Simultaneous single-tube PCR-based assay for the direct identification of the five most common meningococcal serogroups from clinical samples.

This study presents a stepdown multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of the five most common Neisseria meningitidis serogroups (A, B, C, W-135 and Y) in 530 clinical samples obtained from 428 patients (271 blood and 259 cerebrospinal fluid). The sensitivity and the specificity was calculated to 100% [positive predictive value 100% (95%, CI 99.0-100%) and negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 99.

Differential effect of hypolipidemic drugs on lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2.

Objective: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a predictor for incident atherosclerotic disease. We investigated the effect of 3 hypolipidemic drugs that exert their action through different mechanisms on plasma and lipoprotein-associated Lp-PLA2 activity and mass.

Methods And Results: In 50 patients with Type IIA dyslipidemia were administered rosuvastatin (10 mg daily), whereas in 50 Type IIA dyslipidemic patients exhibiting intolerance to previous statin therapy were administered ezetimibe as monotherapy (10 mg daily).

Thyroid substitution therapy induces high-density lipoprotein-associated platelet-activating factor-acetylhydrolase in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: a potential antiatherogenic effect.

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) has been associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, which has been partly attributed to lipid abnormalities. Human plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is an enzyme associated with lipoproteins (both low-density lipoproteins [LDL], and high-density lipoproteins [HDL]). Plasma paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an esterase exclusively associated with HDL.

Lipoprotein-associated PAF-acetylhydrolase activity in subjects with the metabolic syndrome.

Plasma- and lipoprotein-associated activity of the platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-acetylhydrolase, PAF-AH) plays an important role in inflammation and in atherosclerotic process, which are present in the metabolic syndrome (MS). Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an esterase associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which contributes to the anti-atherogenic effects of this lipoprotein. We investigated the activities of both enzymes in 60 patients with MS and 110 age- and sex-matched subjects without it (non-MS group).

Effects of antihypertensive and hypolipidemic drugs on plasma and high-density lipoprotein-associated platelet activating factor-acetylhydrolase activity.

Background: Human plasma platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is a phospholipase A2 primarily associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL). PAF-AH activity has also been found on high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Most of the clinical studies that have investigated the plasma levels of PAF-AH activity in cardiovascular disease have involved patients who were under treatment with various drugs, such as antihypertensive or hypolipidemic agents.