The impact of overweight on lipid phenotype in different forms of dyslipidemia: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Dyslipidemia plays a pivotal role in increasing cardiovascular risk. In clinical practice the misleading association between altered lipid profile and obesity is common, therefore genetically inherited dyslipidemias may not completely be addressed among patients with overweight. Thus, we aim to investigate the influence of overweight and obesity on the lipid phenotype in a cohort of patients with different forms of dyslipidemia.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with dyslipidemia from 2015 to 2022. Patients were stratified in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL), non-familial hyperlipidemia or polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH). Clinical characteristics and lipid profile were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the total of 798 patients, 361 were affected by non-familial hyperlipidemia (45.2%), while FCHL, FH and PH was described in 19.9%, 14.0% and 20.9% of patients, respectively. Overweight prevalence was higher in FCHL and non-familial hyperlipidemia patients than FH and PH patients. Subjects with overweight and obesity were independently associated with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) compared to patients with normal weight (52.4 and 46.0 vs 58.1, respectively; p < 0.0001); levels of triglycerides (TG) and non-HDL-C were higher in patients with overweight and obesity than patients with normal weight (257.3 and 290.9 vs 194.8, and 221.5 and 219.6 vs 210.1, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.01, respectively), while no differences were observed between patients with overweight and obesity.

CONCLUSION

While dyslipidemias can be influenced by various factors, an important determinant may lie in genetics, frequently acting as an underlying cause of altered lipid profiles, even in cases of overweight conditions.

De-risking S-F bond formation:A gas cylinder-free strategy to access S(IV) and S(VI) fluorinated compounds

The sulfur-fluorine partnership occupies a privileged position in fluorine chemistry given the functional versatility that it imparts to organic structures. Despite this, available methodologies to forge S-F bonds are limited compared to C-F bond formation. Here, we describe a synthetic protocol that selectively enables the oxidative halogenation of aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic thiols to their corresponding SF4Cl, SO2F and SF3 derivatives. Selective oxidation of thiols to either S(IV)-F or S(VI)-F compounds is achieved by employing bench-stable calcium hypochlorite as chlorine surrogate (CLOgen), in the presence of KF as fluoride source. DFT calculations provided insight into the mechanistic aspects of the transformation and rationalized the observed isomeric preference towards the SF4Cl derivatives. Ultimately, this glovebox-free method selectively dispatches three classes of compounds upon reaction condition fine-tuning. Furthermore, first-in-class transformations are reported, including the preparation of aliphatic SF4Cl intermediates, their transformation into aliphatic sulfur pentafluoride analogs, and post-transformations that allow accessing highly complex SF4-bridged scaffolds.

Lighting Up the Plasma Membrane: Development and Applications of Fluorescent Ligands for Transmembrane Proteins

Despite the fact that transmembrane proteins represent the main therapeutic targets for decades, complete and in-depth knowledge about their biochemical and pharmacological profiling is not fully available. In this regard, target-tailored small-molecule fluorescent ligands are a viable approach to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle. Such tools, coupled with the ability of high-precision optical techniques to image with an unprecedented resolution at a single-molecule level, helped unraveling many of the conundrums related to plasma proteins' life-cycle and druggability. Herein, we review the recent progress made during the last two decades in fluorescent ligand design and potential applications in fluorescence microscopy of voltage-gated ion channels, ligand-gated ion channels and G-coupled protein receptors.

Effects of a new mixture of essential amino acids (Aminotrofic(®)) in malnourished haemodialysis patients

The aim of this study was to verify the clinical efficacy of a diet associated with already commercially available oral amino acid functional cluster (AFC) compared to the administration of a diet associated with a nitrogen protein-based supplement (casein) in antagonizing malnutrition in patients with Chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing haemodialysis. The secondary aim was to assess the changes in protein levels during the acute phase such as the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Twenty patients in haemodialysis aged between 18 and 85 of both genders (13 m, 7f) were recruited, randomized and divided into two groups and treated for 4 months respectively with: (1) oral AFC supplement (*)8 g/die: group A, and (2) oral supplementation of a protein nitrogenous mixture compared to AFC with a casein protein source) of 6.6 g: group P. During the initial assessment and thereafter on a monthly basis all patients underwent the following: Dietary recall 24 h; Anthropometric: Weight, height, BMI, expected dry weight, actual weight; Biochemical: Albumin, transferrin, Na, K, Cl, Ca, P, Mg, long-interval creatinine (Aminotrofic(®): Errekappa Euroterapici, Milano) pre-albumin, α1 acid glycoprotein, C reactive protein (CRP), protein nitrogen appearance (PNA); Instrumental: Handgrip strength evaluation, Calorimetry by means of Armband, Bio-impedance analysis (BIA), Spitzer Index (quality of life), Subjective Global Assessment Generated by the patient (PG SGA). Considering the nutritional parameters, no significant differences concerning dry weight emerged between the beginning (T0) and the end (T4) (weight A to T0: kg 64.41 ± 6.34; weight A to T4: kg 64.51 ± 7.05: P = NS; weight P to T0: kg 60.17 ± 11.94; weight P to T4: kg 59.86 ± 11.43: P = NS); biochemical parameters, significant differences were observed only for two parameters: pre-albumin (Pre-albumin A to T0 30.12 ± 7.23; Pre-albumin A to T4: 28.91 ± 5.8; Pre-albumin P to T0 22.51 ± 6.04; Pre-albumin P to T4: 26.10 ± 9.82), and Transferrin (Transferrin A to T0 171.77 ± 28.87 mg/dL, Transferrin A to T4: 181.44 ± 38.83 mg/dL: P < 0.005; Transferrin P to T0 160.29 ± 27.46 mg/dL, Transferrin P to T4: 146.57 ± 24.96 mg/dL: P < 0.005), but not in other parameters. From a nutritional perspective, after 4 months of treatment an increase in protein synthesis was noted in group A compared to group P which was proved by the significant increase of transferrin. This pilot study suggests the AFC oral supplementation may represent a valid alternative to intradialytic parenteral treatment and may also allow for an improvement in blood chemical values and nutritional status.