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Novel Biomarkers and Promising Therapeutical Approaches in Risk Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease: The Prognostic Significance of Endothelial Dysfunction

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 25540

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology - Pharmacology Section, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: endothelial dysfunction, endothelial cells, animal models and animal welfare, vascular failure, oxidative stress, metainflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabesity, pharmacology.

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular diseases are still among the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, diet, obesity and physical inactivity contribute to increase the incidence of cardiovascular events by promoting a proinflammatory condition that affects proliferation, migration and increased permeability of endothelial cells. In turn, the endothelial inflammatory phenotype triggers the synthesis and release of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors that further exacerbate endothelial health and impair vascular performance.

Endothelial dysfunction underlies the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases, is closely correlated with the pathophysiology of metabolic disturbances, and lies beneath senescence and aging. While extensive studies and consistent results suggest that changes in endothelial cell function precede, accompany and may potentially predict changes in cardiac development and function, the search for biological markers and instrumental approaches able to evaluate endothelial function is still a great challenge.

Filling the gap between mechanisms of immediate or delayed endothelium responses under specific conditions and associated markers and modulators would reveal interrelations, feedback, and feed-forward regulatory effects, with the ultimate goal to improve our understanding on the pathogenesis of several diseases and help to delineate the most effective strategies and therapeutical approaches.

This Special Issue is dedicated to all original research articles and state-of-the- art reviews, exploring molecular mechanisms underlying a correlation between endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular complications, as well as  investigations testing novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets that can be used for the diagnosis and prognosis of disease helping to broaden our understanding and improving patients treatments.

Dr. Maria Assunta Potenza
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • endothelial dysfunction
  • endothelial mediators
  • oxidative stress
  • signalling pathways
  • adipokines
  • circulating and molecular biomarkers
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • metabolic disorders
  • epigenetic

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1768 KiB  
Article
Activation of the Interleukin-33/ST2 Pathway Exerts Deleterious Effects in Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
by Amaia Garcia-Pena, Jaime Ibarrola, Adela Navarro, Alba Sadaba, Carolina Tiraplegui, Mattie Garaikoetxea, Vanessa Arrieta, Lara Matilla, Amaya Fernández-Celis, Rafael Sadaba, Virginia Alvarez, Alicia Gainza, Eva Jover and Natalia López-Andrés
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(5), 2310; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052310 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2149
Abstract
Mitral valve disease (MVD) is a frequent cause of heart failure and death worldwide, but its etiopathogenesis is not fully understood. Interleukin (IL)-33 regulates inflammation and thrombosis in the vascular endothelium and may play a role in the atherosclerotic process, but its role [...] Read more.
Mitral valve disease (MVD) is a frequent cause of heart failure and death worldwide, but its etiopathogenesis is not fully understood. Interleukin (IL)-33 regulates inflammation and thrombosis in the vascular endothelium and may play a role in the atherosclerotic process, but its role in mitral valve has not been investigated. We aim to explore IL-33 as a possible inductor of myxomatous degeneration in human mitral valves. We enrolled 103 patients suffering from severe mitral regurgitation due to myxomatous degeneration undergoing mitral valve replacement. Immunohistochemistry of the resected leaflets showed IL-33 and ST2 expression in both valve interstitial cells (VICs) and valve endothelial cells (VECs). Positive correlations were found between the levels of IL-33 and molecules implicated in the development of myxomatous MVD, such as proteoglycans, extracellular matrix remodeling enzymes (matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors), inflammatory and fibrotic markers. Stimulation of single cell cultures of VICs and VECs with recombinant human IL-33 induced the expression of activated VIC markers, endothelial–mesenchymal transition of VECs, proteoglycan synthesis, inflammatory molecules and extracellular matrix turnover. Our findings suggest that the IL-33/ST2 system may be involved in the development of myxomatous MVD by enhancing extracellular matrix remodeling. Full article
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Review

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20 pages, 716 KiB  
Review
microRNAs as Biomarkers of Endothelial Dysfunction and Therapeutic Target in the Pathogenesis of Atrial Fibrillation
by Vanessa Desantis, Maria Assunta Potenza, Luca Sgarra, Carmela Nacci, Antonietta Scaringella, Sebastiano Cicco, Antonio Giovanni Solimando, Angelo Vacca and Monica Montagnani
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5307; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065307 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
The pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) may involve atrial fibrosis/remodeling and dysfunctional endothelial activities. Despite the currently available treatment approaches, the progression of AF, its recurrence rate, and the high mortality risk of related complications underlay the need for more advanced prognostic and [...] Read more.
The pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) may involve atrial fibrosis/remodeling and dysfunctional endothelial activities. Despite the currently available treatment approaches, the progression of AF, its recurrence rate, and the high mortality risk of related complications underlay the need for more advanced prognostic and therapeutic strategies. There is increasing attention on the molecular mechanisms controlling AF onset and progression points to the complex cell to cell interplay that triggers fibroblasts, immune cells and myofibroblasts, enhancing atrial fibrosis. In this scenario, endothelial cell dysfunction (ED) might play an unexpected but significant role. microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In the cardiovascular compartment, both free circulating and exosomal miRNAs entail the control of plaque formation, lipid metabolism, inflammation and angiogenesis, cardiomyocyte growth and contractility, and even the maintenance of cardiac rhythm. Abnormal miRNAs levels may indicate the activation state of circulating cells, and thus represent a specific read-out of cardiac tissue changes. Although several unresolved questions still limit their clinical use, the ease of accessibility in biofluids and their prognostic and diagnostic properties make them novel and attractive biomarker candidates in AF. This article summarizes the most recent features of AF associated with miRNAs and relates them to potentially underlying mechanisms. Full article
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28 pages, 1370 KiB  
Review
Endothelial Dysfunction, Inflammation and Coronary Artery Disease: Potential Biomarkers and Promising Therapeutical Approaches
by Diana Jhoseline Medina-Leyte, Oscar Zepeda-García, Mayra Domínguez-Pérez, Antonia González-Garrido, Teresa Villarreal-Molina and Leonor Jacobo-Albavera
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(8), 3850; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22083850 - 8 Apr 2021
Cited by 187 | Viewed by 20307
Abstract
Coronary artery disease (CAD) and its complications are the leading cause of death worldwide. Inflammatory activation and dysfunction of the endothelium are key events in the development and pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events. There is [...] Read more.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) and its complications are the leading cause of death worldwide. Inflammatory activation and dysfunction of the endothelium are key events in the development and pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events. There is great interest to further understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis progression, and to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic strategies to prevent endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and to reduce the risk of developing CAD and its complications. The use of liquid biopsies and new molecular biology techniques have allowed the identification of a growing list of molecular and cellular markers of endothelial dysfunction, which have provided insight on the molecular basis of atherosclerosis and are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the prevention and or treatment of atherosclerosis and CAD. This review describes recent information on normal vascular endothelium function, as well as traditional and novel potential biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies aimed to protect the endothelium or reverse endothelial damage, as a preventive treatment for CAD and related complications. Full article
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