Reduced Levels of Selenium and Thioredoxin Reductase in the Thoracic Aorta Could Contribute to Aneurysm Formation in Patients with Marfan Syndrome.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a heterozygous mutation of the FBN1 gene. MFS patients present oxidative stress that disturbs redox homeostasis. Redox homeostasis depends in part on the enzymatic antioxidant system, which includes thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and glutathione peroxidases (GPx), both of which require an adequate concentration of selenium (Se).

Overexpression of microRNA-21-5p and microRNA-221-5p in Monocytes Increases the Risk of Developing Coronary Artery Disease.

MicroRNAs (miRs) regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and are found to be present in monocytes. This study aimed to investigate miR-221-5p, miR-21-5p, and miR-155-5p, their expression in monocytes, and their role in coronary arterial disease (CAD). The study population comprised 110 subjects, and RT-qPCR was used to examine the miR-221-5p, miR-21-5p, and miR-155-5p expressions in monocytes.

Expressions of mRNA and encoded proteins of mitochondrial uncoupling protein genes (, , and ) in epicardial and mediastinal adipose tissue and associations with coronary artery disease.

Objective: To evaluate the expression of , , and mRNA and encoded proteins in epicardial and mediastinal adipose tissues in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Subjects And Methods: We studied 60 patients with CAD and 106 patients undergoing valve replacement surgery (controls). Expression levels of , , and mRNA and encoded proteins were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively.