title: Transcriptional activity of tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in patients with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis - preliminary results.
abstract: The most frequent cause of ischaemic heart           disease is coronary arteriosclerosis. This study was           aimed at assessing gene expression of TNFA and its           two receptors (TNFR1, TNFR2), as well as determining           coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in the           context of occurrence of classical risk factors in patients           with subclinical atherosclerosis of coronary           vessels. The study involved 47 subjects with complaints           of chest pain and suspicion of acute coronary           syndrome or stable coronary disease. Additionally,           CACS was assessed by 64-slice computerized tomography.           QRT-PCR molecular studies were performed           using RNA isolated from peripheral blood           mononuclear cells. Preliminary results of molecular           studies on patients with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis           revealed a significantly lower numbers of           TNFR1 and TNFR2 gene copies as compared with           healthy subjects. In addition, it can be demonstrated           that among classical risk factors hypertension is of           substantial importance in the progression of coronary           arteries' calcification, and that in the examined           group CACS increases together with the rising number           of classical risk factors involved. No correlation           was observed, however, between expression of TNFA,           TNFR1 and TNFR2 genes and the value of CACS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. The occurrence of hypertension facilitates           initiation and progression of arteriosclerotic           lesions in blood vessels including the coronary ones;           the raised number of circulatory disease classical           risk factors involved correlates with elevated calcification           of coronary arteries as shown by 64-slice           computerized tomography scans. 2. Significantly decreased           numbers of TNFR1 and TNFR2 gene copies           observed in the investigated group may play a significant           role in initiation and progression of arteriosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dabek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swiderski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Głogowska-Ligus
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pysz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002118:Calcium