Heat shock proteins (HSPs), a family of proteins that support cellular proteostasis and perform a protective function under various stress conditions, such as high temperature, intoxication, inflammation, or tissue hypoxia, constitute a promising group of possible biochemical markers for obesity and cardiovascular diseases. HSP27 is involved in essential cellular processes occurring in conditions of obesity and its cardiometabolic complications; it has protective properties, and its secretion may indicate a cellular response to stress. HSP40 plays a controversial role in the pathogenesis of obesity. HSP60 is involved in various pathological processes of the cardiovascular, immune, excretory, and nervous systems and is associated with obesity and concomitant diseases. The hypersecretion of HSP60 is associated with poor prognosis; hence, this protein may become a target for further research on obesity and its cardiovascular complications. According to most studies, intracellular HSP70 is an obesity-promoting factor, whereas extracellular HSP70 exhibited inconsistent dynamics across different patient groups and diagnoses. HSPs are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular pathology. However, in the context of cardiovascular and metabolic pathology, these proteins require further investigation.

According to the recent World Health Organization statistics, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of high mortality worldwide. While obesity is a major and persistent risk factor for CVD, the cause of this condition, the pathological molecular connection between peripheral fat depots and the heart, remains poorly understood. The aim of this review is to introduce the reader to the metabolic activity of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), the consequences of excessive epicardial fat accumulation and the development of heart failure (HF).EAT is visceral adipose tissue that is in direct contact with the myocardium and coronary vessels and can influence cardiac function through both mechanical effects and more subtle paracrine molecular mechanisms. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is closely associated with obesity and patterns in fat distribution. Excessive amounts of EAT are associated with abnormal hemodynamics in HFpEF, with the potential for direct mechanical effects on the heart causing a constriction-like effect and local myocardial remodeling effects resulting from the secretion of inflammatory mediators. However, patients with excess EAT tend to have more subcutaneous adipose tissue, making it difficult to determine a cause-and-effect relationship between epicardial fat and HFpEF. This review provides evidence that excess EAT is an important part of HFpEF pathogenesis.

The pathological processes associated with obesity are based on impaired energy homeostasis, as well as excessive endocrine and paracrine activity of adipose tissue, leading to inflammation and hormonal imbalance, which is accompanied by the secretion of a wide range of compounds affecting key body processes. One of the indirect methods for assessing the adipose tissue abnormalities is the measurement of the concentration of cytokines, growth factors, as well as a class of specific compounds — adipokines specific to adipose tissue. The study of circulating biomarkers makes it possible to assess their association with the risk of complications, metabolic obesity, and other clinical and functional features. Such markers include adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, apelin, resistin, omentin, visfatin, chemerin, lipocalin, etc.), inflammation biomarkers, heat shock proteins, which are discussed in detail in this review in the context of their use in obesity and concomitant diseases.

Background/Objectives: Recent data indicate the involvement of skeletal muscles in the regulation of metabolism and in the pathogenesis of chronic noncommunicable diseases. The goal of our study was to describe the serum concentrations of myokines in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and hypertension (HTN) and their correlation with laboratory parameters, blood pressure (BP), and MASLD severity. Methods: A total of 67 patients with MASLD and HTN underwent anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, and point shear-wave elastography. The serum concentrations of myokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Patients with detectable serum myonectin concentrations had significantly higher maximum systolic blood pressure (p = 0.022) and higher blood levels of uric acid (p = 0.029). Serum irisin concentration ≥ 6.1 μg/mL was associated with higher FLI values (p = 0.042) and liver stiffness (p = 0.034), as well as with slightly higher waist circumference (p = 0.082) and triglyceride level (p = 0.062). Patients with serum myostatin concentration ≥ 4.98 ng/mL were significantly older (p = 0.033) and had a lower blood albumin level (p = 0.043). Conclusions: In conclusion, the myokine profile in patients with MASLD and HTN correlates both with the severity of MASLD and the parameters characteristic of metabolic health, suggesting the possible contribution of altered irisin, myonectin, and myostatin concentrations to the occurrence of cardiometabolic risks in patients with MASLD.

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a pathogenetic link in many cardio­vas­cular diseases. One of the promising approaches to non-invasi­ve diagnostics and assessment of the ED severity may be the deter­mi­nation of specific blood biomarkers. This review is devoted to the patho­genetic role of some biochemical and molecular factors associated with ED, as potential biomarkers of noncommunicable diseases.

Results of ELISA investigation of the pretreatment sPD-1 and sPD-L1 content in blood serum of 133 bone neoplasms patients aged 6-70 years and 57 practically healthy control persons aged 12-70 years are described. In 14 patients the neoplasms were of a benign character, in 16 - borderline giant-cell bone tumor was diagnosed, and in 103 - malignant bone lesions including 39 osteosarcomas and 42 chondrosarcomas were revealed. The sPD-1 receptor concentrations in blood serum did not differ between control healthy persons and primary bone tumor patients, while serum sPD-L1 level in bone tumor patients was statistically significantly increased (p<0.0000001). By means of ROC curve construction a cut-off sPD-L1 level of 16.5 pg/ml was found that imposed 75,9% sensitivity and 75,4% specificity in relation to healthy control. However, the frequency of sPD-L1 levels exceeding 16.5 pg/ml was approximately similar in benign, borderline and malignant bone tumor patients. Analysis of the pattern of sPD-1 and sPD-L1 circulation in the peripheral blood of patients with the most prevalent malignant bone tumors - osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma - demonstrated that in both sarcoma types sPD-L1 level was significantly higher than in control, but in patients with chondrogenic tumors the soluble ligand sPD-L1 dominates in the circulation, while in those with osteogenic tumors - sPD-1 receptor prevails. In particular, sPD-1 level is statistically significantly higher in patients with typical osteosarcoma than in those with typical chondrosarcoma (p=0.002437), and sPD-L1/sPD-1 concentration ratio in chondrosarcoma is highly significantly more than 2-fold higher than in osteosarcoma (0.81 and 0.35 respectively; p=0.000284). The sensitivity of sPD-L1 ≥16.5 pg/ml test in typical osteosarcoma patients’ group comprised only 70.2%, and in those with typical chondrosarcoma - 84.6%. Serum sPD-1 and sPD-L1 concentrations in osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma patients were not associated with the indices of tumor advancement, its histological grade, localization in the osseous system, and type of affected bone. Thus, it can be concluded that the ratio between circulating soluble forms of the receptor and the ligand of PD-1/PD-L signaling pathway differs between patients with chondrogenic and those with osteogenic tumors, sPD-L1 being diagnostically valuable mostly for chondrogenic bone neoplasms.