Acute infections are associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk. However, little is known about the interactions of acute inflammatory responses and the cardiovascular system. We therefore aimed to evaluate effects of acute inflammatory stimuli mediated by LPS administration on a set of 89 cardiovascular biomarkers. A single-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over study using the human endotoxin model was performed. Ten healthy men were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or placebo on two different study days after an overnight fast. Eighty-nine different cardiovascular biomarkers were measured repetitively over 48 h. Out of 89 cardiovascular biomarkers, 54 markers were significantly influenced by LPS infusion. The observed biomarker response to inflammation was more pronounced and complex than anticipated. In conclusion, our data show that the cardiovascular system is under enormous distress in response to experimental low-dose inflammation in humans, as demonstrated by a significant effect on 54 of the 89 biomarkers tested.

Hypothesis Glycaemic variability (GV) refers to fluctuations in the blood glucose level and may contribute to complications in patients suffering from Diabetes. Several studies show negative effects of GV on the cardiovascular system, however there is still a lack of conclusive evidence. Using an explorative cardiovascular panel, it is possible to simultaneously measure the effects on proteins relevant for cardiovascular processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rapid glucose excursions on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in healthy individuals. Methods An explorative single-blinded cross-over study was performed in ten healthy men. Subjects received 3 times 20 grams of glucose i.v. over 5 minutes or 60 grams of glucose continuously over 3 hours. Blood was taken for repeated measurements of the cardiovascular panel over the following 6 hours and again after 24 and 48 hours. Results We observed a significant elevation of 7 cardiovascular biomarkers (BMP6, SLAMF7, LOX-1, ADAMTS13, IL-1RA, IL-4RA, PTX3) at t = 360min after rapid glucose infusion compared to a continuous glucose infusion. Conclusions Intraday GV seems to have acute effects on cardiovascular proteins in healthy test persons. Rapid glucose administration compared to continuous administration showed significant changes in BMP6, SLAMF7, ADAMTS13, IL1RA, PTX3, IL-4RA and LOX-1. Clinical trial registration NCT04488848.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) affects the regulation of metabolism. Additionally, anti‐inflammatory properties are attributed to FGF21, and studies in animals and humans show conflicting results. This study aimed to investigate how FGF21 is affected by glucose and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in humans. Therefore, FGF21 was measured eight times at different time points within 48 h in this prospective cross‐over trial after glucose and LPS on two different study days. The study included ten healthy, non‐smoking male subjects aged 18–40. Repeated measures analysis of variance and paired t‐test as post hoc analysis were applied. The administration of glucose and LPS resulted in a significant difference in regulating FGF21 (p < 0.001). After glucose administration, FGF21 declined sharply at 360 min, with a subsequent steep increase that exceeded baseline levels. LPS induced a drop in FGF21 after 180 min, while the baseline concentrations were not reached. After 180 min and 24 h, a statistically significant difference was demonstrated after adjusting the Bonferroni–Holm method. So, our results support the hypothesis that glucose and LPS differentially affect the human expression of FGF21 over 48 h.

Background: Although vaccination against COVID-19 is highly effective, breakthrough infections occur, often leading to severe courses and death. The extent of protection provided by individual antibody levels in breakthrough infections is still unknown and cut-off levels have yet to be determined. Methods: In 80 consecutive fully vaccinated patients hospitalized between August and December 2021 with COVID-19 breakthrough infection (Delta variant), anti-CoV2S antibody levels were analyzed for the endpoint of death. Results: Ten out of the 12 patients who died (83.3%) had antibody levels < 600 U/mL; 5 (41.7%) of these had antibody levels < 200 U/mL. Only 2 patients with a level of >600 U/mL died from vaccine breakthrough infection. Correction for the number of comorbidities and age revealed that anti-CoV2S antibody levels at the time of hospitalization were a significant predictor for reduced risk of death (OR = 0.402 for every 1000 U/mL, p = 0.018). Conclusions: In this retrospective data analysis, we show that almost all patients who died from COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infection had antibody levels < 600 U/mL, most of them below 200 U/mL. In logistic regression corrected for the number of comorbidities and age, anti-CoV2S antibody levels at the time of hospitalization proved to be a significantly protective predictor against death.