High prevalence and risk factors for kidney dysfunction in patients with atherosclerotic cardio-cerebrovascular disease

BACKGROUND

Patients with atherosclerotic cardio-cerebrovascular disease are at high risk of kidney dysfunction because of the overlap of several risk factors. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and characteristics and risk factors for kidney dysfunction in the cardio-cerebrovascular disease population.

METHODS

Renal functions of 1012 patients with the cardio-cerebrovascular disease were evaluated with the purpose of evaluating characteristics of the incidence, risk factors for kidney dysfunction in the cardio-cerebrovascular disease population.

RESULTS

In the univariate analysis, the major risk factors for kidney dysfunction in the patients with the cardio-cerebrovascular disease were age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and serum uric acid. In the patients with both hypertension and diabetes mellitus the percentages of significantly decreased eGFR were 25.6%. Results of multivariable analysis showed that diabetes mellitus (odds ratio (OR) 1.609, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.08-2.398, P = 0.019), hypertension (OR 1.547, 95% CI 1.049-2.281, P = 0.028) and serum uric acid (OR 1.009, 95% CI 1.007-1.010, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for reduced kidney function.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of the cardio-cerebrovascular disease kidney dysfunction is common and has a high prevalence. Patients with both cardio-cerebrovascular disease and kidney dysfunction at any stage should be recognized as high-risk population.

Association of the 389 C/T polymorphism of the catalase gene with susceptibility to vitiligo: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The 389 C/T polymorphism in the catalase gene, CAT, has been reported to be associated with the risk of vitiligo.

AIM

To evaluate the association of the CAT 389 C/T polymorphism with susceptibility to vitiligo.

METHODS

We undertook a literature search and included the relevant studies passing the selection criteria. After the relevant data were extracted from each study, we statistically analysed the strength of association between the CAT gene and vitiligo risk.

RESULTS

In total, 7 relevant studies were identified, comprising 1531 patients with vitiligo and 1608 controls. The genotype distribution in the controls of all studies complied with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. After pooling all studies, the results indicated that the 389 C/T polymorphisms in CAT were not associated with the risk of vitiligo in Asians and Turks; however the CT genotype might be a genetic risk factor for susceptibility to vitiligo (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.30-2.43, P < 0.001) and the CC genotype might decrease the risk of vitiligo (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.86, P < 0.01) in western Europeans.

CONCLUSIONS

The 389 C/T polymorphisms in the CAT gene may be associated with vitiligo in western Europeans. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm our findings.

Thermally stable gold/alumina aerogel catalysts prepared by a simultaneous synthesis process for solvent-free aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation

Gold nanoparticles physically trapped in the framework of alumina aerogel exhibit excellent thermal stability and catalytic activity at high temperature.

Galectin-7 in cardiac allografts in mice: increased expression compared with isografts and localization in infiltrating lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells

We sought to identify elevated expression of galectin-7, a T-cell-binding protein, in renal allograft recipients undergoing acute rejection episodes. Allografts and isografts were examined immunohistologically and using quantitative Western blot analysis for galectin-7 protein. The expression of galectin-7 in T lymphocytes from draining lymph nodes in the recipient mice was examined using flow cytometry. We observed galectin-7 to gradually increase with time in the allografts to be significantly higher than that in isografts at days 3, 5, and 7 postoperative: 0.85 ± 0.03 versus 0.69 ± 0.05; 1.15 ± 0.11 versus 0.81 ± 0.02; and 2.02 ± 0.12 versus 0.81 ± 0.05 (P < .05). The majority of galectin-7 was located in the infiltrating lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, the percentage of CD4+galectin-7+ and CD8+galectin-7+ T cells from draining lymph nodes in the allograft group was higher than that in the isograft group: 28.0 ± 1.0% versus 1.2 ± 0.2%; and 12.4 ± 0.8% versus 0.4 ± 0.1% (P < .01). In conclusion, galectin-7 relates to acute allograft rejection and T-cell responses possibly as an accelerant.

Effect of overexpression of human aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 in LLC-PK1 cells on glyceryl trinitrate biotransformation and cGMP accumulation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent studies suggest a primary role for aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) in mediating the biotransformation of organic nitrates, such as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), to the proximal activator of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), resulting in increased cGMP accumulation and vasodilation. Our objective was to assess the role of ALDH2 in organic nitrate action using a cell culture model.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Porcine renal epithelial (LLC-PK1) cells possess an intact NO-sGC-cGMP signaling system, and can be used as a biochemical model of organic nitrate action. We used a pcDNA3.1-human ALDH2 expression vector to establish a stably transfected cell line (PK1(ALDH2)) that overexpressed ALDH2, or small interfering RNA (siRNA) to deplete endogenous ALDH2, and assessed GTN biotransformation and GTN-induced cGMP formation.

KEY RESULTS

ALDH2 activity in the stably transfected cells was approximately sevenfold higher than wild-type cells or cells stably transfected with empty vector (PK1(vector)); and protein expression, as assessed by immunoblot analysis, was markedly increased. In PK1(ALDH2), GTN biotransformation was significantly increased as a result of increased glyceryl-1,2-dinitrate formation compared to wild-type or PK1(vector). However, the incubation of PK1(ALDH2) with 1 or 10 μM GTN did not alter GTN-induced cGMP accumulation compared with wild-type or PK1(vector) cells. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated depletion of ALDH2 had no effect on GTN-induced cGMP formation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

In an intact cell system, neither overexpression nor depletion of ALDH2 affects GTN-induced cGMP formation, indicating that ALDH2 does not mediate the mechanism-based biotransformation of GTN to an activator of sGC.

The efficacy and safety of antiviral therapy with lamivudine to stop the vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of lamivudine (LAM) in stopping the vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Pregnant women with normal alanine transaminase (ALT) (n = 100) and with abnormal ALT (n = 100) who were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and with HBV DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) levels ≥1.0 × 107 copies/ml were enrolled in this study. One hundred volunteers (50 with normal ALT, 50 with abnormal ALT) received 100 mg of LAM daily from the 24th to 32nd week of gestation and the untreated 100 volunteers served as controls. All infants received passive-active immunoprophylaxis. Compared to the control group, the study group got a marked reduction in serum levels (P < 0.001) and high negativity (P < 0.001) of HBV DNA before delivery. They also got normalization in ALT levels as much as controls received general medication (P > 0.05). The prenatal transmission rate in the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). There were no differences in incidences of congenital malformation between the two groups (P > 0.05). LAM treatment can effectively and safely stop vertical transmission of HBV and normalize the ALT levels of pregnant women.