0000000001143366
AUTHOR
G Castellino
The soluble terminal complement complex (SC5b-9) up-regulates osteoprotegerin expression and release by endothelial cells: Implications in rheumatoid arthritis
Objective. Complement activation products contribute to a large number of inflammatory diseases, including RA. We have investigated whether osteoprotegerin (OPG) may concur with the soluble terminal complement complex (SC5b-9) to the inflammatory cascade characterizing RA. Methods. Levels of SC5b-9 and OPG in the plasma and SF of patients with active RA were determined by ELISA. The presence of SC5b-9 and OPG in RA synovial lesions was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Cultured endothelial cells were used for in vitro leucocyte/endothelial cell adhesion assays. In addition, endothelial cells were exposed to SC5b-9 in order to evaluate the effects on the production of OPG protein, as well as…
Effects of Liraglutide on Metabolic Parameters and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with The Metabolic Syndrome: A 12-Month Prospective Pilot Study
Recent research indicates that therapy with the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) seems to have beneficial actions on blood pressure, lipids, and the atherosclerotic process, which may be independent of its effect on glucose metabolism. However, the effects of liraglutide in subjects with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are largely unknown. Forty-nine subjects with the MetS (24 men and 25 women, age 65±10 yrs) diagnosed by the AHA/NHLBI criteria were included in a 12-month prospective study. All subjects had T2DM, were naïve to incretin-based therapies, and treated with metformin only. Liraglutide was added at a dose of 0.6 mg subcutaneously daily for …
Liraglutide improves carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type-2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an 8-month prospective pilot study
Background and Aims: It has been shown in the last years that GLP-1 analogues, such as liraglutide, have several anti-atherogenic properties beyond their effects on glucose metabolism, including that on subclinical atherosclerosis. Yet, the effects of liraglutide in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are largely unknown. Materials and Methods: We included in a 8-month prospective study 29 subjects with type-2 diabetes and NAFLD (16 men and 13 women, mean age: 61±10 years), who were matched for age and gender with another group of 29 subjects with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) but without NAFLD (16 men and 13 women, mean age: 61±8 years). The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on ult…