Leptin receptor gene polymorphism may affect subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with acromegaly

Background: Acromegaly is associated with increased morbidity and mortality relatedto cardiovascular diseases. Leptin [LEP] and Leptin Receptor [LEPR] gene polymorphismscan increase cardiovascular risks. The aim of this study was to investigateassociation between the frequencies of LEP and LEPR gene polymorphisms and subclinicalatherosclerosis in acromegalic patients

Methods: Forty-four acromegalic patients and 30 controls were admitted to study.The polymorphisms were identified by using polymerase chain reaction from peripheralblood samples. The levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, fastingplasma glucose, fasting insulin, IGF-I, GH, IGFBP3, leptin, triglyceride, carotid IntimaMedia Thickness [cIMT] and HDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations were evaluated

Results: There was statistically significant difference between the LEPR genotypes ofacromegalic patients [GG 11.4%, GA 52.3%, and AA 36.4%] and controls [GG 33.3%,GA 50%, and AA 16.7%] although their LEP genotype distribution was similar. In addition,the prevalence of the LEPR gene G and A alleles was significantly different betweenpatients and controls. No significant difference was found among the G[-2548]A leptin genotypes of groups in terms of the clinical parameters. cIMT significantly increasedhomozygote LEPR GG genotype group compared to AA subjects in patients.But the other parameters were not different between LEPR genotypes groups of patientsand controls

Conclusion: It can be said that the LEPR gene polymorphism may affect cIMT in patients.The reason is that LEPR GG genotype carriers may have more risk than othergenotypes in the development of subclinical atherosclerosis in acromegaly

Association of Adipokines, Insulin Resistance, Hypertension and Dyslipidemia in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation in psoriasis causes insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases. Adipokines are adipose-tissue-derived factors that are involved in metabolic processes. It is thought that these adipokines are associated with the development of psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in adipokine levels, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia over a 12-week period. METHODS: The study comprised 35 psoriasis patients and 50 controls. Blood samples were obtained twice from the patients, one sample at the start and one at the end of a 12-week follow-up period. The following parameters were assessed in both groups: serum fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, serum lipids, adiponectin, leptin, resistin, chemerin, omentin, vaspin, visfatin, retinol-binding protein 4, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels; blood pressure; body mass index; and the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) scores. RESULTS: The patients showed an improvement in the PASI score and a significant decrease in serum hs-CRP, omentin, and chemerin values. Moreover, at the start of the follow-up, the psoriasis patients had significantly lower levels of adiponectin and visfatin and significantly higher levels of vaspin and resistin than those of the control group. Visfatin levels correlated negatively with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol, while vaspin and omentin levels correlated positively with diastolic blood pressure. Decreased adiponectin levels correlated negatively with diastolic blood pressure and LDL. CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of adipokines might be useful for evaluating the disease activity of psoriasis and its comorbidities.

Amelioration of aluminium-induced liver damage by vitamin E

To investigate the effects of aluminium sulphate on the microscopic morphology of the liver and on vitamin E amelioration of aluminium-induced liver damage. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with aluminium sulphate alone or aluminium sulphate together with vitamin E, with saline injected rats used as the control group. The study took place in Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine in 2005. The rats exposed to aluminium showed morphological changes in addition to previously reported biochemical changes in the liver. The anti-oxidant vitamin E significantly diminished the liver damage seen due to aluminium. There is an apparent protective effect of vitamin E on parenteral aluminium exposure

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 1/D polymorphism in Behcet's disease

To investigate a potential relationship between I/D polymorphism within intron 16 of the angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] gene located on human chromosome 17 and Behcet's disease. Materials and Genomic DNA was obtained from 35 Turkish patients diagnosed with Behcet's disease according to the International Study Group criteria and 150 healthy individuals. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the presence of I and D [insertion and deletion] alleles in intron 16 of the ACE gene in these DNA samples. We found differences in ACE I/D polymorphism between Behcet's disease and healthy controls [x2 = 4.61, d.f. = 1, p = 0.044]. In Behcet's disease patients, the D allele frequency was 84.3% and I allele frequency 15.7%. An association between Behcet's disease and ACE polymorphism may provide a useful basis for future molecular studies and therapeutic approaches in this complex disease

Effects of Chronic Aluminum Administration on Blood and Liver Iron-Related Parameters in Mice

In this study, the effects of chronically administered aluminum on iron metabolism-related parameters of liver and blood of mice were investigated. An additional purpose to determine how chronic aluminum administration together with vitamin E as an antioxidant to mice changed the parameters related to iron metabolism. For these purposes, we used 21 adult female Balb-c mice in this study. The animals were divided into three groups: one group with aluminum administered chronically, another group with aluminum plus vitamin E administered chronically, and the control group. Serum levels of hemoglobin, ferritin, iron, transferrin, hematocrit, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), as well as percentage of transferrin saturation were determined in all groups. In addition, the liver tissue levels of ferritin and iron were analyzed. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of the aluminum group and aluminum plus vitamin E group were significantly decreased compared to the control. In conclusion, no changes occurred in the serum iron related parameters although Al induced anemia in mice when Al administered chronically. There was an increase in the levels of liver iron and ferritin with Al, but Vit E had no effect on the changes of all blood and liver parameters caused by Al.