Does NADPH oxidase deficiency cause artery dilatation in humans?

NADPH oxidase is known to modulate the arterial tone, but the role of its specific subunits is still unclear. The objective of this study was to compare the role of p47 and gp91phox (NOX2) on artery dilatation. We conducted a multicenter study enrolling 30 patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) (25 with NOX2 deficiency and 5 with p47(phox) deficiency) and 30 healthy subjects (HS), matched for gender and age, in whom flow-mediated dilation (FMD), serum activity of NOX2 (soluble NOX2-derived peptide [sNOX2-dp]), urinary isoprostanes (8-iso-PGF2α), and platelet production of isoprostanes and NOX2 were determined. Compared to HS, patients with CGD had significantly higher FMD and lower sNOX2-dp and 8-iso-PGF2α levels. Compared to patients with NOX2 deficiency and HS, patients with p47(phox) hereditary deficiency had intermediate FMD and oxidative stress, that is, higher and lower FMD and lower and higher isoprostanes compared to HS and patients with NOX2 deficiency, respectively. In agreement with this finding, an ex vivo study showed higher inhibition of NOX2 activity and lower isoprostane formation in platelets from patients with NOX2 deficiency compared to platelets from ones with p47(phox) deficiency. Our observations lead to the hypothesis that oxidants are implicated in artery vasoconstriction.

Tryptophan/kynurenine metabolism in human leukocytes is independent of superoxide and is fully maintained in chronic granulomatous disease.

In chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), defective phagocytic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity causes reduced superoxide anion (O(2)(·)) radical production leading to frequent infections as well as granulomas and impaired wound healing indicative of excessive inflammation. Based on recent mouse studies, the lack of O(2)(·)-dependent interferon γ (IFNγ)-induced synthesis of kynurenine (kyn), an anti-inflammatory tryptophan metabolite produced by indolamine 2,3 deoxygenase (IDO), was proposed as a cause of hyperinflammation in CGD and this pathway has been considered for clinical intervention. Here, we show that IFNγ induces normal levels of kynurenine in cultures of O(2)(·)-deficient monocytes, dendritic cells, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes from gp91(PHOX)- or p47(PHOX)-deficient human CGD donors. Kynurenine accumulation was dose- and time-dependent as was that of a downstream metabolite, anthranilic acid. Furthermore, urinary and serum levels of kynurenine and a variety of other tryptophan metabolites were elevated rather than suppressed in CGD donors. Although we did not specifically evaluate kyn metabolism in local tissue or inflamed sites in humans, our data demonstrates that O(2)(·) anion is dispensable for the rate-limiting step in tryptophan degradation, and CGD patients do not appear to have either hematopoietic cell or systemic deficits in the production of the anti-inflammatory kynurenine molecule.

Urinary cyclic AMP:creatinine ratio and nephrogenous cyclic AMP as indicators parathyroid functional status.

The clinical utility of the urinary cyclic AMP:creatinine ratio in assessing parathyroid function was evaluated in 33 hypercalcemic patients and compared this with the determination of the renal component of urinary cyclic AMP. We found the discriminatory value of urinary cyclic AMP:creatinine ratio to be slightly superior and to have additional advantages. Not only did the urinary cyclic AMP:creatinine ratio show empirically somewhat better discrimination between normals and patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, but it is technically simpler than the determination of the nephrogenous cyclic AMP. Our urinary cyclic AMP excretion data show 90% discrimination of primary hyperparathyroid subjects from normals. Among all hypercalcemic patients studied who had both elevated urinary cyclic AMP and elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels by radioimmunoassay (RIA), 77% had primary hyperparathyroidism, and 23% had malignancy-associated hypercalcemia. Of those patients with malignant tumors and hypercalcemia, half had elevated urinary cyclic AMP and two thirds had elevated PTH by RIA. These data suggest that these tests have little discriminatory value in differentiating primary hyperparathyroidism from malignancy-associated hypercalcemia. No hypercalcemic patient who had both serum PTH and urine cyclic AMP in the normal range was found to have primary hyperparathyroidism. This suggests that further observation and evaluation is indicated in such patients before exploratory surgery is undertaken.