Homocysteine modulates the CD40/CD40L system.

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) on the CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) dyad in vivo and in vitro.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with an increased incidence of atherothrombosis, although the molecular mechanisms of this association are incompletely defined. The CD40L pair triggers inflammatory signals in cells of the vascular wall, representing a major pathogenetic pathway of atherosclerosis.

Balance between PGD synthase and PGE synthase is a major determinant of atherosclerotic plaque instability in humans.

Objective: Inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) catalyzes the first step in prostanoid biosynthesis and is considered a proinflammatory enzyme. COX-2 and type 1 inducible PGE synthase (mPGES-1) have a role in metalloproteinase (MMP) release leading to plaque rupture. In contrast, lipocalin-type PGD synthase (L-PGDS) has been shown to exert antiinflammatory actions.

Urinary excretion of lipoxin A(4) and related compounds: development of new extraction techniques for lipoxins.

LX are tetraene-containing eicosanoids generated by lipoxygenase (LO) transformation of arachidonic acid (Serhan and Romano, 1995). LX possess potent anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, and temporal biosynthesis of LX, concurrent with spontaneous resolution, has been observed during exudate formation (Levy et al, 2001). Limited results are currently available on the involvement of LX in clinical settings.