Screening of plasma biomarkers in patients with unstable angina pectoris with proteomics analysis / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To analyze and compare the differentially expressed plasma proteins between patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP), and search for the biomarkers that maybe used for early diagnosis of UAP. Methods Sixty plasma samples were collected respectively from normal controls group (N group), SAP group and UAP group during Jun. 2014 to Apr. 2015 from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University. Ten samples (100μl) of each group were selected randomly to pool into 3 groups severally. After removing high-abundance proteins from plasma, two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) was used to isolate the total proteins, and then the protein spots with more than 2-fold changes between UAP and SAP were picked up after the differential software analysis. Afterward, the varied proteins were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Finally, 40 plasma samples were collected respectively from N, SAP and UAP group, and the UAP specific differential proteins were selected to be verified by ELISA. Results A total of 10 varied protein spots with more than 2-fold changes in UAP and SAP were found including 9 up-regulated proteins and 1 down-regulated one. MS identification indicated that the up-regulated proteins included fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG), complement C4-B (C4B), immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa chain C region (IGKC) and hemoglobin subunit alpha (HBA1), whereas the down-regulated one was haptoglobin (HP). After comparing the varied proteins with that in N group, 2 specifically UAP-related proteins, IGKC and HP, were detected totally. IGKC was selected to validate by ELISA, and the corresponding results showed that IGKC was increased specifically in UAP plasma (P<0.05) when compared with N and SAP group, which was consistent with DIGE. Conclusion IGKC and HP have been detected as specifically related proteins to UAP, and IGKC might serve as a potential specific biomarker for screening and early diagnosis of UAP.

Associations of circadian blood pressure rhythm with autonomic nervous system and myocardial energy expenditure level in patients with primary hypertension / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship among circadian blood pressure rhythm, autonomic nervous system and myocardial energy expenditure (MEE) level in patients with primary hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 102 hypertensive and 45 normotensive subjects were recruited. According to blood pressure reduction rate at night, the hypertensive patients were divided into non-dipper group (NDH group, n=54) with a reduction rate of <10% and dipper group (DH group, n=48) with a reduction rate of ≥10%. The circadian blood pressure rhythm and heart rate variability were measured with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and 24-hour electrocardiograph monitoring, respectively, and MEE was measured by Doppler echocardiography to analyze their correlations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SDNN, SDANN, SDNNindex, RMSSD, PNN50, and HF were significantly lower in the hypertensive patients than in the control group (P<0.05); these parameters, except for PNN50, were all significantly lower in NDH group than in DH group (P<0.05). The hypertensive patients had significantly higher MEE than the control group (P<0.05), and MEE was significantly higher in NDH group than in DH group (P<0.05). Bivariate correlation analysis showed significant correlations of MEE with SDANN in the hypertensive patients (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with primary hypertension, especially those in NDH group, have impaired autonomic nervous system function. The hypertensive patients in NDH group show a more prominent increase in MEE in relation to sympathetic activation, suggesting the importance of restoring circadian blood pressure rhythm in the treatment of hypertension.</p>

Association of T393C single nucleotide polymorphism of GNAS1 gene with non-valvular atrial fibrillation / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the association between T393C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of GNAS1 gene and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) in Chinese Han patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety patients with non-valvular AF and 90 healthy subjects were examined for T393C SNP of GNAS1 gene using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The allele genotypes and the distribution of allele frequencies were analyzed and compared between the two groups. The relationship between allele frequency distribution characteristics and the heart rate variability (HRV) were also studied for analysis of the association between T393C SNP of GNAS1 gene and the autonomic nervous activation in non-valvular AF.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The two groups showed a significant difference in the frequencies of genotypes of T393C SNP of GNAS1 gene and allele frequencies (P<0.01). CC genotype and T393C allele frequency were significantly increased in the case group. pNN50, LF, or LF/HF showed no significant difference between different genotypes (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUTIONS</b>The T393C SNP of GNAS1 gene is closely associated with non-valvular AF in Chinese Han patients.</p>

Structural and functional changes of the carotid artery and their relationship with subclinical inflammation in patients with H-type hypertension / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes in the structure and function of the carotid artery and their relationship with subclinical inflammation in patients with H-type hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with H-type hypertension and 49 with non-H-type hypertension were enrolled in this study, with 20 healthy volunteers as the control group. All the subjects underwent color Doppler ultrasound examination of the carotid artery, and their blood levels of hyper-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen (FIB), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured to investigate the correlation between the structural and functional changes of the carotid artery and the inflammatory factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference was found in the blood pressure level between the H-type and non-H-type hypertension groups (136.0∓10.1 vs 131.9∓7.0 mmHg for systolic blood pressure, P>0.05; 80.9∓8.9 vs 73.2∓7.9 mmHg for diastolic pressure, P>0.05). The intima-media thickness, distensibility of the common carotid artery, carotid artery stiffness, and blood homocysteine level all showed significant differences between patients with H-type and non-H-type hypertension (1.52∓0.08 vs 1.09∓0.06 mm, 0.23∓0.14 mmHg(-1)×100 vs 0.46∓0.14 mmHg(-1)×100, and 15.37∓5.89 vs 8.19∓4.53 µmol/L, respectively, P<0.05). The H-type hypertensive patients showed significantly higher hs-CRP, FIB, and TNF-α levels than the non-H-type hypertensive patients, and these inflammatory factors were positively correlated with the structural and functional changes of the carotid artery.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The patients with H-type hypertension are more likely to have carotid artery structure and function impairments, which closely correlate with the subclinical inflammatory factors. These changes might be attributed to the synergism of subclinical inflammation and hyperhomocysteinemia, for which active intervention may prove beneficial.</p>