The Indonesian Biomedical Journal

73-83

Authors: Anna Meiliana, Andi Wijaya

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory nature of atherosclerosis is well established but the agent(s) that incite inflammation in the artery wall remain largely unknown. CONTENT: Chronic inflammation is recognized as a major driving force in atherogenesis. The sites of atherosclerotic plaque development in the arterial wall are characterized by cholesterol accumulation and infiltration of peripheral blood monocytes, which gradually differentiate into macrophages. Cholesterol crystals, the common constituents of atherosclerotic lesions, include NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β secretion in human macrophages, promote an inflammatory milieu and thus drive lesion progression. Consequently, the cholesterol crystal-induced inflammasome activation may represent an important link between cholesterol metabolism and inflammation in atherosclerotic lesions. SUMMARY: The crystalline cholesterol acts as an endogenous danger signal and its deposition in arteries or elsewhere is an early cause rather than a late consequence of inflammation. The cholesterol crystal-induced inflammasome activation in macrophages may represent an important link between cholesterol metabolism and inflammation in atherosclerotic lesions. This finding provides new insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and indicates new potential molecular targets for the therapy of this disease.

93-100

Authors: Lia Meliani, Mansyur Arif, Indriyanti Rafi Sukmawati

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin has many biological activities such as regulating energy homeostasis and recent studies have shown its effects in the cardiovascular system. Ghrelin concentration decreases in obese man that indicates relatioship between ghrelin and energy homeostasis. Ghrelin also improves endothelial function by increasing the bioavaibility of nitric oxide (NO). The bioavaibility of NO is also influenced by ADMA. ADMA is an endogenous competitive inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which is significantly elevated during endothelial dysfuction. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of ADMA and ghrelin with central obesity based on waist circumference and to evaluate the relationship of total ghrelin and ADMA in centrally obese men. METHODS: Total ghrelin and ADMA were measured in 20 non-obese men (waist circumference (WC) 78.85±4.40 cm) and 60 centrally obese men (WC 97.54±5.94 cm). Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BM, waist circumference and blood pressure) were also recorded. Statistic were carried out by the Spearman and Pearson bivariate correlation analysis and independent sample T test. RESULTS: ADMA concentrations were significantly higher in centrally obese men than in normal weight controls (p-value <0.05), whereas total ghrelin concentrations were not significantly lower in centrally obese men than in normal weight controls (p-value >0.05). Ghrelin total concentrations were significantly lower in centrally obese men with metabolic syndrome than in normal weight controls (p-value <0.05). No significant correlation existed between total ghrelin and ADMA. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation existed between ADMA and total ghrelin. The pathway of ghrelin in altering vascular function may not involve ADMA.

107-11

Authors: Hori Hariyanto, John Butar Butar, Gatot Susilo Lawrence, FX Budhianto Suhadi, Andi Husni Tanra

BACKGROUND: β-endorphin plays a role in the descending pain control in the central nervous system. Central sensitization may be involved in the generating and maintenance of osteoarthritis (OA) pain. However, the correlation between β-endorphin and pain severity in OA has shown conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between plasma β-endorphin and the severity of the disease. METHODS: This study was an observational cross-sectional study carried out on 60 female subjects with knee OA who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Plasma β-endorphin was measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Osteoarthritis knees were classified by the Kellegren-Lawrence (KL) grading (1-4) criteria. The Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) scoring method was used to assess self-reported physical function, pain and stiffness. RESULTS: The mean of the participants' ages was 58 years old, ranging from 42 to 83 years. Overall, more than 70% of the participants were overweight with a mean of body mass index (BMI) of 27.59. More than 54% of the participants were diagnosed of having KL grading 3 or 4. Plasma β-endorphin was correlated inversely with the WOMAC subscale of stiffness (r=-0.286, p=0.0311), but no correlation was noted with the WOMAC subscale of pain and physical activity. There was no significant difference of the mean of plasma β-endorphin among the KL gradings. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma β-endorphin is associated with better WOMAC total score and stiffness subscale, but not associated with KL grading of OA.