Evaluation of the pulse wave velocity in African rheumatoid arthritis subjects

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease with often fatal vascular events. In addition to traditional cardiovascular risk factors, disease-specific elements contribute to this cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study was to assess arterial stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the factors involved.Methods: We have recruited the black African patients followed in rheumatology and had rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Only patients between 18 and 60 years and meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria were included. All controls were healthy. We evaluated the propagation velocity of the pulse wave finger-toe (PWVft) measured by the pOpmètre®.Results: Present study shows that the PWVft was significantly elevated in over half of patients (55.10%). Besides, the mean patients PWVft was significantly higher than that of the control (respectively 9.40±0.51 and 7.22±0.33 p=0.001). In the patients, no factor was significantly involved in the arterial stiffness, but cons in the control group, the PWVft was significantly correlated with age (p=0.023 and r=0.55).Conclusions: Rheumatoid arthritis patients had higher PWVft compared to controls. Due to the importance of its cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, arthritis requires a regular monitoring element as arterial stiffness, which is currently a major vascular parameter monitoring

Effects of lenten fasting on body composition and biochemical parameters

Background: The catholic lenten fasting is the period of 40 days of fasting that precedes Easter. It is one of religious fasting less documented in the scientific literature. Thus the aim of our study was to evaluate the evolution of anthropometric and body composition and biochemical profile during Catholic lenten fasting.Methods: We conducted a prospective study, which took place during the period between one week before at the end of lenten fasting. Eleven fasters (4 women and 7 men), aged between 18 and 59 years were included in present study. Anthropometric, body composition parameters and biochemical profile were evaluated one week before, at 15th day and at the end of Lenten fasting.Results: Weight, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat decreased significantly at the end of Lenten fasting. Lipid profile changed significantly during this fasting period. Total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein – cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides decreased significantly with fasting. High density lipoprotein – cholesterol (HDL-C) was remained unchanged during this fasting period while TC/HDL ratio was significantly decreased at the end of Lent.Conclusions: Present study showed that the fasting of Lent seems to have beneficial effects on reducing cardiovascular risk factors. Further studies are required to better understand the physiological mechanisms involved for a therapeutic use

Pulse wave velocity is lower in trained than in untrained sickle cell trait carriers

International audienceSickle cell trait (SCT) is a benign condition of sickle cell disease. Nevertheless, previous reports showed that SCT carriers have increased blood viscosity and decreased vascular reactivity compared to non-SCT carrier. The benefit of regular exercise on vascular function has been well documented in the general population but no study focused on the SCT population

The telomerase activator TA-65 protects from cigarette smoke-induced small airway remodeling in mice through extra-telomeric effects

Abstract Small airway remodeling (SAR) is a key phenomenon of airflow obstruction in smokers, leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SAR results in an increased thickness of small airway walls, with a combination of peribronchiolar fibrosis with increased fibrous tissue and accumulation of mesenchymal and epithelial cells. SAR pathogenesis is still unclear but recent data suggest that alterations in telomerase activity could represent a possible underlying mechanism of SAR. Our study was dedicated to identify a potential protective role of TA-65, a pharmacological telomerase activator, in a cigarette smoke (CS) model of SAR in mice, and to further precise if extra-telomeric effects of telomerase, involving oxidative stress modulation, could explain it. C57BL/6J mice were daily exposed to air or CS during 4 weeks with or without a concomitant administration of TA-65 starting 7 days before CS exposure. Morphological analyses were performed, and mucus production, myofibroblast differentiation, collagen deposition, as well as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression in the small airway walls were examined. In addition, the effects of TA-65 treatment on TGF-β expression, fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and catalase expression and activity were evaluated in primary cultures of pulmonary fibroblasts and/or mouse embryonic fibroblasts in vitro. Exposure to CS during 4 weeks induced SAR in mice, characterized by small airway walls thickening and peribronchiolar fibrosis (increased deposition of collagen, expression of α-SMA in small airway walls), without mucus overproduction. Treatment of mice with TA-65 protected them from CS-induced SAR. This effect was associated with the prevention of CS-induced TGF-β expression in vivo, the blockade of TGF-β-induced myofibroblast differentiation, and the reduction of TGF-β-induced ROS production that correlates with an increase of catalase expression and activity. Our findings demonstrate that telomerase is a critical player of SAR, probably through extra-telomeric anti-oxidant effects, and therefore provide new insights in the understanding and treatment of COPD pathogenesis

Evaluation of the pulse wave velocity in African rheumatoid arthritis subjects

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease with often fatal vascular events. In addition to traditional cardiovascular risk factors, disease-specific elements contribute to this cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study was to assess arterial stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the factors involved.Methods: We have recruited the black African patients followed in rheumatology and had rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Only patients between 18 and 60 years and meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria were included. All controls were healthy. We evaluated the propagation velocity of the pulse wave finger-toe (PWVft) measured by the pOpmètre®.Results: Present study shows that the PWVft was significantly elevated in over half of patients (55.10%). Besides, the mean patients PWVft was significantly higher than that of the control (respectively 9.40±0.51 and 7.22±0.33 p=0.001). In the patients, no factor was significantly involved in the arterial stiffness, but cons in the control group, the PWVft was significantly correlated with age (p=0.023 and r=0.55).Conclusions: Rheumatoid arthritis patients had higher PWVft compared to controls. Due to the importance of its cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, arthritis requires a regular monitoring element as arterial stiffness, which is currently a major vascular parameter monitoring