Serum soluble Fas in patients with Schistosomal cor pulmonale.
BACKGROUND
Schistosomal cor pulmonale is considered an important pathological condition in endemic areas. Few recent studies have reported the role of apoptosis in pulmonary hypertension.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of soluble Fas (sFas), an inhibitor of apoptosis, in patients with schistosomal cor pulmonale as compared to patients with cor pulmonale due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and normal subjects.


METHODS
Serum sFas was assessed in 15 men with schistosomal cor pulmonale (age 32 +/- 10 years), 15 men with chronic cor pulmonale secondary to COPD and 20 healthy men, matched for age.


RESULTS
Serum levels of sFas were significantly higher in patients with schistosomal cor pulmonale (74 +/- 80 U/ml) than in patients with cor pulmonale due to COPD (15 +/- 10 U/ml) and normal subjects (19 +/- 11 U/ml, p < 0.001 in both). In patients with schistosomal cor pulmonale, sFas was significantly higher in patients with mean pulmonary artery pressure > 30 mm Hg as compared to patients with pressure < or = 30 mm Hg (109 +/- 97 vs. 34 +/- 20 U/ml, p = 0.01). There was a significant correlation between serum sFas and the mean pulmonary artery pressure in patients with bilharzial cor pulmonale (r = 0.4, p < 0.01), but not in patients with COPD (r = 0.1, p = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum sFas levels are elevated in patients with schistosomal cor pulmonale and they are related to the severity of pulmonary hypertension. These findings suggest a role of apoptosis in schistosomal cor pulmonale.
Salama
Mai
M
Department of Cardiology, Tanta University Hospital, Egypt.
El-Kholy
Gamal
G
Abd El-Haleem
Soheir
S
Elzamarany
Enas
E
Abou Freikha
Mohamed
M
Elwan
Nadia
N
El-Masry
Magdy
M
Al-Bacil
Amr
A
Elhendy
Abdou
A
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D011660:Pulmonary Heart Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood*
D019014:fas Receptor