Application of leukocyte transcriptomes to assess systemic consequences of risk factors for cardiovascular disease
-
Diego Ardigo
Abstract
Prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major health issue in the Western world. The diagnostic and therapeutic approach is currently based on risk factor assessment and treatment, which adequately predicts CVD at population level, but not at the level of a single individual. This may arise from the fact that the stage and activity of complex disease states are not likely to be captured by a single parameter or a small set of markers and thus may need a more complex representation. The aim of this review is to explore the possibility of pursuing the use of high-throughput gene expression profiling as a way to improve diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of the disease. Novel chip-based techniques such as oligo- and cDNA microarrays can measure the abundance of thousands of mRNA transcripts in parallel and thus provide a comprehensive picture of the cell phenotype. Circulating white blood cells (WBCs), which are exposed to the systemic environment (including the risk factors) and are directly involved in the low-grade chronic inflammation related to CVD, have the potential to be used in this context to improve phenotyping of the patient. The paper reviews conceptual limitations in the use of risk factors and biomarkers, and shows the rationale beyond the possible use of circulating WBCs or subpopulations as representative cells to monitor systemic consequences of CVD. Methodological issues in performing microarray analysis of WBCs are also addressed, including controversies related to the choice of adequate cell populations and reference samples. Reproducibility and challenges occurring in the definition of a disease-specific gene panel are also discussed. The available proofs of principle from the literature presented in the last section of the review further support exploration of the application of circulating cell transcriptomics in CVD.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1109–20.
©2007 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- SIBioC 2007, 39th National Congress of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, Palacongressi Rimini (Italy), 2-5 October 2007
- Third “Biologie Prospective” Santorini Conference
- Application of leukocyte transcriptomes to assess systemic consequences of risk factors for cardiovascular disease
- Ghrelin variants influence development of body mass index and plasma levels of total cholesterol in dialyzed patients
- Evaluation of genetic predisposition to insulin resistance by nutrient-induced insulin output ratio (NIOR)
- Apolipoprotein A-V gene polymorphisms in subjects with metabolic syndrome
- Prothrombogenic factors and reduced antioxidative defense in children and adolescents with pre-metabolic and metabolic syndrome
- Interleukin-6 gene promoter –174G/C polymorphism and insulin resistance: a pilot study
- Apolipoprotein E polymorphism – a risk factor for metabolic syndrome
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs): a possible model for studying cardiovascular biology systems
- New perspectives and strategy research biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Reproducibility of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) classification: a systematic review
- The uncoupling protein-1 gene −3826A/G polymorphism and hypertension in Japanese subjects
- Association between the TaqIB polymorphism in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene locus and postprandial plasma lipoprotein levels in heterozygotes for familial hypercholesterolemia
- Histamine induces the expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) and acid-binding protein (aP2) in white adipocytes
- Biochemical and clinical correlates of hypouricemia in surgical and critically ill patients
- Reliability of oxidative stress biomarkers in hemodialysis patients: a comparative study
- The association between lipid profiles and breast cancer among Taiwanese women
- Inverse association between serum selenium concentrations and parameters of immune activation in patients with cardiac disorders
- Associations of blood levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 in schizophrenic Arab subjects
- Sources of variation and reference intervals for serum cystatin C in a healthy Japanese adult population
- Intra-individual variation in creatinine and cystatin C
- Gammopathy interference in clinical chemistry assays: mechanisms, detection and prevention
- An Italian program of External Quality Control for chromogranin A (CgA) assay: performance evaluation of CgA determination
- Automated urinalysis: first experiences and a comparison between the Iris iQ200 urine microscopy system, the Sysmex UF-100 flow cytometer and manual microscopic particle counting
- Type B natriuretic peptide stability in frozen plasma
Articles in the same Issue
- SIBioC 2007, 39th National Congress of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, Palacongressi Rimini (Italy), 2-5 October 2007
- Third “Biologie Prospective” Santorini Conference
- Application of leukocyte transcriptomes to assess systemic consequences of risk factors for cardiovascular disease
- Ghrelin variants influence development of body mass index and plasma levels of total cholesterol in dialyzed patients
- Evaluation of genetic predisposition to insulin resistance by nutrient-induced insulin output ratio (NIOR)
- Apolipoprotein A-V gene polymorphisms in subjects with metabolic syndrome
- Prothrombogenic factors and reduced antioxidative defense in children and adolescents with pre-metabolic and metabolic syndrome
- Interleukin-6 gene promoter –174G/C polymorphism and insulin resistance: a pilot study
- Apolipoprotein E polymorphism – a risk factor for metabolic syndrome
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs): a possible model for studying cardiovascular biology systems
- New perspectives and strategy research biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Reproducibility of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) classification: a systematic review
- The uncoupling protein-1 gene −3826A/G polymorphism and hypertension in Japanese subjects
- Association between the TaqIB polymorphism in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene locus and postprandial plasma lipoprotein levels in heterozygotes for familial hypercholesterolemia
- Histamine induces the expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) and acid-binding protein (aP2) in white adipocytes
- Biochemical and clinical correlates of hypouricemia in surgical and critically ill patients
- Reliability of oxidative stress biomarkers in hemodialysis patients: a comparative study
- The association between lipid profiles and breast cancer among Taiwanese women
- Inverse association between serum selenium concentrations and parameters of immune activation in patients with cardiac disorders
- Associations of blood levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 in schizophrenic Arab subjects
- Sources of variation and reference intervals for serum cystatin C in a healthy Japanese adult population
- Intra-individual variation in creatinine and cystatin C
- Gammopathy interference in clinical chemistry assays: mechanisms, detection and prevention
- An Italian program of External Quality Control for chromogranin A (CgA) assay: performance evaluation of CgA determination
- Automated urinalysis: first experiences and a comparison between the Iris iQ200 urine microscopy system, the Sysmex UF-100 flow cytometer and manual microscopic particle counting
- Type B natriuretic peptide stability in frozen plasma
