European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2014
Ezetimibe prevents the formation of oestrogen-induced cholesterol gallstones in mice.
Oestrogen is an important risk factor for cholesterol cholelithiasis not only in women of childbearing age taking oral contraceptives and postmenopausal women undergoing hormone replacement therapy, but also in male patients receiving oestrogen therapy for prostatic cancer. In women, hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy markedly increase the risk of developing gallstones. We investigated whether the potent cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe could prevent the formation of oestrogen-induced cholesterol gallstones in mice. ⋯ Ezetimibe protects against the oestrogen-mediated lithogenic actions on gallstone formation in mice. Our finding may provide an efficacious novel strategy for the prevention of cholesterol gallstones in high-risk subjects, especially those exposed to high levels of oestrogen.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2014
ReviewDPPIV (CD26) as a novel stem cell marker in Ph+ chronic myeloid leukaemia.
The concept of leukaemic stem cells (LSCs) has been developed to explain the complex cellular hierarchy and biology of leukaemias and to screen for pivotal targets that can be employed to improve drug therapies through LSC eradication in these patients. Some of the newly discovered LSC markers seem to be expressed in a disease-specific manner and may thus serve as major research tools and diagnostic parameters. A useful LSC marker in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) appears to be CD26, also known as dipeptidylpeptidase IV. ⋯ Moreover, CD26 usually is not expressed on normal bone marrow (BM) stem cells. Functionally, CD26 is a cytokine-targeting surface enzyme that may facilitate the mobilization of LSCs from the BM niche. In this article, we review our current knowledge about the biology and function of CD26 on CML LSCs and discuss the diagnostic potential of this new LSC marker in clinical haematology.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2014
FGF23 is associated with disease severity and prognosis in chronic heart failure.
Elevated levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) are associated with incident heart failure in individuals with or without chronic kidney disease. We aimed to investigate the association between serum FGF23 concentrations and disease severity and long-term outcome in patients with stable heart failure. ⋯ The phosphatonin FGF23 is strongly associated with disease severity and long-term outcome in patients with nonischaemic heart failure and preserved renal function. Further studies are needed to evaluate the pathophysiologic role of FGF23 and its potential as a biomarker in heart failure.