The short-term effect of PRP on chronic pain in knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: The administration of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which increases the release of growth factors targeting cartilage regeneration, is used in an effort to relieve pain in knee osteoarthritis (OA). This study measured the short-term efficacy of PRP on chronic pain in patients with OA of the knee. METHODS: Patients with chronic knee pain and grade 2-4 knee OA based on the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) classification were enrolled in the study. A total of 60 knee joints of 42 patients who completed 3 doses of intraarticular PRP injections administered at intervals of 3 weeks were analyzed. The patients' pain was evaluated using a resting and activity visual analog scale (VAS) on day 0, and at week 3, 6, and 12. RESULTS: Of the 42 patients, 37 were female. The mean age and body mass index was 60.52+-10.41 years and 28.5+-9.71 kg/m2. A total of 18 patients had bilateral knee involvement, and 39 of the 60 knee joints were classified as K-L grade 3-4 OA. A significant improvement was observed in the mean resting and activity VAS scores at day 0 and week 12 (p<0.05). In K-L grade 2 patients, the day 0 and week 3 resting and activity VAS scores were significantly better than the grade 3-4 scores (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It was observed that PRP injections provided a meaningful improvement in chronic knee pain in patients with knee OA throughout a 12-week period. The pain reduction response to PRP was better in patients with early-stage knee OA.

CD36 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells reflects the onset of atherosclerosis.

Together with complex genetic and environmental factors, increased serum cholesterol and ox-LDL levels are considered as major triggering factors of atherosclerosis. Mononuclear cell infiltration to the arterial wall and uptake of ox-LDL, which is facilitated by CD36 receptor through an uncontrolled manner, play a key role in foam cell formation followed by atherogenesis development. The aim of this study was to analyze if CD36 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells reflect its aortic tissue level in hypercholesterolemia. In this study, CD36 protein expression was evaluated in aortic specimens of cholesterol or cholesterol plus Vitamin E treated animals in relation to the immunohistochemical analyses for the HNE-protein adducts, as well as for smooth muscle actin and vimentin. The CD36 mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR in PBMC of hypercholesterolemic rabbits and hypercholesterolemic versus normocholesterolemic individuals. Immunohistochemistry findings revealed that smooth muscle actin, smooth muscle vimentin, HNE-protein conjugates, and CD36 protein expressions were significantly increased in aorta of hypercholesterolemic group where foam cells were present. High cholesterol diet significantly induced CD36 mRNA expression in both rabbit aorta and PBMCs, while positive correlation between aortic and PBMC CD36 expression has been found. In addition, consistent with the rabbit model, CD36 mRNA expression levels in human PBMCs were significantly higher in hypercholesterolemic patients than in normocholesterolemic individuals. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the CD36 mRNA levels of PBMCs could reflect the CD36 mRNA levels in aorta and could be used as a biomarker for diagnosis of atherosclerotic burden. © 2018 BioFactors, 44(6):588-596, 2018.

Therapeutic potential of caffeic acid phenethyl ester and its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects (Review).

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a naturally occurring compound isolated from propolis extract, has been reported to have a number of biological and pharmacological properties, exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial and immunomodulatory effects. Recent in vivo and in vitro study findings have provided novel insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of this natural compound. CAPE has been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties involving the inhibition of certain enzyme activities, such as xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Since inflammation and immune mechanisms play a crucial role in the onset of several inflammatory diseases, the inhibition of NF-κB represents a rationale for the development of novel and safe anti-inflammatory agents. The primary goal of the present review is to highlight the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of CAPE, and critically evaluate its potential therapeutic effects.

Indices of Central and Peripheral Obesity; Anthropometric Measurements and Laboratory Parameters of Metabolic Syndrome and Thyroid Function.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity are serious health problems in the World, including Turkey. Contemporary studies have suggested a meaningful association between insulin resistance (IR), MetS parameters, and thyroid function tests. AIMS: We aimed to elucidate the impact of fat distribution on the anthropometric and laboratory parameters, especially indices of MetS, IR and thyroid function, in obese women. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements of all participants and biochemical tests in their serum samples were performed. RESULTS: Weight, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and other parameters of fat distribution were significantly increased in all obese compared to control subjects; but there was no significant difference between central and peripheral obese groups. The central obese group had significantly higher insulin levels, components of MetS, the ratio free triiodothyronine (fT3) to free thyroxin fT4, and fT4 than those of peripheral obese and control groups. CONCLUSION: Elevated triglyceride, glucose and insulin levels may be associated with increased IR, which in turn is related to MetS. Body fat composition may affect thyroid tests in the obese; the changes in fT3/fT4 could be the consequence of fat distribution.

CD36 as a biomarker of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder occurs as a result of mononuclear lymphocyte infiltration to the arterial wall accompanied by smooth muscle cell proliferation and damage in the arterial wall caused by extracellular matrix accumulation. Besides several genetic and environmental factors, increased serum cholesterol and oxidized low density lipoproteins are considered to be major risk factors of the disease. During atherosclerosis, lipoproteins such as LDL become trapped at the site of lesion and are converted to oxLDL. Smooth muscle cells become activated by oxLDL, start to proliferate, and migrate into the intima of the arterial wall. OxLDL provokes a cascade of cellular responses at the atherosclerotic lesion, ultimately leading to formation of atherosclerotic plaques. In this process, scavenger receptors could play a critical role because of their ability to bind oxLDL and their function in transporting lipids and cholesterol into and out of the cells. Scavenger receptors are expressed on macrophages and foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. CD36 is the most important one among them playing role in atherosclerotic process. CD36 is a raft associated glycosylated protein with an 88kDa molecular weight and various ligands such as oxLDL, apoptotic cells, advanced glycation end products bind to this receptor. It has been shown that mice knockouts for the apolipoprotein E exhibited a marked decrease in atherosclerotic lesions if CD36 gene was made inactive. Previously we have shown that the aortas of cholesterol-fed rabbits showed typical atherosclerotic lesions, detected by macroscopic and microscopic examination, and exhibited an increase in CD36 mRNA expression. In this study, we planned to compare CD36 mRNA expressions in the aortic tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in cholesterol induced atherosclerosis. Our results suggests that CD36 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells reflect the levels in aorta and this might be used as a marker for diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

Is microalbuminuria a risk factor for hypertension in children with solitary kidney?

BACKGROUND: The correlations between ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) and serum cystatin C (Cys C), serum creatinine (Cr), microalbumin (MA), and ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG) levels in 24 h (24-h) urine were analyzed in children with solitary kidney (SK) and compared to healthy children. METHODS: Fifty children with normal functioning SK and 25 controls were studied. The ABPM, serum Cys C, serum Cr, MA, and ß2-MG levels in 24-h urine were measured in all children. Clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory results, urinary ultrasonography, voiding cystourethrography, and Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy results were recorded in the SK group. Four patients with Wilms' tumor and two with renal scarring were excluded from the study. RESULTS: The mean ages of the SK group and controls were 9.6 ± 3.6 and 9.3 ± 3.3 years, respectively. The serum Cys C and Cr levels, 24-h urinary ß2-MG and MA levels were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). However, 24-h urinary MA excretion was higher in patients living with SK more than 5 years (p = 0.01). Standard deviation scores of ABPM parameters showed no significant correlation with serum Cr, serum Cys C, MA, and ß2-MG in 24-h urine of both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Children with SK have increased 24-h urinary MA excretion in the long term, and need prolonged follow-up to detect early deterioration of renal function and to prevent end-organ damage later in life.