title: Angiogenesis, inflammation and endothelial function in postmenopausal women screened for the metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (METS) increases after the menopause; nevertheless, concomitant vascular, inflammatory and endothelial changes have not been completely elucidated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure serum markers of angiogenesis, inflammation and endothelial function in postmenopausal women screened for the METS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum of 100 postmenopausal women was analyzed for angiopoietin-2, interleukin-8 (IL-8), soluble FAS ligand (sFASL), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Comparisons were made in accordance to the presence or not of the METS and each of its components. Modified Adult Treatment Panel III criteria were used to define the METS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with the METS (n=57) had similar age and time since menopause as compared to those without the syndrome (n=43). In general, women with the METS displayed a trend for higher levels of the analyzed markers. Nevertheless, only IL-6 levels were found to be significantly higher and uPA levels significantly lower among METS women as compared to those without the syndrome. When analyte levels were compared as to presenting or not each of the diagnostic features of the METS, it was found that IL-6 levels were higher among women with abdominal obesity, low HDL-C and high triglyceride levels. Women with low HDL-C and high triglyceride levels presented significantly lower uPA levels and those with high glucose and low HDL-C displayed significantly higher sCD40L levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postmenopausal women with the METS in this sample displayed higher IL-6 (inflammation) and lower uPA levels (endothelial dysfunction). These were mainly related to metabolic and lipid abnormalities. More research is warranted in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Research Area for Women's Health, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador. Electronic address: peter.chedraui@cu.ucsg.edu.ec.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chedraui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Research Area for Women's Health, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Gustavo S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Facultad de Medicina, Lozano Blesa University Hospital, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Faustino R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Pérez-López
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palla
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montt-Guevara
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Genazzani
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Simoncini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D017698:Postmenopause; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C586513:ANGPT2 protein, human; D042702:Angiopoietin-2; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
keywords: Angiogenesis; Cytokines; Growth factors; Inflammation; Metabolic syndrome; Postmenopause