Specific changes in circulating cytokines and growth factors induced by exercise stress testing in asymptomatic aortic valve stenosis.

Background: We evaluated exercise-induced changes in the profile of circulating cytokines and growth factors in patients with AS.

Methods: We studied 32 consecutive asymptomatic moderate-to-severe AS patients and 32 age and sex-matched controls. Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were measured at 4 time points, i.

Prolonged duration of type 2 diabetes is associated with increased thrombin generation, prothrombotic fibrin clot phenotype and impaired fibrinolysis.

It has been shown that type 2 diabetes (DM) is associated with enhanced thrombin generation and formation of denser fibrin clots of reduced lysability. We sought to investigate the impact of diabetes duration versus glycaemia control on fibrin clot phenotype and its determinants in type 2 diabetic patients. In 156 consecutive Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes we investigated ex vivo thrombin generation, fibrinolytic proteins, along with plasma fibrin clot permeation (Ks), compaction, turbidity, and efficiency of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)-mediated fibrinolysis.

Altered fibrin clot properties in patients with premature peripheral artery disease.

Introduction: It has been shown that formation of denser and poorly lysable fibrin clots is observed in elderly patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Objectives: The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that premature PAD is associated with more prothrombotic fibrin clot phenotype.

Patients And Methods: Ex‑vivo plasma fibrin clot permeability, turbidity, and susceptibility to lysis were evaluated in 31 premature PAD patients (median ankle brachial index [ABI], 0.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 is elevated in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis without clinically overt atherosclerosis.

Background: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an inflammatory mediator involved in atherosclerosis. Since aortic valve stenosis (AVS) is regarded as an atherosclerosis-like inflammatory disease, we sought to investigate whether AVS is associated with elevated Lp-PLA2.

Methods: Plasma Lp-PLA2 levels were determined in 48 consecutive patients with severe AVS without atherosclerotic vascular disease and compared with the values obtained in 48 controls matched for age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors.

Osteoprotegerin, but not osteopontin, as a potential predictor of vascular calcification in normotensive subjects.

We conducted a cross-sectional observation study that included 500 asymptomatic subjects to investigate the relationship between bone metabolism and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in hypertensive conditions. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteopontin (OPN) levels and their associations with hypertension were analyzed to predict CAC in 316 subjects. Multislice computed tomography was used to quantify CAC.