Browsing by Author "Blumfelds, Leons"
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Item Association of Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Interictal Serum Levels of Cytokines in Migraine with and without Aura(2022) Tretjakovs, Pēteris; Plinta, Aelita; Svirskis, Šimons; Logina, Ināra; Gersone, Gita; Jurka, Antra; Mikelsone, Indra; Blumfelds, Leons; Mackēvičs, Vitolds; Bahs, Guntis; Faculty of MedicineItem Association of Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, and Interictal Serum Levels of Cytokines in Migraine with and without Aura(2022-10) Plinta, Aelita; Tretjakovs, Pēteris; Svirskis, Šimons; Logina, Ināra; Gersone, Gita; Jurka, Antra; Mikelsone, Indra; Blumfelds, Leons; Mackēvičs, Vitolds; Bahs, Guntis; Faculty of MedicineThe aim of the study was to clarify correlations between body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), and serum levels of cytokines in female migraine patients. A total of 14 migraineurs with aura, and 12 without aura during their interictal period were compared with 25 controls. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured. Migraineurs have elevated levels of IL-8, but decreased serum levels of PAI-1 and sICAM-1 during the interictal period, regardless of aura. BMI correlates with BP, and also with IFN-γ and MMP-9 only in patients with aura. There are three correlations in migraine patients with aura that are absent in patients without aura: between IL-8 and PAI-1; MMP-9 and IL-8; and IL-8 and sICAM-1. Migraineurs without aura, on the other hand, have correlations that patients with aura do not have (between PAI-1 and MCP-1, sICAM-1; between MMP-9 and sICAM-1, MCP-1; between TGF-α and PAI-1, MMP-9, sICAM-1; between sICAM-1 and MMP-9, PAI-1, MCP-1; as well as between sVCAM-1 and MCP-1). PAI-1, TGF, and MMP-9 could be used as biomarkers to distinguish migraineurs from healthy individuals.Item Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Interictal Serum Levels of Cytokines in Migraine with and without Aura(2023-10) Tretjakovs, Pēteris; Plinta, Aelita; Svirskis, Šimons; Logina, Ināra; Gersone, Gita; Jurka, Antra; Miķelsone, Indra; Blumfelds, Leons; Mackēvičs, Vitolds; Bahs, Guntis; Faculty of MedicineItem Dietary behaviour in students with different body fat percent(2013-11-01) Lagzdiņa, Rudite; Blumfelds, Leons; Rumaka, Maija; Aberberga-Augškalne, Līga; Department of Human Physiology and BiochemistryEating habits with uniform food preferences and increased energy intake can contribute to increased gain of body fat. An adequate diet, body self-evaluation, and recognition of unhealthy nutrition patterns should promote appropriate corrective actions. The aim of the present study was to determine whether energy intake, food diversity and corrective modification of body mass differed among student groups with low, normal and high body fat percentage. The study involved 737 (158 male and 579 female) students of the Rīga Stradiņš University (age 18-49 years). Dietary behaviour was determined using self-administered questionnaire. Body fat percentage was determined with a Tanita MC-180 bioimpedance analyser. Fluid and food intake, as well as physical activity before the test was restricted. The results showed that 15% of students in the low, 38% in the normal and 62% in the high body fat percentage groups considered that they eat too much. In the low, normal and high body fat percentage groups of students, 27%, 37% and 42%, respectively, agreed that they do restrict food intake. There were no significant differences in normalised energy intake and food diversity indexes between these student groups. Students in the high body fat percentage group more frequently admitted eating to much, and their corrective behaviour was associated more with reduced amounts of eaten food rather than minimisation of energy intake and increased food diversity. In all fat percentage groups, female students more frequently admitted that they eat too much and more often tended to restrict food intake than male students.Item Influence of Migraine on Axon Reflex-Mediated and Endothelial-Dependent Vasodilatation in the Skin(2021-06-01) Plinta, Aelita; Tretjakovs, Peteris; Logina, Inara; Miķelsone, Indra; Blumfelds, Leons; Bahs, Guntis; Rīga Stradiņš UniversityThe aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in skin blood flow as a result of local heating tests in migraine patients during the interictal period, measured by laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDI). The aim of the study was also to estimate the correlations between the results of these tests and interleukin (IL)-8 levels. Twelve migraine patients during their interictal period were compared with twelve healthy control subjects. Only women were included in the study. Both groups were matched with regard of their age, body mass index and blood pressure. For the purpose of measuring cutaneous microvascular blood flow, heating (+44 °C) of the dorsal side of the palm as a response to the local LDI was used. IL-8 was measured in serum by ELISA method. The findings suggested that migraine patients have a cutaneous vasomotor dysfunction during the interictal period. The results showed a significant decrease in the initial peak of vasodilation and the second peak of vasodilation (plateau phase). Also there were significant changes observed in the length of the time interval required to reach the first and second vasodilation peak. It is known that migraine patients have a shorter time interval to reach the first perfusion peak (axonal reflex-mediated) and longer time interval to reach the second peak (endothelium-dependent). The results confirmed the correlation between proinflammatory chemokine IL-8 levels, and the time interval till the second peak of blood flow in all study subjects.Item Prognostic utility of circulating growth factors in aortic valve stenosis : A pilot study(2021-01) Hofmanis, Juris; Tretjakovs, Peteris; Svirskis, Simons; Gersone, Gita; Hofmane, Dace; Rozenberga, Ulla; Blumfelds, Leons; Bahs, Guntis; Lejnieks, Aivars; Mackevics, Vitolds; Faculty of MedicineBackground and Objectives: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) develops with a pronounced local inflammatory response, where a variety of growth factors are involved in the process, and may have a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether circulating growth factors: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) could be proposed as clinically relevant biomarkers to improve risk stratification in AS patients. Materials and Methods: AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis; 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS (echocardiographically approved) were selected as a control group. GDF-15, Ang-2, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FGF-21 were measured in plasma by the ELISA method. Results: GDF-15 levels differed significantly not only when comparing AS patients with control groups (p < 0.0001), but also a statistically significant difference was achieved when comparing AS patients at a mild degree stage with control individuals. We found a strong relationship of GDF-15 levels regarding AS severity degree (p < 0.0001). VEGF-A, FGF-2 and FGF-21 levels were significantly higher in AS patients than in controls, but relationships regarding the AS severity degree were weaker (p < 0.02). ROC analysis of the study growth factors showed that GDF-15 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS stenosis (AUC = 0.75, p = 0.0002). FGF-21 correlated with GDF-15, Ang-2, and FGF-2, but it did not reach the level to serve as a clinically relevant biomarker of AS stenosis. Conclusions: AS is associated with significantly increased GDF-15, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FGF-21 levels in plasma, but only GDF-15 shows a pronounced relationship regarding AS severity degree, and GDF-15 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS stenosis.Item Prognostic utility of circulating growth factors in aortic valve stenosis : A pilot study(2021-01) Hofmanis, Juris; Tretjakovs, Peteris; Svirskis, Simons; Gersone, Gita; Hofmane, Dace; Rozenberga, Ulla; Blumfelds, Leons; Bahs, Guntis; Lejnieks, Aivars; Mackevics, Vitolds; Faculty of MedicineBackground and Objectives: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) develops with a pronounced local inflammatory response, where a variety of growth factors are involved in the process, and may have a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether circulating growth factors: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) could be proposed as clinically relevant biomarkers to improve risk stratification in AS patients. Materials and Methods: AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis; 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS (echocardiographically approved) were selected as a control group. GDF-15, Ang-2, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FGF-21 were measured in plasma by the ELISA method. Results: GDF-15 levels differed significantly not only when comparing AS patients with control groups (p < 0.0001), but also a statistically significant difference was achieved when comparing AS patients at a mild degree stage with control individuals. We found a strong relationship of GDF-15 levels regarding AS severity degree (p < 0.0001). VEGF-A, FGF-2 and FGF-21 levels were significantly higher in AS patients than in controls, but relationships regarding the AS severity degree were weaker (p < 0.02). ROC analysis of the study growth factors showed that GDF-15 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS stenosis (AUC = 0.75, p = 0.0002). FGF-21 correlated with GDF-15, Ang-2, and FGF-2, but it did not reach the level to serve as a clinically relevant biomarker of AS stenosis. Conclusions: AS is associated with significantly increased GDF-15, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FGF-21 levels in plasma, but only GDF-15 shows a pronounced relationship regarding AS severity degree, and GDF-15 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS stenosis.Item Prognostic utility of novel biomarkers in aortic valve stenosis(2019-05-01) Tretjakovs, Peteris; Hofmanis, Juris; Hofmane, Dace; Krieviņa, Gita; Blumfelds, Leons; Mackevičs, Vitolds; Lejnieks, Aivars; Bahs, Guntis; Faculty of MedicineThe aim of the present study was to evaluate plasma levels of chemerin, myeloperoxidase (MPO), fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21), thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1), and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) in acquired aortic valve (AoV) stenosis patients to determine correlations between the studied cellular factors, and also clarify the predictive values of these factors as biomarkers in AoV stenosis. AoV stenosis patients were classified into three groups: 17 patients with mild AoV stenosis; 19 with moderate and 15 with severe AoV stenosis. Twenty-four subjects without AoV stenosis were selected as a control group. Our findings suggest that AoV stenosis might be associated with increased chemerin, TrxR1, MPO, and FGF-21 levels in plasma. Moreover, these factors and also MMP-9 already reached statistically significantly elevated levels in the early stages of AoV stenosis, but MPO levels were more pronounced in patients with moderate and severe AoV stenosis. Chemerin was correlated with all of the studied cytokines; TrxR1 and MMP-9 were correlated with several other cellular factors. Our findings (by ROC analysis) suggest that MPO and chemerin might serve as specific and sensitive biomarkers for AoV stenosis without grading the severity, but, in relation to mild AoV stenosis, TrxR1, FGF-21, and MMP-9 also reached good or moderate levels as biomarkers. The cellular factors might serve as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in AoV stenosis patients, while chemerin and MPO may be more powerful.Item Thioredoxin‐1 and correlations of the plasma cytokines regarding aortic valve stenosis severity(2021-08-18) Tretjakovs, Peteris; Lurins, Juris; Svirskis, Simons; Gersone, Gita; Lurina, Dace; Rozenberga, Ulla; Blumfelds, Leons; Bahs, Guntis; Lejnieks, Aivars; Mackevics, Vitolds; Faculty of MedicineAortic valve stenosis (AS) develops not only with a pronounced local inflammatory re-sponse, but also oxidative stress is involved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of thioredoxin‐1 (TRX1), myeloperoxidase (MPO), chemerin, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐ 15), angiopoietin‐2 (Ang‐2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF‐A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF‐2), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF‐21), and metalloproteinase (MMP)‐1, ‐3, and ‐9 in acquired AS patients as well as to clarify the correlations of TXR1 and the plasma inflammatory biomarkers regarding AS severity. AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis, 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS were selected as a control group. AS patients had significantly higher plasma levels of TRX1 compared to controls, but the highest difference was found in mild AS patients compared to the controls. We conclude that AS is associated with significantly increased plasma TRX1 levels, and TRX1 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS. TRX1 and also chemerin, GDF‐15, VEGF‐A, FGF‐2 and FGF‐ 21 significantly correlate with AS severity degrees. TRX1 also showed positive association with FGF‐2, VEGF‐A, and MMP‐3 in all AS patients.