This study addresses a mechanism by which lymphocytes may promote vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and angiogenesis in immune inflammation. Resting human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) were found to express low levels of VEGF messenger RNA (mRNA) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and ribonuclease protection assay with little or no change in expression ...

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to analyze the behavior of oxidative stress and its interplay with CD40L, a protein that is implicated in atherosclerosis, in hypercholesterolemic children. BACKGROUND Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a major role in premature atherosclerosis. METHODS Forty-one children with hypercholesterolemia (mean age 9.28 +/- 0.5 years) and 40 children wit...

BACKGROUND Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease but the mechanism underlying this association is unclear. These benefits of physical activity might result from its effects on inflammation and endothelial function. AIM We investigated whether cardiorespiratory fitness and the level of physical activity are associated with biomarkers of atherosclerosis in ...

We have examined CD40-dependent signals in endothelial cells (EC) mediating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF-induced angiogenesis. We treated confluent cultures of EC with soluble CD40L (sCD40L), and by Western blot found a marked increase in the phosphorylation of Akt, 4EBP-1, and S6K1, compared with untreated cells. EC were transfected with a full-length VE...

BACKGROUND Interferon gamma release assays, including the QuantiFERON TB Gold In Tube (QFT) have been shown to be accurate in diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. These assays however, do not discriminate between latent TB infection (LTBI) and active TB disease. METHODS We recruited twenty-three pulmonary TB patients and 34 household contacts from Cape Town, South Africa and perfo...

Activated platelets express CD40L on their plasma membrane and release the soluble fragment sCD40L. The interaction between platelet surface CD40L and endothelial cell CD40 leads to the activation of endothelium contributing to atherothrombosis. Few studies have directly demonstrated an increased expression of platelet CD40L in conditions of in vivo platelet activation in humans, and no data ar...

The inhibition of specific flavonoid on the in vitro platelet aggregation induced by collagen, arachidonic acid and thromboxane A2 (TxA2) agonist, seems to be related mostly to their ability to compete for binding to the TxA2 receptor (TP). The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of soy isoflavone and equol in terms of inhibiting the platelet aggregation and sCD40L release stimulated by...

AIMS Because low-grade inflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD), and pro-inflammatory cytokines govern inflammatory cascades, this study aimed to assess the associations of several pro-inflammatory cytokines and CHD risk in a new prospective study, including meta-analysis of prospective studies. METHODS AND RESULTS Interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-18, matrix me...

The presence in serum of parietal cell autoantibodies (PCA) is a characteristic of autoimmune gastritis. We determined the prevalence of PCA in the general population and investigate their association with type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and lifestyle factors related with autoimmune gastritis. A cross-sectional study was performed, involving 429 individuals enrolled in a cohort study of the...

HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-associated dementia (HAD) is believed to occur due to aberrant activation of monocyte-derived macrophages and brain-resident microglial cells by viral proteins as well as by the proinflammatory mediators released by infected cells. To investigate the inflammatory aspects of the disease, we examined the levels of soluble CD40L (sCD40L) in paired samples of plasma and cerebrosp...