Publications by authors named "Vitolds Mackevics"

The aim of the study was to clarify correlations between body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), and serum levels of cytokines in female migraine patients. A total of 14 migraineurs with aura, and 12 without aura during their interictal period were compared with 25 controls. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) develops not only with a pronounced local inflammatory response, but also oxidative stress is involved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of thioredoxin-1 (TRX1), myeloperoxidase (MPO), chemerin, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), and metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -3, and -9 in acquired AS patients as well as to clarify the correlations of TXR1 and the plasma inflammatory biomarkers regarding AS severity. AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis, 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS were selected as a control group.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) develops with a pronounced local inflammatory response, where a variety of growth factors are involved in the process, and may have a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether circulating growth factors: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) could be proposed as clinically relevant biomarkers to improve risk stratification in AS patients. : AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis; 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS (echocardiographically approved) were selected as a control group.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Mechanical stress is currently considered as the main factor promoting calcific aortic valve stenosis (AS) onset. It causes endothelial damage and dysfunction. The chronic inflammatory process causes oxidative stress.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aortic valve (AoV) stenosis is the third most common cardiovascular disease. The pathogenesis of AoV stenosis is associated with an inflammatory process where MMPs serve important roles. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and inflammatory factors, and AoV stenosis at various degrees of severity compared with the control.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inflammation appears to be the cause of aortic valve (AoV) stenosis and identification of predictive biomarkers is therefore imperative. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential role of serum chemerin and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) in the pathogenesis of the disease. A total of 102 patients were selected based on certain criteria and divided into an aortic stenosis group and a control group.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although many studies have shown that the metabolic syndrome (MS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) both are associated with chronic inflammatory state and are risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), it is still unclear which condition is a more important contributor to the increased production of inflammatory chemokines. The purpose of this study was to assess monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels and their association with insulin resistance and adiponectin concentrations in CAD patients, who were categorized as having T2DM, MS, or neither.

Methods: CAD male patients were categorized into three groups: 24 non-obese patients with T2DM (D), 24 obese patients with MS (M) and 24 patients without T2DM or MS (W).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The associations of the adiponectin (APM1) gene with parameters of the metabolic syndrome are inconsistent. We performed a systematic investigation based on fine-mapped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) highlighting the genetic architecture and their role in modulating adiponectin plasma concentrations in a particularly healthy population of 1,727 Caucasians avoiding secondary effects from disease processes. Genotyping 53 SNPs (average spacing of 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Low concentrations of adiponectin, the protein product of the APM1 gene, have been reported to be associated with obesity and insulin resistance. However, contrasting results have been described on the genetic variability in APM1 and characteristics of the metabolic syndrome and adiponectin serum concentrations. In the present study, we investigated the association of the two most well-known SNPs of APM1 (+45T>G and +276G>T) and their haplotypes, with serum adiponectin concentrations, metabolic parameters and intima-media thickness of the carotid arteries in 1,745 well-phenotyped asymptomatic unrelated Caucasian subjects of the SAPHIR cohort.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Adipose tissue produces and secretes a number of bioactive molecules, conceptualized as adipocytokines. Adiponectin has been identified as one of the adipocytokines, and hypoadiponectinemia was demonstrated in patients with obesity, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. Whether decreased adiponectin levels are cause or consequence is an important issue in the discussion on the association between adiponectin and atherosclerosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF