Project description:Statins lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and improve clinical outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) often do not achieve LDL-C targets despite potent statin treatment, and have a particularly high risk of early recurrent events. Evolocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type (PCSK9)-inhibitor resulting in rapid, marked LDL-C reduction, has been studied in hypercholesterolemic subjects without CVD and stabilized patients with CVD; the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of this treatment initiated in the acute phase of ACS remain unknown. We report the design of evolocumab for early reduction of LDL-cholesterol levels in patients with ACS (EVOPACS), a phase-3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the feasibility, safety, and LDL-C-lowering efficacy of evolocumab on top of atorvastatin 40 mg in patients with ACS. The primary endpoint is percent change in LDL-C from baseline to 8 weeks. Secondary endpoints are adverse events and serious adverse events. Against a background of beneficial cardiovascular effects of statins beyond LDL-C lowering and in view of preclinical evidence of similar effects of PCSK9 inhibition, the study will also address a variety of exploratory endpoints including the change in C-reactive protein and other inflammatory biomarkers; platelet reactivity; and occurrence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury and myocardial injury in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. An intracoronary imaging sub-study will investigate the change from baseline in the lipid core burden index in non-culprit lesions, as assessed by serial near-infrared spectroscopy. Recruitment began in January 2018 and enrollment of 308 patients is planned.
Project description:Changes in gene expression were consistent with mechanism of action and show that clinical response to treatment with belimumab is associated with significant decrease in profibrotic genes and pathways. Additional study is needed to determine the role of belimumab in the treatment of dcSSc
Project description:Introduction: Although prone to a higher degree of ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), the use of extended criteria donor (ECD) organs has become reality in transplantation. We therefore postulated that peri-operative perfusion of renal transplants with anti-human T-lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) ameliorates IRI and results in improved graft function. Methods: We performed a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial involving 50 kidneys (KTx). Prior to implantation organs were perfused and incubated with ATLG (AP) (n = 24 kidney). Control organs (CP) were perfused with saline only (n = 26 kidney). Primary endpoint was defined as graft function reflected by serum creatinine at day 7 post transplantation (post-tx). Results: AP-KTx recipients illustrated significantly better graft function at day 7 post-tx as reflected by lower creatinine levels, whereas no treatment effect was observed after 12 months surveillance. During the early hospitalization phase, 16 of the 26 CP-KTx patients required dialysis during the first 7 days post-tx, whereas only 10 of the 24 AP-KTx patients underwent dialysis. No treatment-specific differences were detected for various lymphocytes subsets in the peripheral blood of patients. Additionally, mRNA analysis of 0-h biopsies post incubation with ATLG revealed no changes of intragraft inflammatory expression patterns between AP and CP organs. Conclusion: We here present the first clinical study on peri-operative organ perfusion with ATLG illustrating improved graft function in the early period post kidney transplantation. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03377283.
Project description:Background: Blocking the action of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) reduces beta-cell secretory dysfunction and apoptosis in vitro, diabetes incidence in animal models of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), and glycaemia via improved beta-cell function in patients with T2D. We hypothesised that canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody to IL-1B, improves beta-cell function in patients with new-onset T1D. Methods: In an individually randomised, two-group parallel trial involving 12 sites in US, 69 patients aged 6-45 with T1D, < 12 weeks of symptoms, and assigned by centralised computer-generated blocked randomisation with locked computer-file concealment to treatment with 2 mg/kg (maximum 300 mg) canakinumab (n=45) or placebo (n=22) monthly for 12 months as add-on to conventional therapy. Participants and care-givers, but not data monitoring unit, were masked to group assignment. The primary end-point was change in the two-hour area-under-the-curve C-peptide response to MMT 12 months.
Project description:Diabetes and Arteriosclerosis progression are frequently observed in borderline Type 2 diabetes cases. Onset of complications (arteriosclerosis and renal damage) due to Type 2 diabetes is well documented; it is extremely important to prevent or delay their progression. Type 2 diabetes onset and progression has been controlled through dietary habits and exercise, although these remain insufficient. Chlorella ingestion improves blood glucose and cholesterol concentrations in mice and humans, although no reports have evaluated Chlorella effects in borderline diabetics. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial for borderline diabetics using laboratory results and comprehensive gene analysis as outcomes. Chlorella ingestion suppressed resistin gene expression, suggesting that Chlorella may be useful for preventing diabetes onset and ameliorating arteriosclerosis. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: Chlorella group (n = 28) ingesting Chlorella powder (8.0 g/day) and placebo group (n = 29) ingesting lactose formulation (8.0 g/day) for 12 weeks. Blood and urine were collected every 4 weeks for laboratory tests. Gene expression analysis used RNA extracted from peripheral blood samples before and after 12 weeks of Chlorella or lactose ingestion.
Project description:BackgroundInteresterified (IE) fats are widely used in place of trans fats; however, little is known about their metabolism.ObjectivesTo test the impact of a commonly consumed IE compared with a non-IE equivalent fat on in vivo postprandial and in vitro lipid metabolism, compared with a reference oil [rapeseed oil (RO)].MethodsA double-blinded, 3-phase crossover, randomized controlled trial was performed in healthy adults (n = 20) aged 45-75 y. Postprandial plasma triacylglycerol and lipoprotein responses (including stable isotope tracing) to a test meal (50 g fat) were evaluated over 8 h. The test fats were IE 80:20 palm stearin/palm kernel fat, an identical non-IE fat, and RO (control). In vitro, mechanisms of digestion were explored using a dynamic gastric model (DGM).ResultsPlasma triacylglycerol 8-h incremental area under the curves were lower following non-IE compared with RO [-1.7 mmol/L⋅h (95% CI: -3.3, -0.0)], but there were no differences between IE and RO or IE and non-IE. LDL particles were smaller following IE and non-IE compared with RO (P = 0.005). Extra extra large, extra large, and large VLDL particle concentrations were higher following IE and non-IE compared with RO at 6-8 h (P < 0.05). No differences in the appearance of [13C]palmitic acid in plasma triacylglycerol were observed between IE and non-IE fats. DGM revealed differences in phase separation of the IE and non-IE meals and delayed release of SFAs compared with RO.ConclusionsInteresterification did not modify fat digestion, postprandial lipemia, or lipid metabolism measured by stable isotope and DGM analysis. Despite the lower lipemia following the SFA-rich fats, increased proatherogenic large triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein remnant and small LDL particles following the SFA-rich fats relative to RO adds a new postprandial dimension to the mechanistic evidence linking SFAs to cardiovascular disease risk.
Project description:Diabetes and Arteriosclerosis progression are frequently observed in borderline Type 2 diabetes cases. Onset of complications (arteriosclerosis and renal damage) due to Type 2 diabetes is well documented; it is extremely important to prevent or delay their progression. Type 2 diabetes onset and progression has been controlled through dietary habits and exercise, although these remain insufficient. Chlorella ingestion improves blood glucose and cholesterol concentrations in mice and humans, although no reports have evaluated Chlorella effects in borderline diabetics. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial for borderline diabetics using laboratory results and comprehensive gene analysis as outcomes. Chlorella ingestion suppressed resistin gene expression, suggesting that Chlorella may be useful for preventing diabetes onset and ameliorating arteriosclerosis.
Project description:Background: Blocking the action of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) reduces beta-cell secretory dysfunction and apoptosis in vitro, diabetes incidence in animal models of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), and glycaemia via improved beta-cell function in patients with T2D. We hypothesised that anakinra, a recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist, improves beta-cell function in patients with new-onset T1D. Methods: In an individually randomised, two-group parallel trial involving 14 European tertiary referral centers, 69 patients aged 18-35 with T1D, < 12 weeks of symptoms, and standard mixed meal test (MMT) stimulated C-peptide ≥ 200 pM were enrolled between January, 2009 and July, 2011 and assigned by centralised computer-generated blocked randomisation with locked computer-file concealment to treatment with 100 mg anakinra (n=35) subcutaneously once daily or placebo (n=34) for 9 months as add-on to conventional therapy. Participants and care-givers, but not data monitoring unit, were masked to group assignment. The primary end-point was change in the two-hour area-under-the-curve C-peptide response to MMT, and secondary end-points changes in insulin requirements, glycaemia, and inflammatory markers at one, three, six, and nine months. Findings: The study was prematurely terminated due to slow accrual and is closed to follow-up. No interim analysis was performed. Ten patients withdrew in the anakinra and eight in the placebo arm, leaving 25 and 26 patients to be analysed, respectively. There was no statistical difference in adverse event category reporting between arms. Interpretation: Anakinra-treatment in T1D was safe, but the trial failed to meet primary and secondary outcome measures.
Project description:This study hypothesized that female peri-conceptional undernutrition evokes transcriptomic alterations in the pig myometrium during the peri-implantation period. Myometrium was collected on days 15-16 of pregnancy from pigs fed a normal- (n = 4) or restricted-diet (n = 4) from conception until day 9th of pregnancy, and the transcriptomic profiles of the tissue were compared using Porcine (V2) Expression Microarrays 4 × 44 K. In restricted diet-fed pigs, 1021 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with fold change ≥ 1.5, P ≤ 0.05 were revealed, and 708 of them were up-regulated. Based on the count score, the top within GOs was GO cellular components "extracellular exosome", and the top KEGG pathway was the metabolic pathway. Ten selected DEGs, i.e. hydroxysteroid (17β) dehydrogenase 8, cyclooxygenase 2, prostaglandin F receptor, progesterone receptor membrane component 1, progesterone receptor membrane component 2, annexin A2, homeobox A10, S-phase cyclin A-associated protein in the ER, SRC proto-oncogene, non-receptor tyrosine kinase, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were conducted through qPCR to validate microarray data. In conclusion, dietary restriction during the peri-conceptional period causes alterations in the expression of genes encoding proteins involved i.a. in the endocrine activity of the myometrium, embryo-maternal interactions, and mechanisms regulating cell cycle and proliferation.
Project description:BackgroundCholine-stabilized orthosilicic acid (CS-OSA) was previously found to stimulate bone collagen formation in osteopenia and to improve biomarkers of cartilage degradation in knee osteoarthritis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of oral administration of CS-OSA on clinical symptoms of peri-implantitis and the associated bone loss.MethodsTwenty-one patients with peri-implantitis were randomized in CS-OSA or placebo groups. After initial clinical and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) measurements [probing pocket depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP), mucosal recession (REC), distance from implant shoulder to alveolar crest (IS-AC) and distance from implant shoulder to first bone-to-implant contact (IS-BIC)], flap operations were performed at the peri-implantitis sites. All patients were instructed to use either placebo or CS-OSA capsules twice a day for 1 year. Measurements were repeated 6 and 12 months after randomization.ResultsThe data of 18 patients (36 implants) were used in the per protocol analysis. PPD and BOP improved significantly (p < 0.05) compared to baseline for both groups after 6 and 12 months. However, REC significantly increased in the placebo group but not in the CS-OSA group. The change in REC over 6 and 12 months was significantly different between groups (p < 0.01). IS-BIC and IS-AC measurements remained stable in the CS-OSA group whereas in the placebo group, both parameters increased significantly after 6 and 12 months. The change in IS-BIC over 12 months was significantly different between groups (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe results of this preliminary study suggest that CS-OSA may stabilize and even prevent further bone loss after surgical peri-implantitis treatment and support mucosal tissue healing. Trial registration The trial was retrospectively registered at ISRCTN registry, registration number: ISRCTN14348802, registration date: 24/06/2020.