This work analyzes proteins which contain an immunoglobulin fold, focusing on their hydrophobic core structure. The "fuzzy oil drop" model was used to measure the regularity of hydrophobicity ...distribution in globular domains belonging to proteins which exhibit the above-mentioned fold. Light-chain IgG domains are found to frequently contain regular hydrophobic cores, unlike the corresponding heavy-chain domains. Enzymes and DNA binding proteins present in the data-set are found to exhibit poor accordance with the hydrophobic core model.
Introduction In the recent years the phenomenon of early alcohol initiation is observed. This problem is often underestimated, in spite of its numerous negative consequences. Objectives and Aims of ...this study is to determine the effect of early drinking onset on subsequent alcohol dependence. Methods The research study was based on authors’ anonymous questionnaire including questions reffering to: age of alcohol initiation, age of the first blackout after drinking alcohol and the reason of drinking alcohol for the first time. In the study group there were 125 people, members o Alcoholics Anonymous, mean age 43, 83 men and 42 women. In the control group there were 231 people, mean age 25, 136 men and 95 women. Results In the study group alcohol initiation occurred before the age of 15 more often than in the control group (49% vs. 42%). The same correlation exists for the alcohol initiation before 12 years of age (13% vs. 8%) and is statistically significant (p<0.05). Drinking alcohol for the first time took place for some of the respondents before the age of 10 and significantly more often in the study group (6% vs. 2%, p<0.05). Conclusion The obtained results allow to conclude that in patients addicted to alcohol the initiation took place earlier that in the study group (age 13-15vs.16-18). Also, very early alcohol initiation (<12 years) occurred more frequently in the study group (12.8% vs. 8.2%). Based on our research, we confirmed that early drinking onset is associated with subsequent alcohol dependence.
Introduction Alcoholism is a family disease. Many studies confirm that family history of alcoholism is associated with the development of later alcohol dependence. Aims To analyse the family's impact ...in the development of alcohol addiction in children grown up in these families. Objectives To create and distribute a questionnaire on family environment among group of alcoholic dependent and the control group and statistically analyse the results. Methods The research study was based on authors' anonymous questionnaire including questions referring to family structure, parents' divorce, prevalence of alcoholism of alcoholism in the family, parents' attitude towards alcohol and parent-child relationships. The study group consisted of 125 people, 83 men and 42 women, aged from 22 to 68 participating in treatment programs for alcohol addiction. The control group consisted of 231 people, 136 men and 95 women, aged from 17 to 65, with no history of alcoholism. Results The study group participants stated less frequently that they had been raised by both parents (78% vs. 87%;p<0.05). In this group one of the parents significantly more frequently abused alcohol (43% vs. 19%; p<0.05) or both parents abused alcohol (15% vs. 1%;p<0.05). The participants claimed to be more often punished for their failures, abused physically/verbally and could less often depend on their parents. Conclusions Based on these result we concluded that patients addicted to alcohol were more often raised by a single parent, they were more likely to have alcohol-dependent parents and relationship with their parents were more often impaired.
Natriuretic peptides in septic patients Piechota, M; Barylski, M; Hannam, S ...
Current medicinal chemistry,
10/2009, Letnik:
16, Številka:
30
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The natriuretic peptide family is comprised of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), dendroaspis natriuretic peptide - DNP and ...urodilatin. They play a role in the diagnosis of several diseases, especially those involving the cardiovascular system. Sepsis is a complex condition that can lead to multiorgan failure, shock and death. The number of people developing sepsis is still increasing (approximately 750,000 cases of sepsis occur annually in the USA). Both ANP and pro-ANP have attracted interest as new markers for sepsis. Reports indicate that ANP or BNP levels are elevated in septic patients. However, many mechanisms are still unexplained. This situation is complicated by the fact that contradictory results have been published. There are several reasons for this controversy including differences in the techniques used to assay natriuretic peptides. Nevertheless, natriuretic peptides might eventually prove useful for the diagnosis and/or the treatment of septic patients.
Abstract
Background
Besides effective lipid lowering therapy aimed to reduce LDL-C, one should always look at other risk factors that may essentially increase the risk of residual cardiovascular ...disease risk, including diabetes, thrombotic factors and inflammation.
Purpose
To find whether the antiPCSK9 vaccine can affect the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and oxidative stress during acute systemic inflammation.
Methods
Male albino mice were randomly divided into three groups, including non-treated mice (the sham group), mice treated with Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA) (the CFA group), and vaccinated mice treated with CFA (the vaccine group). The vaccine group was subcutaneously immunized with the antiPCSK9 formulation, four times in bi-weekly intervals. To induce inflammation, all mice were subjected to the CFA challenge after the vaccination plan. To determine the efficacy of the antiPCSK9 vaccine in albino mice, plasma antiPCSK9 antibody titer, plasma PCSK9 concentration, and PCSK9/LDLR interaction were assayed. The serum level of high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) and oxidative stress status were evaluated by a mouse CRP ELISA kit and the pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) assay, respectively.
Results
Upon three boosters, the vaccine induced a high-titer IgG antiPCSK9 antibody in albino mice, which was accompanied with a significant reduction in the plasma level of the free PCSK9 (-24.7% and -28.5% compared with the sham and CFA group, respectively), and the inhibition of PCSK9/LDLR interaction (-27.8% and -29.4% compared with the sham and CFA group, respectively). In addition, the serum level of hs-CRP was significantly increased in the vaccine and CFA groups by 225% and 274%, respectively, when compared with the sham group; however, it was non-significantly decreased (-18%) in the vaccine group in comparison with the CFA group (Figure 1A). Moreover, the PAB values indicated that oxidative stress was significantly increased in the CFA group (by 72.7%) and the vaccine group (by 76%) when compared to the sham group; however, there was no significant difference in the PAB values between the vaccine and CFA groups (Figure 1B).
Conclusion
Our results indicate that, despite inducing the production of the functional antiPCSK9 antibodies, the antiPCSK9 vaccine failed to significantly reduce the serum hs-CRP and oxidative stress induced in the CFA-challenged albino mice.
Figure 1. The effect of the antiPCSK9 vaccine on (A) the serum level of hs-CRP in albino mice and (B) the serum PAB in albino mice. The sham group involved non-treated mice, the CFA group involved the CFA-treated mice, and the vaccine group involved mice who after vaccination were treated with the CFA. Pooling of samples was performed to obtain sufficient sample volume for assay, when needed. The PAB values were expressed in an arbitrary HK (Hamidi-Koliakos). Data are expressed as mean ±SD (10 mice per group). Statistical differences at a p-value <0.05 were considered as significant.Figure 1.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been described as an 'epidemic' due to its increasing prevalence in the ageing population. The prevalence of AF in the UK has risen from 0.78% in 1994 to 1.42% in 2006. ...The pathogenesis of AF seems to be multifactorial, and includes electrical and structural remodelling, and inflammation. As a result of recent developments in invasive cardiology together with improved pharmacological treatments, cardiac surgeons are increasingly operating on elderly patients with very advanced heart disease and other co-existent diseases. Therefore, AF is often present before cardiac surgery, increasing the risk of surgery and the occurrence of postoperative complications. According to available data, preoperative AF (pre-AF) should be considered as a high-risk marker of postoperative complications, which also significantly reduces long-term patient survival. However, although some multivariate models have concluded that pre-AF seems to be an independent predictor of outcome, this does not prove a cause-effect relationship. Therefore, such a link would need to be proven in prospective randomized studies, yet to be undertaken.
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