Does tobacco smoke affect expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma in monocyte/macrophages of patients with coronary heart disease?
In CHD patients, exposure to tobacco smoke profoundly affected PPARgamma expression, and this was related to levels of secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. MDMs from CHD smokers showed the lowest PPARgamma expression and released more inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, rosiglitazone's ability to inhibit cytokine release and its reversal by GW9662 clearly indicated PPARgamma involvement in these changes in CHD patients.
Our findings define the QKI isoforms as Ago2-interacting proteins. We also identify the QKI-6 isoform as a new component of stress granules in glial cells.