Search results for "Case-control"
showing 10 items of 1685 documents
Postprandial Changes in Chemokines Related to Early Atherosclerotic Processes in Familial Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Preliminary Study.
2015
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with higher levels of inflammatory mediators such as chemokines, which contribute to an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis in these patients. We studied the response of chemokines related to early atherosclerotic processes during an oral unsaturated fat load test (OFLT) in patients with heterozygous FH and compared this response to normolipidemic and normoglycemic subjects.Blood samples were taken from 12 FH patients and 20 healthy controls with a similar age, gender distribution, and body mass index. Plasma chemokine levels were determined in both groups in a fasting state and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after an OFLT using human cytokine m…
M1 Macrophages Activate Notch Signalling in Epithelial Cells: Relevance in Crohn's Disease
2016
Background: The Notch signalling pathway plays an essential role in mucosal regeneration, which constitutes a key goal of Crohn's disease (CD) treatment. Macrophages coordinate tissue repair and several phenotypes have been reported which differ in the expression of surface proteins, cytokines and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). We analysed the role of HIFs in the expression of Notch ligands in macrophages and the relevance of this pathway in mucosal regeneration. Methods: Human monocytes and U937-derived macrophages were polarized towards the M1 and M2 phenotypes and the expression levels of HIF-1α, HIF-2α, Jagged 1 (Jag1) and delta-like 4 (Dll4) were evaluated. The effects of macrophage…
Fungal DNA is present in tissue specimens of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.
2004
Background It has been postulated that fungal organisms might represent the immunologic target initiating and maintaining the disease process in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The presence of fungi in nasal mucus has been established by different groups, but so far it has not been shown how the immune system could even recognize such extramucosal—extracorporal—fungal targets. The aim of this study was to determine whether fungal DNA is present in tissue specimens taken from patients with polypoid CRS. Methods Twenty-seven surgical specimens were collected from patients suffering from CRS. Fifteen surgical specimens from healthy ethmoidal mucosa served as controls. A second set …
Systemic redox biomarkers and their relationship to prognostic risk markers in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and IgA nephropathy.
2017
Abstract Background Oxidative stress is evident from an early stage in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we investigated redox biomarkers in polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and IgA nephropathy (IGAN). Methods This is a case-control study with three groups: ADPKD (n = 54), IGAN (n = 58) and healthy controls (n = 86). The major plasma aminothiols with their redox species were examined: homocysteine (Hcy), cysteinglycine (CG), cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH). The redox ratio was the ratio of reduced free and oxidized aminothiols in plasma. We investigated malonedialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and ten single nucleotide polymorphisms of antioxidant …
Smoking may increase the risk of hospitalization due to influenza.
2016
Background: Smoking may facilitate influenza virus infections and their severity. The objective was to investigate the risk of hospitalization due to influenza in Spanish smokers and ex-smokers. Methods: We carried out a multicentre, case-control study in 2011. Cases [patients a parts per thousand yen 18 years hospitalized > 24 h with real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed influenza] were selected from 29 Spanish hospitals. For each case, we selected an outpatient aged a parts per thousand yen 18 years with RT-PCR-confirmed influenza matched by age (+/- 5 years), date of hospitalization of the case (+/- 10 days) and province of residence. We collected epidemiological variabl…
Sex Alters the MHC Class I HLA-A Association With Polyglandular Autoimmunity.
2018
Abstract Context The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) strongly contributes to the development of polyglandular autoimmunity (PGA). Objective To evaluate the impact of sex on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with PGA for the first time. Design Cross-sectional immunogenetic study. Setting Academic tertiary referral Orphan Disease Center for PGA (ORPHA 282196) and immunogenetics laboratory. Subjects Patients (158) with coexistent type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease (adult type 3 PGA, ORPHA 227982) and 479 unrelated healthy controls. Interventions All 637 white subjects were typed for HLA-A, -B, -DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 alleles at a two-field level. Main Outcome Measure…
Liver Fat Content in People with Pituitary Diseases: Influence of Serum IGF1 Levels
2017
AbstractNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is commonly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. NAFLD is also seen in patients with endocrinopathies. However, the relationship between endocrine diseases and the development of NAFLD is not well known. In this study, we set out to determine whether liver fat content (LFC) was associated with IGF1 levels in people with pituitary diseases (PD). Eighty-nine patients with pituitary diseases and 74 healthy controls were included in this study. LFC was measured using MRI. Hepatic steatosis was defined as LFC>5.5%. Patients with PD were older, and had a higher BMI than healthy controls. LFC was significantly higher…
CYP27A1, CYP24A1, and RXR-α Polymorphisms, Vitamin D, and Multiple Sclerosis: a Pilot Study.
2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative autoimmune disease resulting from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Hypovitaminosis D seems to contribute to MS susceptibility as both an environmental and a genetic risk factor. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of SNPs in CYP27A1, CYP24A1, and RXR- α genes, vitamin D status, and MS risk. We performed a nested case-control study on patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls. Serum 25(OH)D3 levels and genotyping of CYP27A1, CYP24A1, and RXR-α -SNPs were investigated both in MS patients and in healthy controls. Serum 25(OH)D3 levels were measured by a high-performance liquid chromatograp…
The Gut Metagenome Changes in Parallel to Waist Circumference, Brain Iron Deposition, and Cognitive Function.
2017
Context Microbiota perturbations seem to exert modulatory effects on emotional behavior, stress-, and pain-modulation systems in adult animals; however, limited information is available in humans. Objective To study potential relationships among the gut metagenome, brain microstructure, and cognitive performance in middle-aged, apparently healthy, obese and nonobese subjects after weight changes. Design This is a longitudinal study over a 2-year period. Setting A tertiary public hospital. Patients or other participants Thirty-five (18 obese) apparently healthy subjects. Intervention(s) Diet counseling was provided to all subjects. Obese subjects were followed every 6 months. Main outcome me…
Alpha-defensins (α-Defs) in Crohn's disease: decrease of ileal α-Def 5 via permanent methylation and increase in plasma α-Def 1-3 concentrations offe…
2018
Summary An impaired expression of α-defensins (α-Defs) in the ileal mucosa and, conversely, increased levels in plasma, have been reported in Crohn's disease (CD). However, the specificity and correlation of these findings with the degree of inflammation are unclear. We aimed to characterize the concentration and utility of ileal and plasma α-Defs in CD and to analyse a potential epigenetic mechanism of α-Def expression. Peripheral blood samples and ileal biopsies were obtained from patients at disease onset (aCD), from those who achieved remission (iCD) and from two control groups (healthy controls and non-CD-aetiology ileitis patients). Plasma α-Defs 1–3 and 4 were detected by enzyme-link…