The Turk Wensveen Lab

My team, consisting of clinical and basic scientists, is interested in cardiometabolism. Metabolic disease is not a pathology of individual organs. Rather, it is a pathophysiological state in which the body tries to maintain homeostasis despite chronic alterations in metabolic parameters such as high blood glucose, lipid and cholesterol levels. My team tries to understand how specific symptoms are caused by this pathophysiological state. A particular interest of my team is in the immunological aspects of metabolic disease. My patients are often more susceptible to infectious diseases, indicative of a malfunctioning immune system. At the same time, we see that inflammatory parameters are increased in the blood of our patients and these are well known to provide an increased risk of life threatening cardiometabolic complications such as atherosclerosis, infarct and stroke. Thus, the pathophysiological state that is metabolic disease is perceived by the immune system as a threat and it is therefore chronically activated. Our team tries to understand how the immune system is involved in the pathophysiology of the cardiometabolic complications of metabolic disease. Our focus is on diabetes mellitus type 2. In addition, we investigate how treatment of patients, for example using anti-diabetic drugs, affects the immunological profile of patients. Our ultimate goal is to help patients make better choices with regards to their treatment regime.

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About me...

Assoc.Prof. Tamara Turk Wensveen

I am an associate professor at the University of Rijeka, faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal medicine. In addition, I am subspecialist of endocrinology and head of the center for diabetes, endocrinology and cardiometabolism at Thalassotherapija Opatija. As a clinician I work with patients on a daily basis and even though me and my team try to provide the best care, we see that it can be better. This has motivated me to start my own research group and study metabolic disease, especially diabetes. Initially my interests were in diabetic nephropathy, which is the topic of my PhD thesis. More recently, my interests have shifted towards cardiometabolism, which is a new field integrating cardiology and endocrinology. In addition, I work together with immunologists to elucidate the immunometabolic profile of my patients.

Publications

1.       Gašparini D, Wensveen FM, Turk Wensveen T. Inflammageing mediated by cytotoxic lymphocytes is associated with diabetes duration Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2023 Dec 15:207:111056. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2023.111056.

2.       Gašparini D, Zuljani A, Wensveen FM, Turk Wensveen T., A cross-sectional study in type 2 diabetes patients reveals that elevated pulse wave velocity predicts asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease associated with age and diabetes duration. Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc. 2023 Nov 26;49:101308. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2023.101308

3.       Marinović S, Lenartić M, Mladenić K , Šestan, M, Kavazović I, Benić A, Krapić M, Rindlisbacher L, Cokarić Brdovčak M, Sparano C, Litscher G, Turk Wensveen T, Mikolasevic I, Fučkar Čupić D, Bilić-Zulle L, Steinle A, Waisman A, Hayday A, Tugues S, Becher B, Polić B, Wensveen FM, NKG2D-mediated detection of metabolically stressed hepatocytes by innate-like T cells is essential for initiation of NASH and fibrosis, Sci Immunol. 2023 Sep 29;8(87):eadd1599. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add1599. Epub 2023 Sep 29.

4.       Gašparini, D, Klarić I, Ivaniš V, Travica Samsa D, Peršić V, Turk Wensveen T, Detrimental effects of performance-enhancing drugs on the heart: a case report of anabolic steroid induced cardiomyopathy, Cardiologia Croatica, DOI: 10.15836/ccar2023.308

5.       Gašparini D, Raljević D, Pehar-Pejčinović V, Klarica Gembić T, Peršić V, Turk Wensveen T., When amiodarone-induced thyroiditis meets cardiomyopathy with excessive trabeculation: a case report. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023 Jul 21;10:1212965. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1212965. eCollection 2023.

6.       Barković I, Jurilj Z, Marinelli F, Maričić V, Pavlović M, Turk Wensveen T, Peršić V. Arterial blood gases' analysis in elite breath-hold divers at extreme depths. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2023 Apr;123(4):857-865. doi: 10.1007/s00421-022-05110-2. Epub 2022 Dec 13.

7.       Gašparini D, Kavazović I, Barković I, Maričić V, Ivaniš V, Samsa DT, Peršić V, Polić B, Turk Wensveen T, Wensveen FM., Extreme anaerobic exercise causes reduced cytotoxicity and increased cytokine production by peripheral blood lymphocytes. Immunol Lett. 2022 Aug;248:45-55. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2022.06.001. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

8.       Aralica M, Šupak Smolčić V, Turk Wensveen T, Hrabrić Vlah S, Selar M, Bilić Zulle L. An analysis of the vitamin D overtesting in a tertiary healthcare centre. Biochem Med (Zagreb). 2022 Jun 15;32(2):020701. doi: 10.11613/BM.2022.020701. Epub 2022 Apr 15.

9.       Kavazović I, Krapić M, Beumer-Chuwonpad A, Polić B, Turk Wensveen T, Lemmermann NA, Van Gisbergen KPJM, Wensveen FM, Hyperglycemia and not hyperinsulinemia mediates diabetes-induced memory CD8 t cell dysfunction, Diabetes. 2022 Jan 14:db210209. doi: 10.2337/db21-0209.

10.   Wensveen FM, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B. Blood glucose regulation in context of infection. Vitam Horm. 2021;117:253-318. doi: 10.1016/bs.vh.2021.06.009.

11.   Turk Wensveen T, Gašparini D, Rahelić D, Wensveen FM, Type 2 diabetes and viral infection; cause and effect of disease. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2021 Feb;172:108637.

12.   Mikolasevic I, Domislovic V, Turk Wensveen T, Delija B, Klapan M, Juric T, Lukic A, Mijic A, Skenderevic N, Puz P, Ostojic A, Krznaric Z, Radic-Kristo D, Filipec Kanizaj T, Stimac D. Screening for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using transient elastography - a prospective, cross sectional study. Eur J Intern Med. 2020 Dec;82:68-75.

13.   Lukenda Zanko V, Domislovic V, Trkulja V, Krznaric-Zrnic I, Turk-Wensveen T, Krznaric Z, Filipec Kanizaj T, Radic-Kristo D, Bilic-Zulle L, Orlic L, Dinjar-Kujundzic P, Poropat G, Stimac D, Hauser G, Mikolasevic I. Vitamin D for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease detected by transient elastography: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2020 Nov;22(11):2097-2106.

14.   Turk Wensveen T, Fučkar Ćupić D, Jurišić Eržen D, Polić B, Wensveen FM, Severe lipoatrophy in a patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 in response to glargine and degludec insulin: Possible involvement of CD4 T cell mediated tissue remodelling. Diabetes Care. 2020 Feb;43(2):494-496. doi: 10.2337/dc19-1888.

15.   Wensveen FM, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B., 'Beauty and the beast' in infection: How immune-endocrine interactions regulate systemic metabolism in the context of infection. Eur J Immunol. 2019 Jul;49(7):982-995. doi: 10.1002/eji.201847895.

16.   Šestan M, Marinović S, Kavazović I, Cekinović Đ, Wueest S, Turk Wensveen T, Brizić I, Jonjić S, Konrad D, Wensveen FM, Polić B. Virus-Induced Interferon-γ Causes Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle and Derails Glycemic Control in Obesity. Immunity. 2018 Jul 17;49(1):164-177.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.05.005.

17.   Mikolasevic I, Milic S, Turk Wensveen T, Grgic I, Jakopcic I, Stimac D, Wensveen F, Orlic L. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease - A multisystem disease? World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 21;22(43):9488-9505. Review.

18.   Wensveen FM, Valentić S, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B. The "Big Bang" in obese fat: Events initiating obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation. Eur J Immunol. 2015 Sep;45(9):2446-56. doi: 10.1002/eji.201545502.

19.   Wensveen FM, Valentić S, Šestan M, Wensveen TT, Polić B. Interactions between adipose tissue and the immune system in health and malnutrition. Semin Immunol. 2015 Sep;27(5):322-33. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2015.10.006. Review.

20.   Wensveen FM, Jelenčić V, Valentić S, Šestan M, Wensveen TT, Theurich S, Glasner A, Mendrila D, Štimac D, Wunderlich FT, Brüning JC, Mandelboim O, Polić B. NK cells link obesity-induced adipose stress to inflammation and insulin resistance. Nat Immunol. 2015 Apr;16(4):376-85. doi: 10.1038/ni.3120.

21.   Marić I, Kučić N, Turk, T,Smoljan I, Grahovac B, Zoričić Cvek S, Ćelić T,Bobinac D, Vukičević S. BMP signaling pathway in the rat model of TNBS colitis following BMP7 therapy. American journal of physiology-gastrointestinal and liver physiology. 302 (2012) , 10; G1151-G1162.

22.   Štimac D, Klobučar-Majanović S; Turk T, Kezele B, Licul V, Crnčević-Orlić Ž, Intragastric balloon treatment for obesity: results of a large single center prospective study.Obesity surgery. 21 (2011) , 5; 551-555.     

23.   Crnčević Orlić Ž; Turk T, Mijandrušić Sinčić B, Štimac D, Cvijanović O, Marić I, Ilić Tomaš M; Jurišić-Eržen D,  Licul V, Bobinac, D. How activity of inflammatory bowel disease influences bone loss. Journal of clinical densitometry. 13 (2010) , 1; 36-42. 

24.   Turk, T., Leewis, J.W,  Grey J, Torti Suzy V, Lyons, Karen M, Nguyen, Tri Q, Goldschmeding, R. BMP Signaling and Podocyte Markers Are Decreased in Human Diabetic Nephropathy in Association With CTGF Overexpression. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. 57 (2009) , 7; 623-631

25.   Bilić-Zulle, L, Frković V, Turk, T, Ažman, J, Petrovečki, Mladen. Prevalence of plagiarism among medical students. // Croatian Medical Journal. 46 (2005) , 1; 126-131.