1,721,009 research outputs found
Biology and physiopathology of tissue factor and its relevance for cardiovascular diseases
No full textAge disparities in transplantation
No full textPurpose of review: The aim of this review is to outline disparities in liver and kidney transplantation across age spectrum. Disparities do not involve only recipients whose age may severely affect the possibility to access to a potentially life-saving procedure, but donors as well. The attitude of transplant centers to use older donors reflects on waiting list mortality and drop-out. This review examines which age categories are currently harmed and how different allocation systems may minimize disparities.
Recent findings: Specific age categories suffer disparities in the access to transplantation. A better understanding of how properly evaluate graft quality, a continuous re-evaluation of the most favorable donor-to-recipient match and most equitable allocation system are the three key points to promote 'justice and equality' among transplant recipients.
Summary: The duty to protect younger patients waiting for transplantation and the request of older patients to have access to potentially life-saving treatment urge the transplant community to use older organs thus increasing the number of available grafts, to evaluate new allocation systems with the aim to maximize 'utility' while respecting 'equity' and to avoid 'futility' thus minimizing waiting list mortality and drop-out, and improving the survival benefits for all patients requiring a transplant
Biology and physiopathology of tissue factor and its relevance for cardiovascular diseases
No full textTransferrin-conjugated boron nitride nanotubes: Protein grafting, characterization, and interaction with human endothelial cells
No full textIn this paper we report on a covalent grafting of boron nitride nanotubes with human transferrin. After silanization of the nanotube wall, transferrin was linked to the nanotubes through carbamide binding. The obtained transferrin-conjugated boron nitride nanotubes (tf-BNNTs) resulted stable in aqueous environments and were characterized in terms of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, size distribution analysis and Z-potential measurement. Effective covalent grafting of transferrin was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The obtained tf-BNNTs were thereafter tested on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs); in particular cellular up-take was investigated by confocal, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, demonstrating the key role of transferrin during the internalization process. Here reported for the first time in the literature, the covalent BNNT functionalization with a targeting ligand represents a fundamental step towards BNNT exploitation as smart and selective nanocarriers in a number of nanomedicine applications. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Nutritional mechanisms that influence cardiovascular disease
No full textCurrent evidence suggests that most significant risk factors for heart disease have been identified. Although age, sex, and genetics are important unmodifiable risk factors, most new cases of acute myocardial infarctions today can be predicted by the presence and level of 9 risk (or cardioprotective) factors that can easily be assessed and, most importantly, modified. These risk factors are the same in almost every geographic region and in every racial/ethnic group worldwide and are consistent in men and women. Eight of these 9 risk factors are influenced by diet, and most act by promoting atherogenesis, which is the most important background condition for cardiovascular disease. Dietary interventions mostly affect atherogenesis by modulating, at the cellular level, proinflammatory processes that initiate and perpetuate endothelial dysfunction, plaque formation, and, eventually, plaque rupture. For example, there is now enough evidence, both epidemiologic and clinical, of the beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acids. Either as part of a normal low-fat diet or as supplements, these fatty acids are now recommended to prevent cardiovascular disease. This review will summarize the mechanisms by which diet may influence atherogenesis through the early inception, progression, and clinical emergence of atherosclerosis, with a special focus on n-3 fatty acids. © 2006 American Society for Nutrition
Comparison between galectin-3 and YKL-40 levels for the assessment of liver fibrosis in cirrhotic patients
No full textBackground and study aims: The circulatory levels of Galectin-3 and YKL-40 are considered as candidate biomarkers for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the plasma protein profiles of Galectin-3 and YKL-40 in patients with cirrhosis (with and without hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) who underwent deceased-donor liver transplantation (LT), before and after surgery. Patients and methods: The plasma levels of Galectin-3 and YKL-40 were assessed in 46 subjects, including 24 liver graft recipients (before, 1 day after, and 1 month after LT) and 22 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: The levels of Galectin-3 and YKL-40 in the LT recipients before the transplant were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). YKL-40 levels returned to normal within 1 day after LT, whereas those of Galectin-3 decreased 1 day after LT and returned to normal levels after 1 month. The levels of both proteins did not differ between patients with and without HCC. Unlike YKL-40, the pre-transplant levels of Galectin-3 were directly correlated to that of aspartate aminotransferase (AST; r = 0.473, p = 0.01), alanine aminotransferase (r = 0.395, p = 0.04), total bilirubin (r = 0.545, p = 0.003), and lactate dehydrogenase (r = 0.452, p = 0.02) and to the AST to platelet ratio index (APRI; r = 0.411, p = 0.03) and Child–Pugh score (r = 0.601, p < 0.001). Galectin-3 levels increased significantly according to the severity of cirrhosis (25.9 ± 2.7; 57.4 ± 29.6; and 81 ± 27 ng/mL in Class A, B, and C cirrhosis, respectively), whereas those of YKL-40 tended to be higher in the Class C patients compared to the Class A patients (8.9 ± 2.6 vs. 7.4 ± 0.8 ng/mL). Conclusion: Circulating levels of Galectin-3 could be an indicator of liver damage and inflammation that are correlated with fibrosis
At least 2 distinct pathways generating reactive oxygen species mediate vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 induction by advanced glycation end products
No full textObjective—The interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with their main receptor RAGE in endothelial
cells induces intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of vascular cell adhesion
molecule (VCAM)-1. We investigated the role of distinct sources of ROS, including the mitochondrial electron
transport chain, NAD(P)H oxidase, xanthine oxidase, and arachidonic acid metabolism, in AGE-induced VCAM-1
expression.
Methods and Results—The induction of ROS and VCAM-1 by AGEs in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells
was specifically blocked by an anti-RAGE antibody. The inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase by apocynin and diphenylene
iodonium, and of the mitochondrial electron transport system at complex II by thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTFA),
significantly inhibited both AGE-induced ROS production and VCAM-1 expression, whereas these effects were
potentiated by rotenone and antimycin A, specific inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I and III, respectively. The
inhibition of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase inhibited both ROS and VCAM-1 induction, indicating that H2O2 by this
source is involved as a mediator of VCAM-1 expression by AGEs.
Conclusions—Altogether, these results demonstrate that ROS generated by both NAD(P)H-oxidase and the mitochondrial
electron transport system are involved in AGE signaling through RAGE, and indicate potential targets for the inhibition
of the atherogenic signals triggered by AGE-RAGE interaction
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