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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 133-140 PubMed PMID: 21552194 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antioxidants:metabolism, Biomarkers:blood, Case-Control Studies, Comorbidity, Coronary Artery Disease:epidemiology, Depression:blood, Disease Progression, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:blood, Female, Glutathione Peroxidase:blood, Humans, Male, Middle A.   

BACKGROUND: Major depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are two disorders accompanied by an upregulation of the inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways and a decreased antioxidant status. Moreover, depression is accompanied by disorders in inflammatory and neuroprogressive (IN-PRO) pathways.

METHODS: This study examines whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in depression and in ME/CFS; GPX is an enzyme that reduces hydroperoxides by oxidizing glutathione and consequently protects the cells from oxidative damage. Blood was sampled in 39 patients with depression, 40 patients with ME/CFS and 24 normal volunteers. Whole blood was analysed for GPX activity using the Ransel assay (Randox). Severity of illness was measured by means of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Rating Scale (FF scale).

RESULTS: We found that whole blood GPX activity was significantly (p=0.001) lower in depressed patients than in normal controls and that there were no significant differences between ME/CFS and controls. In depression and ME/CFS, there were significant and inverse relationships between GPX activity and the FF items, depressed mood and autonomic symptoms. In depression, there were significant and negative correlations between whole blood GPX and the HDRS score and autonomic symptoms.

DISCUSSION: The results show that lowered whole blood GPX activity contributes to the lowered antioxidant status in depression. Since GPX activity is a predictor of neuroprogression and coronary artery disease (CAD), lowered GPX activity in depression contributes to the IN-PRO pathways and the comorbidity between depression and CAD. Our results suggest that patients with depression would benefit from Ebselen or a supplementation with glutathione, N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine and selenium....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(4): 470-476 PubMed PMID: 20010505 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Autonomic Nervous System:physiology, Cognition Disorders:metabolism, Coronary Artery Disease:mortality, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:metabolism, Female, Heart Failure:metabolism, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Oxidative Stress:physiology, Risk Factors, Ub.   

INTRODUCTION: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a medical illness characterized by disorders in inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways.

METHODS: This paper examines the role of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a mitochondrial nutrient which acts as an essential cofactor for the production of ATP in mitochondria and which displays significant antioxidant activities. Plasma CoQ10 has been assayed in 58 patients with ME/CFS and in 22 normal controls; the relationships between CoQ10 and the severity of ME/CFS as measured by means of the FibroFatigue (FF) scale were measured.

RESULTS: Plasma CoQ10 was significantly (p=0.00001) lower in ME/CFS patients than in normal controls. Up to 44.8% of patients with ME/CFS had values beneath the lowest plasma CoQ10 value detected in the normal controls, i.e. 490 microg/L. In ME/CFS, there were significant and inverse relationships between CoQ10 and the total score on the FF scale, fatigue and autonomic symptoms. Patients with very low CoQ10 (<390 microg/L) suffered significantly more from concentration and memory disturbances.

DISCUSSION: The results show that lowered levels of CoQ10 play a role in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS and that symptoms, such as fatigue, and autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms may be caused by CoQ10 depletion. Our results suggest that patients with ME/CFS would benefit from CoQ10 supplementation in order to normalize the low CoQ10 syndrome and the IO&NS disorders. The findings that lower CoQ10 is an independent predictor of chronic heart failure (CHF) and mortality due to CHF may explain previous reports that the mean age of ME/CFS patients dying from CHF is 25 years younger than the age of those dying from CHF in the general population. Since statins significantly decrease plasma CoQ10, ME/CFS should be regarded as a relative contraindication for treatment with statins without CoQ10 supplementation....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(4): 581-588 PubMed PMID: 18766137 Citation  Keywords:  Adiponectin:blood, Adipose Tissue:chemistry, Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary, Humans, Leptin:blood, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction:blood, Predictive Value of Tests, Prognosis, Resistin:blood,.   

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to assess the impact of adipokines on the future major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

METHODS: Subjects were 77 men with first, ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention in whom data were available after one year follow-up. Baseline clinical and angiographic data were collected, blood level of C-reactive protein, uric acid, fasting glucose, lipid profile, adiponectin, resistin and leptin and left ventricular ejection fraction on echocardiography were assessed. MACE was defined as cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, hospitalization for angina or heart failure.

RESULTS: 12% of patients experienced MACE. As revealed by univariate logistic regression analysis predictors of MACE were diabetes, multivessel disease, ejection fraction, blood C-reactive protein and adiponectin level. In multivariable analysis diabetes (OR=22.19, 95%CI 1.22-402.19; p=0.0360), lower left ventricular ejection fraction (OR=0.78, 95%CI 0.63-0.98; p=0.0298) and lower adiponectin level (OR=0.19, 95%CI 0.04-0.90; p=0.0362) were independent negative predictors of MACE. The optimal value of adiponectin for predicting MACE was 4.23 microg/ml. CONCLUSION. In male patients with myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention, a baseline blood adiponectin but not resistin or leptin is independently predictive of MACE. The other prognostic factors are diabetes mellitus and left ventricular ejection fraction....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 4): 8-9 PubMed PMID: 18030256 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alcohol Drinking:epidemiology, Alcoholic Beverages, Coronary Disease:epidemiology, Databases, Factual, Humans, Hypertension:epidemiology, Longevity:drug effects, Slovakia:epidemiology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Wine,.   

: There was a significant difference in occurrence of coronary hearth disease and arterial hypertension occurrence in the sample of 16,345 patients living in northeast part of Slovak republic near Polish frontier versus to the viticulture regions of Nove Zamky, Sturovo in favour of villages in Bardejov region. Another difference was that 80 years and older respondents live significantly more frequently in south Slovakian viticulture villages....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(4): 427-432 PubMed PMID: 17693973 Citation  Keywords:  Adipokines:blood, Adipose Tissue:metabolism, Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary, Blood Glucose:metabolism, C-Reactive Protein:metabolism, Cholesterol, HDL:blood, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction:blood, Obesity:blood, Regression Analysis, Risk .   

UNLABELLED: Adipose tissue appears to be a key regulator of CRP levels. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, predicts the occurrence of diabetes, the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerotic diseases. Adipokines, the proteins produced by adipocytes are additional factors thought to be involved in the chronic, subclinical inflammatory state of adiposity.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of obesity on the blood CRP levels and the relation of CRP to coronary risk factors and adipokines in men with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODS: The study was performed in 37 obese (BMI> or =30) and 33 lean patients (BMI<25) with first AMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention within the initial 6 hours of AMI. Clinical data, anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters and blood adipokines concentration were analyzed.

RESULTS: Values of the following parameters were significantly higher in obese than in lean patients: CRP, fasting glucose, glucose at admission, leptin and resistin, whereas HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin levels were lower. In univariate regression analysis CRP was related to obesity, HDL-cholesterol, fasting glucose, glucose at admission and adipokines but only glucose at admission and resistin were the independent positive factors and adiponectin an independent negative factor associated with CRP levels (R2= 51.1%).

CONCLUSIONS: In the early stage of AMI inflammation is more pronounced in obese than in lean patients. The pleiotropic association between CRP and obesity, adipokines and cardiovascular risk factors might prove it to be an important link between inflammatory reaction and atherogenesis in which adipose tissue hormones are involved....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(6): 758-762 PubMed PMID: 17186999 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Age Factors, Androstenedione:blood, Atherosclerosis:blood, Blood Glucose:analysis, Cholesterol:blood, Coronary Disease:blood, Estrogens:blood, Female, Gonadal Steroid Hormones:blood, Humans, Incidence, Lipoproteins, HDL:blood, Lipoproteins, LDL:blo.   

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between the incidence of coronary heart diseases in premenopausal women and plasma level of total and free testosterone, estrogen, androstenedione and sex hormone binding globulin with coronary risk factors: fasting plasma concentration of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high and low density lipoproteins.

METHODS: The study was conducted in Faculty of Medicine, Jordanian University of Science/Irbid Jordan and Technology and department of cardiology in Queen Alia Heart Institute/Amman Jordan during the period from April 2003 to March 2004. Serum sex hormones levels were measured in fifty-three premenopausal women; 25 women with coronary heart disease who had hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus and 28 women without coronary heart disease. Ages ranged from 34 to 48 years. Blood samples were collected just before performing coronary angiography and serum was obtained and frozen at -70 degrees C until use.

RESULTS: We found that the mean triglyceride, fasting blood sugar total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein concentration were significantly higher in coronary heart disease patients than in patients with normal coronaries. We also found that the low levels of sex hormone binding globulin and high levels of free testosterone are associated with development of coronary heart disease. No significant correlation could be established between other plasma sex hormones level and coronary heart disease.

CONCLUSION: In young women, in the presence of coronary risk factors and normal level of serum estrogen, the high levels of serum free testosterone and low levels of serum sex hormone binding globulin are associated with development of atherosclerosis and increased incidence of coronary heart disease....

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Clinical Trial 2005; 26(6): 839-842 PubMed PMID: 16380701 Citation  Keywords:  Antioxidants:administration & dosage, Copper:blood, Coronary Artery Bypass, Extracorporeal Circulation:adverse effects, Humans, Inflammation:blood, Leptin:blood, Preoperative Care, Stress, Physiological:blood, Zinc:administration & dosage,.   

OBJECTIVE: The role of leptin in the acute stress response to extracorporeal circulation has been well documented, however, the relationship between leptin and zinc has not been investigated previously. We aimed to research the circulating leptin, zinc, and copper levels before, during, and after the extracorporeal circulation, and effect of preoperative zinc administration to these.

METHODS: Twenty patients who were taken to elective coronary artery bypass grafting operations using extracorporeal circulation were taken to this research and divided into two equal groups (n1, n2). In both groups blood samples were taken just before the operation (T0), at the end of operation (T1), and at the first postoperative day (T2). In the second group (n2) oral zinc (50 mg, once a day) was administered to patients for 5 days, preoperatively. The serum leptin, zinc, and copper levels were studied.

RESULTS: In group n1 circulating leptin levels were significantly increased at T2 when compared to T0 and T1 (p<0.05); zinc levels were decreased at T2 when compared to T0 and T1 (p<0.05); copper levels were decreased at T2 when compared to T0 (p<0.05), and decreased at T1 when compared to T0 (p<0.05). In group n2 circulating leptin levels were significantly increased at T2 when compared to T0 and T1 (p<0.05); zinc levels were decreased at T2 when compared to T0 and T1 (p<0.05); copper levels were increased at T2 when compared to T1 (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that circulating leptin levels increase after the extracorporeal circulation as an acute response, while zinc and copper levels decrease at the same period. Preoperative zinc administration does not prevent the leptin response after extracorporeal circulation....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 617-623 PubMed PMID: 16264392 Citation  Keywords:  Cholesterol:blood, Coronary Disease:epidemiology, Diabetes Mellitus:epidemiology, Disease, Endorphins:physiology, Exercise:physiology, Health, Humans, Hyperlipidemias:epidemiology, Hypertension:epidemiology, Mental Health, Osteoarthritis:epidemiology, Ost.   

: It is known for a long time that exercise increases physical adequacy, has beneficial effects on the general health condition as well as a playing preventing role against various disease states. To decrease the risk of disease and maintain good health, the natural defense system of the organism needs to be strengthened. It is thought that in addition to increasing the body's resistance to disease through the strengthening of the immune system, decreases the convalescence time, increases work efficiency and improves the sportive performance of the individual all which would contribute positively to the national economy. The positive effects of regular exercising of aerobic nature such as strengthening of the immune system, protection against diseases as well as its positive effects on quality of life will help to emphasize the importance of physical exercise and improve the general view of sports by society....

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