Association of serum resistin with cystatin C and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio in elderly Chinese men with essential hypertension.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Resistin, a recently discovered proinflammatory cytokine, has been strongly linked to kidney dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of serum resistin with serum cystatin C (sCysC) and albuminuria, two sensitive endogenous markers of renal function, in elderly male patients with essential hypertension (EH). STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study enrolling 296 Chinese men (age ≥60 years, mean age 81.42 years) diagnosed with EH between January 2008 and May 2011. Renal function was assessed by measurement of sCysC levels and albuminuria (calculated as the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR)). Serum resistin and selected metabolic and cardiovascular markers were determined by serological testing. Relationships between serum resistin levels and sCysC levels and uACR were analysed using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the serum resistin level was positively associated with the sCysC level and uACR (ß(uACR)=0.132, p(uACR)=0.002; ß(sCysC)=0.015, p(sCysC)=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that a raised serum resistin level is a potential indicator of renal dysfunction in elderly patients with EH. Resistin may be explored as a potential biomarker in addition to sCysC and uACR to provide a more accurate diagnosis of renal damage in elderly men with EH.

Serum cystatin C and indices of lung function in elderly Chinese men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional case-control study was to determine the relationship between serum cystatin C (sCysC) levels and lung function in elderly male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: This study included 251 Chinese men (age ≥ 65 years) who were divided into COPD (n = 129) and non-COPD (n = 122) groups. Participants underwent lung function and laboratory testing, including measurement of sCysC levels. Relationships between sCysC concentration and indices of lung function were assessed by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Participants in the COPD group displayed higher sCysC concentrations (P = 0.041) and lower lung function (P < 0.001) compared to participants in the non-COPD group. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the reciprocal of the sCysC concentration (1/sCysC) was positively associated with the predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s in all subjects (ß = 0.156, P = 0.009). The findings indicate that high sCysC levels were directly associated with decreased lung function in elderly Chinese men with COPD. CONCLUSIONS: High sCysC concentration may be a potential indicator of impaired lung function, and its application may improve the diagnosis and assessment of COPD severity in elderly male patients.

Association between thrombelastography system and thromboembolic and bleeding events in Chinese aged people.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to obtain the knowledge about TEG indexes distribution in Chinese aged people, as well as to test the hypothesis that previous TEG indexes are associated with the subsequent thromboembolic and bleeding events in the aged population. METHODS: We conducted a two-year follow-up study in Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China. 403 aged people were enrolled in our study. They received TEG measurements at least once when they entered this study. We collected their demographical characteristics, clinical examination information and their outcome during their observational period. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationship between the four indexes from TEG and the outcome via a pathway of indicator. RESULTS: We found that in the "model of bleeding" (adjusted by confounding of Anticoagulants), the model fit indices with chi-square/df = 9.555/7, CFI was 0.997, TLI was 0.994 and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) was 0.034; while in the "model of thromboembolic events" (adjusted by confounding of Anticoagulants), the model fit indices with chi-square/df = 6.070/7, CFI was1.000, TLI was 1.002 and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) was 0.000. The "model of thromboembolic events" showed that the four indexes (R, K, MA and ANGLE) were all significantly associated with thromboembolic events, while this significance was not found in the "model of bleeding". CONCLUSIONS: Previous TEG indexes are significantly associated with the subsequent thromboembolic events in the aged population. Future study can test this association and provide more information for the clinical use.

[Effects of extracellular calcium concentration on platelets aggregation, coagulation indices and thromboelastography].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the effect of extracellular Ca2+ concentrations on test results of coagulation-related parameters. METHODS: Blood samples of outpatient medical volunteers were collected and then different doses of calcium chloride added. The rate of platelet aggregation (n = 42), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (n = 21) and parameters of thromboelastography (n = 30) were detected according to the standard protocols by plasma turbidimetry, coagulation and recalcification respectively. RESULTS: When the plasma Ca2+ concentration was in the range of 0.1 - 33.7 mmol/L, the rate of platelet aggregation gradually increased with a increasing concentration of Ca2+. And the rates induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and arachidonic acid (AA) were (51.8 +/- 9.6)% - (94.7 +/- 4.8)% and (64.4 +/- 12.2)% - (93.2 +/- 5.5)% respectively. When the Ca2+ concentration was 39.0 mmol/L, the rate decreased markedly [ADP (9.1 +/- 5.3)%, AA (11.1 +/- 4.5)%, both P < 0.01]. When the Ca2+ concentration was in the range of 0.1 - 33.7 mmol/L, the values of PT gradually increased with a increasing concentration of Ca2+. The values of TT changed in "V"-type and became minimum when the calcium concentration was 4.4 mmol/L. The values of APTT decreased with higher calcium concentrations and could not be determined when the concentration increased above 0.5 mmol/L. When the Ca2+ concentration was in the range of 0.4 - 27.3 mmol/L, the values of reaction time and coagulation time of thromboelastography changed in "V"-type and became nearly minimal at the Ca2+ concentration of about 2.1 mmol/L. The values of alpha angle and maximum amplitude changed in "V"-type and became maximal at the Ca2+ concentration of 2.1 mmol/L. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of Ca2+ concentration on the testing results of coagulation-related parameters is significant. A high calcium ( > or = 39 mmol/L) can inhibit the platelet aggregation, coagulation factor activity and blood coagulation. The Ca2+ concentration of 2.1 mmol/L seems to be the optimal concentration for thromboelastography by recalcification method.

[Identification of asthenozoospermia-associated proteins in human seminal plasma by shotgun proteomic strategy].

OBJECTIVE: To identify asthenozoospermia-associated proteins in seminal plasma by the shotgun proteomic strategy. METHODS: Six seminal plasma samples were collected by Percoll respectively from healthy fertile and asthenozoospermia volunteers, balanced, mixed, and then the mixture was separated by SDS-PAGE. The proteins in the gel were enzymolyzed, extracted and identified by the shotgun proteomic strategy. The identified proteins with the unique peptide count > or =2 or the unique peptide count=1 but the total count > or =4 were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 172 differential proteins were identified, of which, 89 were exclusively from the asthenozoospermia and 83 exclusively from the healthy fertile men. According to the molecular function, these differential proteins were mainly the types of signal transduction and catalytic activity. CONCLUSION: Functionally, 10 of the proteins are particularly important, which include annexin VI isoform 2, isoform 1 of interleukin-6 receptor subunit beta precursor, Mr 400,000 protein, cytosolic dynein heavy chain, alpha-actinin-4, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase eta precursor, vitamin D-binding protein precursor, protein S100-A11, protein S100-A9 and ANXA4.

[Identification of differential proteins in the seminal plasma of healthy fertile and non-obstructive azoospermia men by shotgun proteomic strategy].

OBJECTIVE: To identify differential proteins in the seminal plasma of healthy fertile men and non-obstructive azoospermia patients by the shotgun proteomic strategy. METHODS: Six seminal plasma samples from 3 healthy fertile and 3 non-obstructive azoospermia volunteers were collected by Percoll isolation, balanced-mixed, and followed by separation of the mixture by SDS-PAGE. The proteins were subjected to in-gel enzymolysis and isolation of peptide fragments, and then identified by the shotgun proteomic strategy. Then comparative analyses were made between the two groups on the identified proteins with the unique peptide count > or = 2 and = 1 but with the peptide count > or = 4. RESULTS: A total of 213 differential proteins were identified, 133 in the non-obstructive azoospermia patients and 80 in the healthy fertile men. According to the molecular function, these differential proteins mainly fell into the types of signal transduction, cytoskeleton and catalytic activity, especially oxidoreductase activity in the latter type. Eighteen of the differential proteins were found to be of particular significance, including dynein heavy chain, fatty acid synthase, and tubulin alpha-6 chain. CONCLUSION: The differential proteins identified in this study were many in number and various in function, which not only demonstrated the value of the shotgun proteomic strategy in protein identification, but also suggested the complicated pathogenesis and varied types of non-obstructive azoospermia. The samples must be selected strictly based on their gene and histological types. Non-obstructive azoospermia was shown to be related with the M phase of the mitotic cell cycle at the protein level, but its specific mechanism remains unknown.

[Identification of proteins in the seminal plasma of healthy fertile men by shotgun proteomic strategy].

OBJECTIVE: To identify proteins in the seminal plasma of healthy fertile men. METHODS: Three seminal plasma samples were collected from healthy fertile volunteers by Percoll isolation, and then the balanced mixture of the seminal plasma was separated by SDS-PAGE. The proteins in the gel band underwent enzymoloysis, and was extracted and identified by shotgun proteomic strategy. RESULTS: A total of 331 proteins were identified, with the molecular weight (MW) ranging from 8 000 to 572 068 and the isoelectric point (pI) from 4.36 to 11.05. Based on the molecular function and biological process of the proteins, 51 (15.4%) were classified as transport proteins, 11 (3.32%) as cell movement proteins, 63 (19.03%) as signal transduction proteins, 147 (44.4%) as proteases, 38 (11.5%) as enzyme regulator proteins, 21 (6.3%) as programmed cell death proteins, 12 (3.62%) as structural proteins and 59 (17.8%) as proteins with unknown molecular function. CONCLUSION: Shotgun proteomic strategy is a good method for protein identification. Annexin A, Annexin-associated proteins and the Ras-related protein Rab were the major members of the signal transducer proteins identified. Ca2+ and G protein signal pathways may play a most important role in the extracellular signal transduction into cells, but the interactions between these proteins remain unknown. The great quantity of enzymes and enzyme regulator proteins identified in the seminal plasma may be closely related with the maintenance of sperm motility and metabolism.