Low plasma levels of the protein pro-LL-37 as an early indication of severe disease in patients with chronic neutropenia.
Karlsson. Jenny J; Carlsson. Göran G; Ramme. Kim Göransdotter KG; Hägglund. Hans H; Fadeel. Bengt B; Nordenskjöld. Magnus M; Henter. Jan-Inge JI; Palmblad. Jan J; Pütsep. Katrin K; Andersson. Mats M
Key Findings
- Severe congenital neutropenia patients are deficient in plasma pro‑LL‑37
- Autoimmune and idiopathic neutropenia patients have normal pro‑LL‑37 levels
- Cyclic neutropenia patients show oscillating pro‑LL‑37 concentrations
Practical Outcomes
- The findings suggest pro‑LL‑37 could help doctors tell different neutropenia types apart, but they offer no direct actions or protocols for general health, longevity, or performance improvement.
Summary
The study measured a protein called pro‑LL‑37 in the blood of people with different kinds of chronic low white‑blood‑cell counts. It found that those with the most severe genetic form had almost none, while other types had normal or changing levels. This is mainly a diagnostic clue for a rare disease, not a health hack for everyday performance or longevity.
Abstract
Chronic neutropenia comprises several different diseases that vary in degree of severity and management. We analysed the levels of the neutrophil-derived protein pro-LL-37 in plasma of patients with chronic neutropenia to assess whether it could be used to differentiate different categories of chronic neutropenia. All patients with severe congenital neutropenia were pro-LL-37 deficient. This was in contrast to patients with autoimmune or idiopathic neutropenia, who exhibited normal pro-LL-37 levels while patients with cyclic neutropenia displayed an oscillation of pro-LL-37 in plasma. Plasma levels of pro-LL-37 may thus prove useful for differential diagnosis of chronic neutropenia.
Study Information
pubmed
2007
2007-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.1111/j.1365-2141.2007.06530.x
36
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