SH3YL1 protein as a novel biomarker for diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Oxidative stress contributes to development of diabetic nephropathy. We implicated SH3YL1 in oxidative stress-induced inflammation and examined whether SH3YL1 could be used as a new biomarker of diabetic nephropathy. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we investigated the relationship between plasma level of SH3YL1 and diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, we examined the physiological role of SH3YL1 in db/db mice and cultured podocytes. Plasma SH3YL1 concentration was significantly higher in patients with diabetes than in controls, even in normoalbuminuric patients, and was markedly increased in the macroalbuminuria group. Plasma SH3YL1 level was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure, HOMA-IR, postprandial blood glucose, plasma level of retinol binding protein 4 (RBP 4), and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and was inversely correlated with BMI. Regression analysis showed that plasma level of RBP 4, UAE, and BMI were the only independent determinants of plasma SH3YL1 concentration. In db/db mice, plasma and renal SH3YL1 levels were significantly increased in mice with diabetes compared with control mice. In cultured podocytes, high glucose and angiotensin II stimuli markedly increased SH3YL1 synthesis. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that plasma level of SH3YL1 offers a promising new biomarker for diabetic nephropathy.

Caregiver health: health of caregivers of Alzheimer's and other dementia patients.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and is a significant public health problem that will intensify as the population ages. The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) present a significant burden to patients, their families, and their caregivers. The majority of care is provided at home by family caregivers. Caring for a person with AD and other dementias is associated with significant risk to the caregiver's health and well-being. Healthcare providers must recognize that family caregivers often present as secondary patients. Given the importance of these caregivers to patients with AD and other dementias, it is vital to understand the risk factors that impact caregiver health and well-being. Non-pharmacological interventions can reduce the negative impact of caregiver burden on caregiver health, reduce premature institutionalization of patients, and improve quality of life for patients, their families, and their caregivers. This article summarizes recent relevant research concerning AD and dementia caregiver health and psychosocial interventions.

Determination of polyphenols in three Capsicum annuum L. (bell pepper) varieties using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: their contribution to overall antioxidant and anticancer activity.

A mixture of polyphenol components was isolated from the fruits of C. annuum L. cv. Cupra, C. annuum L. cv. Orange glory, and C. annuum L. cv. ST4712 (CLST), via 70% methanol extraction followed by column chromatography over silica gel. The polyphenol components of the mixture were analyzed via HPLC-MS/MS and compared with the reported data. Three cinnamic acid derivatives and five flavonoid components in the fruits of the three varieties were identified for the first time in this study. The antioxidant activity and anticancer effect of the polyphenol mixtures of the three fruits were determined. The antioxidant and anticancer activities of CLST were substantially higher than those of C. annuum L. cv. Cupra and C. annuum L. cv. Orange glory. The high activities of CLST were attributed to the much higher concentration of quercetin derivatives in CLST.

LOC387715/HTRA1 polymorphisms, smoking and combined effects on exudative age-related macular degeneration in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: This study was to investigate the association of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LOC387715 and HTRA1 with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Korean population and the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in the development of AMD. METHODS: We genotyped two SNPs that are located in the LOC387715 locus (rs10490924) and HTRA1 (rs11200638) in 137 cases of exudative AMD and 187 controls. RESULTS: Both two SNPs were significantly associated with AMD (P = 0.0001). Homozygotes for the risk allele at LOC387715 and HTRA1 had a 3.80-fold and a 4.03-fold increased risk of exudative AMD, respectively, compared with homozygotes for the wild-type allele (P = 0.0001). The joint effects for complement factor H (CFH) Y402H and 10q26 variants indicated an increased risk of exudative AMD. The odds ratios (ORs) of AMD for individuals carrying one-, two- and three-copy risk alleles of CFH Y402H and LOC387715 were 1.08, 3.49 and 3.64, respectively. Also, the combination effect of the CFH Y402H risk alleles with HTRA1 risk alleles was dose-dependent. The interaction analysis between gene and environmental factors showed that among several factors, smoking synergistically increased the susceptibility of AMD for variants of LOC387715 and HTRA1, with OR 8.33 (3.05-22.74) and OR 8.50 (3.07-23.51), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the significant association of the 10q26 SNPs (HTRA1 and LOC387715) in an AMD cohort from Korea and was consistent with previous studies from other populations. Also, a statistically significant interaction between genetic and environmental factors was found.