Elevated soluble fas blood concentrations in patients dying from spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

BACKGROUND Several studies of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage(SICH)patients have shown apoptotic changes in brain samples after hematoma evacuation.However,there have been no data on the association between blood concentrations of soluble fas(sFas)(the main surface death receptor of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway)and the prognosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension(SIH)patients.AIM To determine whether there is an association between blood sFas concentrations and SICH patient mortality.METHODS We included patients with severe and supratentorial SIH.Severe was defined as having Glasgow Coma Scale<9.We determined serum sFas concentrations at the time of severe SICH diagnosis.RESULTS We found that non-surviving patients(n=36)compared to surviving patients(n=39)had higher ICH score(P=0.001),higher midline shift(P=0.004),higher serum sFas concentrations(P<0.001),and lower rate of early hematoma evacuation(P=0.04).Multiple logistic regression analysis showed an association between serum sFas concentrations and 30-d mortality(odds ratio=1.070;95%confidence interval=1.014-1.129;P=0.01)controlling for ICH score,midline shift,and early hematoma evacuation.CONCLUSION The association of blood sFas concentrations and SICH patient mortality is a novel finding in our study.

Serum levels of soluble Fas, nitric oxide and cytokines in acute decompensated cirrhotic patients

AIM： To evaluate plasma levels of nitrite/nitrate （NOx）, soluble Pas （spas） antigen, tumor necrosis factor alpha （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in patients with compensated and acute decompensated cirrhosis and to evaluate mediators causing acute decompensation in liver cirrhosis, METHODS： This prospective study was conducted in the medical intensive care unit of an academic tertiary center, Fifty-five patients with acute decompensation （gastrointestinal hemorrhage, encephalopathy, hydropic decompensation） and twenty-five patients with compensated liver drrhosis were included, Blood samples were taken for analyses of spas, Nox, IL-6, TNF-α, Liver enzymes and kidney functions were also tested, RESULTS： In patients with acute decompensation, plasma spas levels were higher than in non-decompensated patients （15305 ± 4646 vs 12458± 4322 pg/mL, P 〈 0.05）. This was also true for the subgroup of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis （P 〈 0.05）. The other mediators were not different and none of the parameters predicted survival, except for ALT （alanine-aminotransferase）. In patients with portal-hypertension-induced acute hemorrhage, NOx levels were significantly lower than in patients with other forms of decompensation （70.8 ± 48.3 vs 112.9 ± 74.9 pg/mL, P 〈 0.05）. When NOx levels were normalized to creatinine levels, the difference disappeared. IL-6, TNF-α and spas were not different between bleeders and non-bleeders. In decompensated patients spas, IL-6 and NOx levels correlated positively with creatinine levels, while IL-6 levels were dependent on Child class. CONCLUSION： In acute decompensated cirrhotic patients sPas is increased, suggesting a role of apoptosis in this process and patients with acute bleeding have lower NOx levels, However, in this acute complex clinical situation, kidney function seems to have a predominant influence on mediator levels,

Cloning and Expression of the cDNA of a Murine Soluble Fas

In order to regulate the apoptosis induced by Fas FasL system, a soluble isoform of mouse Fas was cloned from thymocytes of immature mice with the primers designed according to the full length Fas cDNA sequence in the GeneBank. It was directionally inserted into the intermedium vector pUC19. DNA sequencing proved that it was consistent with the expected sequence. Then it was subcloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pCA13, which was used to construct the recombinant vector pCA13 FasC. By lipofectamine (LF2000) mediated transfection, pCA13 FasC was transfected into the 293 cells. RT PCR and Western blot indicated that the murine soluble Fas C protein was expressed in the 293 cells. Apoptosis inducing test showed that the expression of this murine Fas C could block the Fas induced apoptosis, which confirmed the biological activity of the recombinant Fas C.

The Serum Levels of Soluble Fas Ligand and Soluble Fas Receptor in Patients with chronic congestive heart failure

Objectives To investi gate the association of soluble Fas ligand( sFasL) and soluble Fas receptor( sFas) with human chronic con gestive heart failure( CHF) . Methods The serum level of sFasL and sFas in 33 patients with CHF (13 in cardiac function class Ⅱ, 17 in class Ⅲ, 3 in class Ⅳ, NYHA) was assessed with enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay, and was compared with that of 18 age - , blood pressure - matched patients with car diac function class Ⅰ (NYHA). Results There was no difference in the level of sFasL between the two groups [CHF group: 231. 50 + / - 84. 50 (cardiac function class Ⅱ216. 50 + / - 96. 00 , class Ⅲ 226. 80 + / - 85. 70, class Ⅳ 244. 00 + / - 73. 00) vs. cardiac function class I group: 217. 50 + /-89. 00 pg/mL, P>0. 05]. However, the level of sFas was significantly higher in the patients with CHF than those of cardiac function class I group [CHF group: 1353. 30 +/-507. 71 (cardiac function class Ⅱ 1154. 85 + /-371. 20 , class Ⅲ1412.88 + /-493. 62, classⅣ1875. 67 + / - 806. 10) vs. cardiac function class I group: 983. 11+/ -461. 26 pg/mL, P<0. 05 ] . Conclusions sFasL was not associated with human CHF. However, the elevation of serum level of sFas was proportion to the severity of human CHF. sFas may play an important role in the patho- genesis of human CHF.

Prognostic value of serum soluble Fas in patients with locally advanced unresectable rectal cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy

Objective: This study was designed to detect the changes of serum soluble Fas (sFas) levels in patients with locally advanced unresectable rectal cancer (LAURC),and to explore its prognostic value of response.Methods: Soluble samples were obtained from LAURC subjects,treated by concurrent chemoradiotherapy,before treatment and one month after treatment.Healthy donor serum samples were used as controls.sFas concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: The sFas levels before treatment and one month after treatment were both significantly higher in LAURC subjects than in healthy controls [(8.79±1.39) and (7.74±1.32) vs.(5.53±1.13) ng/L,P<0.01].The sFas levels before treatment and one month after treatment were significantly lower in the response group (complete and partial responses) than in the non-response group (stable and progressive diseases) [(8.50±1.25) vs.(10.17±1.26) ng/L,P<0.01 and (7.50±1.24) vs.(8.90±1.13) ng/L,P<0.01,respectively].The one-year survival rate was 54.2% and 82.6% in those with sFas levels >8.79 ng/L and <8.79 ng/L before treatment (P<0.02),respectively,50.0% and 87.0% in those with sFas levels >7.74 ng/L and <7.74 ng/L one month after treatment (P<0.01),respectively.Conclusions: The sFas level is higher in LAURC subjects than in healthy controls.Concurrent chemoradiotherapy can reduce sFas levels in LAURC patients.The monitoring of sFas may provide prognostic information for LAURC patients.

Apoptosis and Fas System Are Significantly Involved in the Process of Liver Cirrhosis Converting into Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To investigate the roles of apoptosis and the Fas system in the process of liver cirrhosis converting into hepatocellular carcinoma , expression of Fas and Fas ligand in 49 LC and 36 HCC samples was detected by immunohistochemical method. Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling method. Serum soluble Fas levels in 28 cases of LC and 27 cases of HCC were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Compared with LC, apoptotic indices in HCC tissues were significantly reduced , expression of Fas was decreased , and that of FasL was increased . Serum sFas levels in HCC patients were significantly higher than those in normal controls. Down regulation of Fas expression, up regulation of FasL expression in hepatocytes and elevation of sFas level in serum might contribute to tumor escape from immune surveillance of the body. Apoptosis and the Fas system are significantly involved in the process of liver cirrhosis converting into hepatocellular carcinoma.