Levels of von Willebrand factor antigen and von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (ADAMTS13) activity predict clinical events in chronic heart failure.

Decreased activity of ADAMTS13, the von Willebrand factor (VWF) cleaving protease, was recently reported in cardiovascular diseases and in hepatic failure. Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterised by abnormalities of left ventricular function accompanied by the failure of the liver and dysregulation of endothelial activation. Therefore, the aim of our study was to measure ADAMTS13 activity in CHF, and determine the prognostic value of VWF and ADAMTS13 on major clinical events in CHF. ADAMTS13 activity (measured by FRETS-VWF73 substrate) was decreased in CHF (n = 152, left ventricular ejection fraction <45%), and it correlated negatively with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) NYHA (New York Heart Association) classes, markers of synthetic capacity of the liver and endothelial dysfunction (all p < 0.005). Both, high VWF:Ag levels (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.189-1.943), and low ADAMTS13/VWF:Ag ratios (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.58-0.84) independently and significantly predicted short-term (1 year follow-up) clinical adverse events in heart failure (HF). Decreased activity of ADAMTS13 with concomitant high VWF:Ag levels is a significant independent predictor of clinical events in CHF. The levels of the two molecules may integrate the impaired synthetic capacity of the liver and the disturbed endothelial regulation and can therefore be a useful tool to predict clinical events in CHF

Razvoj definicije i reinterpretacija kardiovaskularne toksičnosti

SUMMARY One of the guiding principles of cardio-oncology practice is to minimize the unnecessary interruption of antineoplastic therapy. The overall goal of the specialty is to ensure that cancer patients receive the best possible anticancer therapy safely, while minimizing cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT) during oncology care. In this paper, we describe prior and current definitions of CTR-CVT and briefly present the landmark CARDIOTOX registry, as well as corresponding parts of the recently published, first cardio-oncology guideline of the European Society of Cardiology. In our paper, we aim to provide insight into the cardio-oncology-related aspects of precision medicine.SAŽETAK Jedno od vodećih načela kardioonkološke prakse jest minimiziranje nepotrebnog prekidanja antitumorskog liječenja. Glavni je cilj ove specijalizacije osigurati da bolesnici s karcinomom dobiju najbolju moguću terapiju na siguran način, a pri tome na najmanju moguću mjeru svesti kardiovaskularnu toksičnost povezanu s onkološkom terapijom (CTR-CVT) tijekom skrbi. U ovom su radu opisane prethodne i trenutačne definicije CTR-CVT-a i ukratko predočeni ključni CARDIOTOX registar te odgovarajući dijelovi nedavno objavljenih prvih kardioonkoloških smjernica Europskoga kardiološkog društva. U radu nastojimo dati uvid u aspekte precizne medicine povezane s kardioonkologijom

Az aktin kölcsönhatása aktin-kötő fehérjékkel és peptidekkel: fluoreszcencia spektroszkópiai vizsgálatok = The Interaction of Actin with Actin-Binding Proteins and Peptides as Revealed by Spectroscopic Methods

Az OTKA K60968 pályázat keretei között az eredeti terveinknek megfelelően tanulmányoztuk az aktin monomereknek és filamentumoknak más fehérjékkel és peptidekkel való kölcsönhatásait. A kutatások során elsősorban fluoreszcencia spektroszkópiai módszereket alkalmaztunk, de az adott kérdéskörtől függően ezen módszerek eredményeit kiegészítettük elektron paramágneses rezonancia spektroszkópiai és kalorimetriai vizsgálatokkal is. Részletes vizsgálatokban jellemeztük az aktin filamentumoknak a forminokkal való kölcsönhatását, és megállapítottuk, hogy a forminok kötődésével a filamentumok szerkezete lazábbá válik. Azt is megfigyeltük, hogy a forminok által kiváltott konformációs módosulásokat a tropomiozin vagy a miozin kötődése megszünteti. Tanulmányoztunk és leírtunk továbbá egy eddig nem jellemzett formin családot, a DAAM forminokat. Ezen vizsgálataink mellett jellemeztük és értelmeztük az aktinnak a kölcsönhatását egyes mérgező toxinokkal, valamint új megfigyeléseket tettünk az aktin-miozin kölcsönhatás szerkezeti és kinetikai sajátságait illetően is. | According to the project plans we have studied the interactions between actin monomers / filaments and actin binding proteins and peptides. In these investigations we applied fluorescence spectroscopic methods, in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance and calorimetric assays. We described in details the interaction between actin filaments and formin, and found that the binding of formins made the actin filaments ore flexible. We also observed that the formin induced conformational changes were reversed by the binding of tropomyosin or myosin. We studied and described a novel formin family, the DAAM formins. Furthermore, we described the interactions between actin and toxic actin-binding peptides, and also characterised the interactions of myosin with actin in terms of the conformational and kinetic properties