In coronary heart disease, the treatment of significant stenosis by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation elicits local and systemic inflammatory responses. This study was aimed at evalua
tion of the dynamics of inflammatory response and elucidation of the relationship between the fatty acid profile of red blood cell (RBC) membranes or plasma phospholipids and inflammation after PCI. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum
amyloid A (SAA), malondialdehyde (MDA) and the fatty acid profiles were determined in patients with advanced coronary artery disease undergoing PCI before, 24 h and 48 h after drug-eluting stent implantation (n=36). Patients after PCI exhibited a significant increase in studied markers (hsCRP, IL-6, SAA, MDA). Many significant associations were found between the
increase of IL-6, resp. SAA and the amounts of n-6 polyunsa turated fatty acids (namely linoleic, dihomo-γ-linolenic, docosatetraenoic and docosapentaenoic acid), resp. saturated fatty acids (pentadecanoic, stearic, nonadecanoic) in erythrocyte membranes. The magnitude of the inflammatory response to PCI is related to erythrocyte membrane fatty acid
profile, which seems to be a better potential predictor of elevation of inflammatory markers after PCI than plasma phospholipids.
Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. In a case-control study of 99 women with preeclampsia and 99 controls, we assessed maternal plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxidized LDL) in relation to preeclampsia risk. Logistic regression procedures were used to derive odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Plasma oxidized LDL was determined using enzyme immunoassay. Maternal plasma oxidized LDL was significantly positively correlated with lipids in both cases and controls. After adjusting for nulliparity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, physical inactivity, family history of chronic hypertension and plasma vitamin C concentrations, women who had elevated oxidized LDL concentrations (50 U/l) experienced a 2.9-fold increased risk of preeclampsia when compared with women having lower oxidized LDL concentrations (95 % CI 1.4-5.9). The risk of preeclampsia was markedly increased in women who had both elevated oxidized LDL and elevated triglyceride concentrations (OR=8.9, 95 % CI 3.1-26.2). Women with both elevated oxidized LDL and low vitamin C concentrations experienced a 9.8-fold increased risk of preeclampsia (95 % CI 3.0-32.2). Our results confirm the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Prospective studies are needed to determine if elevated oxidized LDL concentrations can predict the occurrence of preeclampsia.
ABCG5 and ABCG8 transporters play an important role in the absorption and excretion of sterols. Missence polymorphisms (Gln604Glu in the ABCG5 and Asp19His, Tyr54Cys, Thr400Lys, and Ala632Val in the ABCG8) in these genes have been described. In 131 males and 154 females whose dietary composition markedly changed and lipid parameters decreased over an 8-year follow-up study (total cholesterol decreased from 6.21±1.31 mmol/l in 1988 to 5.43±1.06 mmol/l in 1996), these polymorphisms were investigated using PCR. Plasma lipid levels and changes in plasma lipid levels were independent of the Gln604Glu polymorphism in ABCG5 and Asp19His and the Ala632Val polymorphisms in ABCG8. The Tyr54Cys polymorphism influenced the degree of reduction in total plasma cholesterol (D –0.49 mmol/l in Tyr54 homozygotes vs. D +0.12 mmol/l in Cys54 homozygotes, p<0.04) and LDL-cholesterol (D –0.57 mmol/l in Tyr54 homozygotes vs. D +0.04 mmol/l in Cys54 homozygotes, p<0.03) levels between 1988 and 1996 in females, but not in males. Male Thr400 homozygotes exhibited a greater decrease in total cholesterol (D –0.90 mmol/l vs. D –0.30 mmol/l, p<0.02) and LDL-cholesterol (D –0.62 mmol/l vs. D –0.19 mmol/l, p<0.04) than Lys400 carriers. No such association was observed in females. We conclude that Tyr54Cys and Thr400Lys variations in the ABCG8 gene may play a role in the genetic determination of plasma cholesterol levels and could possibly influence the gender-specific response of plasma cholesterol levels after dietary changes. These polymorphisms are of potential interest as genetic variants that may influence the lipid profile.