[Effect of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein I405V polymorphism on the lipid response to changes of dietary fatty acid composition]

Atherosclerosis results from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Free cholesterol efflux from peripheral tissues and transferring to the liver for excretion from bile which is known as reverse cholesterol transfer [RCT] plays a central role in protection against atherosclerosis. HDL and cholesteryl ester transfer protein [CETP] are the major participants of RCT. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the cholesteryl ester transfer protein I405V polymorphism modifies the response to changes in the dietary ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat [P:S]. The population study included 85 healthy subjects with the different l405V genotypes [35 II, 36 IV, and 14 VV] who assigned to two consecutive 28 days experimental period. All subjects consumed a high polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA] diet with P:S of 1.2 for the first period and a high saturated fatty acids [SFA] diet with a P:S of 0.3 for the next 28 days period. At the first and the end of each dietary period, serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations were measured. At beginning of screening, lipid or lipoprotein concentrations were not significantly different among CETP I405V genotype groups. After the high SFA diet, subjects carrying V allele had a greater reduction in apolipoprotein A-I [apoA-I] and HDL cholesterol [HDL-C] than subjects with II genotype. The CETP I405V polymorphism contributes to the unfavorable changes of apoA- I and HDL-C when a high PUFA diet were replaced with a high SFA diet

Differentiation of glomerular from non-glomerular hematuria by three different methods of microscopic examinations of erythrocytes in urine

Morphological examinations of urinary erythrocytes can be of diagnostic value in initial evaluation of hematuria. Dysmorphic urinary red blood cells are known to indicate a glomerular origin of bleeding. We examined the clinical usefulness of this test in a population complained of hematuria by use of three different light microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, and Wright staining and compared their sensitivity and specificity. The study included 169 patients with hematuria [89 glomerular and 80 non-glomerular]. The urine specimens were collected before invasive procedures such as biopsy and cystoscopy. In each urine sample, 100 urinary erythrocytes were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test, correlation coefficient, and x. Reliability parameters including sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of negative and positive tests were also evaluated. Dysmorphic red cells were recorded as acanthocytes, doughnut-like cells, yeast like cells with more than one blebs and ghost forms. Isomorphic erythrocytes had uniform size and shape. Significant difference was found in the number of urinary dysmorphic red cells between the two groups of patients. Statistical analysis showed that by using percentage of glomerular type erythrocytes and setting the cut-off at 20-25%, the specificity for three procedures was almost the same [? 97.5%]. But sensitivity for light microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, and Wright staining was in different ranges as 70.7%, 89.8%, and 86.5% respectively. It was concluded that with some limitations, these simple, non-invasive techniques were useful in identifying the source of bleeding in the work up of hematuria by considering that sensitivity of the methods were in the order of phase contrast microscopy, Wright staining, and light microscopy

C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, lipoprotein [a], and lipid profile levels and platelet counts in ischemic stroke patients

To ascertain the most prevalent risk factor for stroke. We performed a descriptive and analytical prospective study on patients with stroke admitted to the neurology wards of Imam Hospital, Tabriz, Iran during 2004 and 2005. The study comprised 100 ischemic stroke [IS] patients consisting of 46 men and 54 women with a mean age of 67 +/- 15, and 100 age and gender matched apparently healthy subjects. Plasma levels of C-Reactive protein [CRP], fibrinogen, platelet counts, lipoprotein [a] [LP [a]], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-c], total cholesterol [TC], and triglycerides [TG] were measured in both patients and controls. Background disease was also investigated in the patients. Hemorrhagic and embolic stroke patients were excluded from the study. We found no significant difference in serum fibrinogen, HDL-c levels, and platelet counts between patients and control subjects, however, levels of LP [a], TG, LDH-c, and CRP were significantly higher in patients than controls. Among the predisposing background illnesses, the most common risk factors were hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The frequency of studied risk factors among patients was: no risk factors [20%], one risk factor [32%], 2 risk factors [36%], and 3 risk factors [12%].Hypertension was the most prevalent background disease in IS patients. We also found that although there is close relationship in the incidence of IS with levels of LP [a], TC, TG, LDL-c, and CRP, the cutoff point frequency of fibrinogen, CRP, LP [a], and platelet counts was variable from patient to patient