Erythrocyte oxidative stress and thrombosis.

Thrombosis is a common disorder with a relevant burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly among elderly patients. Growing evidence demonstrated a direct role of oxidative stress in thrombosis, with various cell types contributing to this process. Among them, erythrocytes produce high quantities of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NADPH oxidase activation and haemoglobin autoxidation. Concomitantly, extracellular ROS released by other cells in the blood flow can be uptaken and accumulate within erythrocytes. This oxidative milieu can alter erythrocyte membrane structure, leading to an impaired erythrocyte function, and promoting erythrocytes lysis, binding to endothelial cells, activation of platelet and of coagulation factors, phosphatidylserine exposure and release of microvesicles. Moreover, these abnormal erythrocytes are able to adhere to the vessel wall, contributing to thrombin generation within the thrombus. This process results in accelerated haemolysis and in a hypercoagulable state, in which structurally impaired erythrocytes contribute to increase thrombus size, to reduce its permeability and susceptibility to lysis. However, the wide plethora of mechanisms by which oxidised erythrocytes contribute to thrombosis is not completely elucidated. This review discusses the main biochemical aspects linking erythrocytes, oxidative stress and thrombosis, addressing their potential implication for clinical and therapeutic management.

Neutrophil-mediated mechanisms of damage and in-vitro protective effect of colchicine in non-vascular Behçet's syndrome.

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic vasculitis with several clinical manifestations. Neutrophil hyperactivation mediates vascular BS pathogenesis, via both a massive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) release. Here, we investigated neutrophil-mediated mechanisms of damage in non-vascular BS manifestations and explored the in-vitro effects of colchicine in counteracting these mechanisms. NETs and intracellular ROS production was assessed in blood samples from 80 BS patients (46 with active non-vascular BS, 34 with inactive disease) and 80 healthy controls. Moreover, isolated neutrophils were incubated for 1 h with an oxidating agent [2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride; 250 nM] and the ability of pure colchicine pretreatment (100 ng/ml) to counteract oxidation-induced damage was assessed. Patients with active non-vascular BS showed remarkably increased NET levels [21.2, interquartile range (IQR) = 18.3-25.9 mU/ml] compared to patients with inactive disease (16.8, IQR = 13.3-20.2 mU/ml) and to controls (7.1, IQR = 5.1-8.7 mU/ml, p < 0.001]. Also, intracellular ROS tended to increase in active BS, although not significantly. In active non-vascular BS, NETs correlated with neutrophil ROS production (p < 0.001) and were particularly increased in patients with active mucosal (p < 0.001), articular (p = 0.004) and gastrointestinal symptoms (p = 0.006). In isolated neutrophils, colchicine significantly reduced oxidation-induced NET production and cell apoptosis, although not via an anti-oxidant activity. Neutrophil-mediated mechanisms might be directly involved in non-vascular BS, and NETs, more than ROS, might drive the pathogenesis of mucosal, articular and intestinal manifestations. Colchicine might be effective in counteracting neutrophils-mediated damage in BS, although further studies are needed.

Analytical evaluation of direct bicarbonate measurement with the new gem premier chemstat in hemodialysis patients.

GEM Premier ChemSTAT is a whole-blood analyzer designed for providing a rapid basic metabolic panel, inclusive of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, with the unique characteristic of providing measured bicarbonate (HCO3-) levels. The aim of this work was to evaluate the clinical performance of HCO3- assessment with this analyser in a real-life hemodialysis setting. Imprecision was calculated at different HCO3- levels, along with assay comparison with Gem Premier 4000 analysers. GEM Premier ChemSTAT displayed an imprecision and a bias (in comparison to GEM Premier 4000) for HCO3- of 0.4% and 37.3% at 20.8 mmol/L, 1.2% and 25.6% at 16.4 mmol/L, and 2.1% and 11.6% at 11.5 mmol/L, respectively, using three levels of HCO3- quality control sample ChemSTAT System Evaluator. At direct comparison with the GEM Premier 4000 in the hemodialysis setting, Bland-Altman analysis of HCO3- levels evidenced a bias (µ) of -4.9 (95% CI, -5.2 to -4.7) mmol/L. Such difference was attenuated by recalculating the GEM ChemSTAT expected HCO3- values from pH and pCO2 using the Henderson Hasselbach equation, µ=-0.07 (95%CI, -0.19 to 0.05) mmol/L (p = .24). In conclusion, our results show a remarkable difference between the HCO3- values reported by GEM ChemSTAT or GEM 4000. New reference values for GEM ChemSTAT HCO3- shall hence be defined according to our findings. We suggest that further investigation and a re-evaluation of the reference range should be made before extending the clinical use of this device.

Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Identifies Four New Disease-Specific Risk Loci.

RATIONALE: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a complex disease with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Together, 6 previously identified risk loci only explain a small proportion of the heritability of AAA. OBJECTIVE: To identify additional AAA risk loci using data from all available genome-wide association studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: Through a meta-analysis of 6 genome-wide association study data sets and a validation study totaling 10 204 cases and 107 766 controls, we identified 4 new AAA risk loci: 1q32.3 (SMYD2), 13q12.11 (LINC00540), 20q13.12 (near PCIF1/MMP9/ZNF335), and 21q22.2 (ERG). In various database searches, we observed no new associations between the lead AAA single nucleotide polymorphisms and coronary artery disease, blood pressure, lipids, or diabetes mellitus. Network analyses identified ERG, IL6R, and LDLR as modifiers of MMP9, with a direct interaction between ERG and MMP9. CONCLUSIONS: The 4 new risk loci for AAA seem to be specific for AAA compared with other cardiovascular diseases and related traits suggesting that traditional cardiovascular risk factor management may only have limited value in preventing the progression of aneurysmal disease.

Role of Biological Markers for Cerebral Bleeding Risk STRATification in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation on Oral Anticoagulants for Primary or Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke (Strat-AF Study): Study Design and Methodology.

Background and Objectives: In anticoagulated atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, the validity of models recommended for the stratification of the risk ratio between benefits and hemorrhage risk is limited. Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) represents the pathologic substrate for primary intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke. We hypothesize that biological markers-both circulating and imaging-based-and their possible interaction, might improve the prediction of bleeding risk in AF patients under treatment with any type of oral anticoagulant. Materials and Methods: The Strat-AF study is an observational, prospective, single-center hospital-based study enrolling patients with AF, aged 65 years or older, and with no contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), referring to Center of Thrombosis outpatient clinic of our University Hospital for the management of oral anticoagulation therapy. Recruited patients are evaluated by means of a comprehensive protocol, with clinical, cerebral MRI, and circulating biomarkers assessment at baseline and after 18 months. The main outcome is SVD progression-particularly microbleeds-as a selective surrogate marker of hemorrhagic complication. Stroke occurrence (ischemic or hemorrhagic) and the progression of functional, cognitive, and motor status will be evaluated as secondary outcomes. Circulating biomarkers may further improve predictive potentials. Results: Starting from September 2017, 194 patients (mean age 78.1 ± 6.7, range 65-97; 61% males) were enrolled. The type of AF was paroxysmal in 93 patients (48%), and persistent or permanent in the remaining patients. Concerning the type of oral anticoagulant, 57 patients (29%) were on vitamin K antagonists, and 137 (71%) were on direct oral anticoagulants. Follow-up clinical evaluation and brain MRI are ongoing. Conclusions: The Strat-AF study may be an essential step towards the exploration of the role of a combined clinical biomarker or multiple biomarker models in predicting stroke risk in AF, and might sustain the incorporation of such new markers in the existing stroke prediction schemes by the demonstration of a greater incremental value in predicting stroke risk and improvement in clinical outcomes in a cost-effective fashion.

Association of rs1466535 LRP1 but not rs3019885 SLC30A8 and rs6674171 TDRD10 gene polymorphisms with abdominal aortic aneurysm in Italian patients.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, a large genome-wide association study in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and control subjects identified nine loci associated with AAA. Besides the significant association of the rs1466535 single nucleotide polymorphism in the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 gene (LRP1), two of eight remaining loci, rs6674171 in the tudor domain containing protein 10 (TDRD10) and rs3019885 in solute carrier family 30 zinc transporter member 8 (SLC30A8) gene, showed a weakly significant association with AAA requiring further attention. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the role of these three polymorphisms in conferring AAA genetic susceptibility. METHODS: We studied these three polymorphisms in 423 patients and 423 sex- and age-comparable control subjects from Italy. All subjects were genotyped with the use of the real-time TaqMan approach. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factor and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was used to estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for AAA risk. RESULTS: The prevalence of carriers of the rs3019885 SLC30A8 G allele was higher in control subjects (67.8%) than in patients (60.3%, P = .022), suggesting a protective effect for AAA. The prevalence of carriers of the rs1466535 LRP1 T allele was higher in patients (51.8%) than in control subjects (39.7%, P = .0004), suggesting a risk effect for AAA. rs6674171 polymorphism genotype distribution did not differ between AAA patients and control subjects. In the multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for traditional AAA risk factors, only the rs1466535 polymorphism remained significantly associated with AAA (odds ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.84; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the role as significant and independent susceptibility factor for AAA of the rs1466535 LRP1 polymorphism (T allele) in an Italian population. Nevertheless, our findings consistently differed from previous published data because in the genome-wide association study, the risk allele was the most frequent rs1466535 C allele. Our findings are consistent with literature data of LRP1 knock-out mice developing atherosclerotic lesions and aortic dilatation and association of the T allele with reduced LRP1 gene expression in humans. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our work supports the evidence that the T allele of the rs1466535 LRP1 polymorphism is an independent risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Our findings are consistent with literature data of Lrp1 knock-out mice developing atherosclerotic lesions and aortic dilatation, and association of the T allele with reduced LRP1 gene expression in humans. These data could have a crucial role for developing future diagnostic or prognostic scores based on biohumoral, clinical, genetic, proteomic, and imaging data to be applied in everyday clinical practice in order to improve the management of these high-risk patients in consideration of their characteristics and pathophysiological complexity.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 gene polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to abdominal aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Previous data showed decreased low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) gene expression in peripheral blood cells of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients and an association between decreased expression of LRP5 and increased lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels in AAA. LRP5 gene is involved in bone, lipid, and glucose metabolism, and experimental studies showed that atherosclerotic lesions of ApoE:LRP5 double knockout mice were ~threefold greater than those in ApoE-knockout mice and were characterized by features of advanced atherosclerosis, with remarkable accumulation of foam cells and destruction of the internal elastic lamina. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of polymorphisms in LRP5 gene in determining genetic susceptibility to AAA. METHODS: A total of 423 AAA patients and 423 controls comparable for sex and age were genotyped for seven polymorphisms within the LRP5 (rs667126, rs3736228, rs4988300, rs3781590, rs312016, rs556442, rs627174) by TaqMan approach. RESULTS: Two polymorphisms were significantly associated with AAA: rs4988300, carriers of the T allele in AAA (74.0% vs 65.3% in controls; P = .007); and rs3781590, carriers of the T allele in AAA (66.5% vs 57.4% in controls; P =.009). At the multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking habit, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rs4988300 and rs3781590 polymorphisms remained significant and independent determinants of AAA (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.02-2.56; P = .040, and OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.17-2.85; P = .008, respectively). We confirmed that AAA patients had significantly higher Lp(a) levels than control subjects (180.0 mg/L vs 107.6 mg/L; P < .0001). The prevalence of patients with Lp(a) levels ≥ 300 mg/L was significantly higher in patient carriers of the rs4988300 T allele than in wild-type patients (42.6% vs 30.8%; P = .048). CONCLUSIONS: Present data have identified rs4988300 and rs3781590 LPR5 polymorphisms as independent genetic markers of AAA and underlined the need to concentrate our effort in studying the role of these markers in AAA and of LRP5 gene in Lp(a) catabolism and AAA pathophysiology.

SIRT1 and thrombosis.

Thrombosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a complex and multifactorial pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown that SIRT1, a member of the sirtuin family of NAD + -dependent deacetylases, plays a crucial role in regulating thrombosis, modulating key pathways including endothelial activation, platelet aggregation, and coagulation. Furthermore, SIRT1 displays anti-inflammatory activity both in vitro, in vivo and in clinical studies, particularly via the reduction of oxidative stress. On these bases, several studies have investigated the therapeutic potential of targeting SIRT1 for the prevention of thrombosis. This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of the main preclinical and clinical studies and of the current understanding of the role of SIRT1 in thrombosis.

Association Between Motor and Cognitive Performances in Elderly With Atrial Fibrillation: Strat-AF Study.

Background/Objective: Growing evidence suggests a close relationship between motor and cognitive abilities, but possible common underlying mechanisms are not well-established. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with reduced physical performance and increased risk of cognitive decline. The study aimed to assess in a cohort of elderly AF patients: (1) the association between motor and cognitive performances, and (2) the influence and potential mediating role of cerebral lesions burden. Design: Strat-AF is a prospective, observational study investigating biological markers for cerebral bleeding risk stratification in AF patients on oral anticoagulants. Baseline cross-sectional data are presented here. Setting: Thrombosis outpatient clinic (Careggi University Hospital). Participants: One-hundred and seventy patients (mean age 77.7 ± 6.8; females 35%). Measurements: Baseline protocol included: neuropsychological battery, motor assessment [Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and walking speed], and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) used for the visual assessment of white matter hyperintensities, lacunar and non-lacunar infarcts, cerebral microbleeds, and global cortical and medial temporal atrophies. Results: Mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total score was 21.9 ± 3.9, SPPB total score 9.5 ± 2.2, and walking speed 0.9 ± 0.2. In univariate analyses, both SPPB and walking speed were significantly associated with MoCA (r = 0.359, r = 0.372, respectively), visual search (r = 0.361, r = 0.322), Stroop (r = -0.272, r = -0.263), short story (r = 0.263, r = 0.310), and semantic fluency (r = 0.311, r = 0.360). In multivariate models adjusted for demographics, heart failure, physical activity, and either stroke history (Model 1) or neuroimaging markers (Model 2), both SPPB and walking speed were confirmed significantly associated with MoCA (Model 1: ß = 0.256, ß = 0.236; Model 2: ß = 0.276, ß = 0.272, respectively), visual search (Model 1: ß = 0.350, ß = 0.313; Model 2: ß = 0.344, ß = 0.307), semantic fluency (Model 1: ß = 0.223, ß = 0.261), and short story (Model 2: ß = 0.245, ß = 0.273). Conclusions: In our cohort of elderly AF patients, a direct association between motor and cognitive functions consistently recurred using different evaluation of the performances, without an evident mediating role of cerebral lesions burden.

Role of rs1466535 low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) gene polymorphism in carotid artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: An association between rs1466535 low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) gene polymorphism and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was recently demonstrated. It has not yet been defined if this association is specific for AAA or related to atherosclerosis per se. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the role of the rs1466535 polymorphism in conferring genetic susceptibility for carotid artery stenosis (CAS). METHODS: The rs1466535 polymorphism was evaluated in n = 814 patients with CAS and n = 814 subjects without evidence of carotid atherosclerosis by TaqMan technology. RESULTS: The percentage of T allele rs1466535 carriers was significantly higher in CAS patients (49.3%) than in controls (43.9%, p = 0.032). At the multiple logistic regression analysis, the allele T carrier status did not remain a significant determinant of CAS. CONCLUSIONS: The rs1466535 LRP1 polymorphism is not a significant and independent risk factor for CAS. Our result suggests this polymorphism in the LRP1 gene is not associated with atherosclerosis in general as it is not associated with CAS (this study), whereas it is strictly associated with AAA (our previous paper).

Pharmacogenetics of clopidogrel: comparison between a standard and a rapid genetic testing.

AIMS: CYP2C19 variant alleles are independent predictors of clopidogrel response variability and occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events in high-risk vascular patients on clopidogrel therapy. Increasing evidence suggests a combination of platelet function testing with CYP2C19 genetic testing may be more effective in identifying high-risk individuals for alternative antiplatelet therapeutic strategies. A crucial point in evaluating the use of these polymorphisms in clinical practice, besides test accuracy, is the cost of the genetic test and rapid availability of the results. One hundred acute coronary syndrome patients were genotyped for CYP2C19*2,*3,*4,*5, and *17 polymorphisms with two platforms: Verigene(®) and the TaqMan(®) system. RESULTS: Genotyping results obtained by the classical TaqMan approach and the rapid Verigene approach showed a 100% concordance for all the five polymorphisms investigated. The Verigene system had shorter turnaround time with respect to TaqMan. The cost of reagents for TaqMan genotyping was lower than that for the Verigene system, but the effective manual staff involvement and the relative cost resulted in higher cost for TaqMan than for Verigene. CONCLUSIONS: The Verigene system demonstrated good performance in terms of turnaround time and cost for the evaluation of the clopidogrel poor metabolizer status, giving genetic information in suitable time (206 min) for a therapeutic strategy decision.