B3076 - GlycA as a novel biomarker linking bacterial-mediated inflammation to adverse cardiometabolic/vascular traits in the young - 17/04/2018

B number: 
B3076
Principal applicant name: 
Scott Chiesa | UCL (United Kingdom)
Co-applicants: 
Professor John Deanfield, Professor Nic Timpson, Dr Marietta Charakida, Dr Justin Roberts, Dr. Georgios Georgiopoulos
Title of project: 
GlycA as a novel biomarker linking bacterial-mediated inflammation to adverse cardiometabolic/vascular traits in the young
Proposal summary: 

Inflammation is a temporary protective process activated by the body to fight infection. If this response remains active for too long, however, it may cause changes within the blood and arteries that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some teenagers and young adults already show signs of these changes, but why this happens isn’t fully understood. As inflammation is known to be a response to infection, one explanation may be that it occurs in some people because they are more frequently exposed to illnesses/infections than others. Another explanation, however, may be that lifestyle choices that some people make (eating a poor diet, not exercising, becoming obese, etc) affect the ‘good bacteria’ that live within the gut, and that this triggers an inflammatory response from the body to try to protect itself. We aim to test whether bacterial-driven inflammation can cause changes in the blood and arteries that are often observed in people of this age. We also aim to test whether a newly discovered molecule (GlycA) is associated with these changes, and if having a high level of GlycA can therefore predict who is more likely to have cardiovascular problems 6-7 years in the future.

Impact of research: 
As recent evidence has suggested a cumulative impact of CV risk factors across the lifespan (with both the magnitude and duration of exposure contributing to the risk of future complications), an understanding of the pathways underlying early disease progression and the identification of age-specific biomarkers to accurately stratify risk is essential in order to guide lifetime management of CV risk and reduce the population burden of disease. This research proposal aims to investigate whether bacterial-mediated inflammation - either acutely via infection or chronically via an altered gut microbiota - contributes to early cardiometabolic and vascular dysfunction in young and otherwise healthy individuals. We also aim to test whether a novel inflammatory biomarker associated with anti-microbial effects is therefore a stronger predictor of future risk of cardiometabolic dysfunction/metabolic syndrome at this age than more commonly used inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP and IL-6.
Date proposal received: 
Monday, 26 February, 2018
Date proposal approved: 
Tuesday, 6 March, 2018
Keywords: 
Epidemiology, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal, Infection, Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, CVD, Medical imaging, Metabolomics, ELISA, Biomarkers - e.g. cotinine, fatty acids, haemoglobin, etc., Cardiovascular, Metabolic - metabolism, Microbiome, Nutrition - breast feeding, diet