A Blinded Investigation: Accentuated NK Lymphocyte CD335 (NKp46) Expression Predicts Pregnancy Failures.

AIM: NKp46 is an NK cell receptor uniquely expressed by NK cells and a small subset of innate lymphoid cells. In our previous studies, we suggested a tight connection between the activity of NK cells and the expression of NKp46 and supported the clinical significance of NKp46 expression in NK cells in women with reproductive failures. In this study, we investigated the expression of NKp46 in NK cells in the peripheral blood of women in early pregnancy and analyzed its association with pregnancy loss. METHODS: In a blinded study, we examined blood samples and analyzed the subsequent pregnancy outcomes from 98 early pregnant women (5th-7th week of gestation-w.g.) and 66 women in the 11th-13th week of pregnancy who served as controls. We studied the expression of NKp46 and the levels of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL). The results of aCL were shared with the clinic, while the expression of NKp46 was blinded and not analyzed until the end of the study. RESULTS: A misbalance in the NKp46+NK cells subpopulations was associated with an unfavorable ongoing pregnancy. A decreased level of NKp46high cells (<14%) was strongly associated with miscarriage. A decreased level of the double-bright subpopulation (NKp46hightCD56++) also was a negative prognostic factor for the pregnancy course, but its increased level (>4%) was strongly associated with a successful pregnancy course. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that accentuated levels of NKp46+NK cells lead to a negative prognosis for early pregnancy courses in women.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SINGLE POLYMORPHISM IN THE LOCUS RS17216473 OF THE GENE THAT ENCODES 5-LIPOXYGENASE-ACTIVATING PROTEIN AND RISK OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To study the association between A/A, G/A, A/A genotypes, alleles A, G of the SNP rs17216473 of the gene that encodes ALOX5AP and the risk of myocardial infarction within the Ukrainian population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: PCR in real time and the analysis to discriminate alleles were used. The statistical processing was carried out by χ2 criteria and by χ2 criteria with Yates correction. RESULTS: Results: For the first time the SNP rs17216473 of gene that encodes ALOX5AP has been established to be statistically significantly associated with the risk of myocardial infarction in Ukrainian population. The connection with genotype A/A was opposite to that with genotype G/G. That is, A/A contribution to myocardium infarction has been statistically significant whereas, G/G has been statistically significantly associated with the absence of myocardial infarction. G/A genotype has not been statistically significantly associated with myocardial infarction. It has also been established a statistically significant connection exists between the risk of myocardial infarction and the presence of allele A (minor allele) of the polymorphism. Allele G, however, has a statistically significant association with the absence of myocardial infarction. All humans-homozygotes with the minor allele A had suffered from myocardial infarction. In the control group, humans-homozygotes with the minor allele A were not found. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Summarizing our obtained results, we assume the carriers of G/G genotype to have a minimal risk of myocardial infarction onset, the carriers of G/A genotype to have a moderate risk and the carriers of A/A to have a great risk.

PKC-δ isozyme gene silencing restores vascular function in diabetic rat.

Abstract Background: Endothelium and K+ channel functionality in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) regulates vascular function and is exposed to damage in diabetes. The regulatory enzyme protein kinase C (PKC) is known to play a key role in vascular tone regulation in health and disease. In this study, we evaluated the effect of PKC-δ gene silencing using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) on endothelial dysfunction and acquired potassium channelopathy in vascular SMCs in diabetes. Methods: The experimental design comprised diabetes induction by streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) in rats, RNA interference, isolated aortic ring contractile recordings, whole-cell patch-clamp technique, measurements of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. Animals were killed by cervical dislocation following ketamine (45 mg/kg, i.p.) and xylazine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) anesthesia administration on the third month of diabetes and on the seventh day after intravenous injection of siRNAs. Results: The aortas of diabetic rats demonstrated depressed endothelium-dependent relaxation and integral SMCs outward K+ currents as compared with those of controls. On the seventh day, PKC-δ gene silencing effectively restored K+ currents and increased the amplitude of vascular relaxation up to control levels. An increased level of PKC-δ mRNA in diabetic aortas appeared to be reduced after targeted PKC-δ gene silencing. Similarly, the level of ROS production that was increased in diabetes came back to control values after siRNAs administration. Conclusions: The silencing of PKC-δ gene expression using siRNAs led to restoration of vasodilator potential in rats with diabetes mellitus. It is likely that the siRNA technique can be a good therapeutic tool to normalize vascular function in diabetes.