Cardiovascular Diseases Commons^™

Regulation Of C-Reactive Protein Gene Expression And Function, Avinash N. Thirumalai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is the prototypic acute phase protein whose serum concentration increases rapidly during inflammation. CRP is also associated with atherosclerosis; it is deposited at lesion sites where it may interact with modified lipoproteins. There are 2 major questions regarding CRP: 1. How is the serum concentration of CRP regulated? 2. What are the functions of CRP in atherosclerosis?

Our first aim was to determine the role of the constitutively expressed transcription factor Oct-1 in regulating CRP gene expression. We found that Oct-1 overexpression inhibited (IL-6+IL-1β)- induced CRP gene expression; maximal inhibition required the binding of Oct-1 to …

Leptin Regulates Cd16 Expression On Human Monocytes In A Sex-Specific Manner, Joseph G. Cannon, Gyanendra Sharma, Gloria Sloan, Christiana Dimitropoulou, R. Randall Baker, Andrew Mazzoli, Barbara Kraj, Anthony Mulloy, Miriam Cortez-Cooper

Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Fat mass is linked mechanistically to the cardiovascular system through leptin, a 16 kDa protein produced primarily by adipocytes. In addition to increasing blood pressure via hypothalamic-sympathetic pathways, leptin stimulates monocyte migration, cytokine secretion, and other functions that contribute to atherosclerotic plaque development. These functions are also characteristics of CD16-positive monocytes that have been implicated in the clinical progression of atherosclerosis. This investigation sought to determine if leptin promoted the development of such CD16-positive monocytes. Cells from 45 healthy men and women with age ranging from 20 to 59 years were analyzed. Circulating numbers of CD14++16++ monocytes, which are primary …