Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) has an ambivalent association with hypertension and atherosclerosis among elderly Japanese men: a cross-sectional study

Background: Even though there is bidirectional association between hypertension and atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis itself is involved in the process of endothelial repair. To clarify the association of endothelial repair with hypertension, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 562 elderly Japanese men aged 60-69. As gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) could act as a marker of oxidative stress that injures endothelial cell and higher levels of CD34-positive cell indicate a higher activity of endothelial repair, we therefore performed a CD34-positive level specific analysis of γ-GTP on atherosclerosis and hypertension. Results: In the present study population, hypertension was independently and positively associated with atherosclerosis (multivariable odds ratio (OR) = 2.09 (1.30, 3.35)). Among participants with high CD34-positive cells, γ-GTP showed significant and positive association with atherosclerosis (OR of the log-transformed value of γ-GTP (OR) = 2.26 (1.32, 3.86)) but not with hypertension (OR = 0.77 (0.51, 1.17)). Among participants with low CD34-positive cells, even γ-GTP showed no significant association with atherosclerosis (OR = 0.92 (0.51, 1.68)), but was significantly and positively associated with hypertension (OR = 1.99 (1.27, 3.12)). Conclusions: γ-GTP revealed to have ambivalent association with hypertension and atherosclerosis. Active endothelial repair that is associated with atherosclerosis might have beneficial association with hypertension

Circulating CD34+ cells and active arterial wall thickening among elderly men: A prospective study

Age-related physical changes, such as low-grade inflammation and increased oxidative stress, induce endothelial repair and cause active arterial wall thickening by stimulating the production of CD34+ cells (the principal mediators of atherosclerosis). Despite this, aggressive endothelial repair (progressing atherosclerosis) might cause a wasting reduction in CD34+ cells, which could result in a lower capacity of endothelial repair and hypertension. As yet, no prospective study has clarified the association of circulating CD34+ cells with active arterial wall thickening. We conducted a prospective study of 363 men aged 60?69 years who participated in a general health check-up at least twice from 2014?2017. The circulating CD34+ cell count was significantly positively associated with active arterial wall thickening among subjects without hypertension (n = 236), but not among subjects with hypertension (n = 127). The fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of active arterial wall thickening for the logarithmic circulating CD34+ cell count were 1.83 (1.19, 2.84) and 0.69 (0.36, 1.32) for subjects without and with hypertension, respectively. Circulating CD34+ cells are positively associated with active arterial wall thickening in subjects without hypertension. This study demonstrates a means to clarify the mechanisms of endothelial repair in elderly subjects

Short stature-related single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) activates endothelial repair activity in elderly Japanese

Background: Hypertension and atherosclerosis are bidirectionally related, while platelet count could serve as an indicator of endothelial repair. Therefore, high platelet counts could be associated with hypertension by indicating more intense endothelial repair activity. Furthermore, short stature has been shown to constitute a risk of atherosclerosis. Since inflammation-related single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP(rs3782886)) is reportedly associated with myocardial infarction and short stature, rs3782886 could be associated with a high platelet count and thus more intense endothelial repair activity. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 988 elderly Japanese who participated in a general health check-up. Short stature was defined as a height of at or under the 25th percentile of the study population, and high platelet count as the highest tertiles of the platelet levels. Results: High platelet counts were found to be independently and positively associated with hypertension while rs3782886 was independently associated with high platelet levels and short stature. The classical cardiovascular risk factor-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of high platelet count for hypertension was 1.34 (1.02, 1.77). With non-minor homo of the rs3782886 as the reference group, the adjusted OR and 95% CI for high platelet count and short stature of minor home were 2.40 (1.30, 4.42) and 2.21 (1.16, 4.21), respectively. Conclusion: SNP (rs3782886) was shown to be associated with high platelet count and short stature. This result partly explains how a genetic factor can influence the impact of height on endothelial repair

Association between human T cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection and advanced periodontitis in relation to atherosclerosis among elderly Japanese: a cross-sectional study

Background: Human T cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) stimulates inflammation activity. Our previous study revealed a positive association between asymptomatic HTLV-1 infection and advanced periodontitis among elderly Japanese individuals with low levels of hematopoietic activity (reflected by reticulocyte levels). Since low hematopoietic activity has been correlated with low-grade inflammation and low-grade inflammation is associated with atherosclerosis, the status of atherosclerosis could, in turn, determine the nature of this association. Methods: To this end, a cross-sectional study of 907 elderly Japanese individuals (aged 60-99 years), who had participated in dental health check-up during the period 2016-2018, was conducted. Advanced periodontitis was defined as periodontal pocket ? 6.0 mm. Results: Among the study population, 295 (32.5%) were found to have atherosclerosis defined as a carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) of ? 1.1 mm. HTLV-1 infection was positively associated with advanced periodontitis in participants with atherosclerosis, but no significant associations were observed among the participants without atherosclerosis. The known risk factors\u27 (including reticulocyte and CIMT) adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of advanced periodontitis were OR 2.01 and 95% CI 1.06-3.81 for participants with atherosclerosis and OR 0.61 and 95% CI 0.34-1.12 for participants without atherosclerosis. Conclusion: This study found a significant association between HTLV-1 infection and advanced periodontitis among elderly Japanese with atherosclerosis. However, this association is absent in individuals without atherosclerosis, suggesting that atherosclerosis might act as a determinant in the association between HTLV-1 infection and advanced periodontitis among elderly Japanese

Association between human T cell leukemia virus 1 (HTLV-1) infection and advanced periodontitis in relation to hematopoietic activity among elderly participants: a cross-sectional study

Background: We reported that human T cell leukemia virus 1 (HTLV-1) infection is positively associated withatherosclerosis. Recent evidence has revealed a close association of periodontitis with atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, and disruption of the microcirculation. However, the association between HTLV-1 and advancedperiodontitis has not been investigated to date. Since hematopoietic activity is closely linked to endothelial maintenance activity and is known to decline with age, we hypothesized that the state of hematopoietic activityinfluenced the association between HTLV-1 and advanced periodontitis in elderly participants.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed including 822 elderly participants aged 60?99 years whoparticipated in a dental health check-up. Advanced periodontitis was defined as a periodontal pocket ? 6.0 mm.Participants were classified as having low or high hematopoietic activity according to the median values of reticulocytes.Results: HTLV-1 infection was positively related to advanced periodontitis among participants with lower hematopoietic activity (lower reticulocyte count), but not among participants with higher hematopoietic activity(higher reticulocyte count). The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) considering potential confoundingfactors was 1.92 (1.05?3.49) for participants with a lower reticulocyte count and 0.69 (0.35?1.36) for participants witha higher reticulocyte count.Conclusions: Among elderly participants, the association between HTLV-1 infection and advanced periodontitis is influenced by hematopoietic activity. Since hematopoietic activity is associated with endothelial maintenance, these findings provide an efficient tool for clarifying the underlying mechanism of the progression of periodontitis amongelderly participants

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) has an ambivalent association with hypertension and atherosclerosis among elderly Japanese men: a cross-sectional study

Background: Even though there is bidirectional association between hypertension and atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis itself is involved in the process of endothelial repair. To clarify the association of endothelial repair with hypertension, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 562 elderly Japanese men aged 60-69. As gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) could act as a marker of oxidative stress that injures endothelial cell and higher levels of CD34-positive cell indicate a higher activity of endothelial repair, we therefore performed a CD34-positive level specific analysis of γ-GTP on atherosclerosis and hypertension. Results: In the present study population, hypertension was independently and positively associated with atherosclerosis (multivariable odds ratio (OR) = 2.09 (1.30, 3.35)). Among participants with high CD34-positive cells, γ-GTP showed significant and positive association with atherosclerosis (OR of the log-transformed value of γ-GTP (OR) = 2.26 (1.32, 3.86)) but not with hypertension (OR = 0.77 (0.51, 1.17)). Among participants with low CD34-positive cells, even γ-GTP showed no significant association with atherosclerosis (OR = 0.92 (0.51, 1.68)), but was significantly and positively associated with hypertension (OR = 1.99 (1.27, 3.12)). Conclusions: γ-GTP revealed to have ambivalent association with hypertension and atherosclerosis. Active endothelial repair that is associated with atherosclerosis might have beneficial association with hypertension

Associations between alkaline phosphatase and hypertension in relation to circulating CD34-positive cell levels pertaining to elderly Japanese men

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) could be an indicator of osteoblastic activity, which initiates hematopoietic stem cell (CD34-positive cell) production in bone marrow. Since chronic inflammation, which is a known risk factor for hypertension and endothelium dysfunction, stimulates bone marrow activity, ALP could be positively associated with hypertension. To clarify those associations, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 479 elderly Japanese men aged 60-69. Circulating CD34-positive cell levels could influence associations between serum ALP and hypertension because CD34-positive cell production is also a factor known to contribute to endothelial repair. Therefore, participants were stratified by the median value of circulating CD34-positive cell levels (1.00 cells/μL). A low level of circulating CD34-positive cells was identified in 240 members of the study population. A significantly positive association of ALP with hypertension was detected among participants with low circulating CD34-positive cell levels (multivariable-OR (odds ratio) for hypertension resulting from a 1 standard deviation (SD) increment in serum ALP (58.3 IU/L) = 1.44 (1.06, 1.95)) but not among those with high CD34-positive cell levels (multivariable-OR=0.91 (0.67, 1.23)). We also observed a significant effect of the interaction of circulating CD34-positive cell levels on the association between serum ALP and hypertension (multivariable p=0.011). Serum ALP was found to be positively associated with hypertension among elderly participants with low but not with high circulating CD34-positive cell levels. Since CD34-positive cells are a factor known to contribute to endothelial repair, capability for endothelial repair can be expected to have an effect on the association between serum ALP and hypertension

Associations between alkaline phosphatase and hypertension in relation to circulating CD34-positive cell levels pertaining to elderly Japanese men

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) could be an indicator of osteoblastic activity, which initiates hematopoietic stem cell (CD34-positive cell) production in bone marrow. Since chronic inflammation, which is a known risk factor for hypertension and endothelium dysfunction, stimulates bone marrow activity, ALP could be positively associated with hypertension. To clarify those associations, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 479 elderly Japanese men aged 60-69. Circulating CD34-positive cell levels could influence associations between serum ALP and hypertension because CD34-positive cell production is also a factor known to contribute to endothelial repair. Therefore, participants were stratified by the median value of circulating CD34-positive cell levels (1.00 cells/μL). A low level of circulating CD34-positive cells was identified in 240 members of the study population. A significantly positive association of ALP with hypertension was detected among participants with low circulating CD34-positive cell levels (multivariable-OR (odds ratio) for hypertension resulting from a 1 standard deviation (SD) increment in serum ALP (58.3 IU/L) = 1.44 (1.06, 1.95)) but not among those with high CD34-positive cell levels (multivariable-OR=0.91 (0.67, 1.23)). We also observed a significant effect of the interaction of circulating CD34-positive cell levels on the association between serum ALP and hypertension (multivariable p=0.011). Serum ALP was found to be positively associated with hypertension among elderly participants with low but not with high circulating CD34-positive cell levels. Since CD34-positive cells are a factor known to contribute to endothelial repair, capability for endothelial repair can be expected to have an effect on the association between serum ALP and hypertension

Single nucleotide polymorphism determines walking speed in later life among community-dwelling Japanese women.

Aims: Slow walking speed in older subjects was reported to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. On the other hand, minor allele frequency of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3782886 is reported to be positively associated with coronary artery disease. Therefore, the rs3782886 genotype might be associated with walking speed later in life. However, no studies have reported on the influence of rs3782886 on walking speed in elderly subjects. Methods: To evaluate the influence of SNP rs3782886 on walking speed in later life, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 562 elderly women aged 60 years and over who had undertaken a general health check-up between 2014 and 2015. Faster walking speed was defined by a questionnaire which asked, “Do you walk faster than your contemporaries?” (yes, no). Results: Of the total study population, with regard to the rs3782886 genotype, 356 subjects showed major homo (A/A), 177 hetero (A/G) and 29 minor homo (G/G). Independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, with major homo as the reference group, the adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for faster walking speed were 0.92 (0.54, 1.58) for hetero and 0.39 (0.16, 0.97) for minor homo. Conclusion: Independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors, the SNP rs3782886 was found to be associated with faster walking speed, as defined by a questionnaire, in elderly Japanese women. This result represents an efficient tool to clarify the mechanism of rs3782886 as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease