Exploring the Crosstalk between Adipose Tissue and the Cardiovascular System

Obesity is a clinical entity critically involved in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is characterised by variable expansion of adipose tissue (AT) mass across the body as well as by phenotypic alterations in AT. AT is able to secrete a diverse spectrum of biologically active substances called adipocytokines, which reach the cardiovascular system via both endocrine and paracrine routes, potentially regulating a variety of physiological and pathophysiological responses in the vasculature and heart. Such responses include regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress as well as cell proliferation, migration and hypertrophy. Furthermore, clinical observations such as the “obesity paradox,” namely the fact that moderately obese patients with CVD have favourable clinical outcome, strongly indicate that the biological “quality” of AT may be far more crucial than its overall mass in the regulation of CVD pathogenesis. In this work, we describe the anatomical and biological diversity of AT in health and metabolic disease; we next explore its association with CVD and, importantly, novel evidence for its dynamic crosstalk with the cardiovascular system, which could regulate CVD pathogenesis.

New and known mutations associated with inborn errors of metabolism in a heterogeneous Middle Eastern population

To identify the mutations underlying a number of inborn errors of metabolism [IEM] disorders among United Arab Emirates [UAE] residents. Molecular diagnostic and bioinformatics tools were used to identify the causative mutations of IEM disorders from multi-ethnic patients residing in UAE. The study was conducted in Al-Ain, UAE, between April 2009 and September 2010. This is a case series retrospective study where patients attending the metabolic clinic at Tawam Hospital were recruited. Thirty patients and 26 parents were included. We present evidence in the UAE of 7 new mutations and 19 mutations that have previously been reported in other populations, all causing a number of common IEM disorders, including phenylketonuria, maple syrup urine disease, glycogen storage diseases, beta-ketothiolase deficiency, and Zellweger syndrome among many others. Reflecting the diverse ethnic groups residing in the UAE, we found mutations in several different population groups. However, consanguinity is evident in most cases. This report is of utmost importance for taking the necessary steps toward the prevention of inherited disorders, not just in the UAE, but anywhere in the world where these Arab and Asian populations reside, or where consanguinity is a cultural norm