A tryptophan metabolite prevents depletion of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in systemic low-grade inflammation.

Background: Chronic systemic inflammation reduces the bioavailability of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), a key enzyme of immune tolerance catalyzing the initial step of tryptophan degradation along the so-called l-kynurenine (l-kyn) pathway, that is induced by inflammatory stimuli and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. A specific relationship between IDO1 activity and circulating EPC numbers has not yet been investigated.

Effects of structured home-based exercise training on circulating endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial function in patients with intermittent claudication.

Introduction: Exercise training improves walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication (IC). Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), endothelial microparticles (EMPs), and endothelial dysfunction could play a role in this process.

Methods: We measured EPCs and EMPs in a group of 60 patients with IC, and in a control group of 20 individuals without IC, before a treadmill test and 2, 24, and 48 hours after the test.

Hematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for 5 Adult Hunting Dog Breeds Using a Blood Donor Database.

Numerous studies have shown the importance of breed-related differences between hematological and biochemical results in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study is to determine hematologic and biochemical Reference Intervals (RIs) for 5 hunting dog breeds from a blood donor database, adopting an indirect sampling method, and to compare them with laboratory established and published RIs to identify possible breed and attitude-related differences. The study analyzed the blood parameters of 445 adults (222 females and 223 male, with age ranging from 2 to 8 years, mean age 5.

Maraviroc Intensification Modulates Atherosclerotic Progression in HIV-Suppressed Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk. A Randomized, Crossover Pilot Study.

Background: Experimental CCR5 antagonism with maraviroc in atherosclerosis-prone mice and preliminary data in humans suggest an anti-atherosclerotic effect of the drug. We assessed the impact of maraviroc treatment in persons living with HIV on subclinical indicators of atherosclerosis.

Methods: Persons living with HIV on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) including only protease inhibitors were recruited if they had a Framingham risk score >20% and brachial flow-mediated dilation (bFMD) <4%, as indices of high cardiovascular risk.

NUtraceutical TReatment for hYpercholesterolemia in HIV-infected patients: The NU-TRY(HIV) randomized cross-over trial.

Background And Aims: Despite hypercholesterolemia has been recognized to increase cardiovascular risk in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, cholesterol-lowering therapy is underused in this population, due to fear of drug-drug interactions with antiretroviral therapy (ART). We investigated the effects of a nutraceutical combination (NC) on lipid profile, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), subclinical inflammation and arterial stiffness in ART-treated HIV-infected patients.

Methods: This was a prospective randomized open-label trial with a cross-over design including 30 stable HIV-infected patients on ART with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >115 mg/dL, not taking lipid-lowering treatment.

S1P promotes migration, differentiation and immune regulatory activity in amniotic-fluid-derived stem cells.

Stem cells have high potential for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. We previously isolated stem cell types from human amniotic fluid, derived from prenatal amniocentesis. One type, characterized by a fast doubling time, was designated as fast human amniotic stem cells (fHASCs).

Elevated serum uric acid levels are associated with endothelial dysfunction in HIV patients receiving highly-active antiretroviral therapy.

Background And Aims: Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels may be associated with endothelial dysfunction. Increased rates of metabolic syndrome (MS) and elevated SUA levels were described in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. We investigated whether SUA levels are associated with endothelial dysfunction in HIV positive patients receiving highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) irrespective of MS.

Autologous Cell Therapy for Vascular Regeneration: The Role of Proangiogenic Cells.

Background: Autologous cell therapy represents a novel treatment option for vascular regeneration in different disease conditions, with experimental and clinical studies indicating a therapeutic potential for proangiogenic cells (PCs), including endothelial progenitor cells, in the treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease.

Objective: To provide a summary of the therapeutic potential of PCs administration or mobilization in peripheral artery disease, ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetic microvascular complications and inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Methods: We undertook a search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research literature on the role of PCs in vascular regeneration in preclinical and clinical models.

Endothelial and cardiac progenitor cells for cardiovascular repair: A controversial paradigm in cell therapy.

Stem cells have the potential to differentiate into cardiovascular cell lineages and to stimulate tissue regeneration in a paracrine/autocrine manner; thus, they have been extensively studied as candidate cell sources for cardiovascular regeneration. Several preclinical and clinical studies addressing the therapeutic potential of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) in cardiovascular diseases have been performed. For instance, autologous EPC transplantation and EPC mobilization through pharmacological agents contributed to vascular repair and neovascularization in different animal models of limb ischemia and myocardial infarction.

Hepatitis C virus and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9: a detrimental interaction to increase viral infectivity and disrupt lipid metabolism.

From viral binding to the hepatocyte surface to extracellular virion release, the replication cycle of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) intersects at various levels with lipid metabolism; this leads to a derangement of the lipid profile and to increased viral infectivity. Accumulating evidence supports the crucial regulatory role of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) in lipoprotein metabolism. Notably, a complex interaction between HCV and PCSK9 has been documented.

Lipoprotein(a) and inflammation: A dangerous duet leading to endothelial loss of integrity.

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an enigmatic lipoprotein whose ancestral useful properties have been gradually obscured by its adverse pro-atherogenic and pro-thrombotic effects, that culminate into an increased risk of ischemic cardiovascular events. Although plasma Lp(a) levels are largely determined on a genetic basis, multiple factors have been reported to interfere with its plasma levels. Inflammation is one of these factors and it is believed to promote pro-atherogenic and pro-thrombotic changes leading to increased cardiovascular disease risk.

Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is associated with endothelial dysfunction in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Endothelial dysfunction, a marker of cardiovascular (CV) risk, is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Microalbuminuria is frequent in HIV-infected patients, and is a predictor of renal impairment and CV risk. We investigated the association between microalbuminuria and endothelial dysfunction among HIV-infected patients receiving highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Reduced survival in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer is associated with high pleural endothelial progenitor cell levels.

Objectives: Endothelial progenitor cells are capable of contributing to neovascularization in tumours. In patients with either malignant or transudative pleural effusion, we tested the presence of pleural endothelial progenitor cells. We also measured the number of endothelial progenitor cells in post-surgery pleural drainage of either patients with early non-small-cell lung cancer or control patients with benign lung disease undergoing pulmonary resection.

The effects of a nutraceutical combination on plasma lipids and glucose: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia are associated with an increased risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease. Positive effects of a nutraceutical combination comprising red yeast rice, berberine, policosanol, astaxanthin, coenzyme Q10 and folic acid (NComb) on plasma lipid and glucose levels have been reported in some but not all clinical trials. To address this inconsistency, we tried to estimate the size of lipid- and glucose-lowering effects of NComb through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Effects of a nutraceutical combination on lipids, inflammation and endothelial integrity in patients with subclinical inflammation: a randomized clinical trial.

Cholesterol elevations are associated with systemic inflammation and endothelial fragmentation into microparticles. The cholesterol-lowering efficacy of nutraceutical combinations (NC) has not been investigated in patients with low-grade systemic inflammation and normal-borderline cholesterol levels. This is a 3-month prospective randomized open-label interventional study in patients with elevated plasma high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels (>2 mg/L) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of 100-160 mg/dL.

Systemic inflammation and imbalance between endothelial injury and repair in patients with psoriasis are associated with preclinical atherosclerosis.

Background: Systemic inflammation and imbalance between endothelial injury and repair, the latter referred to as vascular incompetence, are associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. Psoriasis, an inflammatory disease of the skin, has been associated with atherosclerosis. We investigated whether, in psoriasis, inflammation and vascular incompetence are associated with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) irrespective of metabolic syndrome and other established cardiovascular risk factors.

miR128 up-regulation correlates with impaired amyloid β(1-42) degradation in monocytes from patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia in elderly individuals, is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles, extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neuroinflammation. New evidence has shown that the lysosomal system might be a crossroad in which etiological factors in AD pathogenesis converge. This study shows that several lysosomal enzymes, including Cathepsin B, D, S, β-Galactosidase, α-Mannosidase, and β-Hexosaminidase, were less expressed in monocytes and lymphocytes from patients with a clinical diagnosis of AD dementia compared with cells from healthy controls.

Baseline and post-surgery endothelial progenitor cell levels in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung carcinoma: impact on cancer recurrence and survival.

Objectives: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are believed to play a role in promoting abnormal vascularization in neoplastic sites. We measured the number of circulating EPCs in treatment-naïve patients with early non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and healthy controls. The prospective influence of baseline and post-surgery EPC levels on cancer recurrence and survival was investigated.

On-treatment C-reactive protein and HDL cholesterol levels in patients at intermediate cardiovascular risk: impact on carotid intima-media thickness.

Aims: Statin therapy is followed by reductions in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, but a significant number of treated patients still have increased CIMT. We investigated whether on-treatment levels of CRP are associated with CIMT in hypercholesterolemic patients receiving statin therapy. The influence of blood pressure and anti-hypertensive therapy on the association between CRP and CIMT was evaluated.

Association of parathyroid hormone and 25-OH-vitamin D levels with arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with vitamin D insufficiency.

Aim: Vitamin D insufficiency and increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels have been suggested as prognostic indices for cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness, a surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease, is often increased in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. PTH levels increase in patients with low 25-OH-vitamin D levels, but the influence of such an increase on arterial stiffness has not been investigated in postmenopausal women with reduced 25-OH-vitamin D levels.

Association between thyroid hormone levels, the number of circulating osteoprogenitor cells, and bone mineral density in euthyroid postmenopausal women.

In postmenopausal women, an association between reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased number of circulating osteoprogenitor cells (COPs) has been found. Although an increased thyroid function is associated with BMD, thyroid hormones stimulate osteoblast function in vitro. We investigated whether thyroid hormones within the reference range were correlated with the number of COPs and stimulate mineralization in vitro.

Cardiovascular risk factors and recommended lipid goals attainment among patients referred in a tertiary care lipid clinic.

Background: Many adults are not at recommended lipid levels and the extent of treatment of dyslipidemia remains poor. We investigated the burden of cardiovascular risk and the distance of lipid fractions from the recommended targets by statin therapy and risk status in patients referred to a tertiary care lipid clinic.

Methods: Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors was performed in 1657 patients, mostly dyslipidemics, referred by family physicians to our Lipid Clinic, 393 patients being under statin therapy.

Influence of short-term rosuvastatin therapy on endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial function.

Endothelial progenitor cells maintain endothelium integrity by replacing injured endothelial cells. Cholesterol-lowering promotes either endothelial progenitor cells mobilization or improves endothelial function. It is unknown whether improving endothelial function with statin is associated with a parallel increased endothelial progenitor cells availability.

Hypercholesterolemia-associated endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction.

Hypercholesterolemia has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk by contributing to mechanical endothelial injury and dysfunction. There is evidence that chronic exposure to increased plasma cholesterol levels might also impair the repair of lipoprotein-mediated endothelial injury, possibly by reducing the availability and function of circulating endothelial progenitors. This review summarizes current knowledge about the mechanisms of lipoprotein-mediated endothelial injury and endothelial progenitor cell assisted vascular repair; the influence of hypercholesterolemia on endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction will be also addressed.

Preclinical vascular damage in white postmenopausal women: the relevance of osteoprotegerin.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) has recently been implicated in human atherogenesis. Abdominal obesity represents an established risk factor for the onset and development of atherosclerotic damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the link between OPG and abdominal fat and the relationship to precocious features of atherosclerotic disease such as brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV) and the intima-media thickening (IMT) in 195 white postmenopausal women (age range, 43-75 years).