OBJECTIVES We sought to assess whether emotional stress-induced acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is mediated by increased inflammatory and vasoconstrictive mediators. BACKGROUND The World Cup soccer 2006 has been shown to provoke levels of stress sufficient to increase the incidence of ACS. However, the mechanisms by which stress translates into vascular injury up to plaque rupture still remain ...

BACKGROUND Chronic viral hepatitis is histologically characterized by predominantly periportal infiltration of mononuclear cells, including lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Intralobular infiltration of these inflammatory cells is an ominous sign of deterioration and a criterion for disease activity. OBJECTIVE To assess the monocyte inflammatory milieu, monocytes adhesion molecules, thei...

BACKGROUND Inflammation has been proposed to be important in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. An early feature of inflammation is the release of cytokines leading to increased expression of endothelial activation markers such as vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Here we investigated the impact of diabetes and dyslipidemia on VCAM-1 expression in mouse retinal vessels, as ...

Background: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare disease, its diagnosis often delayed by years. Biomarkers might be helpful for earlier and monitoring treatment. We have described serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) as marker of inflammation in variety rheumatic diseases, including vasculitis (1). Tocilizumab (TCZ) monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor with e...

BACKGROUND The number of inducible adhesion molecules known to be involved in cell-mediated allograft rejection is still increasing. In addition, recent data describe complement activation during acute humoral allograft rejection. The aim of this study was to assess whether specific molecules from either pathway are excreted into urine and whether they can provide useful diagnostic tools for th...

BACKGROUND Arsenic exposure is a risk factor for atherosclerosis in adults, but there is little information on arsenic and early risk biomarkers for atherosclerosis in children. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is an indicator of subclinical atherosclerotic burden that has been associated with plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), a predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. OBJECTIV...

BACKGROUND Endothelial dysfunction is one of the mechanisms linking diet and the risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the hypothesis that dietary patterns (summary measures of food consumption) are directly associated with markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, particularly C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6, E-selectin, soluble intercellular adhesion mole...

BACKGROUND Endothelial dysfunction is key to the development of atherosclerosis. Preterm delivery foreshadows later maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it is not known if endothelial dysfunction also occurs. We prospectively measured circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in pregnant women with preterm or term delivery. METHODS We conducted a case-control study nested within...

Hypertriglyceridemia may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis by increasing expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Although the cellular expression of CAMs is difficult to assess clinically, soluble forms of CAMs (sCAMs) are present in the circulation and may serve as markers for CAMs. In this study, we examined the association between sCAMs and other risk factors occurring w...