A pooled-analysis of age and sex based coronary artery calcium scores percentiles.

Background: Age and sex based coronary artery calcium score (CAC) percentiles have been used to improve coronary artery disease (CAD) risk prediction. However, the main limitation of the CACs percentiles currently in use is that they are often based on single studies. We performed a pooled analysis of all available studies that reported on CAC percentiles, in order to develop more generalizable age and sex nomograms.

Obstructive sleep apnea and progression of coronary artery calcium: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition associated with cardiovascular disease. Its potential effect on progression of subclinical atherosclerosis is not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that self-reported OSA is associated with progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC).

The role of carotid intimal thickness testing and risk prediction in the development of coronary atherosclerosis.

Carotid ultrasonography is a safe and available noninvasive diagnostic tool that provides information about the carotid arteries' characteristics and may be used for early detection of coronary artery disease as well as cardiovascular and stroke event risk stratifications. We performed a systematic search of articles discussing carotid ultrasonography in the English literature recorded in PubMed from 2010 to September 2012. Generally, the studies showed that internal carotid artery intima-media thickness is a more powerful variable than common carotid artery intima-media thickness.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein antigen transport induces autoimmunity in the renal tubulointerstitium.

Background/aims: Chronic kidney disease involves inflammation/oxidative stress, which contributes to progressive kidney injury.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx) or sham Nx and were sacrificed after 2 days, 2 weeks and 4 weeks. Microarray analysis expression sets over time suggested the evolution of renal lymphocyte infiltration and antigen-presenting cell (APC) activation after 5/6Nx.

Heat shock protein 27 overexpression mitigates cytokine-induced islet apoptosis and streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Beta-cell apoptosis occurs in diabetes mellitus (DM). Heat shock protein (HSP) 27 (human homolog of rodent HSP25) mitigates stress-induced apoptosis but has not been studied in beta-cells. We tested whether HSP27 overexpression attenuates streptozotocin (SZ)-induced DM in vivo and cytokine-induced islet apoptosis in vitro.

Long-term prognosis associated with coronary calcification: observations from a registry of 25,253 patients.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop risk-adjusted multivariable models that include risk factors and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores measured with electron-beam tomography in asymptomatic patients for the prediction of all-cause mortality.

Background: Several smaller studies have documented the efficacy of CAC testing for assessment of cardiovascular risk. Larger studies with longer follow-up will lend strength to the hypothesis that CAC testing will improve outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and safety of primary prevention efforts.

Glucose and diabetes: effects on podocyte and glomerular p38MAPK, heat shock protein 25, and actin cytoskeleton.

Phosphorylated p38 (pp38) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) regulates heat shock protein 25 (HSP25), stabilizing fibrillar actin (FA) and preventing cleavage to G-actin (GA). Cultured podocytes (Pods) were exposed to glucose (5.5-50 mM)+/-p38MAPK inhibitor SB202190 (SB) or control SB202474 to assess the effects on FA/GA and Pod structure.