Oral health and systemic inflammatory, cardiac and nitroxid biomarkers in hemodialysis patients

Periodontal diseases have systemic inflammatory effects and have been adversely associated with cardiovascular diseases, which are also the most frequent cause of death in the end-stage renal disease. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the oral health and serum biomarkers among the hemodialysis (HD) patients in Slovenia. 111 HD patients were periodontally examined and their sera were assayed for C reactive protein (CRP), cardiac troponin T (TnT), nitrite/nitrate (NOx) and antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis. The association of oral health with systemic response was analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis test, Fisher?s exact test and multivariate linear regression. Bleeding on probing without periodontal pockets was present in 5.2%, calculus without periodontal pockets in 42.1%, shallow periodontal pockets in 39.5% and deep periodontal pockets in 13.2% of dentate patients. There were 28.8% edentulous participants. 63.1% of the patients had CRP levels higher than 3 mg/L and 34.2% higher than 10 mg/L. TnT was detectable in all participants, with 25.2% exhibiting levels higher than 100 ng/L. The median level of NOx was 43.1 µmol/L. Participants with higher CRP were more likely to be edentulous and have higher TnT levels. A direct association of oral health with TnT or NOx was not detected. HD patients in Slovenia have compromised oral health and increased serum inflammatory and cardiac biomarkers. Edentulousness was an independent predictor for the increased CRP, indicating a need for improved dental care to retain the teeth as long as possible

Validity of Klotho, CYR61 and YKL-40 as ideal predictive biomarkers for acute kidney injury: review study

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is still a headache for clinicians and scientists as a possible reason for increased death among intensive care unit (ICU) patients after invasive cardiac surgery. Furthermore, the diagnostic process for AKI using conventional biomarkers is not sufficient to ensure early warning of this condition because of the morbid influence of non-renal factors that definitively delay the time for the prognosis. These imposed limitations have led to significant amounts of research targeted towards identifying novel biomarkers for AKI with a sustained degree of sensitivity and specificity. Here, we reviewed previous studies conducted on the Klotho, CYR61 and YKL-40 biomarkers in relation to AKI. DESIGN AND SETTING: Review of the literature conducted in the Institute of Clinical Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ljubljana University Medical Center, Slovenia. METHODS: The literature was searched in PubMed and the Cochrane Library. From the database of this specialty, we selected 17 references that matched our context for detailed analysis and further investigation. RESULTS: The studies reviewed showed notable differences in their results relating to the diagnostic impact of Klotho, CYR61 and YKL-40 on early prediction of AKI. CONCLUSIONS: The results regarding the Klotho, CYR61 and YKL-40 biomarkers showed markedly equivocal performance in the previous studies and did not fulfill the expectations that these factors would form valid possible biomarkers for AKI

Higher levels of total pepsin and bile acids in the saliva as a possible risk factor for early laryngeal cancer

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux is suspected to be an etiological factor in laryngeal and pharyngeal cancer. The aim of this study was to establish, using a non-invasive method, whether laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) appears more often in patients with early laryngeal cancer than in a control group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the pH, the level of bile acids, the total pepsin and the pepsin enzymatic activity in saliva in a group of 30 patients with T1 laryngeal carcinoma and a group of 34 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The groups differed significantly in terms of levels of total pepsin and bile acids in the saliva sample. Higher levels of total pepsin and bile acids were detected in the group of cancer patients. No significant impact of other known factors influencing laryngeal mucosa (e.g. smoking, alcohol consumption, and the presence of irritating substances in the workplace) on the results of saliva analysis was found. CONCLUSIONS: A higher level of typical components of LPR in the saliva of patients with early laryngeal cancer than in the controls suggests the possibility that LPR, especially biliary reflux, has a role in the development of laryngeal carcinoma

Extracorporeal Hemadsorption versus Glucocorticoids during Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Extracorporeal hemadsorption may reduce inflammatory reaction in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery. Glucocorticoids have been used during open-heart surgery for alleviation of systemic inflammation after CPB. We compared intraoperative hemadsorption and methylprednisolone, with usual care, during complex cardiac surgery on CPB, for inflammatory responses, hemodynamics, and perioperative course. Seventy-six patients with prolonged CPB were recruited and randomized, with 60 included in final analysis. Allocation was into three groups: Methylprednisolone (n = 20), Cytosorb (n = 20), and Control group (usual care, n = 20). Proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines which complement C5a, CD64, and CD163 expression by immune cells were analyzed within the first five postoperative days, in addition to hemodynamic and clinical outcome parameters. Methylprednisolone group, compared to Cytosorb and Control had significantly lower levels of TNF-α (until the end of surgery, p<0.001), IL-6 (until 48 h after surgery, p<0.001), and IL-8 (until 24 h after surgery, p<0.016). CD64 expression on monocytes was the highest in the Cytosorb group and lasted until the 5th postoperative day (p<0.016). IL-10 concentration (until the end of surgery) and CD163 expression on monocytes (until 48 h after surgery) were the highest in the Methylprednisolone group (p<0.016, for all measurements between three groups). No differences between groups in the cardiac index or clinical outcome parameters were found. Methylprednisolone more effectively ameliorates inflammatory responses after CPB surgery compared to hemadsorption and usual care. Hemadsorption compared with usual care causes higher prolonged expression of CD64 on monocytes but short lasting expression of CD163 on granulocytes. Hemadsorption with CytoSorb® was safe and well tolerated. This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02666703)