Physical activity and sport performance: adiponectin in relation to different physio-pathological status

Adiponectin (Acrp30), and in particular its High Molecular Weight (HMW) oligomers, contributes to enhance insulin sensitivity and to reduce inflammation levels. Physical exercise improves body’s biochemical balance and metabolism resulting effective in the prevention and therapy of metabolic diseases. Whether improvement of metabolic features mediated by physical exercise is associated with changes in Acrp30 serum composition is not yet clarified. In the present study, we investigated total Acrp30 expression and its oligomeric status in two different metabolic status: professional Water Polo (WP) Players and adult patients affected by Cystic Fibrosis (CF) that performed regular physical exercise. CF is an inherited metabolic disease characterized by alterations in lipid and glucidic metabolism. Our results demonstrated significant elevated BMI, AST and LDH levels and, conversely, significantly lower concentrations of total cholesterol and VLD were present in WP players. No significant difference was found in total Acrp30 and/or HMW oligomers. Interestingly, in WP players, a direct relationship between total Acrp30 and monocytes as well as an inverse relationship between total Acrp30 and AST levels were found. ACDC molecular screening revealed previously described SNPs. In CF patients, physical exercise has significant effects on lipid and glycemic metabolism. Indeed, patients that performed exercise are characterized by significant decrease of either VLDL, cholesterol and triglycerides, border-line significant decrease of either total cholesterol/HDL and non-HDL cholesterol/HDL ratio and by trend decrease of total, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol, although not significant. It’s to highlight that physical exercise significantly reduces glycemia and HOMA-IR and increases serum albumin. However, physical exercise does not modify Acrp30 concentrations that, on the other hand, result significantly higher in all CF patients compared to controls. In conclusion, even if peripheral muscle abnormalities and respiratory factors limit exercise in patients with CF, our study indicated that physical activity has beneficial effects on lipid and glycemic metabolism in these patients not associated with Acrp30

Mannose-binding lectin genetic analysis: possible protective role of the HYPA haplotype in the development of recurrent urinary tract infections in men

SummaryFactors related to bacterial virulence and/or to the host have been implicated in the pathogenesis of recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI), but in most cases the cause is unknown. Mannose binding lectin (MBL) is an acute phase glycoprotein that exerts immunological functions by binding to the surface of a variety of pathogens. Some human gene variants reduce MBL activity thereby predisposing the host to bacterial and viral infections. The aim of this study was to investigate MBL2 gene variants in relation to rUTI risk. Six MBL gene variants and seven haplotypes were analyzed by PCR and direct sequencing in rUTI patients (n = 83) and in healthy subjects from southern Italy (n = 642). The frequencies of the L allele (−550) and the HYPA haplotype were higher in controls than in patients stratified according to sex (p < 0.05). Our data indicate that the HYPA haplotype in the MBL2 gene could be associated with a minor risk of developing rUTI in males

Hypoglycemia Assessed by Continuous Glucose Monitoring Is Associated with Preclinical Atherosclerosis in Individuals with Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Hypoglycemia is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular adverse clinical outcomes. There is evidence that impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Whether IGT individuals have asymptomatic hypoglycemia under real-life conditions that are related to early atherosclerosis is unknown. To this aim, we measured episodes of hypoglycemia during continuous interstitial glucose monitoring (CGM) and evaluated their relationship with early manifestation of vascular atherosclerosis in glucose tolerant and intolerant individuals. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in 79 non-diabetic subjects. Each individual underwent continuous glucose monitoring for 72 h. Cardiovascular risk factors and ultrasound measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were evaluated. IGT individuals had a worse cardiovascular risk profile, including higher IMT, and spent significantly more time in hypoglycemia than glucose-tolerant individuals. IMT was significantly correlated with systolic (r = 0.22; P = 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.28; P = 0.01), total (r = 0.26; P = 0.02) and LDL cholesterol (r = 0.27; P = 0.01), 2-h glucose (r = 0.39; P<0.0001), insulin sensitivity (r = −0.26; P = 0.03), and minutes spent in hypoglycemia (r = 0.45; P<0.0001). In univariate analyses adjusted for gender, minutes spent in hypoglycemia were significantly correlated with age (r = 0.26; P = 0.01), waist circumference (r = 0.33; P = 0.003), 2-h glucose (r = 0.58; P<0.0001), and 2-h insulin (r = 0.27; P = 0.02). In a stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the variables significantly associated with IMT were minutes spent in hypoglycemia (r2 = 0.252; P<0.0001), and ISI index (r2 = 0.089; P = 0.004), accounting for 34.1% of the variation. Episodes of hypoglycemia may be considered as a new potential cardiovascular risk factor for IGT individuals

Twenty-four-hour glucose profiles of 10 representative individuals with NGT.

<p>Dashed line indicates the 70 mg/dl glucose threshold.</p

Twenty-four-hour glucose profiles of 10 representative individuals with IGT.

<p>Dashed line indicates the 70 mg/dl glucose threshold.</p

Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics of the study subjects.

<p>Data are means ± SD. Data in brackets are ranges of minimum and maximum value. Data of CV of interstitial glucose during CGM are reported as the mean, the range and the 95% CI for comparison between the groups. Categorical variables were compared by χ2 test. <i>P</i> values refer to results after analyses with adjustment for age, and gender using a general linear model.</p><p>*<i>P</i> values refer to results after analysis with adjustment for gender using a general linear model. BMI: body mass index; SBP = systolic blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure. NS = Not significant.</p

Univariate correlations between IMT and anthropometric and biochemical variables.

<p>Partial correlation coefficients adjusted for age and gender were computed between variables. <i>P</i> values refer to results after analyses with adjustment for age, and gender.</p><p>*<i>P</i> values refer to results after analysis with adjustment for gender. BMI = Body Mass Index, SBP = systolic blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure.</p

C.802C>T NOD2/CARD15 SNP is Associated to Crohn’s Disease in Italian Patients

The incidence of Crohn’s Disease (CD), a complex inflammatory bowel disease, is rapidly increasing. NOD2/ CARD15 gene variants have been associated with early CD onset, terminal ileal involvement, and structuring disease. We comparatively analyzed, by PCR and direct sequencing, the exons 4, 8 and 11 of NOD2/CARD15 gene in CD Italian patients (n=42) and in healthy controls (n= 66). Our results show that the frequency of the allele T of the c.802C>T (p.P268S) SNP (rs2066842) results in linkage disequilibrium with allele T of the c.1377 C>T (p. R459R) SNP. Moreover, the frequency of the allele T of the c.802C>T (p.P268S) SNP (rs2066842) is significantly higher in CD’s patients than in control subjects (p=0.018; OR=2.02). Similarly, the frequency of the insertion c.3020insC (p.L1007fs) is significantly higher (p=0.0347; OR=14.59) in CD patients. Our results suggest that molecular analysis of the NOD2/CARD15 gene could represent a contributory tool for the identification of subjects genetically predisposed to CD

Physical Activity Regulates TNFα and IL-6 Expression to Counteract Inflammation in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common inherited diseases. It is characterised by a severe decline in pulmonary function associated with metabolic perturbations and an increased production of inflammatory cytokines. The key role of physical activity (PA) in improving the health status of CF patients and reducing lung function decline has recently been demonstrated. This study evaluated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) expression in two subgroups of CF patients classified based on PA. Methods: We selected 85 CF patients; half of them regularly undertook supervised PA in the three years leading up to the study and half of them were not physically active. Patients were analysed for serum IL-6 and TNFα levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: We found that the expression levels of IL-6 and TNFα differed in terms of their regulation by PA. In particular, TNFα levels negatively correlated with FEV1% decrease/year and FEV1% decrease (p = 0.023 and p = 0.02, respectively), and positively correlated with serum fasting glucose (p = 0.019) in PA CF patients. In contrast, in the NPA subgroup, TNFα levels were positively correlated with IL-6 (p = 0.001) and negatively correlated with adiponectin (p = 0.000). In addition, multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed that PA is an independent modulator of the inflammatory state. Conclusions: PA modulates inflammatory processes in CF patients by regulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thus ameliorating lung function. Our data show that PA is a useful complementary strategy in the management of CF and that TNFα may be a marker of these effects of PA