BACKGROUND The association between the lipid profiles level and the incidence and severity of coronary heart disease (CHD) is very pronounced in epidemiological studies, and an inverse relation between physical fitness and the incidence of coronary heart disease has been observed in many studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a soccer match on lipid parameters of profes...

Human Endothelin Converting Enzyme-1 (ECE-1) is a type II integral membrane protein expressed by endothelial cells of the aorta, lungs, ovary and testis. The role of hECE-1 is to convert big endothelin (ET) into small ET-1. This functional ET-1 acts as a vasoconstrictor. It has been implicated in pathophysiology of cardiac diseases including hypertension, vascular hypertrophy and arthrosclerosi...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis expresses two proteins (Cpn60.1 and Cpn60.2) that belong to the chaperonin (Cpn) family of heat shock proteins. Studies have shown that the two proteins have different functional roles in the bacterial life cycle and that Cpn60.2 is essential for cell viability and may be involved in M. tuberculosis pathogenicity. Cpn60.2 does not form a tetradecameric double ring, wh...

Introduction: Renal arterial stenosis (RAS) is a narrowing of the renal artery, usually due to arthrosclerosis, which often diminishes the blood supply to the kidneys and leads to irreversible tissue fibrosis. We have previously shown in a swine model that by six weeks of RAS the stenotic kidney exhibits moderate but significant interstitial fibrosis [5]. Fibrosis threatens the viability of the...

Atherosclerotic heart diseases are universal problems in modern society. Oxidative damage to lipids is a primary cause of atherosclerosis. There are many choices for treatment, but no definite recommendations to prevent the occurrence of the disease. There is a relationship between atherosclerotic risk factors and increased vascular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidized low-dens...

Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor (LOX-1) is a newly identified endothelial cell surface major receptor for oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein. Progression of arthrosclerosis in the donor organ after organ transplantation is a major problem. We hypothesized that ischemia-reperfusion induces LOX-1. After 1 h ischemia of bilateral kidneys plus 3, 6, or 12 h reperfusi...

The goal of this thesis is the conception, development and evaluation of an electrical impedance-based method for the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of arthrosclerosis. To understand basically how the change of tissue parameters on the cellular level can be characterized electrically by impedance spectroscopy, theoretical and experimental investigations based on a single cell/micro hole model...

Background: Patients with rheumatologic diseases have higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Accelerated atherosclerosis and early coronary artery disease have become important causes of death and hospitalization in those patients which may be attributed to metabolic changes in lipids. We aimed to clarify the cardiovascular risk in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JRA), and systemi...

Arsenic, a known human carcinogen, is widely distributed around the world and found in particularly high concentrations in certain regions including Southwestern US, Eastern Europe, India, China, Taiwan and Mexico. Chronic arsenic poisoning affects millions of people worldwide and is associated with increased risk of many diseases including arthrosclerosis, diabetes and cancer. In this study, w...