Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Defects in trophoblast invasion, differentiation of extravillous trophoblasts and spiral artery ...remodeling are key factors in PE development. Currently there are no predictive biomarkers clinically available for PE. Recent technological advancements empowered transcriptome exploration and led to the discovery of numerous non-coding RNA species of which microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are the most investigated. They are implicated in the regulation of numerous cellular functions, and as such are being extensively explored as potential biomarkers for various diseases. Altered expression of numerous lncRNAs and miRNAs in placenta has been related to pathophysiological processes that occur in preeclampsia. In the following text we offer summary of the latest knowledge of the molecular mechanism by which lnRNAs and miRNAs (focusing on the chromosome 19 miRNA cluster (C19MC)) contribute to pathophysiology of PE development and their potential utility as biomarkers of PE, with special focus on sample selection and techniques for the quantification of lncRNAs and miRNAs in maternal circulation.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
In the present study, we examined redox status parameters in arterial and venous blood samples, its potential to predict the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients assessed through ...its impact on the comprehensive grading SYNTAX score, and its clinical accuracy. Potential connections between common blood biomarkers, biomarkers of redox status, leukocyte telomere length, and telomerase enzyme activity in the acute myocardial infarction burden were assessed using principal component analysis (PCA). This study included 92 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Significantly higher levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), superoxide anion (O2•−), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), and significantly lower levels of total oxidant status (TOS) and total protein sulfhydryl (SH-) groups were found in arterial blood than in the peripheral venous blood samples, while biomarkers of the telomere–telomerase system did not show statistical significance in the two compared sample types (p = 0.834 and p = 0.419). To better understand the effect of the examined biomarkers in the AMI patients on SYNTAX score, those biomarkers were grouped using PCA, which merged them into the four the most contributing factors. The “cholesterol–protein factor” and “oxidative–telomere factor” were independent predictors of higher SYNTAX score (OR = 0.338, p = 0.008 and OR = 0.427, p = 0.035, respectively), while the ability to discriminate STEMI from non-STEMI patients had only the “oxidative–telomere factor” (AUC = 0.860, p = 0.008). The results show that traditional cardiovascular risk factors, i.e., high total cholesterol together with high total serum proteins and haemoglobin, are associated with severe disease progression in much the same way as a combination of redox biomarkers (pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance, total antioxidant status, IMA) and telomere length.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) as both a regulator of metabolic homeostasis and a protein involved in immune response might be of particular interest to contemporary laboratory medicine, especially in terms of ...minimally invasive diagnostics. The diverse roles of ADIPOQ with regard to the immune and metabolic aspects of colorectal carcinogenesis have been proposed. However, the expression of its receptors ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 is scarcely explored in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Moreover, ADIPORs' relationships with the immune response mediator TNF-α have not been previously investigated in the PBMCs of CRC patients. This study used both in silico and observational case-control analyses with the aim of exploring the association of ADIPOR gene expression and ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the inflammatory marker TNF-α and lipid status parameters in patients with CRC. Publicly available transcriptomic datasets (GSE47756, GSE44076) obtained from analyses of monocytes and CRC tissue samples were employed for the in silico evaluation of ADIPORs' specific genetic traits. GSE47756 and GSE44076 datasets were processed with GSEA software to provide a genetic fingertip of different signaling pathways associated with ADIPORs' mRNA levels. The case-control aspect of the study included the PBMC samples of 73 patients diagnosed with CRC and 80 healthy volunteers. The PCR method was carried out for the PBMC gene expression analysis (ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2, TNF-α mRNA levels) and for the subjects' genotyping (ADIPOQ rs266729, ADIPOR1 rs7539542). GSEA showed significant associations of ADIPOR mRNA expression with gene sets related to metabolic and immune homeostasis in both datasets. The case-control study revealed the association of ADIPOR1 rs7539542 with reduced lipid status parameters in CRC. In addition, PBMC ADIPOR1 mRNA levels decreased in CRC (
< 0.001), whereas ADIPOR2 mRNA did not differ between the groups (
= 0.442). A reduction in PBMC TNF-α mRNA levels was noted in CRC (
< 0.05). Our results indicate that ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 play a significant role in the alteration of both metabolic and immune homeostasis during the progression of CRC. For the first time, ADIPOR1 is shown to be a specific receptor for mediating ADIPOQ's effects in the PBMCs of CRC patients.
A direct and an indirect relationship between paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and atherosclerosis exists. Given PON1's physical location within high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) particles and its recognized enzyme ...activity, it is certainly reasonable to suggest that PON1 facilitates the antiatherogenic nature of HDL particles. PON1 also plays a role in regulating reverse cholesterol transport, antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, antiapoptotic, vasodilative, and antithrombotic activities and several endothelial cell functions. HDL dysfunctionality is a more recent issue and seems to be centered on pathological conditions affecting HDL structure and size profiles. This review is focused on the role of PON1 status in different atherosclerosis‐related diseases that we have studied over the last twenty years (coronary heart disease, acute ischemic stroke, diabetes mellitus type 2, end‐stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and sarcoidosis) with the aim to determine the true value of PON1 as a biomarker. The role of PON1 in cancer is also covered, as risk factors and mechanisms underlying both atherosclerosis and cancer share common features.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The vascular endothelium comprises the interface between the circulation and the vessel wall and, as such, is under the dynamic regulation of vascular signalling, nutrients, and hypoxia. ...Understanding the molecular drivers behind endothelial cell (EC) and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function and dysfunction remains a pivotal task for further clinical progress in tackling vascular disease. A newly emerging era in vascular biology with landmark deep sequencing approaches has provided us with the means to profile diverse layers of transcriptional regulation at a single cell, chromatin, and epigenetic level. This review describes the roles of major vascular long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) in the epigenetic regulation of EC and VSMC function and discusses the recent progress in their discovery, detection, and functional characterisation. We summarise new findings regarding lncRNA-mediated epigenetic mechanisms-often regulated by hypoxia-within the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle to control vascular homeostasis in health and disease. Furthermore, we outline novel molecular techniques being used in the field to delineate the lncRNA subcellular localisation and interaction with proteins to unravel their biological roles in the epigenetic regulation of vascular genes.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity in wide world population. Dyslipidemia, inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to disruption of ...endothelium structure and function, atherosclerosis and CAD. Our study was aimed to determine whether Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and Mn superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD) gene expression could be modulated by oxidative stress in CAD patients.
This study included 77 CAD patients and 31 apparently healthy persons. Serum lipid levels, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), total antioxidant status (TAS) and thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) were measured. SOD isoenzymes gene expression was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
Mn SOD messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels were significantly lower in CAD patients than in controls (p=0.011), while Cu/Zn SOD mRNA levels did not change significantly between tested groups (p=0.091). We found significantly lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) (p<0.001) and TAS (p<0.001) levels and significantly higher hsCRP (p=0.002) and TBARS (p<0.001) in CAD patients than in controls. There were significant positive correlations between TAS and Mn SOD mRNA (ρ=0.243, p=0.020) and TAS and Cu/Zn SOD mRNA (r=0.359, p<0.001). TBARS negatively correlated only with Cu/Zn SOD mRNA (ρ=-0.215, p=0.040). TAS levels remained independent predictor for Mn SOD mRNA levels (OR=2.995, p=0.034).
Results of this study showed that Mn SOD gene expression were decreased in CAD patients compared to controls and can be modulated by non-enzymatic antioxidant status in blood.
As research related to healthspan and lifespan has become a hot topic, the necessity for a reliable and practical biomarker of aging (BoA), which can provide information about mortality and morbidity ...risk, along with remaining life expectancy, has increased. The chromosome terminus non-coding protective structure that prevents genomic instability is called a telomere. The continual shortening of telomeres, which affects their structure as well as function, is a hallmark of agedness. The aforementioned process is a potential cause of age-related diseases (ARDs), leading to a bad prognosis and a low survival rate, which compromise health and longevity. Hence, studies scrutinizing the BoAs often include telomere length (TL) as a prospective candidate. The results of these studies suggest that TL measurement can only provide an approximate appraisal of the aging rate, and its implementation into clinical practice and routine use as a BoA has many limitations and challenges. Nevertheless, measuring TL while determining other biomarkers can be used to assess biological age. This review focuses on the importance of telomeres in health, senescence, and diseases, as well as on summarizing the results and conclusions of previous studies evaluating TL as a potential BoA.
Telomeres are protective chromosomal ends. Short telomeres are a proven biomarker of biological aging. We aimed to find an association of telomere length and telomerase activity in circulating ...leukocytes and thromboaspirates of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Furthermore, association of the telomere-telomerase system with oxidative stress markers (as common risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD)) was tested.
Patients were selected from the patients admitted to the intensive care unit with acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI), with the following inclusion criteria - STEMI patients between 18 and 80 years old of both genders and candidates for primary percutaneous coronary intervention, with infarction pain present for a maximum of 12 h. In all the patients leukocyte telomere length, telomerase activity and scores related to oxidative-stress status (Protective, Damage and OXY) were evaluated.
Patients were divided into different groups: with stable angina pectoris (AP) (
= 22), acute myocardial infarction with: STEMI (
= 93), non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) (
= 7), blood vessel rupture (
= 6) at three time points, and compared to the group of 84 healthy subjects. Telomerase activity was significantly higher in all CAD sub-groups compared to the control group (AP = 0.373 (0.355-0.386), STEMI = 0.375 (0.349-0.395), MINOCA = 0.391 (0.366-0.401), blood vessel rupture = 0.360 (0.352-0.385) vs. CG = 0.069 (0.061-0.081),
< 0.001), while telomeres were significantly shorter in STEMI, MINOCA and blood vessel rupture groups compared to the control group (STEMI = 1.179 (0.931-1.376), MINOCA = 1.026 (0.951-1.070), blood vessel rupture = 1.089 (0.842-1.173) vs. CG = 1.329 (1.096-1.624),
= 0.030. Values of OXY score were significantly higher in STEMI and MINOCA patients compared to the control group and AP patients (5.83 (4.55-7.54) and 10.28 (9.19-10.72) vs. 4.94 (3.29-6.18) and 4.18 (2.58-4.86),
< 0.001). Longer telomeres and higher telomerase activity were found in thromboaspirates, compared to the peripheral blood leukocytes in the same patients (1.25 (1.01-1.84) vs. 1.18 (0.909-1.516),
= 0.036; and 0.366 (0.367-0.379) vs. 0.366 (0.367-0.379),
< 0.001, respectively). In addition, telomere length and telomerase activity had good diagnostic ability to separate STEMI patients from healthy persons.
Leukocyte telomere length and telomerase activity can differentiate CAD patients from healthy persons, and relate CAD to oxidative stress.
Objective: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) mellitus is one of the most frequent autoimmune diseases in childhood. Chronic complications are the
main causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in T1D. ...Although interactions between advanced glycation end products (AGE)
and their receptors (RAGE) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) are implicated in development and progression of diabetic microand macro-vascular complications, they also have important roles in immune system regulation.
Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 156 adolescents with T1D and 80 apparently healthy controls. T1D patients diagnosed
with any other autoimmune disease and receiving any kind of drugs except insulin therapy were excluded from this study. Exclusion
criteria for controls were positive family history of T1D and drugs/supplements application. TGF-β1 and transmembrane full-length
RAGE (flRAGE) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained by quantitative
polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. Circulating levels of biochemical markers, TGF-β1 and soluble RAGE (sRAGE) levels were also
determined.
Results: TGF-β1 and flRAGE mRNA levels were significantly higher in controls compared to patients (p<0.001, for both). However,
TGF-β1 and sRAGE levels were higher in patients than controls (p<0.001, for both). There were significant independent associations of
all mRNA and protein levels with T1D. TGF-β1 mRNA was the only marker independently negatively associated with urinary albumin
excretion rate in T1D adolescents (p=0.005).
Conclusion: Our results indicated gene expression downregulation of TGF-β1 and flRAGE in PBMC of T1D adolescents. TGF-β1 mRNA
downregulation may be useful for predicting early elevation of urinary albumin excretion rate.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
