Giuseppe Mandraffino1, Caterina Oriana Aragona2, Michele Scuruchi3, Federica Mamone2, Angela D'Ascola3, Angela Alibrandi4, Maurizio Cinquegrani2, Carmela Morace2, Lilia Oreto5, Carlo Saitta2, Enricomaria Mormina6, Scipione Carerj5, Antonino Saitta2, Egidio Imbalzano2. 1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Internal Medicine Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: gmandraffino@unime.it. 2. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Internal Medicine Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. 3. Department of Biochemical, Physiological and Nutritional Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. 4. Department of Statistics, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. 5. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Cardiology Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. 6. Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphologic and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Young cigarette smokers may already present with early signs of vascular inflammation and damage; biglycan (BGN) has been shown to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of vascular lesions, also in young smokers. We investigated whether after smoke cessation, monocyte BGN expression is reduced; moreover, we evaluated any improvement of pro-atherogenic profile and arterial stiffness (AS), and their relationship with BGN in abstinent smokers. METHODS: Two-hundred-fifty-one young people who had decided to quit smoking were enrolled; of these, 71 had completed the 12-month observation period maintaining smoking abstinence. At enrollment and 12 months later, we evaluated anthropometrics, laboratory profile, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), BGN expression. RESULTS: After 12-month smoke abstinence, we found a significant decrease in inflammatory markers (Hs-CRP: -23.3%; fibrinogen: -11.8%; IL-6: -9.2%), and increased HDL-C levels (+9.3%); blood pressure values were also slightly reduced. cf-PWV (-8.9%) appeared to be improved; cIMT remained unchanged. BGN expression appeared to be reduced (-42.8% relative reduction). BGN reduction appeared to be associated with fibrinogen reduction, and smoking burden. Reduced cf-PWV appeared to be dependent on change in fibrinogen, SBP, IL-6, and BGN by multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: After the first year of smoke abstinence, the levels of IL-6, CRP, fibrinogen, HDL-C, and BGN expression, as well cf-PWV, are significantly improved as compared to baseline. This is the first evidence that removing exposure to a well-known cardiovascular risk factor, such as cigarette smoking, leads to significant reduction of BGN expression.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Young cigarette smokers may already present with early signs of vascular inflammation and damage; biglycan (BGN) has been shown to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of vascular lesions, also in young smokers. We investigated whether after smoke cessation, monocyte BGN expression is reduced; moreover, we evaluated any improvement of pro-atherogenic profile and arterial stiffness (AS), and their relationship with BGN in abstinent smokers. METHODS: Two-hundred-fifty-one young people who had decided to quit smoking were enrolled; of these, 71 had completed the 12-month observation period maintaining smoking abstinence. At enrollment and 12 months later, we evaluated anthropometrics, laboratory profile, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), BGN expression. RESULTS: After 12-month smoke abstinence, we found a significant decrease in inflammatory markers (Hs-CRP: -23.3%; fibrinogen: -11.8%; IL-6: -9.2%), and increased HDL-C levels (+9.3%); blood pressure values were also slightly reduced. cf-PWV (-8.9%) appeared to be improved; cIMT remained unchanged. BGN expression appeared to be reduced (-42.8% relative reduction). BGN reduction appeared to be associated with fibrinogen reduction, and smoking burden. Reduced cf-PWV appeared to be dependent on change in fibrinogen, SBP, IL-6, and BGN by multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: After the first year of smoke abstinence, the levels of IL-6, CRP, fibrinogen, HDL-C, and BGN expression, as well cf-PWV, are significantly improved as compared to baseline. This is the first evidence that removing exposure to a well-known cardiovascular risk factor, such as cigarette smoking, leads to significant reduction of BGN expression.
Authors: Giuseppe Mandraffino; Carmela Morace; Maria Stella Franzè; Veronica Nassisi; Davide Sinicropi; Maria Cinquegrani; Carlo Saitta; Riccardo Scoglio; Sebastiano Marino; Alessandra Belvedere; Valentina Cairo; Alberto Lo Gullo; Michele Scuruchi; Giovanni Raimondo; Giovanni Squadrito Journal: Biomedicines Date: 2022-07-22