Circulating retinol-binding protein 4 and metabolic syndrome in the elderly.

Background: Retinol-binding protein (RBP) 4, a human adipokine that specifically binds to retinol, has been reported to provide a link between obesity and insulin resistance. Plasma RBP4 concentration may be under the influence of age and obesity, but only a few studies has investigated this link in elderly individuals. Consequently, we tested the correlation between RBP4 concentrations and type 2 diabetes/metabolic syndrome (MetS) components in a large population based cohort study (VITA) of elderly [1, 2].

Diagnosis of infection with human herpes viruses in routine laboratory practice.

Background: The potential for faster detection of human herpes viruses using PCR compared to other methods is undisputed. However, because of fear of contamination, the clinical implication of nucleic amplification methods in routine laboratories is not widespread. Herpes viruses cause a wide spectrum of diseases and can cause morbidity and mortality in immune-compromised patients.

Correlated downregulation of estrogen receptor beta and the circadian clock gene Per1 in human colorectal cancer.

There is a growing body of evidence that disturbed circadian clock gene expression is associated with tumor development and tumor progression. Based on our initial experiments demonstrating decreased period 1 (Per1) expression in colon cancer, we evaluated clock gene and estrogen receptor (ER) alpha/beta expression in colon cancer cells of primary colorectal tumors and adjacent normal colon mucosa (NM) by real-time RT-PCR. Analysis of gene expression in G(2) and G(3) colorectal tumors revealed a decrease of Per1 mRNA compared with paired NM (G(2): 0.

Clinical chemistry reference values for 75-year-old apparently healthy persons.

Background: Clinical chemistry reference values for elderly persons are sparse and mostly intermixed with those for younger subjects. To understand the links between metabolism and aging, it is paramount to differentiate between "normal" physiological processes in apparently healthy elderly subjects and metabolic changes due to long-lasting diseases. The Vienna Transdanube Aging (VITA) study, which began in 2000 and is continuing, will allow us to do just that, because more than 600 male and female volunteers aged exactly 75 years (to exclude any influence of the "aging" factor in this cohort) are participating in this study.

Concentrations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and troponin T in plasma of 75-year-old apparently healthy persons.

Clinical chemical reference values for older persons are sparse and mostly intermixed with those for younger persons. We had a unique opportunity to obtain blood samples from volunteers who were 75 years old and living in two districts of Vienna, Austria. Consequently, we utilized stored plasma samples to obtain reference intervals for 120 apparently healthy 75-year-old participants for pro-brain natriuretic peptide (proBNP), as well as for troponin T.