Oxidized Phospholipids and Calcific Aortic Valvular Disease.

Background: Oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) are carried by apolipoprotein B-100-containing lipoproteins (OxPL-apoB) including lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]). Both OxPL-apoB and Lp(a) have been associated with calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD).

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between OxPL-apoB, Lp(a) and the prevalence, incidence, and progression of CAVD.

Characterization of myocardial injury phenotype by thermal liquid biopsy.

Background And Aims: With the advent and implementation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays, differentiation of patients with distinct types of myocardial injuries, including acute thrombotic myocardial infarction (TMI), acute non-thrombotic myocardial injury (nTMi), and chronic coronary atherosclerotic disease (cCAD), is of pressing clinical importance. Thermal liquid biopsy (TLB) emerges as a valuable diagnostic tool, relying on identifying thermally induced conformational changes of biomolecules in blood plasma. While TLB has proven useful in detecting and monitoring several cancers and autoimmune diseases, its application in cardiovascular diseases remains unexplored.

Mannose Binding Lectin and C3 Serum Levels in Coronary Artery Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The process of tissue injury in coronary artery disease (CAD) has been associated with activation of the complement system, partly due to the action of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and C3, which are expressed in atherosclerotic lesions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of MBL and C3 in patients with CAD and to compare them with healthy controls. Additionally, we aim to assess the correlation between MBL and C3 levels and cardiometabolic parameters.

Atherothrombotic and thrombolytic biomarkers in incident stroke and atrial fibrillation-related stroke: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background And Aims: Although several biomarkers have been studied in thromboembolic stroke, measuring the balance between thrombus formation and thrombolysis and data on its role in predicting stroke and atrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke is limited. We sought to assess atherothrombotic biomarkers grouped into composite factors that reflect thrombotic and thrombolytic potential, and the balance between these factors as it relates to incident stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke/TIA in AF.

Methods: A Thrombotic Factor, derived from fibrinogen, plasmin-antiplasmin complex, factor VIII, D-dimer, and lipoprotein(a); and a Thrombolytic Factor, derived from plasminogen and oxidized phospholipids on plasminogen, were evaluated at baseline in 5,764 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants.

Risk factor associations with individual myocardial infarction subtypes and acute non-ischemic myocardial injury in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA): Design and rationale.

Background: Despite different prevalence, pathobiology, and prognosis between etiologically distinct myocardial infarction (MI) subtypes, prospective study of risk factor for MI in large NHLBI-sponsored cardiovascular cohorts is limited to acute MI as a singular entity. Therefore, we sought to utilize the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a large prospective primary prevention cardiovascular study, to define the incidence and risk factor profile of individual myocardial injury subtypes.

Methods: We describe the rationale and design of re-adjudicating 4,080 events that occurred over the first 14 years of follow-up in MESA for the presence and subtype of myocardial injury as defined by the Fourth Universal Definition of MI: MI type 1 to 5, acute non-ischemic myocardial injury, and chronic myocardial injury.

Ficolin-3 in chronic Chagas disease: Low serum levels associated with the risk of cardiac insufficiency.

Aims: To investigate whether FCN3 polymorphisms and circulating ficolin-3 levels were associated with clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease (CD) and to assess their potential use as biomarkers for the disease or its severity.

Methods And Results: FCN3 polymorphisms (g.1637delC (rs532781899) in exon 5; g.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of chronic Chagas disease from Southern Brazil.

Introduction: Patients with Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, present a higher risk of developing other chronic diseases, which may contribute to CD severity. Since CD is underreported in the southern state of Paraná, Brazil, we aimed to characterize clinical and epidemiological aspects of individuals chronically infected with T. cruzi in Southern Brazil.

Ficolin-1 and ficolin-3 polymorphisms and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, which compromises the synovial membrane resulting in chronic inflammation. Ficolins are key proteins of the lectin pathway of complement able to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns, apoptotic cells, and cellular debris mediating the clearance by phagocytes. High ficolin-1 and ficolin-3 levels have been observed in RA patients, however, the influence of polymorphisms in the gene in RA is not completely established, while no study evaluated gene polymorphisms in RA to date.

Chagas Disease: From Discovery to a Worldwide Health Problem.

Carlos Chagas discovered American trypanosomiasis, also named Chagas disease (CD) in his honor, just over a century ago. He described the clinical aspects of the disease, characterized by its etiological agent () and identified its insect vector. Initially, CD occurred only in Latin America and was considered a silent and poorly visible disease.

Human collectin-11 (COLEC11) and its synergic genetic interaction with MASP2 are associated with the pathophysiology of Chagas Disease.

Chagas Disease (CD) is an anthropozoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. With complex pathophysiology and variable clinical presentation, CD outcome can be influenced by parasite persistence and the host immune response. Complement activation is one of the primary defense mechanisms against pathogens, which can be initiated via pathogen recognition by pattern recognition molecules (PRMs).

Autoimmunity in Chronic Chagas Disease: A Road of Multiple Pathways to Cardiomyopathy?

Chagas disease (CD), a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan , affects around six million individuals in Latin America. Currently, CD occurs worldwide, becoming a significant public health concern due to its silent aspect and high morbimortality rate. presents different escape strategies which allow its evasion from the host immune system, enabling its persistence and the establishment of chronic infection which leads to the development of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC).

Complement activation in acute myocardial infarction: An early marker of inflammation and tissue injury?

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a potentially fatal condition, being a major cause of death worldwide. Ischemia suffered during AMI causes tissue damage, leading to an inflammatory process. Moreover, myocardial injury can generate damage-associated molecular patterns that activate pattern recognition molecules including some complement proteins.

Human complement receptor type 1 (CR1) protein levels and genetic variants in chronic Chagas Disease.

Complement is an essential element in both innate and acquired immunity contributing to the immunopathogenesis of many disorders, including Chagas Disease (CD). Human complement receptor 1 (CR1) plays a role in the clearance of complement opsonized molecules and may facilitate the entry of pathogens into host cells. Distinct CR1 exon 29 variants have been found associated with CR1 expression levels, increased susceptibility and pathophysiology of several diseases.

The Complement System: A Prey of .

is a protozoan parasite known to cause Chagas disease (CD), a neglected sickness that affects around 6-8 million people worldwide. Originally, CD was mainly found in Latin America but more recently, it has been spread to countries in North America, Asia, and Europe due the international migration from endemic areas. Thus, at present CD represents an important concern of global public health.