TY - JOUR A1 - Danquah, Ina A1 - Dobrucky, C. Lydia A1 - Frank, Laura K. A1 - Henze, Andrea A1 - Amoako, Yaw A. A1 - Bedu-Addo, George A1 - Raila, Jens A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd A1 - Mockenhaupt, Frank P. A1 - Schweigert, Florian J. T1 - Vitamin A: potential misclassification of vitamin A status among patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in urban Ghana JF - The American journal of clinical nutrition : a publication of the American Society for Nutrition, Inc. N2 - Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a double burden of malnutrition: vitamin A deficiency (VAD) prevails, whereas the nutrition-related chronic conditions type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension are emerging. Serum retinol a VAD marker increases in kidney disease and decreases in inflammation, which can partly be attributed to alterations in the vitamin A transport proteins retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and prealbumin. Kidney dysfunction and inflammation commonly accompany T2D and hypertension. Objective: Among urban Ghanaians, we investigated the associations of T2D and hypertension with serum retinol as well as the importance of kidney function and inflammation in this regard. Design: A hospital-based, case-control study in individuals for risk factors of T2D, hypertension, or both was conducted in Kumasi, Ghana (328 controls, 197 with T2D, 354 with hypertension, and 340 with T2D plus hypertension). In 1219 blood samples, serum retinol, RBP4, and prealbumin were measured. Urinary albumin and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) defined kidney function. C-reactive protein (CRP) >5 mg/L indicated inflammation. We identified associations of T2D and hypertension with retinol by linear regression and calculated the contribution of RBP4, prealbumin, urinary albumin, eGFR, and CRP to these associations as the percentages of the explained variance of retinol. Results: VAD (retinol <1.05 mu mol/L) was present in 10% of this predominantly female, middle-aged, overweight, and deprived population. Hypertension, but not T2D, was positively associated with retinol (beta: 0.12; 95% CI: 0.08, 0,17), adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic factors, anthropometric measurements, and lifestyle. In addition to RBP4 (72%) and prealbumin (22%), the effect of increased retinol on individuals with hypertension was mainly attributed to impaired kidney function (eGFR: 30%; urinary albumin: 5%) but not to inflammation. Conclusions: In patients with hypertension, VAD might be underestimated because of increased serum retinol in the context of kidney dysfunction. Thus, the interpretation of serum retinol in sub-Saharan Africa should account for hypertension status. KW - hypertension KW - inflammation KW - kidney dysfunction KW - type 2 diabetes KW - vitamin A deficiency Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.101345 SN - 0002-9165 SN - 1938-3207 VL - 102 IS - 1 SP - 207 EP - 214 PB - American Society for Nutrition, Inc. CY - Bethesda ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prüfer, Nicole A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - van der Giet, Markus T1 - The role of serum amyloid A and sphingosine-1-phosphate on high-density lipoprotein functionality JF - Biological chemistry N2 - The high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is one of the most important endogenous cardiovascular protective markers. HDL is an attractive target in the search for new pharmaceutical therapies and in the prevention of cardiovascular events. Some of HDL's anti-atherogenic properties are related to the signaling molecule sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which plays an important role in vascular homeostasis. However, for different patient populations it seems more complicated. Significant changes in HDL's protective potency are reduced under pathologic conditions and HDL might even serve as a proatherogenic particle. Under uremic conditions especially there is a change in the compounds associated with HDL. S1P is reduced and acute phase proteins such as serum amyloid A (SAA) are found to be elevated in HDL. The conversion of HDL in inflammation changes the functional properties of HDL. High amounts of SAA are associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. SAA has potent pro-atherogenic properties, which may have impact on HDL's biological functions, including cholesterol efflux capacity, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. This review focuses on two molecules that affect the functionality of HDL. The balance between functional and dysfunctional HDL is disturbed after the loss of the protective sphingolipid molecule S1P and the accumulation of the acute-phase protein SAA. This review also summarizes the biological activities of lipid-free and lipid-bound SAA and its impact on HDL function. KW - atherosclerosis KW - high-density lipoprotein (HDL) KW - inflammation KW - serum amyloid A (SAA) KW - sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2014-0192 SN - 1431-6730 SN - 1437-4315 VL - 396 IS - 6-7 SP - 573 EP - 583 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Camargo, Rodolfo Gonzalez A1 - dos Reis Riccardi, Daniela Mendes A1 - Teixeira Ribeiro, Henrique Quintas A1 - Carnevali Junior, Luiz Carlos A1 - de Matos-Neto, Emidio Marques A1 - Enjiu, Lucas A1 - Neves, Rodrigo Xavier A1 - Carola Correia Lima, Joanna Darck A1 - Figueredo, Raquel Galvao A1 - Martins de Alcantara, Paulo Sergio A1 - Maximiano, Linda A1 - Otoch, Jose A1 - Batista Jr., Miguel Luiz A1 - Püschel, Gerhard Paul A1 - Seelaender, Marilia T1 - NF-kappa Bp65 and Expression of Its Pro-Inflammatory Target Genes Are Upregulated in the Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Cachectic Cancer Patients JF - Nutrients N2 - Cancer cachexia, of which the most notable symptom is severe and rapid weight loss, is present in the majority of patients with advanced cancer. Inflammatory mediators play an important role in the development of cachexia, envisaged as a chronic inflammatory syndrome. The white adipose tissue (WAT) is one of the first compartments affected in cancer cachexia and suffers a high rate of lipolysis. It secretes several cytokines capable of directly regulating intermediate metabolism. A common pathway in the regulation of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in WAT is the activation of the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-B). We have examined the gene expression of the subunits NF-Bp65 and NF-Bp50, as well as NF-Bp65 and NF-Bp50 binding, the gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators under NF-B control (IL-1, IL-6, INF-, TNF-, MCP-1), and its inhibitory protein, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IB-). The observational study involved 35 patients (control group, n = 12 and cancer group, n = 23, further divided into cachectic and non-cachectic). NF-Bp65 and its target genes expression (TNF-, IL-1, MCP-1 and IB-) were significantly higher in cachectic cancer patients. Moreover, NF-Bp65 gene expression correlated positively with the expression of its target genes. The results strongly suggest that the NF-B pathway plays a role in the promotion of WAT inflammation during cachexia. KW - cancer cachexia KW - inflammation KW - white adipose tissue KW - NF-B KW - IB Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7064465 SN - 2072-6643 VL - 7 IS - 6 SP - 4465 EP - 4479 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER -