Objective: The aim of this study was to find a pre-interventional marker with the capacity to predict in-stent restenosis (ISR). Considering the anti-atherosclerotic role of adiponectin (APO), an adipocytokine with anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative and anti-thrombotic properties, low plasma levels of APO might be correlated with the risk of ISR. We investigated the correlations between the plasma levels of APO and two markers

Abstract: Respiratory tract infections are frequently associated with thrombotic events, which contribute to severe outcome of the disease. Increased prevalence of anti phospholipid antibodies (APLA) in several bacterial infections have been reported and these autoantibodies may be important inducers of the hipercoagulable state In the present study we try to determine the prevalence of pathogenic APLA in 30 patients with bacterial respiratory tract

Background: Oxidative stress is associated with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) and is supposed to favor disease progression by complex effects on the vascular endothelium and on fibroblasts. Methods: Plasma oxidative process marker, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, and several markers of antioxidant defense capacity (plasma total antioxidant activity, serum albumin, uric acid and glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase) were evaluated

Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease with a poor prognosis that ultimately leads to right ventricular failure and death. The pathogenesis of severe PH seems to be related to inflammatory responses and coagulation disturbances. Many diseases can develop PH in their course, thus aggravating their outcome. The objective was to investigate the values of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), sP-selectin, lipoporotein-

Abstract: Antiphospholipid antibodies (APLAs) are a group ol autoantibodies directed against certain phospholipids, or their protein cofactors. Assay of APLAs is important because their interaction with anionic phospholipid-protein cofactors can generate a syndrome of hypercoagulability associated with a wide variety of thromboembolic events. This article presents the characteristics of some APLAs [anticardiolipin antibodies (aCLAs), lupus anticoagulant

Background: Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) represents an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), being characterized by a continuous low-grade inflammation and endothelial activation state. Plasma platelet - activating factor - acetylhydrolases (PAF-AHs) are a subgroup of Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 family (also known as lipoprotein-associated phospholipases A2) that hydrolyze and inactivate the lipid mediator

Excessive apoptosis has a central role in ineffective hematopoiesis in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The aim of the study was to quantify apoptosis and Bcl-2 expression in patients with MDS and to use these parameters in the evaluation of treatment efficacy with compounds modulating proapoptotic cytokines. Bone marrow (BM) samples from eight MDS patients were studied: four with refractory anemia and four with refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare, autoimmune disease characterized by cutaneous and visceral fibrosis. Interleukin- 6 (IL-6) is involved in the pathogenesis of many immune-mediated diseases. IL-6 plays an important role in the initiation and promotion of fibrosis. The polymorphism in the position -174 (G/C) of the promoter region of the IL-6 gene (IL-6pr) may alter the expression of the gene. Complete linkage disequilibrium was observed between