ABSTRACT
Down's syndrome (DS) is the most frequent chromosomal aberration in men. Moreover DS is considered an atheroma-free model. Plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha high sensitivity (hsTNF-alpha), leptin and adiponectin from non-demented DS subjects of three different age cohorts (2-14, 20-50 and above 60 years) and healthy controls were measured. No clinical and sub-clinical inflammation was apparent in DS patients. Plasma levels of hsTNF-alpha, IL-6 and leptin were higher in children than in adult and old DS subjects. Instead, serum levels of adiponectin were increased in older DS patients than in DS children and adults. High levels of circulating adiponectin might protect DS from clinical complications of atherosclerosis.
Subject(s)
Adiponectin/blood , Aging/blood , Atherosclerosis/blood , Down Syndrome/blood , Models, Cardiovascular , Adipokines/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Atherosclerosis/etiology , Atherosclerosis/prevention & control , Biomarkers/blood , Child , Child, Preschool , Down Syndrome/complications , Down Syndrome/epidemiology , Humans , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Incidence , Interleukin-6/blood , Italy/epidemiology , Leptin/blood , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood , Young AdultABSTRACT
Regular exercise offers protection against all-cause mortality, primarily by protection against atherosclerosis and insulin resistance. There is evidence that physical training is effective as a treatment in patients with chronic heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. With excessive repetition of the training stimulus, local inflammation can generate a systemic inflammatory response. Cytokines play an important role in these processes. Our data confirm that cytokines that are considered to induce systemic bioactivity following exercise are not alone, but also growth factors and chemokines, which are secreted in exercise without the involvement of traditional proinflammatory cytokines, could be potent angiogenic factors.
Subject(s)
Chemokines/blood , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/blood , Physical Exertion , Sports , Adult , Case-Control Studies , HumansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Down's syndrome (DS) is the most frequent chromosomal aberration in men and it is invariably associated with mental retardation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Plasma levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) from non demented DS subjects of three different age-cohorts (2-14 years; 20-50 yrs; >60 yrs) and healthy controls were measured. No clinical and sub-clinical inflammation was apparent in DS patients. RESULTS: Plasma levels of NGF were higher in children, adult and old DS subjects than in controls. However, a significant age-related decrease of NGF levels was present in DS subjects. Serum levels of IL-6 and MCP-1 were also increased in DS children and adults, but not in older DS patients. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of circulating NGF might protect DS from clinical complications of atherosclerosis. However, the striking decrement of peripheral NGF levels with advancing age may predispose DS to clinical manifestation of dementia after adulthood.
