ACTA OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGICA ITALICA

Lobiettivo del presente studio è stato determinare se i livelli plasmatici dei prodotti avanzati di ossidazione proteica (AOPP) rappresentino dei marker di stress ossidativo nei pazienti pediatrici affetti da tonsillite cronica. Per lo studio sono stati arruolati, presso i Dipartimenti di Otorinolaringoiatria e Chirurgia pediatrica dellOspedale Universitario di Dumlupinar, trenta bambini sani e trenta affetti da tonsillite cronica. Il gruppo dei pazienti affetti da malattia è stato sottoposto a un prelievo ematico preoperatorio e ad una biopsia intraoperatoria del tessuto tonsillare. Il gruppo dei pazienti sani è stato sottoposto unicamente al prelievo ematico. I livelli plasmatici e tissutali degli AOPP sono quindi stati misurati mediante spettrofotometria. I livelli sierici degli AOPP sono risultati essere più elevati nel gruppo dei pazienti affetti da tonsillite cronica (13,1 ± 3,3 ng/ml) rispetto al gruppo di controllo (11,6 ± 2,3 ng/ml; P < 0,05). Il livello tissutale medio degli AOPP nei pazienti malati è risultato essere superiore a quello plasmatico medio sia nel gruppo dei pazienti sani che in quello dei pazienti malati (41,9 ± 13,5 ng/mg; P < 0,05). I livelli plasmatici e tissutali degli AOPP sono risultati quindi essere più elevati nei pazienti malati rispetto al gruppo di controllo. Gli AOPP potrebbero quindi rappresentare una nuova classe di molecole pro-infiammatorie coinvolte nello stress ossidativo nella tonsillite cronica e potrebbero avere un ruolo come marker di stress ossidativo nei pazienti pediatrici affetti da tale patologia

YKL-40, a Marker of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction, Is Elevated in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Increases With Levels of Albuminuria

OBJECTIVE—The inflammation marker YKL-40 is elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes and is associated with atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular mortality. In the present study, YKL-40 levels were examined in patients with type 1 diabetes with increasing levels of albuminuria, known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Variation in CHI3LI in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes and Related Quantitative Traits

CHI3LI encoding the inflammatory glycoprotein YKL-40 is located on chromosome 1q32.1. YKL-40 is involved in inflammatory processes and patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) have elevated circulating YKL-40 levels which correlate with their level of insulin resistance. Interestingly, it has been reported that rs10399931 (-329 G/A) of CHI3LI contributes to the inter-individual plasma YKL-40 levels in patients with sarcoidosis, and that rs4950928 (-131 C/G) is a susceptibility polymorphism for asthma and a decline in lung function. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotypes thereof the CHI3LI locus might influence risk of T2D. The aim of the present study was to investigate the putative association between SNPs and haplotype blocks of CHI3LI and T2D and T2D related quantitative traits.Eleven SNPs of CHI3LI were genotyped in 6514 individuals from the Inter99 cohort and 2924 individuals from the outpatient clinic at Steno Diabetes Center. In cas-control studies a total of 2345 T2D patients and 5302 individuals with a normal glucose tolerance test were examined. We found no association between rs10399931 (OR, 0.98 (CI, 0.88-1.10), p = 0.76), rs4950928 (0.98 (0.87-1.10), p = 0.68) or any of the other SNPs with T2D. Similarly, we found no significant association between any of the 11 tgSNPs and T2D related quantitative traits, all p>0.14. None of the identified haplotype blocks of CHI3LI showed any association with T2D, all p>0.16.None of the examined SNPs or haplotype blocks of CHI3LI showed any association with T2D or T2D related quantitative traits. Estimates of insulin resistance and dysregulated glucose homeostasis in T2D do not seem to be accounted for by the examined variations of CHI3LI

NT-proBNP and Circulating Inflammation Markers in Prediction of a Normal Myocardial Scintigraphy in Patients with Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) can detect myocardial perfusion abnormalities but many examinations are without pathological findings. This study examines whether circulating biomarkers can be used as screening modality prior to MPI.243 patients with an intermediate risk of CAD or with known CAD with renewed suspicion of ischemia were referred to MPI. Blood samples were analyzed for N-terminal fragment of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), YKL-40, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Patients with myocardial perfusion defects had elevated levels of NT-proBNP (p<0.0001), YKL-40 (p = 0.03) and IL-6 (p = 0.03) but not of hsCRP (p = 0.58) nor of MMP-9 (p = 0.14). The NT-proBNP increase was observed in both genders (p<0.0001), whereas YKL-40 (p = 0.005) and IL-6 (p = 0.02) were elevated only in men. A NT-proBNP cut off-concentration at 25 ng/l predicted a normal MPI with a negative predictive value >95% regardless of existing CAD.20-25% of patients suspected of CAD could have been spared a MPI by using a NT-proBNP cut-off concentration at 25 ng/l with a negative predictive value >95%. NT-proBNP has the potential use of being a screening marker of CAD before referral of the patient to MPI