Midkine levels and its relationship with atherosclerotic risk factors in essential hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hypertension (HT) is one of the risk factors associated with atherosclerosis. Midkine (MK) plays a role as a growth factor in various biologic and pathologic events. In some reports, MK expression has been shown to be linked with vascular smooth muscle proliferation and neo-angiogenesis in atherosclerotic vessels. The aim was to research relationship of MK serum levels with some atherosclerotic risk factors in hypertensive patients. METHODOLOGY: This study examined 60 patients with essential HT and 30 healthy controls. Serum biochemistry, including lipid profile, MK, Vitamin B12, C-reactive protein, zinc and copper levels were obtained. RESULTS: MK levels of the HT patients were significantly higher than the control group (24.8 ± 6.8 ng/mL vs. 18.39 ± 5.6 ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.01). Lipid profile parameters such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were also significantly higher in HT patients (P < 0.021, P < 0.01, and P < 0.01, respectively). Zinc levels were 179.13 ± 34.06 µg/dL and 172.55 ± 45.47µg/dL in the HT and control group, respectively. Serum MK levels were positively correlated with diastolic (r = 0.288, P < 0.05) and systolic blood pressures (r = 0.390, P < 0.002), and also with serum total cholesterol (r = 0.406, P < 0.002) and LDL cholesterol (r = 0.318, P < 0.015) levels. Furthermore MK was also negatively correlated with zinc and Vitamin B12levels (r = -0.298, P < 0.023, r = -0.334, P < 0.027, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated an important association between increased serum MK levels and risk factors of atherosclerosis such as HT, increased total and LDL cholesterol.

GNB3 gene c.825C>T polymorphism and performance parameters in professional basketball players.

UNLABELLED: This study has been conducted to determine whether mean values of peak oxygen consumption (VO(2peak)), anaerobic test parameters and knee isokinetic test measurements are different among guanine nucleotide-binding protein, beta-3 (GNB3) genotype groups in a group of basketball players. METHODS: Seventy-two healthy male (mean age, 22.9 ± 5.3 years) basketball players from the first division of national league participated. We studied GNB3 gene c.825C>T (rs5443) polymorphism, then divided the subjects into three groups as CC (n = 21), CT (n = 35), and TT (n =1 6). Mean VO(2peak), Wingate anaerobic test results, and isokinetic knee muscle strength measurements were compared among the genotype groups. RESULTS: Mean VO(2peak) (60.1 ± 3.9; 56.7 ± 3.6; and 57.8 ± 3.3, respectively, p < 0.01), mean anaerobic minimum power (5.1 ± 0.4; 5.3 ± 0.5; and 4.4 v 0.5 W/kg, respectively, p < 0.001), mean anaerobic power drop (57.0 ± 6.2; 54.2 ± 6.9; and 62.9 ± 5.3%, respectively, p < 0.001) were significantly different among the study groups, CC, CT, and TT. Individuals with TT genotype exerted lower performance in terms of isokinetic knee muscle strength. CONCLUSION: The presence of 825T-allele may impair athletic performance and may serve as a genetic marker of low capacity for athletic performance in male basketball players.

Breast cancer and benign breast disease patients evaluated in relation to oxidative stress.

In this study, breast cancer (n = 23) and benign breast disease (n = 15) patients were evaluated in relation to oxidative stress. The extent of lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in plasma. Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px), CuZn speroxide dismutase (CuZn SOD), glutathione (GSH) and plasma vitamin E, cholesterol Fe, Zn, Cu levels were analysed in both groups GSH Px (p < 0.01), vitamin E (p < 0.001), Zn (p < 0.01), Cu (p < 0.05) and cholesterol (p < 0.01) concentrations were found to be significantly increased, TBARS level (p < 0.01) significantly decreased in breast cancer patients in comparison to benign breast disease group.