Clinical utility of serum cystatin C in predicting coronary artery disease in patients without chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Cystatin C has been proposed as a novel marker of renal function and predictor of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of cystatin C level as a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Three hundred and five coronary artery patients were included in this study. Serum cystatin C levels, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and oxidative stress were measured. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the CAD severity score were calculated. RESULTS: Cystatin C was correlated with the CAD severity score (r = 0.631, P < 0.0001) and was significantly elevated in the CAD severity score >50. Every 0.1 mg/l increase in cystatin C, 2 mg/l increase in hs-CRP, 0.2 mmol/l decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 13.7 ml/min decrease in eGFR, and 1.51 µmol/l increase in homocysteine caused a 34, 12, 5, and 22% increase in the risk of having CAD, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cystatin C could be a useful laboratory biochemical marker in predicting the severity of CAD. Cystatin C is associated with biochemical atherosclerosis markers such as CRP and homocysteine.

Evaluation of oxidative stress among coronary diabetics patients.

OBJECTIVES: Determination of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and the total antioxidant status (TAS) and evaluation of inflammation by the use of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) among Tunisian coronary diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured the erythrocyte GPX activity and the plasmatic TAS concentration by colorimetric methods, the apolipoproteins [ApoA1, ApoB], hs-CRP and the fibrinogen by immunonephelometry assays. RESULTS: TAS and GPX were significantly decreased among patients compared to the controls [TAS: 1,14 +/- 0,28 mmol/l vs 1,55 +/- 0,35 mmol/l, GPX: 59,32 +/- 10,72 U/gHb vs 149,19 +/- 30,95 U/gHb]. For the coronary diabetic patients, the TAS is correlated positively with hs-CRP [r= 0,01, p<10(-3)]. Pearson's correlation shows a significantly positive correlation between GPX and TAS among all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of antioxidative defense markers contributes to understanding the effect of stress oxidative on the development, prevention and therapy of cardiovascular disease. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Real time PCR for fast detection of the angiotensinogen polymorphisms.

OBJECTIVE: to develop a rapid and reliable real-time PCR to detect polymorphisms of angiotensinogen (AGT), to compare the two methods of MS-PCR (Mutagenically Separated PCR) and real-time PCR to determine three polymorphisms of the angiotensinogen gene M235T, the A (-6) G and A (-20) C. METHODS: the method of real-time PCR was developed on the PLC Roche LightCycler1 with SYBR Green I. We used two sense primers and a primer nonsense. Detection of polymorphisms of angiotensinogen gene was performed by comparing the melting curves. RESULTS: the DNA samples were analyzed by two methods: real-time PCR and MS-PCR. In our study, no differences were found between the two techniques. DISCUSSION: The real-time PCR is a rapid and reliable method for detecting gene polymorphisms on the AGT M235T, the A (-6) G and A (-20) C. CONCLUSION: this method of real-time PCR is a reliable genetic test, which is fast and cheap and can be used in practice to study particular polymorphisms of AGT gene associated with cardiovascular disease.

Correlation of oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory markers in tunisian coronary artery disease patients.

INTRODUCTION: Oxidative stress is now recognized as being the cause and the consequence of cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVE: The role that oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory markers may play in diabetes and related cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Tunisian coronary diabetic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured the erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPX), the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and the plasmatic total antioxidant status (TAS) concentration by colorimetric methods, the hs-CRP by immunonephelometry assays. RESULTS: TAS and GPX were significantly decreased among patients compared to the controls (1.14 ± 0.28 mmol/l vs 1.55 ± 0.35 mmol/l; 59.32 ± 10.72 U/gHb vs 149.19 ± 30.95 U/gHb). For the diabetic patients, TAS is correlated positively with hs-CRP (r=0.01, p<10(-3)). At the not diabetic subjects, TAS is correlated negatively with the hsCRP. CONCLUSION: Determination of antioxidative defense markers contributes to understanding the effect of stress oxidative on the development and the prevention of cardiovascular disease.