The –429 T/C and –374 T/A Gene Polymorphisms of the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End Products Gene (RAGE) are not Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease in Slovene Population With Type 2 Diabetes

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays a role in atherosclerosis in diabetics. There are two functional polymorphisms in the promoter of the RAGE gene (–429T/C and –374T/A). The aim of this study was to look for a relationship between the –429T/C and the –374T/A gene polymorphisms of the RAGE gene and the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Slovene population with type 2 diabetes of duration longer than 10 years. One hundred and sixty-eight subjects with diabetes and CAD were compared to 241 diabetic subjects without CAD. The –429T/C and the –374T/A RAGE genotype distributions in patients with CAD (–429T/C: CC: 3%, TC: 31%, TT: 66.0%; 374T/A: AA: 7.7%, TA: 48.2%, TT: 44.1%) were not significantly different from those in patients without CAD (–429 T/C: CC: 1.7%, TC: 26.1%, TT: 72.2%; –374T/A: AA: 11.2%, TA: 43.2%, TT: 45.6%). Our study failed to demonstrate an association between either the –429T/C or the –374T/A gene polymorphism of the RAGE gene and CAD in the Slovene population with type 2 diabetes of duration longer than 10 years

Is KIT Locus Polymorphism rs328592739 Related to White Belt pPhenotype in Krškopolje Pig?

Krškopolje pig is a local Slovenian breed with black coat and white belt of variable width over the shoulders. The breed experienced serious bottle neck effect in the middle of the 20th century followed by the introgression of different breeds, some of them with the goal to preserve belted phenotype. The belt allele was assigned to the KIT proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT) gene. A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and structural variations on of the KIT locus were observed. The synonymous SNP rs328592739 in the KIT gene was reported as a marker for distinguishing meat of belted Cinta Senese pigs from meat of non-belted breeds. In the present study, the SNP rs328592739 in Krškopolje, Cinta Senese and Swäbisch-Hall belted pigs has been genotyped using PCR-RFLP approach. In Krškopolje pig the region surrounding SNP rs328592739 was also sequenced using Sanger sequencing. In addition, publicly available whole-genome sequencing data for pigs of 12 different breeds and wild boar were analysed to obtain the sequence of KIT locus and its surrounding region in belted and non-belted pig breeds. The results show that SNP rs328592739 is not associated with white belt phenotype across different pig breeds. However, the analysis revealed structural variations within the KIT locus which may be associated with belted phenotype in pigs

Inflammatory cells in perivascular adipose tissue and the integrity of the tunica media in atherosclerotic coronary arteries

Obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is characterized by inflammation within the atherosclerotic coronary arteries. Infiltration of inflammatory cells into muscular media can lead to remodeling and weakening of the arterial wall. We examined the relationship between inflammatory infiltration in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), state of the external elastic membrane, and the intensity of inflammatory infiltration in the tunica media of coronary arteries obtained by endarterectomy from symptomatic patients with diffuse CAD. We analyzed endarterectomy sequesters from 22 coronary arteries that contained the intima, media, a part of the adventitia, and PVAT in at least one part of the sequester. The coronary arteries were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of inflammatory infiltration in PVAT. Staining with hematoxylin-eosin and by the Movat's method showed atherosclerotic changes in the intima and media. Immunohistochemistry (anti-leukocyte common antigen [LCA] antibody) was used for the detection of leukocytes. We found a significant positive correlation between inflammatory infiltration in PVAT and preservation of the external elastic membrane of coronary arteries. Furthermore, we found a significant negative correlation between inflammatory infiltration in PVAT and the intensity of inflammatory infiltration in the media. It seems that the integrity of the external elastic membrane and the proinflammatory properties of PVAT restrain inflammatory cells within PVAT. Both effects may prevent the migration of inflammatory cells into the media and delay the development of CAD

Pathohistological changes in diffuse coronary atherosclerosis and chronic infection caused by Chlamydia pneumonia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To investigate the histopathologic characteristics of atherosclerotic lessions in diffuse coronary artery disease and to evaluate the possible inflammatory role of chronic infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 10 patients (males, mean age 61 years) who were surgically treated for grave diffuse coronary artery disease, histomorphological analyses of endarterectomized segments of the coronary arteries were performed. Serological analyses for the detection of CP antibodies in peripheral blood were done, preoperatively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Diffuse and concentric atherosclerotic changes from VI to VIII stage according to the Stary classification were found. Immunohistochemical methods revealed infiltrates of T-lymphocytes (80% of cases), B-lymphocytes (40% of cases) and macrophages (80%). Using the nuclear marker for proliferation activity MIB-1, single MIB-1 positive cells were found in 40% of cases. Features of arteriologenesis and vasculitis of newly formed arterioles (as well as thickening of the wall of newly formed arterioles) were found in the vessel wall of 8 patients, 7 of them had chronic infection with CP (preoperative micro-immunofluorescent test results: 1:32<IgG ≥1:512 and IgA≥32), one had passed CP infection (1:32 ≤IgG<1:512, IgA negative). These features were absent in 2 patients, both recovered from CP infection and had not the chronic CP infection at the time of surgery. DNA of Chlamydia pneumoniae was detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in the vessel wall of 3 patients who were chosen randomly for this method. This study suggests an inflammatory and proatherogenic role of CP in a high grade atherosclerotic coronary artery wall in diffuse coronary artery disease

The –429 T/C and –374 T/A Gene Polymorphisms of the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End Products Gene (RAGE) are not Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease in Slovene Population With Type 2 Diabetes

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays a role in atherosclerosis in diabetics. There are two functional polymorphisms in the promoter of the RAGE gene (–429T/C and –374T/A). The aim of this study was to look for a relationship between the –429T/C and the –374T/A gene polymorphisms of the RAGE gene and the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Slovene population with type 2 diabetes of duration longer than 10 years. One hundred and sixty-eight subjects with diabetes and CAD were compared to 241 diabetic subjects without CAD. The –429T/C and the –374T/A RAGE genotype distributions in patients with CAD (–429T/C: CC: 3%, TC: 31%, TT: 66.0%; 374T/A: AA: 7.7%, TA: 48.2%, TT: 44.1%) were not significantly different from those in patients without CAD (–429 T/C: CC: 1.7%, TC: 26.1%, TT: 72.2%; –374T/A: AA: 11.2%, TA: 43.2%, TT: 45.6%). Our study failed to demonstrate an association between either the –429T/C or the –374T/A gene polymorphism of the RAGE gene and CAD in the Slovene population with type 2 diabetes of duration longer than 10 years