RESUMEN
AIM: Apolipoprotein F (apo F), also known as lipid transfer inhibitory protein (LTIP), is a protein component of plasma lipoprotein classes including HDL and functions to inhibit lipid transfer between lipoproteins in vitro. To study the role of plasma apo F, a reliable and sensitive tool for the quantification would be needed. METHODS: We have developed a sandwich ELISA using two monoclonal antibodies for human plasma apo F, and analyzed apo F concentration in 397 Japanese healthy and 221 hypertriglyceridemic subjects. RESULTS: Our ELISA enables apo F to be assayed in the range of 0.6-25 µg/mL with intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation less than 3.8% and 7.8%, respectively. In healthy subjects, plasma apo F concentration was 12.5±2.9 µg/mL (mean±SD), and was significantly higher in females than in males (p<0.05). By linear regression analysis in healthy subjects, plasma apo F concentration correlated positively with HDL cholesterol and apo A-I levels, and in males but not in females, negatively with apo B and triglyceride levels. It also correlated negatively with intrinsic CETP activity measured using intrinsic apo B-containing lipoprotein as an acceptor, and positively with PLTP mass and apo J levels. Apo F concentration in hypertriglyceridemic patients (10.3±3.1 µg/mL) was lower than in healthy controls (p<0.0001) and correlated positively with PLTP mass. CONCLUSIONS: Our ELISA is reliable and sensitive for the quantification of plasma apo F concentration. This system can be applicable for clinical significance in lipoprotein metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport.
Asunto(s)
Apolipoproteínas/sangre , Hipertrigliceridemia/sangre , Adulto , Apolipoproteína A-I/sangre , Apolipoproteínas B/sangre , Pueblo Asiatico , Proteínas de Transferencia de Ésteres de Colesterol/sangre , HDL-Colesterol/sangre , Clonación de Organismos , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Humanos , Japón , Masculino , Proteínas de Transferencia de Fosfolípidos/sangre , Proteínas Recombinantes , Factores Sexuales , Triglicéridos/sangreRESUMEN
A 57-year-old man with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia underwent routine dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. An active-fixation atrial lead was positioned at the lateral wall of the right atrium. He subsequently developed chronic severe pericarditis. Histopathological findings of the pericardium showed mechanical stimulus localized pericarditis. This case demonstrates that contact of the screw of the active-fixation atrial lead with the pericardium may be a possible mechanism for pericarditis after pacemaker/ICD implantation.
Asunto(s)
Desfibriladores Implantables/efectos adversos , Electrodos Implantados/efectos adversos , Pericarditis/diagnóstico , Pericarditis/etiología , Infecciones Relacionadas con Prótesis/diagnóstico , Infecciones Relacionadas con Prótesis/etiología , Atrios Cardíacos/cirugía , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pericarditis/prevención & control , Infecciones Relacionadas con Prótesis/prevención & controlRESUMEN
We assessed ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate variability in two female patients with pheochromocytoma. The ambulatory blood pressure and ECG R-R intervals were measured during a 24-h period with a portable recorder before and 3 weeks after surgery. A power-spectral analysis of R-R intervals was performed to obtain the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components. The percentage of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals >50 ms (pNN50) was also calculated. In both patients, the plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels decreased markedly after surgery. The 24-h blood pressures also decreased after surgery. In both patients, the 24-h average LF component, HF component, and pNN50 decreased after surgery, while the 24-h average LF/HF ratio increased after surgery. These results suggest that high circulating catecholamines inhibit central sympathetic neural outflow and augment parasympathetic nerve activity in patients with pheochromocytoma.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias de las Glándulas Suprarrenales/fisiopatología , Neoplasias de las Glándulas Suprarrenales/cirugía , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Feocromocitoma/fisiopatología , Feocromocitoma/cirugía , Adolescente , Presión Sanguínea , Monitoreo Ambulatorio de la Presión Arterial , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Sistema Nervioso Parasimpático/fisiología , Sistema Nervioso Simpático/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Controversy exists as to the origin of plasma adrenomedullin (AM). To elucidate the source of plasma AM, we measured two molecular forms of AM, an active form of mature AM (AM-m) and an intermediate inactive form of glycine-extended AM (AM-Gly), by immunoradiometric assay using specific kits in two female patients with pheochromocytoma before and 3 weeks after surgery. We also measured plasma AM-m, AM-Gly, and AM-T (AM-m + AM-Gly) levels, in addition to plasma epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) levels, in bilateral adrenal veins of one patient. Although plasma E and NE levels decreased markedly after surgery in these patients, changes in plasma AM appeared to be confined to the normal range. There were no obvious differences in plasma AM-T, AM-m, or AM-Gly levels in adrenal veins between healthy tissue and tumor sides. Furthermore, plasma AM-T, AM-m, or AM-Gly levels in adrenal veins were comparable with those in the infrarenal inferior vena cavae (IVC) or the suprarenal IVC. In contrast, plasma E and NE levels increased in the adrenal vein of the healthy side and increased further in the adrenal vein of the tumor side compared with those in the infrarenal IVC. These results suggest that the origin of plasma E and NE is the adrenal gland and that elevated plasma levels of E and NE in pheochromocytoma are due to excessive production of E and NE in the adrenal gland of the tumor side. In contrast, it is suggested that neither plasma AM levels in the adrenal vein of the healthy side nor those of the tumor side contribute to the systemic levels of plasma AM. The present results appear to be consistent with the hypothesis that the source of circulating AM is systemic vasculature.
Asunto(s)
Péptido Relacionado con Gen de Calcitonina/sangre , Péptidos/sangre , Feocromocitoma/sangre , Adolescente , Adrenomedulina , Péptido Relacionado con Gen de Calcitonina/genética , Epinefrina/sangre , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Norepinefrina/sangre , Péptidos/genética , Feocromocitoma/cirugía , RadioinmunoensayoRESUMEN
We investigated the effects of smoking cessation or alcohol restriction on metabolic and fibrinolytic variables in Japanese men. In the smoking study, 35 male subjects [32+/-1 (S.E.M.) years] who habitually smoked cigarettes (29+/-3 cigarettes/day) were told either to keep their usual smoking habits for 1 week, or to abstain from cigarette smoking, using a randomized crossover design. In the alcohol study, 33 male subjects (37+/-1 years) who habitually drank alcohol (64+/-6 ml of ethanol/day) were told either to keep their usual drinking habits for 3 weeks, or to reduce alcohol intake by at least up to a half of their usual drinking amount, using a randomized crossover design. In each study, venous blood samples were drawn after a 12-h overnight fast on the last day of each period, and metabolic and fibrinolytic variables were measured. One-week smoking cessation significantly increased serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (P<0.05), and significantly decreased serum lipoprotein (a) levels (P<0.01) and plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels (P<0.05). In contrast, 3-week alcohol restriction significantly decreased serum HDL cholesterol levels (P<0.05) and plasma tissue plasminogen activator levels (P<0.05). These results suggest that smoking cessation has substantial and immediate benefits on lipid and fibrinolytic variables in habitual smokers, whereas alcohol restriction increases cardiovascular risks, in some respects, in habitual drinkers.
Asunto(s)
HDL-Colesterol/sangre , Lipoproteína(a)/sangre , Inhibidor 1 de Activador Plasminogénico/análisis , Cese del Hábito de Fumar , Templanza , Adulto , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas , Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/etiología , Estudios Cruzados , Humanos , Masculino , Factores de Riesgo , Fumar/efectos adversosRESUMEN
We investigated the effects of alcohol restriction on ambulatory blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and heart rate variability in 33 Japanese male volunteers (37 +/- 1 years, mean +/- SE), who were all habitual drinkers. Subjects were told either to keep their usual drinking habits for 3 weeks (usual alcohol period), or to reduce alcohol intake by at least half of their usual drinking amount (reduced alcohol period). The ambulatory BP, heart rate, and electrocardiographic R-R intervals were measured during a 24-h period with a portable recorder on the last day of each period. A power spectral analysis of R-R intervals was performed to obtain the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components. The percentage of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals >50 msec (pNN50) was also calculated. The amount of ethanol intake was significantly reduced from 70 +/- 5 mL/day in the usual alcohol period to 19 +/- 3 mL/day in the reduced alcohol period (P < .0001). The daytime systolic BP was significantly lower in the reduced alcohol period than in the usual alcohol period by 4 +/- 1 mm Hg (P < .05). The daytime and nighttime heart rate was significantly lower in the reduced alcohol period than in the usual alcohol (P < .001 for each). The pNN50 and the HF component were significantly higher in the reduced alcohol period than in the usual alcohol period (P < .0001 for each). The LF/HF ratio was significantly lower in the reduced period than in the usual period (P < .01). These results demonstrate that 3-week alcohol restriction produced reductions in ambulatory systolic BP, heart rate, and the index of sympathovagal balance, and augmentations of parasympathetic indices of heart rate variability in Japanese male drinkers.