serum protein fraction. 4. Over a period of 20 days after wounding, in wounded rats and in controls, assays were conducted for: ascorbic acid in lens and liver, hydroxyproline, soluble protein, methionine and water in muscle and tendon, and free amino acids in muscle. 5. Relative to controls there was a decrease in lens and liver ascorbic acid, a rise in tendon hydroxyproline, a rise in muscle free amino acids, a fall in muscle protein and a rise in tendon and muscle water.
This study was carried out to investigate the modulatory effects of dietary methionine and fish oil on immune response, plasma fatty acid profile, and blood parameters of infectious bursal disease (IBD) challenged broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old male broiler chicks were assigned to one of six dietary treatment groups in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. There were three levels of fish oil (0, 2.5 and 5.5%), and two levels of methionine (NRC recommendation and twice NRC recommendation). The results showed that the birds fed with 5.5% fish oil had higher total protein, white blood cell count, and IL-2 concentration than those of other groups at 7 days after IBD challenge. Inclusion of fish oil in diet had no effect on IFN- γ concentration. However, supplementation of methionine twice the recommendation enhanced the serum IFN- γ and globulin concentration. Neither of fish oil nor methionine supplementation affected the liver enzymes concentration. It can be suggested that a balance of moderate level of fish oil (2.5%) and methionine level (twice NRC recommendation) might enhance immune response in IBD challenged broiler chickens.