Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0007222 (cardiovascular disease)
 65,817 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The relations between hemostatic variables and cardiovascular risk factors were examined in a biracial population sample of middle-aged adults. Fibrinogen, factor VII, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor, protein C, and antithrombin III levels varied considerably by age, sex, and race. Hemostatic variables also were associated with several life-style and biochemical risk factors. For the most part, higher levels of the risk factors were associated with higher levels of the hemostatic variables. The findings point to potential confounders that warrant consideration in cardiovascular disease studies, and/or mechanisms by which cardiovascular risk is conferred. They also suggest that modification of the cardiovascular risk factors may have the potential to alter the risk of thrombosis.
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PMID:Relations between hemostasis variables and cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged adults. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Investigators. 134 99

4 studies involving a combined oral contraceptive devised with norgestimate as the progestin and low-dose ethinyl estradiol as the estrogen, designed to have virtually no androgenic effects, are reviewed. A study of lipid metabolism found that cholesterol rose above desirable limits of 200 mg/dl in only 5% of women and fell within these limits in 25% who surpassed it. Similarly, triglycerides rose above 150 mg/dl in 5% with normal levels and fell in 28% who initially had high levels. 2 other studies documented increases in HDL and decreases in LDL, improving the HDL/LDL ratio. Coagulation factors were followed in a small series: no adverse effects on fibrinopeptide A, antithrombin III, protein C, Fibrinogen, factor VII, or factor VIII were seen in 6 months. No significant changes in mean levels of fasting glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1C, or glucose tolerance were found. 2% of 2738 women developed abnormal fasting glucose levels after 6 months, while 35% lowered their initially abnormal glucose levels into the normal range after 6 months on the combined pill. Androgenicity was assessed by sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and free testosterone levels. The norgestimate pill elevated SHBG about 3-fold, lowering free testosterone. The prevalence of acne in norgestimate pill users is 2%. No change was noted in average blood pressure or weight. Similar results have been reported in studies on a triphasic norgestimate formulation. These results are optimistic for beneficial effects on major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but large longterm epidemiological studies will have to be done to confirm them.
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PMID:Long-term profile of a new progestin. 136 89

Cross-sectional associations between leukocyte count and sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors were investigated in 14,679 participants aged 45-64 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study carried out in four US communities in 1986-1989. Leukocyte count was strongly associated with present or past history of cigarette smoking and was higher in males than in females and in white subjects than in black subjects. Among never smokers, no sex differences were evident after adjustment for other risk factors. Race-associated differences were substantially reduced after other factors were taken into account in multivariate analyses. In never smokers, leukocyte count was higher in those who reported poor health, and it was inversely associated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol, forced expiratory volume at 1 second, physical activity, and, among whites, height and socioeconomic indicators. It was directly associated with indices of body weight and body fat, heart rate, blood pressure, hemoglobin, platelet count, uric acid, fasting insulin and glycemia, triglycerides, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, protein C, factors VII and VIII, and von Willebrand factor. The associations of leukocyte count with cardiovascular risk factors may either represent manifestation of subclinical disease or suggest that leukocyte count is part of the causal chain leading to atherosclerosis. Alternatively, the relation of leukocyte count to cardiovascular disease may be confounded by risk factors and thus be noncausal.
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PMID:Leukocyte count correlates in middle-aged adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. 144 16

The effects of native LDL and Ox-LDL and HDL on endothelial cell protein C activation were examined. Ox-LDL, which is postulated to contribute to cardiovascular disease, markedly suppressed activation of protein C, an important vascular anticoagulant activity. This effect was seen with both human venous and arterial endothelial cells. Endothelial cells modified LDL to a form that reduced protein C activation, an effect prevented by the anti-oxidant, probucol. Endothelial cells are known to express the acetyl LDL (scavenger) receptor, which binds chemically modified and Ox-LDL. The effect of Ox-LDL on protein C activation does not appear to result from uptake via the acetyl LDL receptor, since a known scavenger receptor antagonist (fucoidin) did not inhibit the oxidized LDL effect. In contrast to the results with Ox-LDL, native LDL and both native and oxidized HDL increased protein C activation. These data indicate that native and modified lipoproteins regulate blood coagulation by affecting vascular anticoagulant activity and suggest mechanisms that may link modified lipoproteins with both vascular disease and thrombosis.
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PMID:Regulation of endothelial cell protein C activation by native and oxidized low density lipoprotein. 157 12

In a study of 20 patients with hypercholesterolemia (type IIa) the effects of lovastatin (20-80 mg/day) on various clotting and thrombosis parameters were monitored for 12 months. On 11 occasions various cholesterol fractions and clotting parameters were determined in each patient. In addition, the clotting inhibitors AT III, protein C, protein S, and C1-esterase inhibitor and the fibrinolysis parameters plasminogen and alpha 2-antiplasmin were examined. Platelet function was monitored on the basis of spontaneous and induced (collagen, ADP, epinephrine, ristocetin) aggregation. Lovastatin in the above dosage brought about a 66 mg/dl (from 320 +/- 12.6 to 254 +/- 12.0 mg/dl) reduction in the total cholesterol level and a 56 mg/dl (from 244 +/- 11.4 to 188 +/- 12.1 mg/dl) reduction in LDL cholesterol at the end of the study. Fibrinogen showed a significance decrease during the study period, whereas PT and aPTT remained unaffected. The initial slopes of the ADP-induced platelet aggregation revealed a significant decrease. C-reactive protein and platelet count remained within the normal range, indicating no significant change. Thrombin clotting time, AT III, C1-esterase inhibitor, plasminogen, and alpha 2-antiplasmin were not modified. Protein C and S behaved in a contradictory way, but remained within the normal range. Long-term treatment with lovastatin was associated with a significant reduction of fibrinogen levels and platelet aggregation induced by ADP in type-IIa hypercholesterolemic patients. These alterations, as well as their role in cardiovascular disease, should be the subject of further investigations.
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PMID:Effects of long-term treatment with lovastatin on the clotting system and blood platelets. 158 7

It has previously been shown that fish oil supplementation, compared to olive oil, reduces plasma fibrinogen. Presented here are the results of a randomized, double-blind, crossover controlled trail that compared the effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acid supplementation on plasma fibrinogen levels in 10 patients with hyperlipoproteinemia types IIb or IV. Plasma fibrinogen levels showed statistically significant reductions during both the fish oil and corn oil treatment periods. Other variables related to hemostasis which showed no significant changes from baseline included tissue plasminogen activator activity and inhibitor, protein C antigen, antithrombin III activity, bleeding time, and platelet counts. These data confirm the two previous reports that fish oil supplementation is associated with reductions in plasma fibrinogen levels, thereby modifying a potential nonlipid risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Unlike previous reports, however, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were also associated with significant reductions in fibrinogen levels. Therefore, it is premature to conclude that the fibrinogen-lowering effects of dietary fish oil are unique to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
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PMID:The comparative effects of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on plasma fibrinogen levels: a controlled clinical trial in hypertriglyceridemic subjects. 221 94

In order to determine the role of thrombosis in the acute coronary syndromes the blood levels of fibrinopeptide A and protein C were examined with an enzyme-immune test in 48 patients treated in the cardiological clinic of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases. 27 patients were with transmural myocardial infarction and 21 patients were with non-transmural myocardial infarction. The average time of the test from the onset of pain is 18.4 +/- 12.2 hours (from 3 up to 72 hours). The mean level for fibrinopeptide A for the whole group of patients is 4.95 +/- 3.1 ng/ml and that of protein C is 70.1 +/- 9.8%. For the group of patients with transmural myocardial infarction the level of fibrinopeptide A is 6.09 +/- 3.49 ng/ml and of protein C is 65.3 +/- 8.0%. For the patients with nontransmural myocardial infarction the levels are respectively 3.49 +/- 1.7 ng/ml for fibrinopeptide A and 76.3 +/- 8.3% for protein C. The difference between the two groups is statistically significant (p less than 0.005). In the patients with non-transmural myocardial infarction from whom the blood for the test was taken before the 24th hour the fibrinopeptide A level is 4.8 +/- 2.4 ng/ml and the protein C level is 69.0 +/- 7.8%. The deviations from the reference group are statistically significant (p less than 0.04). The practical importance of these results is discussed.
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PMID:[Fibrinopeptide A and protein C in heart patients with acute coronary syndromes]. 324 11

Contrasting data have been reported about cardiovascular diseases in psoriatic patients. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in psoriatic patients. For this purpose, in a first group of 48 patients, we measured blood coagulation and fibrinolysis inhibitors [antithrombin III (AT), protein C (PC) and alpha 2-antiplasmin (AP)], the products of thrombin and plasmin activity [fibrinopeptide A (FpA) and B beta(15-42) (B beta)], plasminogen (PLG) and fibrinogen (FBG). When all patients were considered we found a significant increase in B beta and FpA levels, while PC, PLG and AP values were significantly decreased when compared to controls. FBG and AT were not different from the controls. In order to understand whether the observed abnormalities of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis were related only to psoriasis we divided all the patients into two groups: (1) patients with cardiovascular disease or other risk factors (n = 28) and (2) patients affected only by psoriasis (n = 20). Since no difference was observed between groups 1 and 2, we conclude that these findings are related to psoriasis. Subsequently we considered a different group of psoriatic patients. In these patients we measured FpA and two new thrombin activation indicators, such as prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT). In addition we evaluated the levels of D-dimer, the product of the dissolution of cross-linking fibrin by plasmin. In this second group FpA, prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 and D-dimer were significantly higher than controls. Only TAT was not statistically different from those of the controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Abnormalities of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in psoriasis. 751 5

Anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse has recently been linked with acute vascular events in athletes. To date, the relationship between steroid abuse and the potential for cardiovascular disease has been considered almost exclusively in terms of lipid metabolism. However, recent reports of thrombosis in androgen abusing athletes with no evidence of atherosclerosis suggests the hypothesis that thrombosis risk in such athletes could be mediated through androgen induced abnormalities of coagulation. To determine if anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse in weight lifters is associated with an activation of the hemostatic system we studied forty-nine weight lifters recruited through advertisements. History of androgen use or abstinence was confirmed via urine assays. Plasma was assayed for clotting and fibrinolytic activity by measuring thrombin/antithrombin complexes (TAT), prothrombin fragment 1 + 1 (F1 + 2), and D-dimers (D-di); markers of the endothelial based fibrinolytic components were assayed by measuring tissue plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA Ag) and its inhibitor (PAI-1); finally, the activity of antithrombin III, protein C, and protein S were measured. Abnormally high concentrations of TAT complexes were noted in 16% of our confirmed steroid using weight lifters compared to 6% of our confirmed nonusers (P = .01). Steroid users also demonstrated abnormally high concentrations of F1 + 2 and D-dimers when compared to nonusers (44 vs. 24%, P < .001, and 9 vs. 0%, respectively). Non-steroid users were more likely to have elevated levels of t-PA Ag and PAI-1 than our steroid using weight lifters (both P < .001). The activities of antithrombin III and protein S were more likely to be higher in users compared to nonusers (22 vs. 6%, P = .005; 19 vs. 0%, respectively). Some anabolic-androgenic steroid using weight lifters have an accelerated activation of their hemostatic system as evidence by increased generation of both thrombin and plasmin. These changes could reflect a thrombotic diatheses that may contribute to vascular occlusion reported in young athletes using these drugs. The predictive value of these coagulation abnormalities in terms of risk of thrombosis to individual steroid using weight lifters or the population as a whole remains to be studied.
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PMID:Anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse in weight lifters: evidence for activation of the hemostatic system. 763 72

To investigate the effect of warfarin treatment on the early phase of tissue factor-induced coagulation, we measured plasma-activated factor VII (factor VIIa) levels by a direct fluorogenic assay in 74 cardiovascular disease patients on long-term oral anticoagulation. We divided the patients into three groups based on the international normalized ratio (INR). In the patients with INR ranges of < 1.7 and 1.7 to 2.5, factor VIIa levels were 42% and 61% lower, respectively, than in age- and sex-matched controls. Factor VII coagulant activity (factor VIIc), factor VII antigen (factor VIIag), protein C, and factor X levels were also reduced to a similar extent in both groups. However, in patients with an INR > 2.5, the factor VIIa level was not decreased compared with that at an INR of 1.7 to 2.5, although the factor VIIc, factor VIIag, factor X, and protein C levels were all decreased further. Although the precise relation between the reduction of factor VIIa levels and the increase of INR requires appropriately designed long-term clinical trials, our data suggest that an INR range of 1.7 to 2.5 is sufficient for the suppression of factor VIIa. During the long-term follow-up of three patients with congenital antithrombin III or protein C deficiency, the factor VIIa level was more responsive to changes in the warfarin dose than the INR, and there were generally no corresponding changes of the thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) level. However, one patient showed a transient marked increase of factor VIIa during the discontinuation of warfarin that was accompanied by an increase in TAT. Based on these findings, factor VIIa could be useful for monitoring both hypercoagulable and hypocoagulable states.
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PMID:Suppression of plasma-activated factor VII levels by warfarin therapy. 774 32


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