Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the most important causes of mortality in Iran. Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Dietary modification such as cereal bran consumption is an approach to reduce this risk factor. The purpose of this present study was to compare the effects of rice bran and wheat bran on serum lipids in hypercholesterolemic women.
Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial in which 19 women aged 35-65 years with fasting serum total cholesterol 240-300 mg/dl randomly allocated in two groups of wheat bran and rice bran. All subjects recieved 40 g/day bran in addition to their usual diet for 4 weeks. Anthropometric measurements, dietary assessments by using a 24-hr dietary recall questionnaire and determination of serum lipids were done at the beginning and the end of the study. Data were statistically analyzed by t-test and paired t-test.
Results: There were no significant differences between groups for mean body weight, BMI and dietary confounding factors. During 4 weeks, wheat bran significantly reduced serum total cholesterol and LDL-C by 11% and 21% respectively (P<0.01) but rice bran had no effects on these parameters. No significant changes were found in mean serum triglyceride, HDL-C levels, LDL-C/ HDL-C and total cholesterol/ HDL-C ratios in both groups.
Conclusion: It is concluded that wheat bran have benefical effects on serum total cholesterol and LDL-C levels in hypercholesterolemic women in comparision with rice bran.

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Background: Diabetes Mellitus is the most common endocrinologic disease in human and retinopathy is one of the most common complications. Etiology of this complication is yet unknown but one of the factors that can be effective on its production or progression is serum lipid. We aim to study the relationship between different degrees of diabetic retinopathy and serum lipids levels.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study designed to study over 37 patients with diabetes mellitus type one and 157 patients with diabetes mellitus type two. Former was selected as sensus and latter was selected randomly from diabetic patients attending the diabetes clinic in Yazd during 2002. Inclusion criteria was duration of diabetes at least seven years from diagnosis. Statistical analysis performed by SPSS package edition 11 and wit statistical tests as Chi square, Fisher Exact and ANOVA.
Results: Among 194 cases, 74 cases were males and 120 females. 90 cases (46.4%) have normal total serum cholesterol and 104 (53.6%) hypercholestrolemia. In case of triglyceride 94 cases (48.4%) have normal serum triglyceride and 100 (51.6%) hypertriglyceridemia. Distribution of different degrees of diabetic retinopathy was statistically significant due to cholesterol and triglycerides (P-Value<0.05). In different groups of sex, diabetic retinopathy was more prevalent if there was hypertriglyceridemia or hypercholesterolemia. This was correct about different groups of age and type of diabetes. This means that in different groups of age and type of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy was more prevalent if there was hypertriglyceridemia or hypercholesterolemia.
Conclusion: Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy is higher in cases with hypertriglyceridemia or hypercholesterolemia than cases with normal serum triglyceride or cholesterole.

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Background: Hypercholesterolemia is considered a major risk factor for pancreatitis, atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene polymorphisms are known to be associated with changes in lipid levels. We investigated the association between a polymorphism in the CETP gene (D442G) with plasma lipid levels and CETP activity in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Methods: This case/control study that be done in Hamadan university of medical sciences (from October 2008 to September 2009), included 102 patients with hypercholesterolemia and 200 healthy individuals. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used to determine genotypic distribution and allelic frequencies of polymorphisms. The plasma CETP activity was measured by a kit in a fluorescence spectrometer. Lipid concentrations were measured by routine biochemical and enzymatic assays.

Results: Plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity was significantly higher in the cases than the controls (P<0.05). The genotypic and allelic frequencies for this polymorphism were not statistically different between the patients with hypercholesterolemia and the controls (in controls: DD 96%, DG 4%, GG 0% and in cases: DD 86%, DG 10%, GG 4%), (P>0.05). Plasma HDL-C, LDL-C and TC were higher in both groups with GG and DG genotypes than with DD genotype, whereas serum CETP activity was lower in GG genotype compared with other genotypes (GD or DD), (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The results showed that D442G polymorphism of CETP gene was associated with changes in lipid profile and plasma CETP activity in the selected population and it might have a role in contributing to a genetic risk for developing coronary artery disease.