Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
for hydrolysis of triacylglycerols into glycerols and free fatty acids. h is
competition is particularly evident in individuals with the MetS in whom fasting
hypertriglycerideaemia is present (Lewis
et al.
1991). During this post-prandial
hyperlipidaemic state there is a concomitant increase in neutrophil count,
expression of adhesion molecules, production of pro-inl ammatory cytokines and
subsequent penetration on the endothelium by chylomicrons and their remnants,
leading to the formation of foam cells and thus increased atherosclerotic risk
(Alipour
et al.
2007).
Adhesion Molecules and HDL-Cholesterol
Epidemiological and clinical studies have provided evidence to show that low
levels of HDL-cholesterol are a risk factor for CVD and CHD. Furthermore, serum
HDL-cholesterol is signii cantly and inversely related to sE-selectin, sP-selectin,
Adhesion Molecules and Blood Pressure
Hypertension is recognized as being a multi-factorial disease arising from a
combination of both genetic and environmental factors that may also involve
inl ammatory processes. h e relationship between adhesion molecules and blood
pressure varies according to the adhesion molecule examined and is dependent
on both sex and age. h e exact mechanisms relating blood pressure to adhesion
molecules are unknown but may, in women, be modii ed by menopausal status
(Miller
et al.
2004). Studies on this topic have been few to date, with many
inconsistencies, but a number of recent studies now report an association between
sE-selectin and blood pressure. One study reported a relationship between both
systolic and diastolic blood pressure and sE-selectin (Demerath
et al.
2001).
Likewise, we found, in a study based on an untreated population, the strongest
relationship between adhesion molecules and both systolic and diastolic blood
pressure (SBP and DBP respectively) was with sE-selectin, a marker of endothelial
activation
(Fig. 4)
(Miller
et al.
2004). h is relationship, which is consistent across
dif erent ethnic groups, is independent of BMI and smoking and found mainly
in women younger than 50 years of age. A more recent study has demonstrated
that the level of both sE-selectin and sP-selectin but not sICAM-1 or sVCAM-1 is
raised in hypertensive compared to normotensive individuals and that treatment
with Benidipine, a long-acting calcium channel blocker, led to a decrease in
blood pressure and a time-dependent reduction in adhesion molecule levels
(Sanada
et al.
2005).
Discrepancies between studies may arise when dif erent confounders are
adjusted for and when hypertensive status, as opposed to actual blood pressure, is
examined. Each adhesion molecule has a specii c role in the adhesion pathway and
