The role of high density lipoprotein in Type 1 Gaucher disease

Type I Gaucher Disease (GD1) is known to be associated with hypocholesterolemia and reduced levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). In this study we aimed to correlate disease severity with HDL levels and to evaluate the effect of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on HDL levels as well as estimating the frequency of cardiovascular events in GD.

Two groups of GD1 patients were evaluated: 30 untreated and 36 patients on ERT. Disease severity, biomarkers of GD and lipid levels were evaluated in the two groups. The Zimran Severity Score Index (SSI) was used to estimate disease severity and the effect of ERT on HDL levels was evaluated, as well as the frequency of cardiovascular disease. GD1 patients with more severe disease (SSI median 11) had significantly lower levels of HDL (median 23mg/dL), compared to patients with milder (SSI median 4.5) disease (median 37mg/dL p=0.001). HDL levels increased after ERT.

Despite lower HDL levels in patients with more severe disease, a low frequency of cardiovascular events was detected. HDL level should be used in GD as a biomarker for diagnosis, monitoring and estimation of ERT effect.

PMID:

27876360

DOI:

10.1016/j.bcmd.2016.11.005

How Biomarkers Are Helping Save Lives

Maryland Heights, MO, August 25, 2015   Lee Biosolutions is a global  healthcare biotech company investing in the development and manufacture of highly purified  cardiac markers for the IVD industry used in early detection of heart disease.  The company’s scientific team's extensive expertise with protein chemistry has led to the development and commercialization of important cardiac biomarkers used in the industry such as CKMB, Troponin, Myeloperoxidase, Myoglobin, CRP, HDL and LDL.

We are excited about the future of biomarkers that will save lives

Burton Lee, CEO

According the World Health Organization , Cardiovascular Disease (CVDs) is the number one cause of death in the world with over 17 million people dying  in 2012 alone. In the United States , 1 in every 4 people will die each year from heart disease. Healthcare statistics indicate  that heart disease kills more people than all the cancer victims.

Burton Lee, CEO explained, " Early detection will help save lives which is why diagnostic companies around the world seek us out because we have the scientific expertise in isolating the specific marker that they need  to help in the detection of heart disease. As a cardiovascular patient, when you go in for a blood test, its very likely the enzyme you see on your report is part of a cardiac panel in which we supplied the enzyme components. Its extremely gratifying for  our employees  to know that the products we produce will be used in a blood test that helps save a patient’s  life.”
Lee Biosolutions stands out in the clinical diagnostic industry because of its historical manufacturing experience in mammalian tissues and serum protein extraction, purification and isolation. The company can tailor the purification, development, process chromatography and protein characterization to ensure its clients obtain the right product for their final application.
 About Lee Biosolutions, Inc.:

We are headquartered in a 41,000 square feet state of the art cGMP-compliant facility in Maryland Heights, MO. Lee Biosolutions is a certified, licensed ISO, FDA, EPA and USDA leader in process development and bulk manufacturing of high quality purified enzymes and related proteins for research and clinical diagnostic tests. Lee Biosolutions products are used for such pathologies as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, urine analysis, coagulation, obesity, inflammatory, neurological, autoimmune diseases and immunological disorders

Processed B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Is a Biomarker of Postinterventional Restenosis in Ischemic Heart Disease

Abstract

Background: Restenosis, a condition in which the lesion vessel renarrows after a coronary intervention procedure, remains a limitation in management. A surrogate biomarker for risk stratification of restenosis would be welcome. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted in response to pathologic stress from the heart. Its use as a biomarker of heart failure is well known; however, its diagnostic potential in ischemic heart disease is less explored. Recently, it has been reported that processed forms of BNP exist in the circulation. We hypothesized that circulating processed forms of BNP might be a biomarker of ischemic heart disease.

                    

Methods: We characterized processed forms of BNP by a newly developed mass spectrometry–based detection method combined with immunocapture using commercial anti-BNP antibodies.

                    

Results: Measurements of processed forms of BNP by this assay were found to be strongly associated with presence of restenosis. Reduced concentrations of the amino-terminal processed peptide BNP(5–32) relative to BNP(3–32) [as the index parameter BNP(5–32)/BNP(3–32) ratio] were seen in patients with restenosis [median (interquartile range) 1.19 (1.11–1.34), n = 22] vs without restenosis [1.43 (1.22–1.61), n = 83; P < 0.001] in a cross-sectional study of 105 patients undergoing follow-up coronary angiography. A sensitivity of 100% to rule out the presence of restenosis was attained at a ratio of 1.52.

                    

Conclusions: Processed forms of BNP may serve as viable potential biomarkers to rule out restenosis.

© 2013 The American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Low Serum Levels of Pepsinogen and Gastrin 17 Are Predictive of Extensive Gastric Atrophy with High-Risk of Early Gastric Cancer

Atrophic gastritis (AG) is a well-recognized high-risk condition for developing gastric cancer (GC). Gastrin 17 (G17), a hormone secreted from antral G cells, regulates gastric acid secretion, and its serum level is a possible indicator of antral atrophy.

Serum pepsinogen is well established as the indicator of AG involving the corpus. Here we investigated whether serum PG and G17 levels would be useful for determining the topographic pattern of AG and estimating the risk of GC. Enrolled were 122 Japanese patients with early GC (114 well- to moderate-differentiated cancers and 8 poorly-differentiated cancers). In addition, 178 subjects without GC were recruited as control from those undergoing endoscopic examination (non-GC group).

All subjects were histologically assigned to the following four groups: non-AG, antrum-predominant AG, corpus-predominant AG, and multifocal AG, affecting the antrum and corpus. Serum concentrations of pepsinogen and G17 were determined using ELISA. Multifocal AG was more frequent in the GC group than in the adjusted non-GC group, and had the highest risk of GC (OR 25.1). Serum G17 was significantly decreased with the exacerbation of antral atrophy in the coexistence of corpus atrophy.

Serum biomarker profiles showed that the low levels of pepsinogen and G17 could discriminate between multifocal AG and other types of AG, but not with pepsinogen level alone. Serologically defined multifocal AG had the highest cancer risk among other serologically defined AG groups (OR 26.9).

In conclusion, the low serum levels of pepsinogen and G17 are predictive of extensive gastric atrophy with high-risk of early GC.

Researchers Discover New Biomarker That May Improve Cancer Care Strategies

In a preliminary study, researchers identified a novel biomarker that predicts cancer metastasis. If validated in more-rigorous studies, the biomarker could help clinicians improve treatment strategies for patients with certain types of cancer.

Researchers found in a small preliminary study that varying levels of a novel biomarker, an N-terminal truncated protein variant of carboxypeptidase E (CPE-ΔN), may be predictive of metastasis in certain cancers.
Researchers with the National Institutes of Health and the University of Hong Kong in China discovered that an N-terminal truncated protein variant of carboxypeptidase E (CPE-ΔN) induces tumor growth and metastasis. Patients with high levels of this protein were more likely to have their cancer spread, regardless of staging and grading; those with low levels, regardless of staging and grading, were more likely to not have their cancers spread (Lee TK et al. J Clin Invest. doi: 10.1172/JCI40433

Theme: Alzheimer's disease: the biomarker revolution - Review

Epidemiological and molecular studies suggest that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has multiple etiologies including genetic mutations, genetic variations affecting susceptibility and environmental factors. These aspects can promote the formation and accumulation of insoluble amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated tau. Since the disease is multifactorial and clinical diagnosis is highly exclusive, the need for a sensitive, specific and reliable biomarker is crucial.

The concept of a biomarker implies sensitivity and specificity relative to the condition being considered. For clinical practice, AD diagnosis has been based on adherence to clinical criteria such as the NINCDS/ADRDA and DSM-IV. A more recent set of diagnostic criteria proposed incorporates imaging findings into the diagnosis of AD.

In this article, we consider the most studied candidates or group of candidates for AD biomarkers, including pathological processes and proteins (amyloid-β, tau, oxidative stress, mitochondrial/metabolic changes and cell-cycle processes), or autoantibodies thereto, as well as genetic factors.

Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease: past, present and future
Katarzyna Gustaw-Rothenberg‌1,2, Alan Lerner‌1, David J Bonda‌3, Hyoung-gon Lee‌3, Xiongwei Zhu‌3, George Perry‌3,4 & Mark A Smith‌3††Author for correspondence

Biomarkers in Medicine
February 2010, Vol. 4, No. 1, Pages 15-26

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease will reach epidemic proportions within the next 20–30 years if left unchecked. Currently, there are no treatments that prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease but many are being developed. Parallel efforts to develop biomarkers to aid in disease diagnosis and prognosis, and assess disease risk are currently underway. Clinicopathological and biomarker studies have demonstrated that Alzheimer’s disease pathology can be detected preclinically.

Using biomarkers to identify affected individuals prior to the onset of clinical symptoms and associated synaptic/neuronal loss should enable novel clinical trial design and early mechanism-based therapeutic intervention. This article summarizes the most promising cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, highlights novel applications and current challenges, and provides a prediction on how the field may evolve in 5–10 years