1,721,319 research outputs found
Biochemical Biomarkers and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Full text linkNeurodegenerative diseases (ND) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive dysfunction and loss of neurons in different areas of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system [...
Biochemical biomarkers alterations in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Full text linkCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory disease, which can evolve into multiorgan failure (MOF), leading to death. Several biochemical alterations have been described in COVID-19 patients. To date, many biomarkers reflecting the main pathophysiological characteristics of the disease have been identified and associated with the risk of developing severe disease. Lymphopenia represents the hallmark of the disease, and it can be detected since the early stage of infection. Increased levels of several inflammatory biomarkers, including c-reactive protein, have been found in COVID-19 patients and associated with an increased risk of severe disease, which is characterised by the so-called "cytokine storm". Also, the increase of cardiac and liver dysfunction biomarkers has been associated with poor outcome. In this review, we provide an overview of the main biochemical characteristics of COVID-19 and the associated biomarkers alterations
Hydroelectrolytic Disorders
No full textMaintaining body fluid and electrolyte balance is of paramount importance for normal functioning. Any alteration in this balance falls under the definition of “hydroelectrolytic disorders.”
Fever of Unknown Origin
No full textThe term fever of unknown origin (FUO) indicates febrile illnesses with a temperature above 38.3 °C for which an etiological diagnosis has not yet been formulated after 3 days of hospitalization or after three specialist visits. Certainly, in this context, the clinical laboratory provides essential elements to guide the etiological diagnosis
Biomarkers of Inflammation
No full textPhlogosis, or inflammation, is an innate defense mechanism that our organism activates in response to various stimuli. Phlogosis is characterized by chemical mediators that play a fundamental role in various phases, from initiation to development and extinction or maintenance. Phlogosis markers are generally nonspecific because their levels increase during inflammation due to different causes. Therefore, their evaluation provides a general picture of the patient’s clinical condition
Diabetes Mellitus: From Definition to Therapy
No full textThis chapter provides an in-depth description of the various types of diabetes mellitus, from the definition to the classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. In addition, a description of glucose metabolism will be provided to facilitate the understanding of the diabetic disease
Biomarkers of Nutritional Status
No full textNutritional status is traditionally defined as the condition resulting from the introduction, absorption, and utilization of nutrients in our bodies. In this chapter, we describe biomarkers useful to evaluate nutritional status
Biomarkers for prognosis and treatment response in covid-19 patients
No full textDuring a severe infection such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the level of almost all analytes can change, presenting a correlation with disease severity and survival; however, a biomarker cannot be translated into clinical practice for treatment guidance until it is proven to have a significant impact. Several studies have documented the association between COVID-19 severity and circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6, and the accuracy of the CRP level in predicting treatment responses has been evaluated. Moreover, promising findings on prothrombin and D-dimer have been reported. However, the clinical usefulness of these biomarkers in COVID-19 is far from proven. The burst of data generation during this pandemic has led to the publication of numerous studies with several notable drawbacks, weakening the strength of their findings. We provide an overview of the key findings of studies on biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment response in COVID-19 patients. We also highlight the main drawbacks of these studies that have limited the clinical use of these biomarkers
Myasthenia gravis and lupus erythematosus
No full textTwo patients are described in whom myasthenia gravis was associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. The review of the literature shows that such association is not frequent and that it affects mostly women (6 women:1 man), and that myasthenia gravis usually precedes lupus erythematosus. Thymectomy was a precipitating factor in 25% of the cases. Most of those patients present with general symptoms rather than with dermatologic signs
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