Assessment of Absorption of Glycated Nail Proteins in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Retinopathy.

Background and objectives: Glycation occurs in a variety of human tissues and organs. Knowledge about the relationship between predictive biochemical factors such as absorption of glycated nail proteins and severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains limited. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of patients with type 2 DM and DR (n = 32) and a control group (n = 28). Each patient underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination. The glycation process in nail clippings was evaluated in stages of in vitro glycation and deglycation stages. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was used to calculate the infrared absorption in the region of interest. The absorption of solutions with nail clippings was evaluated by NanoDrop spectrophotometry. Absorption spectra differences before and after the exposure to fructosamine 3-kinase were compared between DM patients with DR and the control group. Results: The absorption of glycated nail protein greater than 83.00% increased the chance of developing DM and DR (OR = 15.909, 95% CI 3.914-64.660, p < 0.001). Absorption of glycated nail protein by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in patients with DM and DR in vitro glycation was statistically significantly higher than in the control group; also absorption of solution with nails by NanoDrop spectroscopy was statistically significantly higher than in controls in vitro glycation and in vitro deglycation. After exposure to fructosamine 3-kinase, absorption of nail protein in DM + severe/proliferative DR group was statistically significantly lower in comparison with DM + mild/moderate group DR. Conclusions: Evaluation of glycated nail protein could be applied to evaluate the risk of having DM and for long-term observation of DM control.

Association of genetic variants at CETP, AGER, and CYP4F2 locus with the risk of atrophic age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly individuals. The etiology of AMD includes environmental and genetic factors. METHODS: We aimed to determine the association between CETP (rs5882; rs708272; rs3764261; rs1800775; rs2303790), AGER (rs1800624; rs1800625), and CYP4F2 (rs1558139) gene polymorphisms and development of atrophic AMD. About 52 patients with atrophic AMD and 800 healthy control subjects were evaluated. The genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in CETP, AGER, and CYP4F2 was carried out using the real-time-PCR method. RESULTS: Genetic risk models in the analysis of CETP rs5882 revealed statistically significant variables with increased risk of atrophic AMD in the codominant (p < .001), dominant (p < .001), recessive (p < .001), and additive (p < .001) models with the highest 25.4-fold increased risk of atrophic AMD in the codominant model (p < .001). The AGER rs1800625 was associated with a highly increased risk of atrophic AMD in the codominant (p < .001), recessive (p < .001), and additive (p < .001) genetic models. CONCLUSION: We identified two polymorphisms with a higher risk of atrophic AMD (CETP rs5882 and AGER rs1800625).

ABO blood group polymorphism has an impact on prostate, kidney and bladder cancer in association with longevity.

The aim of the present study was to assess the ABO blood group polymorphism association with prostate, bladder and kidney cancer, and longevity. The following data groups were analyzed: Prostate cancer (n=2,200), bladder cancer (n=1,530), renal cell cancer (n=2,650), oldest-old (n=166) and blood donors (n=994) groups. The data on the ABO blood type frequency and odds ratio in prostate cancer patients revealed a significantly higher blood group B frequency (P<0.05); the pooled men and women, separate men bladder cancer risk was significantly associated with the blood group B (P<0.04); however, no such association was identified in the female patients. The blood group O was observed to have a significantly decreased risk of bladder cancer for females (P<0.05). No significance for the ABO blood group type in the studied kidney cancer patients was identified. A comparison of the oldest-old and blood donor groups revealed that blood group A was significantly more frequent and blood type B was significantly rarer in the oldest-olds (P<0.05). The results of the present study indicated that blood type B was associated with the risk of prostate and bladder cancer, and could be evaluated as a determinant in the negative assocation with longevity. Blood types O and A may be positive factors for increasing the oldest-old age likelihood. The clustering analysis by the ABO type frequency demonstrated that the oldest-olds comprised a separate cluster of the studied groups.

SCARB1 rs5888 is associated with the risk of age-related macular degeneration susceptibility and an impaired macular area.

BACKGROUND: Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), a progressive retinal disease, is responsible for an impaired central vision in about 180 million people worldwide. Current options for ARMD prevention and treatment are limited due to an incomplete understanding of disease etiopathogenesis. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the single nucleotide polymorphism rs5888 of SCARB1 gene reflecting lipid and antioxidant micronutrient metabolism pathways is associated with ARMD susceptibility and to evaluate if there is any relation between SCARB1 rs5888 and the macular lesion area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective case-control study included patients with ARMD (n = 215) and the reference group (n = 238) drawn from a random sample of the Lithuanian population (n = 1436). The genotyping test of SCARB1 rs5888 was carried out using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS: Regression analysis adjusted by gender and age demonstrated that SCARB1 rs5888 TT genotype significantly decreased the odds for ARMD development (OR: 0.61, 95%; CI: 0.380-0.981, p = 0.04). A smoking habit and leading an outdoor life are associated with larger macular lesion areas in ARMD patients (0.54 (0.00-39.06) vs. 3.09 (0.02-19.30) and 0.27 (0.00-34.57) vs. 0.75 (0.00-39.06), respectively). In late stage ARMD subjects with CT genotype, the macular lesion area was larger than in TT carriers (7.64 (0.49-39.06) mm2 vs. 5.02 (0.03-37.06) mm2, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: SCARB1 rs5888 and environmental oxidative stress have a prominent role in ARMD susceptibility, early ARMD progression to advanced stage disease and even in the outcome of the disease-an area of macular lesion.

N-carboxymethyllysine as a biomarker for coronary artery disease and age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: An association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) has long been postulated, but exact mechanisms remain unclear. The global prevalence of CAD and ARMD increases and early biomarkers for early diagnosis of these diseases are necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma level of oxidative stress biomarker CML in patients with and without angiographic findings of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries (CADath+ and CADath-, respectively) and to assess if there was an association of CAD with ARMD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study enrolled 233 subjects. Based on cardiologic and ophthalmologic examinations, the patients were divided into four subgroups: CADath+ARMD+, CADath+ARMD-, CADath-ARMD+, and CADath-ARMD-. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for the measurement of plasma CML levels. Serum lipid levels were determined by an automatic analyzer using conventional enzymatic methods. RESULTS: CADath+ patients had higher CML concentration compared to CADath- subjects (1.04±0.6 vs. 0.83±0.4ng/mL, P<0.001). The highest mean CML level (1.12±0.7ng/mL) was found in CADath+ARMD+ patients. The mean plasma CML concentration was higher in subjects with any of the analyzed diseases compared to CADath-ARMD- subjects. A significant positive association of CADath+ (OR=2.50, 95% CI 1.60-3.90, P=0.0001), ARMD (OR=2.08, 95% CI 1.40-3.11, P=0.0001) and both analyzed diseases (OR=4.67, 95% CI 2.29-9.53, P=0.0001) with an increased level of plasma CML in a logistic regression model adjusting by age was identified. CONCLUSIONS: The level of CML, an oxidative stress biomarker, reflects the presence of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries and shows a possible link between ARMD and CADath+ via oxidative status.

SCARB1 single nucleotide polymorphism (rs5888) is associated with serum lipid profile and myocardial infarction in an age- and gender-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Mutation in SCARB1 gene, exon 8 rs5888, has been associated with altered lipid levels and cardiovascular risk in humans though the results have been inconsistent. We analysed the impact of SCARB1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs5888 with plasma lipid profile and association with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a Lithuanian population characterized by high morbidity and mortality from CAD and high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: The study included 1976 subjects from a random sample (reference group) and an myocardial infarction (MI) group of 463 patients. Genotyping of SCARB1 (rs5888) was carried out using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Analysis of rs5888 C/T gene polymorphism in the reference group revealed that male TT genotype carriers (25-74 years) had significantly higher total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (5.70 mmol/l vs. 5.49 mmol/l; p = 0.036, and 1.70 mmol/l vs. 1.40 mmol/l, p = 0.023, respectively) than CT carriers and the oldest males (65-74 years) TT carriers had significantly higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in comparison to heterozygous (1.52 mmol/l vs. 1.36 mmol/l, p = 0.033). The youngest female (25-44 years) TT genotype carriers had significantly lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in comparison to C homozygous (2.59 mmol/l vs. 2.92 mmol/l, p = 0.023). The frequency of the SCARB1 TT genotype in the oldest male MI group (65-74 years) was significantly lower than in the corresponding reference group subjects (9.4% vs. 22.3%, p = 0.006). SCARB1 TT genotype was associated with decreased odds of MI in males aged 65-75 years (OR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.10-0.56, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: SCARB1 polymorphism is associated with lipid metabolism and CAD in an age- and gender- dependent manner. Analysis of SCARB1 SNP rs5888 C/T genotypes revealed an atheroprotective phenotype of lipid profile in older men and in young women TT genotype carriers in the reference group. SCARB1 TT genotype was associated with decreased odds of MI in aged men.

Ultrasonic measurement of ocular rectus muscle thickness in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in extraocular muscle thickness and to assess its correlation with the degree of proptosis in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 242 patients (207 females and 35 males) with Graves' ophthalmopathy were enrolled into the study (GO group). Their mean age was 53.83±14.49 years. In addition, we examined an age-matched (53.51±12.79 years) control group of 40 healthy persons. All the participants underwent ophthalmological examination, including eye protrusion measurement and ultrasonographic evaluation of extraocular muscles thickness. RESULTS: The mean exophthalmos in the GO and control groups was 17.84±2.79 mm and 16.0±1.58 mm, respectively. The enlargement of inferior rectus muscle was recorded in 92.1% of patients, lateral rectus muscle in 81.2%, and medial rectus muscle in 50.8% (P<0.001). A significant correlation between exophthalmos and muscle thickness sum was found in the GO group (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.515; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Graves' ophthalmopathy is more frequent in medium-aged women than men. A significant enlargement of inferior, lateral, and medial straight muscles was noticed in the GO group. With increasing proptosis, the sum of the muscle thickness was increasing, and exophthalmos moderately correlated with muscle thickness sum.

[Associations between color perception and optic nerve disk drusen]. / Regos nervo disko druzu sasajos su spalvu jusle.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the association between color perception determined by maximum color contrast sensitivity and Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue tests and visual acuity in the presence of optic nerve disk drusen. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-control study, including 137 persons, was performed. Thirty-seven patients (67 eyes) with optic nerve disk drusen and 100 healthy controls (200 eyes) were examined. For visual acuity testing, a typical Snellen chart (the direction of the gap in Landolt C) was used. A computerized Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test and maximum color contrast sensitivity programs were used for color discrimination. RESULTS: The results of maximum color contrast sensitivity test, and the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test were better in healthy controls than patients (1.94 ± 0.66 vs. 2.2 ± 0.85, P=0.02; 94.1 ± 53.9 vs. 120.6 ± 61, P=0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the presence of optic nerve disk drusen was associated with decreased perception of colors.