Biomedical subjects

Chaika Petrova

Publications and source records attributed to Chaika Petrova.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Detection of free antielastin antibodies among diabetic children.

Antibodies to elastin breakdown products are found in the serum of all human subjects and correlate with their respective serum peptide levels. The presence of these antielastin antibodies (AEAbs) and the corresponding antigens in circulation leads to the formation of circulating immune complexes (CICs). The aim of this study was to determine if the serum levels of free AEAbs (not bound in CICs) correlate with the development of vascular complications in diabetic children. To this end, we used a method for detecting immune complexes (complement inhibition factor [CIF]-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) in combination with an ELISA for detection of AEAbs. The levels of free immunoglobulin G (IgG) AEAbs were studied in the sera of 54 diabetic children (mean age 12.3+/-4 years; diabetes duration 5.2+/-3.7 years). Thirty-two of the children had vascular complications (group 1), and 22 were without vascular complications (group 2). Twenty healthy children (mean age 13.6+/-4.2 years) were used as controls. The diabetics showed statistically significant higher levels of free AEAbs (0.490 E492+/-0.244 E492 vs 0.307 E492+/-0.081 E492; p = .02) compared with the control group. In group 1, free AEAbs showed statistically significant higher levels than controls (0.523+/-0.269 vs 0.307+/-0.081; p = .016). Eighteen of 54 (33%) patients were positive for free AEAbs (13 of 32 [41%] in group 1 and 5 of 22 [22%] in group 2). Free AEAb levels in all diabetics showed a correlation with systolic blood pressure (r = .44; p = .01), diastolic blood pressure (r = .46; p = .009), total cholesterol (r = .33; p = .05), triglycerides (r= .38; p = .03), high-density lipoprotein (r= -.46; p = .009), serum fructose (r= .43; p = .001), and microalbuminuria (r= .41; p = .002). Patients who had vascular pathology showed a correlation of free AEAbs with microalbuminuria (r= .434; p= .026), serum fructose (r= .63; p = .0004), hemoglobin A1c (r= .392; p = .043), and triglycerides (r= .456; p = .025). These findings suggest that elevated levels of free IgG AEAbs are associated with the development of diabetic vascular complications in children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Circulating immune complexes among diabetic children.

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is an autoimmune disease associated with the presence of different types of autoantibodies. The presence of these antibodies and the corresponding antigens in the circulation leads to the formation of circulating immune complexes (CIC). CIC are known to persist in the blood for long periods of time. Such CIC following deposition in the small blood vessels have the potential to lead to microangiopathy with debilitating clinical consequences. The aim of our pilot study was to investigate whether a correlation exists between CIC and the development of microvascular complications in diabetic children. Isolation of a new glycoprotein complement inhibition factor (CIF) from the parasitic plant Cuscuta europea seed, which appears to bind specifically to complement component C3 has provided an unique tool for the measurement of immune complexes by means of ELISA-type techniques (CIF-ELISA). We studied the levels of CIC (IgG, IgM and IgA) in 58 diabetic children (mean age 12.28 +/- 4.04 years, diabetes duration 5.3 +/- 3.7 years), 29 of them had vascular complications (group 1) and the other 29 were without vascular complications (group 2). As controls, we studied sera samples from 21 healthy children (mean age 13.54 +/- 4.03 years). Sera from the diabetic patients showed statistically significant higher levels of CIC IgG (p = 0.03) than sera from the control group. In sera from group 1 values of CIC IgG showed statistically significant higher levels than controls (0.720 +/- 0.31 vs. 0.46 +/- 0.045; p = 0.011) Sera from 59% of the patients were positive for CIC IgG, 36% for CIC IgM and 9% for CIC IgA. Among 26 patients with microalbuminuria, sera from 17/26 (65%) were positive for CIC IgG, 8/26 (31%) for CIC IgM and 2/26 (8%) for CIC IgA. CIC IgG correlated with HbAlc (r = 0.51; p = 0.005) and microalbuminuria (r = 0.42, p = 0.033). CIC IgA correlated with age (r = 0.44, p = 0.03). CIC IgM correlated with the duration of diabetes (r = 0.63, p = 0.02). These findings suggest that elevated levels of CIC IgG are associated with the development of early diabetic nephropathy.

Adolescent↗