title: Serum soluble Fas in patients with Schistosomal cor pulmonale.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tanta University Hospital, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: El-Kholy
authors.forename: Soheir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abd El-Haleem
authors.forename: Enas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elzamarany
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abou Freikha
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elwan
authors.forename: Magdy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Masry
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Bacil
authors.forename: Abdou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elhendy
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D019014:fas Receptor