Patients with coronary atherosclerosis had on average 2.75-times higher plasma levels of CATS mRNA (encoding cathepsin S) than controls. However, no difference was observed in plasma level of CATB mRNA (encoding another member of lysosomal cysteine proteinase family cathepsin B). Our results strongly implicate a specific role of cathepsin S in atherogenesis.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2926193
In patients with coronary atherosclerosis plasma level of CTSS mRNA correlate with plasma level of CD40 mRNA, independently of observed traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis and pharmacological treatment. This strongly implicate that in human atheroma cathepsin S mediated atherogenesis may be associated with a CD40 mediated inflammatory and immune response.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2974577
We optimised the procedure for isolating cell-free mRNA from human plasma. With the optimised protocol it is possible to isolate mRNA of gene encoding cycA from plasma of healty volunteers with the precision offering its further RT-PCR quantification with analytical day-to-day imprecision (expressed as coefficient of variation of Ct) below 2 %.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2373745
We optimised methods for quantifying plasma mRNA level from genes CTSS, CTSB, CD40, CCL2, DAPK1, MMP9, VCAM1 and PGK1, i.e. from genes responsible for atherosclerotic plaque development and destabilization. With the use of fully optimised analytical procedures it is possible to measure plasma mRNA levels in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, as well as in healthy subjects, with analytical day-to-day imprecision less than 2 %. However, it is not possible to quantiy plasma mRNA levers from genes MSR1, PLIN, F3, PLA2G2A, COL1A2 and IL1A.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2931057