1.
Elevated Homocysteine Levels Are Associated With the Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Events in Hypertensive Patients.
Catena, C, Colussi, G, Nait, F, Capobianco, F, Sechi, LA
American journal of hypertension. 2015;(7):943-50
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hyperhomocysteinemia and the metabolic syndrome are established cardiovascular risk factors and are frequently associated with hypertension. The relationship of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) with the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, however, is debated and studies in hypertensive patients are limited. In this study, we have investigated the association of Hcy with the metabolic syndrome and cerebro- cardiovascular events in hypertension. METHODS In 562 essential hypertensive patients who underwent accurate assessment of fasting and postload glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and renal function, we measured plasma levels of Hcy, vitamin B12, folate, and fibrinogen and assessed the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and of coronary heart and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). RESULTS Patients with the metabolic syndrome had significantly higher plasma Hcy levels. After correction for covariates, increasing Hcy levels were associated with an increasing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease, and CVD. Plasma Hcy was directly correlated with age, waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglyceride, uric acid, and fibrinogen levels, and homeostatic model assessment index and inversely with creatinine clearance and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, vitamin B12, and folate levels. Logistic regression analysis showed an independent association of Hcy levels with age, male gender, vitamin B12 and folate levels, and the metabolic syndrome. Logistic regression indicated also an independent association of Hcy with cerebro-cardiovascular disease that was independent of the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Elevated plasma Hcy is associated with the metabolic syndrome in hypertensive patients. Prevalence of events increases with increasing plasma Hcy levels suggesting a contribution of Hcy to cerebro-cardiovascular diseases in these patients.
2.
Reintroduction of gluten following flour transamidation in adult celiac patients: a randomized, controlled clinical study.
Mazzarella, G, Salvati, VM, Iaquinto, G, Stefanile, R, Capobianco, F, Luongo, D, Bergamo, P, Maurano, F, Giardullo, N, Malamisura, B, et al
Clinical & developmental immunology. 2012;2012:329150
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Plain language summary
A lifelong gluten-free diet (GFD) is mandatory for celiac disease (CD) but has poor compliance, justifying new strategies. Chemically altering the protein in wheat flour (transamidation of gliadin) reduces the reaction experienced in vitro in intestinal cells of CD patients. This randomized single blinded, controlled 90-day trial in 47 CD patients examines the safety of transamidated wheat flour compared to control. 35 patients received 50g a day of transamidated flour bread and 12 received 3.7g of non-transamidated flour bread. On day 15, 75% and 37% of patients in the control and experimental groups, respectively, showed clinical relapse whereas intestinal permeability was mainly altered in the control group. On day 90, 0 controls and 14 patients in the experimental group completed the challenge with no change to the autoantibody found in CD (Ttg) and other markers of CD. This study demonstrated that a protracted intake of gluten from chemically treated wheat flour was associated with a reduced number of relapses in challenged patients. Nevertheless, the enzyme reaction did not eradicate gluten activity in all CD patients examined. Whether an upgrade of the transamidation reaction might be instrumental in blocking other immune components involved in the mucosal lesion is under investigation.
Abstract
A lifelong gluten-free diet (GFD) is mandatory for celiac disease (CD) but has poor compliance, justifying novel strategies. We found that wheat flour transamidation inhibited IFN-γ secretion by intestinal T cells from CD patients. Herein, the primary endpoint was to evaluate the ability of transamidated gluten to maintain GFD CD patients in clinical remission. Secondary endpoints were efficacy in prevention of the inflammatory response and safety at the kidney level, where reaction products are metabolized. In a randomized single blinded, controlled 90-day trial, 47 GFD CD patients received 3.7 g/day of gluten from nontransamidated (12) or transamidated (35) flour. On day 15, 75% and 37% of patients in the control and experimental groups, respectively, showed clinical relapse (P = 0.04) whereas intestinal permeability was mainly altered in the control group (50% versus 20%, P = 0.06). On day 90, 0 controls and 14 patients in the experimental group completed the challenge with no variation of antitransglutaminase IgA (P = 0.63), Marsh-Oberhuber grading (P = 0.08), or intestinal IFN-γ mRNA (P > 0.05). Creatinine clearance did not vary after 90 days of treatment (P = 0.46). In conclusion, transamidated gluten reduced the number of clinical relapses in challenged patients with no changes of baseline values for serological/mucosal CD markers and an unaltered kidney function.