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Enhanced migration and adhesion protein expression by polyethylene glycol 4-modified SVVYGLR peptide in an in vitro human gingival fibroblast wound healing model
No full textIntroduction. This study was aimed at exploring the effect of four units of polyethylene glycol (PEG4)-modified Ser-Val-Val-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg (SVVYGLR) peptide (SV peptide) on the proliferative potential and migrative capability of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and the activation of adhesion-related proteins.
Material and methods. PEG4-SV peptide was synthesised using peptide solid phase synthesis. The proliferative response of HGFs to varying concentrations of PEG4-SV peptide was quantitatively evaluated using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The migratory capacity of HGFs in response to PEG4-SV peptide treatment was evaluated using an in vitro wound healing assay. The expression levels of adhesion-related genes, including collagen type I (COL-1), vinculin (VCL), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and integrin β1(ITGB1), were quantitatively analysed using qRT-PCR. To assess the aforementioned adhesion-related proteins, immunofluorescence and Western blotting were performed.
Results. Primary HGFs were isolated through enzymatic digestion using dispase, and subsequently characterised by positive immunoreactivity for both vimentin and CD90 (Thy-1) markers. Compared to the control group, PEG4-SV at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μg/mL significantly promoted the proliferation of HGFs. The wound area in the SV group exhibited a significantly smaller size in the monolayer cell culture at 24 and 48 h. The expression of adhesion-related genes and proteins (collagen type I, vinculin, FAK and integrin β1), were significantly upregulated after treatment with 20 μg/mL PEG4-SV.
Conclusions. These results demonstrate that PEG4-SV peptide may have the ability to promote soft tissue healing around an implant surface and form tight soft tissue sealing on the transmucosal part of the implant
Drug-coated balloons in percutaneous coronary interventions: existing evidence and emerging hopes
No full textDrug-coated balloons (DCB) have been developed as an alternative to drug-eluting stents (DES) as a part of the “leave nothing behind” strategy following percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). DCBs facilitate revascularization and delivery of an antiproliferative agent directly to a coronary artery lesion, without the need for DES implantation. Subsequently, DCBs promote positive vascular remodeling and allow for a shorter duration of dual antiplatelet therapy. Since the first reports on the successful treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) with paclitaxel-coated balloon catheters in the year 2006, the use of DCBs has been growing, driven by reports of DCB application to treat ISR, bifurcation lesions, and small vessel disease. Contemporary clinical trials evaluating DCBs in large vessel disease and chronic total occlusions might further expand the indications for this technology. Attention has also been brought to the use of DCBs in patients with diabetes mellitus and acute coronary syndrome, especially those at high bleeding risk. This review aims to discuss the existing evidence and emerging hopes associated with DCBs, including technical aspects of DCB PCI and the use of DCBs in different clinical scenarios
EASY OR NOT. European-Asian Six countries Yearly consensus On Recent guidelines: arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic coronary syndromes, and peripheral artery diseases. Novel Or conventional Treatment options for these patients. Position Paper 2024
No full textThe 2024 guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) refer to four very important therapeutic areas: arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic coronary syndromes and peripheral artery disease. The ESC countries and their institutional members share a common goal of reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Experts from these six countries — three from Europe and three from Asia — gathered at the annual meeting to briefly present the epidemiological situation regarding selected issues addressed in the 2024 ESC guidelines, and to create a document highlighting the significant progress in pharmacotherapy. The new guidelines allow us to identify particularly important therapeutic areas and unmet pharmaceutical needs within the four treatment guidelines developed by the ESC in 2024. While discussing each of these four documents, 10 subjectively selected points were chosen to highlight what should be kept in mind in daily clinical practice. Altogether, a range of all-risk categories are represented, and the observations made in this position paper are of a universal nature
Reduction in thyroid volume in chronic myeloid leukemia patients after imatinib treatment: a longitudinal study
No full textIntroduction: Thyroid atrophy is frequently observed following sunitinib treatment. This has been attributed to sunitinib-induced degeneration of the thyroid follicular cells. However, the effect of imatinib mesylate (IM), which has a similar pharmacological profile to that of sunitinib on thyroid volume, has not previously been studied. Importantly, IM remains the mainstay of treatment for Nigerian chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous IM use on thyroid volume in BCR::ABL1 positive CML patients.
Material and methods: This longitudinal case-controlled study included 50 IM-naïve patients with BCR::ABL1 positive CML and 50 controls with no underlying thyroid disorders. Thyroid ultrasonography was done for all subjects at recruitment, and again after six months of treatment for the CML patients on IM using a LOGIQTM P9 ultrasound machine. Total thyroid volume (TTV) was determined from the measured thyroid parameters.
Results: The median age (range) in years of the two groups (CML patients vs. controls) was 40.0 (18–65) vs. 38.5 (18–63) (P = 0.251). Twenty-three (46%) of the CML patients and 21 (42%) of the controls were males. The median (range) TTV of the CML patients at baseline vs. 6 months was 7.6 (3.3–27.7) mL vs. 7.8 (3.4–22.8) mL (P = 0.660). Sub-analysis showed a significant reduction in the median TTV at 6 months in the male CML patients i.e. baseline vs. 6 months [8.4 (3.26–19.81) vs. 7.3 (2.40–14.53)] (P = 0.021).
Conclusions: This study shows that prolonged imatinib use is associated with a significant reduction in total thyroid volume only in male CML patients. Therefore, serial volumetric analysis of the thyroid gland and thyroid function tests in CML patients on IM may be highly desirable
Cat scratch disease mimicking malignancy in abdominal lymphadenopathy: an interdisciplinary approach to non-invasive diagnosis and treatment
No full textCat scratch disease (CSD) is an infectious disease transmitted by animals. The diagnostic approach for CSD may include both imaging studies and serological tests. In complex cases, biopsies are frequently performed for histopathological examination. The rising prevalence of cat ownership in Polish households (now exceeding 40%) linked with the nonspecific symptoms of CSD contributes to its emergence as a public health problem.
An 11-year-old girl was hospitalized with a fever reaching 40°C and respiratory dysfunction. A chest X-ray did not reveal any abnormalities. An abdominal ultrasound scan revealed numerous enlarged lymph nodes near the hepatic hilum. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed focal changes in the liver and a lesion modeling the head of the pancreas and a section of the common bile duct. Given the nonspecific nature of her symptoms, histopathological examination of the lesions was initially recommended. However, following positive IgM and IgG antibody results for Bartonella henselae, a definitive diagnosis was established.
CSD represents a diagnostic challenge because of the diverse symptoms and the wide age range of affected individuals. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach in CSD can be crucial to emerging new diagnostic ideas. Early serological testing can expedite the initiation of a successful CSD treatment. Avoiding invasive procedures for pediatric patients should be also considered. Standardized protocols and timely health check-ups play a crucial role in preventing zoonotic transmission
Reference intervals for thyroid hormones in pregnant women
No full textIntroduction: To determine the trimester-specific reference range of thyroid function in a single centre in Beijing.
Material and methods: A total of 361 healthy pregnant women and 122 normal non-pregnant women tested for thyroid function in the outpatient clinic of our hospital were selected as the research subjects. After being grouped according to the inclusion criteria, the test values of thyroid function indicators thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) were recorded, respectively. According to the method of establishing reference value standards given in the guide, using the 2.5 percentile of the data distribution as the lower limit of the reference value and the 97.5 percentile as the upper limit of the reference value, we established the laboratory thyroid function indicators TSH and FT4 pregnancy-specific reference value range.
Results: The values of pregnancy-specific thyroid function indexes in the first, second, and third trimesters were as follows: TSH (0.02–3.39 mIU/L, 0.03–3.43 mIU/L, 0.27–3.88 mIU/L); FT4 (12.24–20.77 pmol/L, 10.78–20.75 pmol/L, 9.54–16.02 pmol/L). Serum TSH and FT4 levels showed a weak negative correlation throughout pregnancy. The established reference value range was used to evaluate the thyroid function of pregnant women in this study. The overall screening found subclinical hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, and the prevalence of hyperthyroidism to be 3.5%, 0%, 2.5%, and 0.3%, respectively.
Conclusions: The reference range specific to pregnancy differs from that recommended by the American Thyroid Association (ATA), affecting the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease in pregnant women. To correctly detect and control these diseases, the pregnancy-specific reference must be set up clinically to avoid clinical over-diagnosis and missed diagnosis
BFGF downregulates endoplasmic reticulum stress to alleviate HUVEC cell damage under high-glucose and inflammatory conditions
No full textIntroduction: Diabetic angiopathy is one of the common complications of diabetes and one of the main causes of death in diabetic patients. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has various physiological functions. This study applies it to the treatment of vascular injuries in diabetes, aiming to find new treatment methods for diabetic angiopathy.
Material and methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVEC) cells were cultivated, and a high glucose and inflammatory environment was induced. Cell-counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay was employed to observe the stimulation concentrations of bFGF and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and their impacts on the activity of HUVEC cells. Scratch assay and transwell assay were utilized to detect the migratory ability of HUVEC cells. Western blot (WB) assay was carried out to detect the expression levels of apoptosis, proliferation, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and vascular function proteins. Immunofluorescence (IF) assay was used to detect the fluorescence intensity of apoptosis and vascular function proteins. Tube formation assay was performed to detect the tube-forming ability of HUVEC cells. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of ERS genes.
Results: Under high-glucose and inflammatory environments, CCK8 assay found that bFGF enhanced the activity of HUVEC cells. The scratch and transwell assays confirmed that bFGF could enhance the migratory ability of HUVEC cells. The WB and IF assays revealed that bFGF could reduce the expression levels of apoptotic proteins and increase the expression levels of proliferative and vascular function proteins. Meanwhile, both the WB and PCR assays verified that bFGF could downregulate the expression levels of ERS proteins and genes.
Conclusions: In high-glucose and inflammatory environments, bFGF can improve HUCEV cell function by downregulating ERS
Association between the cumulative metabolic score for insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus incidence: a prospective nationwide cohort study in China
No full textIntroduction: The relationship between changes in metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) and diabetes mellitus (DM) remains to be elucidated. The present study sought to explore whether changes in METS-IR were associated with incident DM.
Material and methods: This study included 4031 individuals aged over 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Utilizing the K-Means clustering method, participants were divided into four groups. Cumulative METS-IR was employed as a quantitative indicator reflecting changes in METS-IR. Multivariable logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to assess the relationship between changes in METS-IR and DM.
Results: During the five-year follow-up, 338 (8.4%) incident DM cases were identified. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared to class 1, the incident DM was significantly higher in class 4 [odds ratio (OR): 2.731, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.411–5.527, p = 0.003]. When cumulative METS-IR (per SD increase) was introduced as a continuous variable into the multivariate regression model, the association remained significant in Model 3 (OR: 1.393, 95% CI: 1.125–1.715, p = 0.003). Additionally, when cumulative METS-IR was categorized into quartiles, compared to the first quartile, the incident DM was significantly higher in the fourth quartile (OR: 2.022, 95% CI: 1.171–3.501, p = 0.011). In addition, cumulative METS-IR exhibited a nonlinear association with DM (poverall = 0.001, pnon linear = 0.038).
Conclusions: Substantial changes in METS-IR were independently associated with the risk of DM in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people. Long-term METS-IR monitoring is significant for early identification and prevention of DM, with significant implications for clinical practice
Multiaxial hypopituitarism induced by neurosarcoidosis
No full textNot required for Clinical Vignette