Temporal increases in plasma markers of oxidized low-density lipoprotein strongly reflect the presence of acute coronary syndromes

AbstractObjectivesThis study was conducted to test the hypothesis that plasma markers of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) reflect acute coronary syndromes (ACS).BackgroundOxidized LDL contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but its role in ACS is not established.MethodsSerial plasma samples were prospectively obtained from patients with an acute myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 8), unstable angina (UA) (n = 15), stable coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 17), angiographically normal coronary arteries (n = 8), and from healthy subjects (n = 18), at entry into the study, hospital discharge (MI group only), and at 30, 120, and 210 days. Chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantitate plasma levels of: 1) immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG OxLDL autoantibody titers (presented as a mean OxLDL autoantibody titer by averaging the results of four distinct epitopes); 2) LDL-autoantibody immune complexes (LDL-IC); and 3) minimally OxLDL measured by antibody E06 (OxLDL-E06), as determined by the content of oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) per apolipoprotein B-100.ResultsBaseline OxLDL IgG autoantibody levels were higher in the MI group (p < 0.0001). At 30-day follow-up, the mean IgM OxLDL titers increased by 48% (p < 0.001) and 20% (p < 0.001), and IgM LDL-IC increased by 60% (p < 0.01) and 26% (p < 0.01) in the MI and UA groups, respectively. The OxLDL-E06 levels increased by 54% (p < 0.01) in the MI group at hospital discharge and by 36% at 30 days. No significant changes in any OxLDL markers were noted in the other groups. The OxLDL-E06 levels strongly paralleled the acute rise in lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), in the MI group, suggesting that toxic OxPL are preferentially bound to Lp(a). Oxidized LDL-E06 also correlated extremely well with Lp(a) in the entire cohort of patients (r = 0.91, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsCirculating OxLDL-specific markers strongly reflect the presence of ACS, implying immune awareness to newly exposed oxidation-specific epitopes and possible release of OxLDL in the circulation. The OxLDL-E06 measurements provide novel insights into plaque rupture and the potential atherogenicity of Lp(a)

Development of key soil health indicators for the Australian banana industry

To improve the sustainability and environmental accountability of the banana industry there is a need to develop a set of soil health indicators that integrate physical, chemical and biological soil properties. These indicators would allow banana growers, extension and research workers to improve soil health management practices. To determine changes in soil properties due to the cultivation of bananas, a paired site survey was conducted comparing soil properties under conventional banana systems to less intensively managed vegetation systems, such as pastures and forest. Measurements were made on physical, chemical and biological soil properties at seven locations in tropical and sub-tropical banana producing areas. Soil nematode community composition was used as a bioindicator of the biological properties of the soil. Soils under conventional banana production tended to have a greater soil bulk density, with less soil organic carbon (C) (both total C and labile C), greater exchangeable cations, higher extractable P, greater numbers of plant-parasitic nematodes and less nematode diversity, relative to less intensively managed plant systems. The organic banana production systems at two locations had greater labile C, relative to conventional banana systems, but there was no significant change in nematode community composition. There were significant interactions between physical, chemical and nematode community measurements in the soil, particularly with soil C measurements, confirming the need for a holistic set of indicators to aid soil management. There was no single indicator of soil health for the Australian banana industry, but a set of soil health indicators, which would allow the measurement of soil improvements should include: bulk density, soil C, pH, EC, total N, extractable P, ECEC and soil nematode community structure

Oxidized phospholipids are proinflammatory and proatherogenic in hypercholesterolaemic mice.

Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) are ubiquitous, are formed in many inflammatory tissues, including atherosclerotic lesions, and frequently mediate proinflammatory changes 1 . Because OxPL are mostly the products of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation, mechanisms to specifically neutralize them are unavailable and their roles in vivo are largely unknown. We previously cloned the IgM natural antibody E06, which binds to the phosphocholine headgroup of OxPL, and blocks the uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) by macrophages and inhibits the proinflammatory properties of OxPL2-4. Here, to determine the role of OxPL in vivo in the context of atherogenesis, we generated transgenic mice in the Ldlr-/- background that expressed a single-chain variable fragment of E06 (E06-scFv) using the Apoe promoter. E06-scFv was secreted into the plasma from the liver and macrophages, and achieved sufficient plasma levels to inhibit in vivo macrophage uptake of OxLDL and to prevent OxPL-induced inflammatory signalling. Compared to Ldlr-/- mice, Ldlr -/- E06-scFv mice had 57-28% less atherosclerosis after 4, 7 and even 12 months of 1% high-cholesterol diet. Echocardiographic and histologic evaluation of the aortic valves demonstrated that E06-scFv ameliorated the development of aortic valve gradients and decreased aortic valve calcification. Both cholesterol accumulation and in vivo uptake of OxLDL were decreased in peritoneal macrophages, and both peritoneal and aortic macrophages had a decreased inflammatory phenotype. Serum amyloid A was decreased by 32%, indicating decreased systemic inflammation, and hepatic steatosis and inflammation were also decreased. Finally, the E06-scFv prolonged life as measured over 15 months. Because the E06-scFv lacks the functional effects of an intact antibody other than the ability to bind OxPL and inhibit OxLDL uptake in macrophages, these data support a major proatherogenic role of OxLDL and demonstrate that OxPL are proinflammatory and proatherogenic, which E06 counteracts in vivo. These studies suggest that therapies inactivating OxPL may be beneficial for reducing generalized inflammation, including the progression of atherosclerosis, aortic stenosis and hepatic steatosis

Global costs of plant invasions must not be underestimated

First paragraph: The impacts of biological invasions have become a key focus of researchers in recent decades, leading to a rapid accumulation of evidence on economic losses associated with invasions. In a synthesis paper, Diagne et al. (2021) use a new database, InvaCost (Diagne et al. 2020), to quantify the global economic costs of biological invasions. They demonstrate that the global costs associated with invasive alien species are massive, at least US$ 1.3 trillion between 1970 and 2017, and increasing rapidly. Such high costs emphasize the critical importance of preventing and controlling biological invasions. Their paper thus delivers an important and much needed contribution to invasion science, which can strengthen invasive alien species management and policy globally. However, the costs of plant invasions presented by Diagne et al. (2021) are substantially underestimated compared to those of vertebrate and invertebrate invasions, and with respect to the available literature. While Diagne et al. (2021) state that the reported costs have pronounced geographic and taxonomic gaps, we believe that their significant underestimation of plant costs in comparison with other taxonomic groups needs to be clarified, to correctly demonstrate the severity of plant invasions and guide appropriate prioritization, budgeting, and allocation of limited management resources

Twenty years online! A brief history of palaeontologia electronica

This issue marks the 20th anniversary of Palaeontologia Electronica (PE). From modest beginnings as a series of discussions on the PaleoNet listserver in 1996, it has become a well-recognised venue for publication and dissemination of research, techniques, and resources in palaeontology. The journal has many “firsts” to its credit, from the first species named on the internet, the first scientific journal with a plain-language abstract, and the first PDF “reprints” in palaeontology. Over 20 years PE also tried many new approaches that weren’t subsequently adopted by the broader scientific community, such as audio abstracts and animated journal covers. This anniversary issue gives us an opportunity to look back at the beginnings of the journal, its initial aims and aspirations, and to chronicle its evolution. It is as much a reflection of the changing nature of PE as it is a reminder of the larger scale changes that have taken place in the world of palaeontology, the internet, and our community over the past two decades

Low-dose aspirin does not improve ovarian stimulation, endometrial response, or pregnancy rates for in vitro fertilization

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to determine if low-dose aspirin improved ovarian stimulation, endometrial response, or IVF pregnancy rates in our program. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 316 consecutive IVF cycles from 1995 through 2001. Aspirin 80 mg daily was initiated at the start of luteal leuprolide in 72 cycles. The 244 controls received no aspirin during treatment. RESULTS: The live birth rate in aspirin users was 29%, slightly lower compared to 41% in the no aspirin control group (p = 0.07). Implantation rates were 21% with aspirin and 30% in the control population (p = 0.01). There was no difference in the maximal endometrial thickness between aspirin and non-aspirin groups. The two groups were similar regarding age, gonadotropin ampules, embryos, number of embryos transferred, prior parity, diagnosis, use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and stimulation protocol. CONCLUSION: Low-dose aspirin was not beneficial to IVF patients in our program. Aspirin does not enhance endometrial thickness, augment the ovarian response, or improve pregnancy rates

An Abundant Dysfunctional Apolipoprotein A1 in Human Atheroma

Recent studies have indicated that high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and their major structural protein, apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), recovered from human atheroma are dysfunctional and are extensively oxidized by myeloperoxidase (MPO). In vitro oxidation of either apoA1 or HDL particles by MPO impairs their cholesterol acceptor function. Here, using phage display affinity maturation, we developed a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes both apoA1 and HDL that have been modified by the MPO-H2O2-Cl− system. An oxindolyl alanine (2-OH-Trp) moiety at Trp72 of apoA1 is the immunogenic epitope. Mutagenesis studies confirmed a critical role for apoA1 Trp72 in MPO-mediated inhibition of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1)-dependent cholesterol acceptor activity of apoA1 in vitro and in vivo. ApoA1 containing a 2-OH-Trp72 group (oxTrp72-apoA1) is in low abundance within the circulation but accounts for 20% of the apoA1 in atherosclerosis-laden arteries. OxTrp72-apoA1 recovered from human atheroma or plasma is lipid poor, virtually devoid of cholesterol acceptor activity and demonstrated both a potent proinflammatory activity on endothelial cells and an impaired HDL biogenesis activity in vivo. Elevated oxTrp72-apoA1 levels in subjects presenting to a cardiology clinic (n = 627) were associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Circulating oxTrp72-apoA1 levels may serve as a way to monitor a proatherogenic process in the artery wall

[Editorial] Palaeontologia Electronica needs your help!

We announce two changes to the operation of Palaeontologia Electronica (PE). First, we are establishing a Patron Program to raise funds to supply PE articles with Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). This will permit improved accessibility to PE articles without imposing charges on authors or readers. Second, all PE articles whose copyright is assigned to the Paleontological Society will be open access under the (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license