Lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 activity & its correlation with oxidized LDL & glycaemic status in early stages of type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Background & objectives: Lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an important risk predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD). This study was aimed to evaluate Lp-PLA2 activity and oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in newly diagnosed patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus and to determine the correlation of Lp-PLA2 activity with oxLDL and plasma glucose levels. Methods: Blood samples were collected in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (n=40) before any treatment was started and healthy controls (n=40). These were processed for estimating plasma glucose: fasting and post prandial, ox LDL, and Lp-PLA2 activity. The parameters in the two groups were compared. Correlation between different parameters was calculated by Pearson correlation analysis in both groups. Results: Lp-PLA2 activity (24.48 ± 4.91 vs 18.63 ± 5.29 nmol/min/ml, P<0.001) and oxLDL levels (52.46 ± 40.19 vs 33.26 ± 12.54 μmol/l, P<0.01) were significantly higher in patients as compared to those in controls. Lp-PLA2 activity correlated positively with oxLDL in both controls (r=0.414, P<0.01), as well in patients (r=0.542, P<0.01). A positive correlation between Lp-PLA2 activity and fasting plasma glucose levels was observed only in patients (r=0.348, P<0.05). Interpretation & conclusions: Result of this study implies that higher risk of CAD in patients with diabetes may be due to increase in Lp-PLA2 activity during the early course of the disease. A positive correlation between enzyme activity and fasting plasma glucose indicates an association between hyperglycaemia and increased activity of Lp-PLA2. This may explain a higher occurrence of CAD in patients with diabetes. A positive correlation between oxLDL and Lp-PLA2 activity suggests that Lp-PLA2 activity may be affected by oxLDL also.

Activity of platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase following phase I periodontal therapy / Actividad de la acetilhidrolasa del factor activador de las plaquetas tras la fase I de la terapia periodontal

OBJECTIVE: Elevated levels of platelet activating factor (PAF), a potent inflammatory mediator, in perio-dontal disease and decreased PAF levels following periodontal surgical therapy have been previously detected in gingival tissues and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is a calcium-independent phospholipase A2 that catalyses the hydrolysis of PAF, thereby inactivating this mediator. The hypothesis, a relationship between activity of PAF-AH and healing following periodontal therapy, was tested by detecting activity of PAF-AH in GCF samples collected from sites that had undergone phase I periodontal therapy with generalized chronic periodontitis. METHODS: Twenty patients with generalized chronic periodontitis were divided into two groups (n = 10): group 1 with probing pocket depth (PPD) 4-5 mm and group 2 with PPD > 6-8 mm. Clinical parameters were recorded and GCF was sampled before phase I periodontal therapy and at the 2nd, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day follow-up evaluation visits. Activity of PAF-AH in GCF was analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Probing pocket depth at the 21st and 28th day in group 1, and PPD at the 14th, 21st and 28th day in group 2 were significantly decreased when compared to the baseline values (p < 0.001). Activity of PAF-AH (µmol/ml) was significantly decreased at the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day following phase I periodontal therapy in both groups 1 and 2 compared to the baseline values (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase is detectable in GCF by ELISA and showed a continuous decrease following phase I periodontal therapy. Changes in the PAF-AH activity would be a progressive marker of periodontal healing to evaluate the success of periodontal therapies.

OBJETIVO: Niveles elevados del factor activador de las plaquetas (PAF) - un potente mediador inflamatorio en la enfermedad periodontal - y niveles disminuidos de PAF tras la terapia quirúrgica periodontal, han sido detectados previamente en los tejidos gingivales y el fluido crevicular gingival (FCG). La acetilhidrolasa del factor activador de las plaquetas(PAF-AH) es una fosfolipasa A2 independiente del calcio, que cataliza la hidrólisis de PAF, inactivando así este mediador. La hipótesis - la existencia de una relación entre la actividad de PAF-AH y la curación tras la terapia periodontal - fue sometida a comprobación mediante la detección de la actividad de PAF-AH en muestras de FCG recogidas de sitios que pasaron por la fase I de la terapia periodontal por periodontitis crónica generalizada. MÉTODOS: Veinte pacientes con periodontitis crónica generalizada fueron divididos en dos grupos (n = 10): grupo 1 con una profundidad de bolsa al sondeo (PPD) de 4-5 mm, y grupo 2 con PPD = 6-8 mm. Se registraron los parámetros clínicos, y se obtuvieron muestras de FCG antes de la fase I de la terapia periodontal, y en las visitas de evaluación de seguimiento los días 2, 7, 14, 21 y 28. La actividad de PAF-AH en FCG se analizó mediante ensayo por inmunoabsorción ligada a enzimas (ELISA). RESULTADOS: La profundidad de bolsa al sondeo los días 21 y 28 en el grupo 1, y PPD los días 14, 21 y 28 en el grupo 2 se vieron disminuidas significativamente cuando se les comparó con los valores iniciales (p < 0.001). La actividad de PAF-AH (µmol/ml) disminuyó significativamente los días 7, 14, 21 y 28 tras la fase I de la terapia periodontal en ambos grupos 1 y 2 en comparación con los valores al inicio del estudio (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIÓN: La acetilhidrolasa del factor activador de las plaquetases detectable en FCG mediante ELISA, y mostró una disminución continua tras la fase I de la terapia periodontal. Los cambios en la actividad de la PAF-AH sería un marcador progresivo de la curación periodontal para evaluar el éxito de las terapias periodontales.