Angiogenesis and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in adults with metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and fatal cardiovascular events. Angiogenesis is thought to contribute to this risk as it might be involved in the progression of atherosclerotic plaques. We investigated the levels of circulating biomarkers of angiogenesis and cardiovascular risk in adults with MetSyn and assessed their association with established metabolic risk factors. DESIGN: The Genetic Park project is a highly inclusive cross-sectional survey (about 80% of residents) conducted in three isolated populations in Southern Italy. A total of 1000 men and women (age range: 18-98 years) were included in the analysis. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were recorded. Metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers included glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, vascular endothelial growth factor, placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). RESULT: Subjects with MetSyn had higher levels of PlGF and NT-proBNP after adjustment for age, smoking and body mass index. Circulating levels of PlGF, hs-TnT and NT-proBNP were directly related to the number of criteria of MetSyn, and this association interacted with gender. There was a strong correlation between ageing and cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in circulating levels of biomarkers of angiogenesis and cardiac function in subjects with MetSyn mirrors the pathophysiological changes occurring in the cardiovascular system. Over time, these changes might accelerate the formation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques and contribute significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risk.

Purification and characterization of a human sialoglycoprotein antigen expressed in immature thymocytes and fetal tissues.

The monoclonal antibody UN1 was previously produced in our laboratory on the basis of selective reactivity with human thymocytes and has been classified as unclustered by the 5th and 6th International Workshop and Conference on Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens. The antigen recognized by mAb UN1 was found to be expressed on the cell surface of immature human thymocytes, a subpopulation of peripheral T lymphocytes and on several fetal tissues including thymus. The UN1 antigen is purified from children's thymus by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. Two-dimensional electrophoresis shows that the purified antigen displays microheterogeneity appearing as multiple spots over a pI range 4.4-5.0 at 100-120 kDa. Treatment with neuraminidase results in a retarded migration in SDS-PAGE, an increase in isoelectric point and a reduction in carbohydrate content, indicating a substantial content of sialic acid. Glycosidase digestion and lectin-binding analysis indicate that the carbohydrate residues are essentially O-linked. A preliminary analysis has detected the UN1 antigen in human breast carcinoma tissues but not in normal breast. The biochemical features and the pattern of expression of the UN1 antigen indicate that this molecule may have the characteristics typical of the family of cell-membrane-associated mucin-like glycoproteins; a number of these molecules are thought to have a role in cell-cell interaction, tumor progression and metastasis.