Haptoglobin polymorphism, vitamin E and mortality: the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study.

Objective: In humans, haptoglobin (Hp) exists in two allelic forms, Hp1 and Hp2, that differ significantly in their ability to protect the organism from oxidative stress. It has been proposed that in patients with diabetes mellitus carriers of the Hp2-2 genotype may benefit from vitamin E supplementation. Aim of our study was to investigate if there is evidence regarding a potential interaction between the Hp polymorphism and vitamin E with regard to mortality in individuals at medium-to-high cardiovascular risk with and without diabetes mellitus.

Bone sialoprotein stimulates cancer cell adhesion through the RGD motif and the αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrin receptors.

Being implicated in bone metastasis development, bone sialoprotein (BSP) expression is upregulated in patients with cancer. While BSP regulates cancer cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix, to the best of our knowledge, the specific adhesive molecular interactions in metastatic bone disease remain unclear. The present study aimed to improve the understanding of the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence of BSP and the integrin receptors αvβ3 and αvβ5 in BSP-mediated cancer cell adhesion.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome independently promotes premature subclinical atherosclerosis.

Objectives: Cardiovascular comorbidities are common in patients with autoimmune diseases. This study investigates the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Correlations with clinical factors such as organ involvement (OI) or disease activity were analysed and oxLDL antibodies (oxLDL ab) were measured as potential biomarkers of vascular damage.

The Influence of Paid Memberships on Physician Rating Websites With the Example of the German Portal Jameda: Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Background: The majority of Germans see a deficit in information availability for choosing a physician. An increasing number of people use physician rating websites and decide upon the information provided. In Germany, the most popular physician rating website is Jameda.

Bone Sialoprotein Immobilized in Collagen Type I Enhances Angiogenesis In Vitro and In Ovo.

Bone fracture healing is a multistep process, including early immunological reactions, osteogenesis, and as a key factor, angiogenesis. Molecules inducing osteogenesis as well as angiogenesis are rare, but hold promise to be employed in bone tissue engineering. It has been demonstrated that the bone sialoprotein (BSP) can induce bone formation when immobilized in collagen type I, but its effect on angiogenesis still has to be characterized in detail.

Bone Sialoprotein Immobilized in Collagen Type I Enhances Bone Regeneration In vitro and In vivo.

The use of bioactive molecules is a promising approach to enhance the bone healing properties of biomaterials. The aim of this study was to define the role of bone sialoprotein (BSP) immobilized in collagen type I in various settings. In vitro studies with human primary osteoblasts in mono- or in co-culture with endothelial cells demonstrated a slightly increased gene expression of osteogenic markers as well as an increased proliferation rate in osteoblasts after application of BSP immobilized in collagen type I.

Serum Parathyroid Hormone Predicts Mortality in Coronary Angiography Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), one of the main regulators of calcium homeostasis and vitamin D metabolism, have been proposed as predictors of mortality. The impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on the putative association between PTH and mortality has not been investigated thus far.

Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of T2DM on the power of PTH to predict mortality risk.

Measuring Vitamin D Status in Chronic Inflammatory Disorders: How does Chronic Inflammation Affect the Reliability of Vitamin D Metabolites in Patients with IBD?

Evidence gained from recent studies has generated increasing interest in the role of vitamin D in extraskeletal functions such as inflammation and immunoregulation. Although vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), evidence as to whether vitamin D supplementation may cure or prevent chronic disease is inconsistent. Since 25OH-vitamin D (25OHD) has been suggested to be an acute-phase protein, its utility as a vitamin D status marker is therefore questionable.

Plasma Kynurenine Predicts Severity and Complications of Heart Failure and Associates with Established Biochemical and Clinical Markers of Disease.

Background: Kynurenine, a metabolite of the L-tryptophan pathway, plays a pivotal role in neuro-inflammation, cancer immunology, and cardiovascular inflammation, and has been shown to predict cardiovascular events.

Objectives: It was our objective to increase the body of data regarding the value of kynurenine as a biomarker in chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: We investigated the predictive value of plasma kynurenine in a CHF cohort (CHF, n = 114); in a second cohort of defibrillator carriers with CHF (AICD, n = 156), we determined clinical and biochemical determinants of the marker which was measured by enzyme immunoassay.

IDK1 is a rat monoclonal antibody against hypoglycosylated bone sialoprotein with application as biomarker and therapeutic agent in breast cancer skeletal metastasis.

Changes in glycosylation are salient features of cancer cells. Here, we report on the diagnostic and therapeutic properties of IDK1, an antibody against tumour associated, hypoglycosylated bone sialoprotein (hypo-BSP). The affinity of the rat monoclonal antibody IDK1 for hypo-BSP, as determined by microscale thermophoresis, was three orders of magnitude higher than for mature BSP, whereas the mouse monoclonal antibody used had similar affinity for both BSP forms.

Homoarginine Associates with Zonulin and Tryptophan - Findings in a High-Risk Cohort of Patients Carrying an AICD.

Background: Homoarginine (hArg) is known to have an impact on nitric oxide (NO) metabolism. It seems to increase NO generation and/or availability, thereby enhancing endothelial function. In addition, hArg is connected to energy metabolism since the key enzyme, L-arginine-glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) for hArg synthesis in the kidneys, is also involved in the synthesis of energy metabolites like guanidinoacetate.

Plasma Zonulin and its Association with Kidney Function, Severity of Heart Failure, and Metabolic Inflammation.

Background: The tight junction regulator zonulin has attracted clinical attention as a biomarker of increased gastrointestinal permeability. Recent work also suggests zonulin to represent a general regulator of tissue barriers and a player in metabolic inflammation. Here, we investigated the associations of zonulin with chronic heart failure (CHF), kidney function, and metabolic inflammation.

Comparison of a Point-Of-Care Test for High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein with an Established Immuno-Nephelometric Method.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is an established marker of cardiovascular risk particularly in primary prevention. For years, it was exclusively measured using automated methods in clinical laboratories, but point-of-care tests (POCT) are urgently needed to simplify and hasten the determination of hsCRP.

Methods: This study compared a novel hsCRP POCT with an established nephelometric method in 104 patients showing a broad spectrum of cardiovascular risk.

Biochemical Identification of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in a Medical Office.

Background: A vitamin B12 deficiency can be an underlying cause or a deteriorating factor in several diseases. Nevertheless, early identification of such a deficiency remains a problem. Holotranscobalamin (HTC) is presently considered to be the gold standard.

Relaxin-2 does not ameliorate nephropathy in an experimental model of type-1 diabetes.

Background/aims: In diabetic nephropathy (DN), the current angiotensin-II-blocking pharmacotherapy is frequently failing. For diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC), there is no specific remedy available. Relaxin-2 (Rlx) - an anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and vasoprotecting peptide – is a candidate drug for both.

The influence of a whole food vegan diet with Nori algae and wild mushrooms on selected blood parameters.

Background: Vegan and vegetarian diets could overcome many diseases of civilization. This study examines whether a whole food vegan diet with Nori algae and wild mushrooms can provide a sufficient quantity of critical nutrients.

Methods: Five blood samples (Baseline to Time 5) were taken over eight months from 75 subjects (10 vegans without B12 supplementation who consumed Nori algae and wild mushrooms, 20 vegans with supplementation, 40 vegetarians, 5 meat-eaters).

Comparison of a new microbiological assay with a standard high-performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of vitamin B6 in serum.

Background: A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for vitamin B6 in human serum was compared with a novel microbiological assay (ID-Vit) that uses microtitre plates precoated with a specific microorganism, thus avoiding numerous problems associated with the use of stock cultures utilized by common other microbial assay mit B6.

Methods: Data obtained using HPLC were compared with 1D-Vit results in 170 healthy individuals and in 68 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD, 37 with acute coronary syndrome [ACS], 31 with stable CAD). Regression and Bland-Altman analysis were performed.

Homoleptic tetrakis(silyl) complexes of Pd(0) and Pt(0) featuring metal-centred heterocubane structures: evidence for the existence of the corresponding mononuclear Pd(I) and Pt(I) complexes.

We report on the first homoleptic tetrakis(silyl) complexes of zerovalent Group 10 metals. The compounds [MLi4{Si(3,5-Me2pz)3}4] (M=Pd and Pt; 3,5-Me2 pz=3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl) exhibit very appealing metal-centred heterocubane structures with the central d(10) metal atoms surrounded by four silicon and four lithium atoms. Both compounds were characterised in detail, including X-ray crystal-structure analysis and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods such as (7)Li,(29 Si and (7)Li,(195)Pt HMQC.

Nonoxidized, biologically active parathyroid hormone determines mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Background: It was shown that nonoxidized PTH (n-oxPTH) is bioactive, whereas the oxidation of PTH results in a loss of biological activity.

Methods: In this study we analyzed the association of n-oxPTH on mortality in hemodialysis patients using a recently developed assay system.

Results: Hemodialysis patients (224 men, 116 women) had a median age of 66 years.

Modeling of oxidized PTH (oxPTH) and non-oxidized PTH (n-oxPTH) receptor binding and relationship of oxidized to non-oxidized PTH in children with chronic renal failure, adult patients on hemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients.

Background: The biological properties of oxidized and non-oxidized PTH are substantially different. Oxidized PTH (oxPTH) loses its PTH receptor-stimulating properties, whereas non-oxidized PTH (n-oxPTH) is a full agonist of the receptor. This was described in more than 20 well published studies in the 1970(s) and 80(s).

Heterobimetallic cuprates consisting of a redox-switchable, silicon-based metalloligand: synthesis, structures, and electronic properties.

A series of bimetallic silyl halido cuprates consisting of the new tripodal silicon-based metalloligand [κ(3)N-Si(3,5-Me2pz)3Mo(CO)3](-) is presented (pz = pyrazolyl). This metalloligand is straightforwardly accessible by reacting the ambidentate ligand tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)silanide ({Si(3,5-Me2pz)3}(-)) with [Mo(CO)3(η(6)-toluene)]. The compound features a fac-coordinated tripodal chelating ligand and an outward pointing, "free" pyramidal silyl donor, which is easily accessible for a secondary coordination to other metal centers.

Measuring parathyroid hormone (PTH) in patients with oxidative stress--do we need a fourth generation parathyroid hormone assay?

Oxidation of PTH at methionine residues results in loss of biological activity. PTH may be oxidized in patients with renal disease. The aim of this study was to develop an assay considering oxidation of PTH.

Plasma myostatin measured by a competitive ELISA using a highly specific antiserum.

Background: Understanding the (patho)physiology of the negative muscle regulator myostatin (Myo) is important for patients with skeletal muscle disorders or cardiac disease. However, a reliable tool for measuring plasma Myo immunoreactivity is still lacking.

Methods: Human full-length proMyo was used to raise a polyclonal rabbit antiserum for a competitive Myo ELISA that was validated in patients with decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF) and in control patients (n=20 each).