Amyloid-beta (1-40) and the risk of death from cardiovascular causes in patients with coronary heart disease

Background The amyloid beta peptide is the major protein constituent of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer disease and appears to play a central role in vascular inflammation pathophysiology. Objectives This study sought to determine the clinical value of amyloid-beta 1-40 (Abeta40) measurement in predicting cardiovascular (CV) mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and arterial stiffness progression in young healthy subjects. Methods Abeta40 was retrospectively measured in blood samples collected from 3 independent prospective cohorts and 2 case-control cohorts (total N = 1,464). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed in the 2 prospective cohorts (n = 877) followed for a median of 4.4 years. To look at effects on subclinical disease, arterial stiffness was evaluated at baseline and after 5-year follow-up (n = 107) in young healthy subjects. The primary endpoint was the predictive value of Abeta40 for CV mortality and outcomes in patients with CHD. Results In Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and high-sensitivity troponin T, Abeta40 independently predicted CV death and MACE in patients with CHD (p < 0.05 for all). After multivariate adjustment, Abeta40 levels conferred a substantial enhancement of net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement of individuals at risk in the total combined CHD cohort over the best predictive model. Further cohort-based analysis revealed that Abeta40 levels were significantly and independently associated with arterial stiffness progression, incident subclinical atherosclerosis, and incident CHD. Conclusions Measuring blood levels of Abeta40 identified patients at high risk for CV death. © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation

Persistence of an atherogenic lipid profile after treatment of acute infection with brucella

Serum lipid changes during infection may be associated with atherogenesis. No data are available on the effect of Brucellosis on lipids. Lipid parameters were determined in 28 patients with Brucellosis on admission and 4 months following treatment and were compared with 24 matched controls. Fasting levels of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, apolipoproteins (Apo) A, B, E CII, and CIII, and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) were measured. Activities of serum cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), paraoxonase 1 (PON1), and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and levels of cytokines [interleukins (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNFa)] were also determined. On admission, patients compared with controls had 1) lower levels of TC, HDL-C, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), ApoB, ApoAI, and ApoCIII and higher LDL-C/HDL-C and ApoB/ApoAI ratios; 2) higher levels of IL-1b, IL-6, and TNFa; 3) similar ApoCII and oxLDL levels and Lp-PLA2 activity, lower PON1, and higher CETP activity; and 4) higher small dense LDL-C concentration. Four months later, increases in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, ApoB, ApoAI, and ApoCIII levels, ApoB/ApoAI ratio, and PON1 activity were noticed compared with baseline, whereas CETP activity decreased. LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, ApoCII, and oxLDL levels, Lp-PLA2 activity, and small dense LDL-C concentration were not altered. Brucella infection is associated with an atherogenic lipid profile that is not fully restored 4 months following treatment

Country image and consumer-based brand equity: relationships and implications for international marketing

This paper examines the relationships between consumers' country-level and product-level images of a country, and the equity they associate with a brand from that country, using canonical correlation analysis. Results from mall-intercept surveys conducted in an Australian state capital city indicated that the consumer-based equity of a brand was significantly associated with both the macro and micro images of the country of origin of the brand. The relationship between these two sets of constructs was found to be positive as well as product category specific. Furthermore, each consumer-based brand equity dimension contributed differently to the relationship according to the product category, while the contribution of both country image dimensions (macro and micro) was also product category specific. Results also showed that cars, as a product category, are more sensitive to country image than televisions. These findings have direct and important implications for international marketers.Ravi Pappu, Pascale G Quester and Ray W Cookse