Platelet miRNA-26b down-regulates multidrug resistance protein 4 in patients on chronic aspirin treatment.

Background: Multidrug resistance protein-4 (MRP4) is an ATP binding cassette membrane transporter, actively involved in the efflux of important pharmacological and physiological molecules. Recently, its over-expression has been associated with reduced aspirin (ASA) efficacy after by-pass surgery. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small molecules of non-coding RNA involved in the regulation of many physiological and pathophysiological pathways, are abundant in platelets, and can be modulated by several drugs.

Integrins: Integrating the Biology and Therapy of Cell-cell Interactions.

Purpose: Although the role of integrins has been described in a variety of diseases, these roles seem to be distinct. To date, no study has attempted to provide links to the various pathways by which such integrins can be involved in these diverse disease settings. The purpose of this review was to address this gap in our knowledge with the hypothesis that there is, in fact, a common pathway by which integrins may function.

Immune Modulation by Vitamin D: Special Emphasis on Its Role in Prevention and Treatment of Cancer.

Purpose: Vitamin D has been known to be involved in mineral and bone homeostasis for many years. In the past its main use was in treating osteoporosis and rickets. In recent years it was found that vitamin D is an immune-modulating agent and may also have a role in several diseases, including autoimmune diseases.

Identification of microRNAs 758 and 33b as potential modulators of ABCA1 expression in human atherosclerotic plaques.

Background And Aim: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters A1 and G1 are the main transporters involved in macrophage cholesterol efflux. The understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of their regulation in atherosclerosis is crucial for potential therapeutic approaches. Preclinical studies support a role for microRNAs in the posttranscriptional regulation of these transporters; however, no evidence is still available on human atherosclerosis.

Plasma exosome microRNA profiling unravels a new potential modulator of adiponectin pathway in diabetes: effect of glycemic control.

Context: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by inadequate β-cell response to the progressive insulin resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, endogenous, noncoding RNAs representing a class of powerful gene expression modulators. Previous population studies observed a modulation of circulating miRNAs in diabetic patients; however, few data are presently available on miRNA modulation in diabetic patients naïve to pharmacological treatment as well as the effect of glycemic control on this.

Overexpression of microRNA-145 in atherosclerotic plaques from hypertensive patients.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding, short, single-stranded RNAs and represent a new class of gene regulators. Recent evidence supports a role for miRNAs in cardiovascular pathophysiology and atherosclerosis development. We have previously demonstrated that miR-145 is widely expressed in human atherosclerotic lesions and its downregulation has been correlated with vascular smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation, a cardinal step in the development of atherosclerosis.

A unique microRNA signature associated with plaque instability in humans.

Background And Purpose: Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is considered the most important mechanism that underlies the onset of stroke, myocardial infarction, and sudden death. Several evidences demonstrated the pivotal role of inflammatory processes in plaque destabilization. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous RNAs and represent a new important class of gene regulators.

New aldosteron receptor inhibitors in heart failure.

This report summarizes the new therapeutic approaches in post-ischaemic heart failure given the important sanitary and socioeconomic impact resulting from the clinical management of this syndrome. Ventricular remodeling, causing changes to left ventricular anatomy and function, is the major cause of heart dysfunction. The physio-pathological role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system has emerged from experimental studies and has been confirmed by the efficacy of ACE-inhibition.

About cardiovascular risk in non-cardiac surgery.

The perioperative management of patients at risk for cardiovascular diseases who undergo non-cardiac surgery has been subject of debate over the past few decades and is still of great interest. An adequate perioperative management may modify postoperative mortality and morbidity and may improve the long-term prognosis. The purpose of this review is to examine the present day knowledge regarding the preoperative evaluation and perioperative and postoperative management.

Severity of human hypertension in relation to the age in which high blood pressure makes its presumptive appearance.

Purpose: The present study investigates the properties of blood pressure (BP) circadian rhythm (CR) in newly-diagnosed hypertensives (NDH) as a function of the chronological age in which hypertension became manifest.

Materials And Methods: The study was performed on 141 NDH (71 males and 70 females, ranging in age from 24 year to 79 years), who were monitored in their 24-h BP via a non-invasive, ambulatory, automated recorder. The relation between the properties of BP CR and the age of the development of hypertension was investigated via the Clinospectror method, a trend analysis (periodic-linear regression method) for rhythmic biophenomena.

[Syndrome of cholesterol crystal embolism: clinical case].

Cholesterol crystal embolization syndrome is a multiorgan disease that frequently occurs as a complication of invasive cardiovascular procedures and of thrombolytic or anticoagulant therapy. The symptoms are due to the displacement of atheromatous material dislodged from unstable or injured, by mechanical manipulation, plaque to arteriolar vessels. The real incidence of cholesterol embolization is not known.

Prevalence of human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 infection among carriers of cardiovascular disease.

Infectious agents, such as herpesviruses, have been hypothesized to be involved in development of atheromatous plaque. The study aim was to evaluate the possibility that HHV-8 infection could be an additional risk factor for the establishment of cardiovascular disease. HHV-8 seroprevalence was determined by immunofluorescence in a population of cardiovascular disease patients (n=50) as compared to an age- and sex-matched group of control subjects (n=47); HHV-8 genome was detected in DNA extracted from circulating PBMC and from atheromatous lesions by PCR with primers specific for the minor virus capsid gene (ORF 26).

Further evidence against the implication of active cytomegalovirus infection in vascular atherosclerotic diseases.

The possible contribution of cytomegalovirus (CMV) to pathogenetic events associated with atherosclerotic lesion establishment and progression is still controversial. We evaluated the possibility that active ongoing CMV infection could be correlated to evolution of unstable atheromatous lesion, by analyzing patients suffering from unstable angina (n=61), acute myocardial infarction (n=43), stable angina (n=26) and peripheral arteriopathy (n=22) as compared to healthy subjects (n=30). Particularly, we assessed: past exposure to CMV by evaluating anti-CMV IgG antibodies; ongoing CMV infection by evaluating anti-CMV IgM antibodies and circulating interleukin (IL)-8 in serum; and CMV DNAemia in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).