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Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2019 Mar 16. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

FGF21 is a peptide hormone that regulates homeostasis of lipid and glucose as well as energy metabolism. It is mainly expressed and secreted in liver and adipose tissues, and it is expressed in lower amounts in the aorta. Recent clinical and preclinical studies indicate increased serum FGF21 levels in atherosclerosis patients. Read More

Int J Epidemiol 2019 Mar 16. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Background: Accurate assessment of the burden of stroke, a major cause of disability and death, is crucial. We aimed to estimate rates of validated ischaemic stroke hospitalizations in the USA during 1998-2011.

Methods: We used the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study cohort's adjudicated stroke data for participants aged ≥55 years, to construct validation models for each International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-code group and patient covariates. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2018 Nov 8;284:129-135. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Department of Hypertension, Chair of Nephrology and Hypertension, Medical University of Lodz, Poland; Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute (PMMHRI), Lodz, Poland; Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, Poland.

Background And Aims: Little is known about the role of liver enzymes as predictors of non-liver-related morbidity and mortality. The ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) score proposed by the American Heart Association (AHA) can be used to predict mortality and morbidity. We investigated the association of the CVH score with liver enzymes and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among US adults. Read More

Eur J Pharmacol 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Electronic address:

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation plays a critical role in arterial remodeling during various vascular diseases including atherosclerosis and hypertension. Tanshinone I, a major component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, exerts protective effects against cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of tanshinone I on VSMC proliferation, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of medicine, Xi'an, China. Electronic address:

Aims: The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and susceptibility to atherosclerosis (AS).

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the ISI Web of Science were searched for all eligible published studies concerning the relationship of ACE gene polymorphism with AS without language restrictions. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate this relationship under different genetic models using meta-analytic methods. Read More

Biochemistry (Mosc) 2018 Dec;83(12):1437-1447

Section on Intercellular Interactions, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Atherosclerosis underlies the development of many cardiovascular diseases that continue to hold a leading place among the causes of death in developed countries. The role of activated immune cells in atherosclerosis progression has been convincingly demonstrated, but the mechanism of their action remains poorly investigated. Since atherosclerosis is associated with chronic inflammatory response, involvement of viral and bacterial infections in atherogenesis has been examined. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Feb 22;284:92-101. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.

Background And Aims: The F11 Receptor (F11R), AKA Junctional Adhesion Molecule-A (JAM-A) (F11R/JAM-A), is an adhesion protein constitutively expressed on the membrane surface of circulating platelets and the luminal surface of inflamed endothelial cells (EC). Platelet adhesion to an inflamed endothelium is one of the early steps of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Our previous studies, conducted with cultured EC in vitro, have demonstrated the expression of F11R/JAM-A on the luminal surface of inflamed EC, platelet adhesion to inflamed EC through F11R/JAM-A interactions, and inhibition of this interaction by the presence of F11R/JAM-A antagonistic peptide (F11Rpeptide 4D). Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 3;284:102-109. Epub 2019 Mar 3.

Division of Cardiology, Severance Cardiovascular Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, South Korea.

Background And Aims: There are limited data comparing clinical outcomes among new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with culprit-only or multivessel PCI. We investigated 1-year clinical outcomes between biodegradable-polymer (BP)-coated biolimus-eluting stent (BES) and durable-polymer (DP)-coated DES in STEMI patients with MVD who underwent two different reperfusion strategies.

Methods: A total of 4255 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups, a culprit-only (n = 2571, BP- [n = 264] or DP-DES [n = 2307]) or a multivessel PCI group (n = 1684, BP- [n = 145] or DP-DES [n = 1539]). Read More

Diabetes Metab J 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Departments of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.

Background: Recent evidences indicate that early rapid renal function decline is closely associated with the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease. We have investigated the association between carotid atherosclerosis and rapid renal function decline in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved renal function.

Methods: In a prospective, multicenter cohort, a total of 967 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved renal function were followed for 6 years with serial estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurements. Read More

Arch Pharm Res 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

National Research Laboratory for Stem Cell Niche, Center for Medical Innovation, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, 110-744, Republic of Korea.

Currently, coronary artery disease accounts for a large proportion of deaths occurring worldwide. Damage to the heart muscle over a short period of time leads to myocardial infarction (MI). The biological mechanisms of atherosclerosis, one of the causes of MI, have been well studied. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Institute for Medical Biometry and Statistics, Medical Faculty and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Objectives: Retrograde blood flow from complex atheroma in the descending aorta (DAo) has only recently been described as a potential mechanism of stroke. However, prevalence of this mechanism in the general population and the exact factors influencing stroke risk are unclear.

Methods: One hundred twenty-six consecutively recruited inhabitants of Freiburg, Germany, between 20 and 80 years of age prospectively underwent 3-T MRI. Read More

Rheumatol Int 2019 Mar 16. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Divisions of Cardiology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Cardiology 5-ACC, MSC 10-5550, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.

The progression of atherosclerosis versus arterial stiffness with age within and between arteries has not been defined. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a human model of accelerated arterial disease that may permit this determination. 76 SLE patients (69 women, age 37 ± 12 years) and 26 age-and-sex-matched controls (22 women, age 34 ± 11 years) underwent transesophageal echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography for assessment of atherosclerosis [plaques and intima-media thickening (IMT)] and arterial stiffness [increased pressure-strain elastic modulus (PSEM)] of the descending thoracic aorta and carotid arteries. Read More

J Med Genet 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Vascular Medicine and Metabolism Unit, Research Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain.

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a devastating genetic disease that leads to extremely high cholesterol levels and severe cardiovascular disease, mainly caused by mutations in any of the main genes involved in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) uptake. Among these genes, mutations in the LDL receptor () are responsible for 80%-90% of the FH cases. The severe homozygous variety (HoFH) is not successfully treated with standard cholesterol-lowering therapies, and more aggressive strategies must be considered to mitigate the effects of this disease, such as weekly/biweekly LDL apheresis. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Innovative Drug Research Centre, School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China. Electronic address:

Water extracts of the edible mushroom Cordyceps militaris possess a lipid-lowering effect. However, the types of components and how they exert this effect are not clear. In this study, two novel polysaccharides, CM1 and CMS, were isolated, and their cholesterol efflux improving capacity was investigated in vitro. Read More

Atheroscler Suppl 2019 Mar;36:28-30

Metabolic Unit, Pediatric Department, Santa Maria Hospital, Lisboa, Portugal.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is an Mendelian dominant disorder characterized by defects of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) that result in a defective removal of LDL from plasma, which promotes deposition of cholesterol in the skin (xanthelasma), tendons (xanthomas), and arteries (atherosclerosis). Diagnosis severe clinical phenotype FH with Dutch Lipid Clinic Network Criteria, encompassing history of premature ASCVD, tendon xanthomas, and a family history of hypercholesterolemia and premature ASCVD in relatives is rare in the Portuguese FH patients. There is a variability of the phenotype in FH individuals with clinical diagnosis or genetic mutation (carriers and patients) probably due to environmental factors in the last century, a Mediterranean diet, or a diet without fat food, trans fat food, no smoking, no sedentary life that can interfere with our metabolism, or are consequences of polygenic, epigenetic, acquired defects, modifiers genes and beta-globin asymptomatic carriers. Read More

Atheroscler Suppl 2019 Mar;36:19-23

Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University - Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, 100029, China; Department of Atherosclerosis, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address:

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia developed into severe cardiovascular consequences early. Untreated HoFH usually cannot survive over 30 years old. Acute coronary syndrome(ACS) caused by plaque rupture is one of the main causes of death in HoFH. Read More

Atheroscler Suppl 2019 Mar 29;36:12-18. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases Beijing, 100029, China; Department of Atherosclerosis, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address:

Aims: To investigate the status of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) research and the characteristics of patients with FH in China.

Methods: Published papers in Chinese or English language from PubMed, SinoMed and CNKI databases from 1971 to March 2018 were searched using 'Familial hypercholesterolemia', 'Chinese' and 'Han' as keywords. A systematic review of studies on familial hypercholesterolemia was then conducted. Read More

Cardiovasc Diabetol 2019 Mar 15;18(1):31. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) adversely affects morbidity and mortality for major atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular diseases and is associated with increased risk for the development of aortic stenosis. Clinical data regarding the impact of DM on outcomes of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) have revealed inconsistent results. The aim of the current study was to investigate and compare the impact of type 2 DM on short-, intermediate- and long-term mortality between DM and non-DM patients who undergo isolated AVR. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Mar 15;19(1):62. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xu-Zhou Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan, 10055.

Background: Despite the recommendations of statins treatment for secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), treatment adherence and persistence are still a concern. This study examined the real world practice of long-term adherence and persistence to statins treatment initiated after hospital discharge for ASCVD, and their associated factors in a nationwide cohort.

Methods: Post discharge statin prescriptions between 2006 and 2012 were extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims database. Read More

Cells 2019 Mar 15;8(3). Epub 2019 Mar 15.

School of Kinesiology and Health, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing 100191, China.

The lipid droplet (LD) is an organelle enveloped by a monolayer phospholipid membrane with a core of neutral lipids, which is conserved from bacteria to humans. The available evidence suggests that the LD is essential to maintaining lipid homeostasis in almost all organisms. As a consequence, LDs also play an important role in pathological metabolic processes involving the ectopic storage of neutral lipids, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), atherosclerosis, steatosis, and obesity. Read More

J Clin Med 2019 Mar 15;8(3). Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, The State University of New York Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USA.

Dyslipidemias and leukocytosis are associated with cardiovascular disease and immune disorders. Mechanistic studies have shown lipoprotein metabolism to play a significant role in the regulation of atherosclerosis development and leukocyte activation, whereas lipid-lowering treatments have been shown to exert beneficial anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in clinical trials. However, the relationship between clinical markers of lipid metabolism and leukocyte counts has not been extensively evaluated at the population level. Read More

Nutrition 2018 Dec 11;62:108-114. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition with high cardiovascular mortality associated with emerging risk factors, including sarcopenia. Several mechanisms can affect muscle mass, such as vitamin D deficiency, low protein intake, physical inactivity, metabolic acidosis, and inflammation leading to a worsening of cardiovascular outcomes and cognitive function. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in CKD patients on conservative and replacement therapy and the associations between sarcopenia and markers of atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, psychological and cognitive function. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 4;284:83-91. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Department of Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Background And Aims: African populations have a favourable lipid profile compared to European populations. However, the extent to which they differ between rural and urban settings in Africa and upon migration to Europe is unknown. We assessed the lipid profiles of Ghanaians living in rural- and urban-Ghana and Ghanaian migrants living in three European countries. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 3;284:75-82. Epub 2019 Mar 3.

INSERM U1060, Laboratoire Carmen, Université Lyon 1, INRA U1235, INSA de Lyon, CENS, Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Rhône Alpes, Villeurbanne F-69621, Oullins cedex, F-69921, France; Service de Nutrition Pediatrique, Gastroenterologie and Hepatologie, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfants, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Bron cedex, F-69677, France. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: Abetalipoproteinemia (ABL) is a rare recessive monogenic disease due to MTTP (microsomal triglyceride transfer protein) mutations leading to the absence of plasma apoB-containing lipoproteins. Here we characterize a new ABL case with usual clinical phenotype, hypocholesterolemia, hypotriglyceridemia but normal serum apolipoprotein B48 (apoB48) and red blood cell vitamin E concentrations.

Methods: Histology and MTP activity measurements were performed on intestinal biopsies. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 3;284:66-74. Epub 2019 Mar 3.

Operating Unit of Internal and Metabolic Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Modena, Civil Hospital of Baggiovara, Via Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes a spectrum of alcohol-like hepatic histological changes, which occur in the absence of any competing causes of chronic liver disease, notably including significant alcohol consumption. A close and bi-directional relationship links NAFLD with the metabolic syndrome (MetS), and concurrent MetS will hasten the progression to more severe forms of NAFLD, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with NAFLD will typically exhibit atherogenic dyslipidemia and increased cardiovascular risk (CVR). Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Feb 13;284:59-65. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Center for Clinical and Epidemiological Research, University Hospital, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2565 Prof. Lineu Prestes Avenue, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: It is uncertain whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with aortic stiffness in a racial/ethnically diverse and admixed society. We addressed whether NAFLD presence and severity were associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) in individuals free of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: In 7196 individuals free of cardiovascular disease at the baseline Brazilian longitudinal study of adult health, we classified NAFLD presence and severity (mild, moderate and severe) by ultrasound hepatic attenuation. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 1;284:50-58. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Laboratory Animal Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: COX-2-selective inhibitors have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications, and their impact on atherosclerosis (AS) remains controversial. The proinflammatory COX-2 and 5-LO pathways both play essential roles in AS and related cardiovascular diseases. Previous clinical studies have provided evidence of the ability of COX-2-selective inhibitors to shunt AA metabolism from the COX-2 pathway to the 5-LO pathway. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2018 Sep 15;284:44-49. Epub 2018 Sep 15.

Department of Hypertension, Chair of Nephrology and Hypertension, Medical University of Lodz, Poland; Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute (PMMHRI), Lodz, Poland; Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, Poland.

Background And Aims: We aimed to evaluate the link between inflammatory score [consisting of C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells], serum uric acid (SUA) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and the cardiovascular health (CVH) score.

Methods: We used the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. Statistical analyses accounted for the survey design and sample weights. Read More

PLoS One 2019 15;14(3):e0213494. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States of America.

Rationale: Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (plasma LDL-C), vascular endothelial cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), particularly monocytes, play key roles in initiating atherosclerosis, the primary cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although the mechanisms underlying development of atherosclerosis are not well understood, LDL-C is known to influence expression of endothelial microRNAs (miRNAs) and gene-targets of miRNAs to promote cell senescence. However, the impact of LDL-C on expression of PBMC miRNAs and miRNA targeted genes in response to an atherogenic diet is not known. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2019 Mar 1;163. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Zaans Medisch Centrum, afd. Cardiologie, Zaandam.

Background: Myocardial infarction can be categorized based on ECG-findings (presence or absence of ST-elevations on STEMI/NSTEMI) or on the results from coronary angiography (CAG) (presence or absence of obstructive atherosclerosis). Myocardial infarction without significant obstruction on CAG (Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries/Atherosclerosis; MINOCA) occurs in up to a quarter of patients with myocardial infarcts. These patients have a higher risk of future heart diseases; up to a quarter of MINOCA patients suffer from heart diseases during a median follow-up of four years. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol Suppl 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Medicine III-Lipidology and Center for Extracorporeal Treatment, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.

Patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at a very high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Elevated lipoprotein(a) levels have been shown to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke. More recently elevated lipoprotein(a) levels have also been demonstrated to be associated with prevalent and incident PAD, and even may be a stronger risk factor for PAD compared with CAD. Read More

Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars 2019 Mar;47(2):137-139

Department of Cardiology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.

For long-term patency, a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft is considered the gold standard for left anterior descending artery (LAD) revascularization. Subsequent occlusion of a LIMA graft may be related to atherosclerosis, narrowing at anastomotic locations, fixed torsions within the graft, straight tubular stenosis, dissection, or vasospasm. Late thrombotic occlusion of a LIMA, however, is rare, and the cause is not known, though case reports can be found in the literature. Read More

Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars 2019 Mar;47(2):148-152

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Edson Saad Heart Institute, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

The prevalence of coronary artery disease in young adults (<45 years of age) has been increasing steadily in recent decades. Although traditional cardiovascular risk factors can be identified in most cases, newly recognized associations are becoming progressively more relevant. The relationship between the factor V Leiden mutation and atherosclerosis has been a matter of debate due to conflicting data presented in previous studies. Read More

Compr Physiol 2019 Mar 15;9(2):873-904. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) form a semiselective barrier for macromolecules and cell elements regulated by dynamic interactions between cytoskeletal elements and cell adhesion complexes. ECs also participate in many other vital processes including innate immune reactions, vascular repair, secretion, and metabolism of bioactive molecules. Moreover, vascular ECs represent a unique cell type exposed to continuous, time-dependent mechanical forces: different patterns of shear stress imposed by blood flow in macrovasculature and by rolling blood cells in the microvasculature; circumferential cyclic stretch experienced by the arterial vascular bed caused by heart propulsions; mechanical stretch of lung microvascular endothelium at different magnitudes due to spontaneous respiration or mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2019 28;6:16. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Divisions of Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

As biologic, epidemiologic, and clinical trial data have demonstrated, inflammation is a key driver of atherosclerosis. Circulating biomarkers of inflammation, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events independent of cholesterol and other traditional risk factors. Randomized trials have shown that statins reduce hsCRP, and the magnitude of hsCRP reduction is proportional to the reduction in cardiovascular risk. Read More

Front Genet 2019 28;10:123. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common type of cardiovascular disease and the prime cause of mortality in the aging population worldwide. However, the detail mechanisms and special biomarkers of atherosclerosis remain to be further investigated. Lately, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has attracted much more attention than other types of ncRNAs. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 14;9(1):4548. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.

ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) plays a key role in generating high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and preventing atherosclerosis. ABCA1 exports cholesterol and phospholipid to apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) in serum to generate HDL. We found that streptolysin O (SLO), a cholesterol-dependent pore-forming toxin, barely formed pores in ABCA1-expressing cells, even in the absence of apoA-I. Read More

Haematologica 2019 Mar 14. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

University of Florence;

Systemic lupus erythematosus is frequently associated with antiphospholipid syndrome. Patients with lupus-antiphospholipid syndrome are characterized by recurrent arterial/venous thrombosis, miscarriages, and persistent presence of autoantibodies against phospholipid-binding proteins, such as β2-Glycoprotein I. We investigated the cytokine production induced by β2-Glycoprotein I in activated T cells that infiltrate in vivo atherosclerotic lesions of lupus-antiphospholipid syndrome patients. Read More

J Mol Cell Cardiol 2019 Mar 11;129:231-235. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy; IRCCS MultiMedica, via Milanese 300, 20099, Sesto S. Giovanni, Milano, Italy. Electronic address:

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is recognized as a syndrome including aortic valve diseases and aortic wall alterations, such as aortic dilatation, dissection and rupture, but also coronary atherosclerosis. The current evidence, although partially controversial, suggests that several molecular mechanisms promoting atherosclerosis are activated in BAV patients and are involved in the progression of the related diseases, from aortic stenosis to aortopathies, along with altered hemodynamics. Among these factors, dyslipidemia (i. Read More

Trends Cardiovasc Med 2019 Mar 5. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

School of Medicine, Athens University, Athens, Greece. Electronic address:

Subclinical thyroid dysfunction (STD), presenting as subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo) or subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper), defined as abnormal serum thyrotropin (TSH) and normal free thyroid hormones, is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality. Depending on the degree of such dysfunction, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly atrial fibrillation, characterize both disorders and increase CV and total mortality compared to euthyroid persons. There are some differences in the mechanisms involved in the increased CV risk incurred by each type of STD, with more traditional CV risk factors clustered in SHypo than in SHyper, while the role of the TSH or its absence thereof, together with the respective, even subtle, changes incurred in thyroid hormone concentrations, seem to adversely influence the CV system in both types of STD. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019 Mar 11. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Clinical Laboratory and Hematology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, PR China.

Accelerated atherosclerosis often occurs in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and auto-antibodies to β glycoprotein I (anti-βGPI) are confirmed as pathogenic antibodies to APS. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the conversion of mouse peritoneal macrophages into foam cells could be enhanced by co-existence of βGPI and anti-βGPI IgG, but this phenomenon has not been explored in vivo. Here, we present a mouse model to observe the effect of anti-βGPI IgG in the development of atherosclerosis. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 2. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 4. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Medicine II, Division of Angiology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 2. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Internal Medicine, Laboratory Vascular Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Atherosclerosis 2019 Mar 4. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.

Background And Aims: Type 1 diabetes accelerates the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Retention of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the arterial wall is a causal step in atherogenesis, but it is unknown whether diabetes alters the propensity of LDL for retention. The present study investigated whether LDL from type 1 diabetic and healthy non-diabetic subjects differed in their ability to bind to the arterial wall in a type 1 diabetic mouse model. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Mar;73(10):1170-1172

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Mar;73(10):1149-1169

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; National Nanotechnology Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address:

Background: Eukaryotic cells can respond to diverse stimuli by converging at serine-51 phosphorylation on eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) and activate the integrated stress response (ISR). This is a key step in translational control and must be tightly regulated; however, persistent eIF2α phosphorylation is observed in mouse and human atheroma.

Objectives: Potent ISR inhibitors that modulate neurodegenerative disorders have been identified. Read More

Lipids Health Dis 2019 Mar 14;18(1):62. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Hebei Medical University, No. 361, Zhongshan East Road, Changan District, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.

Background: Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) plays significant roles in atherosclerosis, but the regulatory mechanisms involving lncRNAs remain to be elucidated. Here we sort to identify the role of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in ox-LDL-induced EndMT.

Methods: The atherosclerosis model was established by feeding ApoE mice with high-fat diet, and the levels of lncRNA MALAT1 in mouse arterial tissue were detected by RT-qPCR. Read More

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2019 Mar 15:1-8. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Teikyo Heisei University , Tokyo , Japan.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) leads to atherosclerosis via lectin-like oxidized lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), one of the major receptor for ox-LDL. Inhibition of the binding of ox-LDL to LOX-1 decreases the proinflammatory and atherosclerotic events. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether protamine, a polybasic nuclear protein, interferes the binding of ox-LDL to LOX-1. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2019 Mar 11;113:108767. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.

Background: Chinese traditional medicine Tongxinluo capsule (TXL) has been widely used for cardiovascular diseases. Both clinical and basic studies showed that TXL had effective effects on atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism researches were relatively scattered. Read More