Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Chronic Plaque Psoriasis: A Case-control Study on the Brasov County Population

Many studies have suggested that cardiovascular risk factors seem to be more common in patients with psoriasis than in the general population. In this study we aimed to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis depending on the severity of disease. We conducted a prospective study in Braşov County (Romania) including 142 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and disease duration of at least six months and 167 controls without psoriasis. The severity of psoriasis was assessed using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score. Along with a thorough medical history and physical examination, serum lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose tests were carried out. The 10-year Framingham risk score (FRS) for general cardiovascular disease, which includes age, gender, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetes mellitus, was applied.  The severity of chronic plaque psoriasis was mild in 32 patients (22.53%) and moderate to severe in 110 patients (77.47%). We found a significant higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the patient group compared to controls. Individual components of metabolic syndrome like waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL-C, impaired fasting plasma glucose, and arterial hypertension were also more prevalent in patients than in controls. Mean triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly raised in patients with psoriasis when compared to controls. The 10-year FRS was significantly higher in patients with psoriasis than in controls (8.36±5.75 vs. 6.61±4.13; P&lt;0.001). FRS was higher in men (P=0.012) and in patients older than 50 years (P=0.008). According to the severity of psoriasis, FRS increases significantly from mild to moderate-to-severe psoriasis (6.82±4.48 to 8.8±6.71; P=0.003). Psoriasis, and especially moderate to severe psoriasis, seems to represent a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Patients with psoriasis should be risk-assessed for cardiovascular diseases, and comorbidities should be actively managed.</p

Prevalence and Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of Dermatophytes Isolated from Patients with Neoplastic Diseases: A Case Control Study

ABSTRACT Patients with neoplasia who are severely immunocompromised have a higher risk of fungal infections. There are limited data in the literature regarding the frequency of dermatophyte infections and efficacy of antifungals in patients with malignancies.Objective was assessment of the incidence of dermatophyte infections and antifungal susceptibility, determination of dermatophyte species isolated from patients with neoplastic diseases. 138 patients diagnosed with various malignancies and 160 immunocompetent patients who were referred to the Department of Dermatology in Brasov, Romania, for suspicion of dermatophyte infections were included in the study. Nail clippings or skin scrapings were examined by direct microscopy and cultures in Sabouraud agar medium. Susceptibility tests for antifungals were conducted in vitro using a method of broth microdilution.  Infections with dermatophytes were identified in 30.4% of patients with neoplastic diseases and in 29.37% in the control group. There was a significantly higher frequency of dermatophyte infections in patients with hematologic malignancies (52%) compared to those with solid cancers (25.66%) (P=0.01). The clinical aspects of dermatophyte infections in patients with neoplastic diseases were not different from those of patients without cancer; though in some cases the infections were more extensive. There were no statistically significant differences between mean values of minimum inhibitory concentration of antifungals compared with controls. Terbinafine had the highest antidermatophyte activity for all tested dermatophyte species isolated from patients with neoplastic diseases.There were no differences in frequency of dermatophyte infections and antifungal susceptibility to dermatophytes between patients with neoplastic diseases and immunocompetent patients. KEY WORDS: dermatophyte; neoplasia; antifungals; in vitro susceptibility</p

The role of Skp2 and its substrate CDKN1B (p27) in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide, having the fourth mortality rate among cancers in both sexes. Numerous studies are investigating the signaling pathways and different factors involved in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. It has recently been shown that the S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) overexpression plays an important role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. We review the role of Skp2 and its ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in colorectal cancer. The F-box protein Skp2, a component of the SCF (Skp1-Cullin 1-F-box) E3 ubiquitin-ligase complex, has been shown to regulate cellular proliferation, cancer progression and metastasis by targeting several cell cycle regulators for ubiquitination and subsequent 26S proteasome degradation. The best known protein substrate of the Skp2 is the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B), also known as p27Kip1. Overexpression of Skp2 and loss of CDKN1B (p27) was strongly associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor clinical outcome in a variety of cancers, including colorectal cancer. An efficient interaction between Skp2 and CDKN1B (p27) requires the presence of an essential activator of the SCF-Skp2 complex, the cyclin-dependent kinase subunit 1 (Cks1) cofactor. Alterations in the Skp2, Cks1 and CDKN1B (p27) expression have major effects on colorectal carcinogenesis and may serve as an important and independent prognostic marker. Furthermore, we highlight that Skp2 may be a promising therapeutic target for colorectal cancer, and development of Skp2 inhibitors would have a great impact on colorectal cancer therapy.</jats:p

Evolutionary perspectives, heterogeneity and ovarian cancer: a complicated tale from past to present

Ovarian cancer is composed of a complex system of cells best described by features such as clonal evolution, spatial and temporal genetic heterogeneity, and development of drug resistance, thus making it the most lethal gynecologic cancer. Seminal work on cancer as an evolutionary process has a long history; however, recent cost-effective large-scale molecular profiling has started to provide novel insights coupled with the development of mathematical algorithms. In the current review, we have systematically searched for articles that focused on the clonal evolution of ovarian cancer to offer the whole landscape of research that has been done and highlight future research avenues given its characteristic features and connections to evolutionary biology. Keywords: Clonal evolution; Ovarian cancer; Spatial heterogeneity; Survival; Temporal heterogeneit

Mahonia Aquifolium Flowers Extract Effects in Acute Experimental Inflammation

Natural products were proved to have inhibitory effect on the nitro-oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Mahonia aquifolium (MA) flowers extract upon nitro-oxidative stress in acute experimental inflammation. The extract was prepared by repercolation method. Acute experimental inflammation was induced with turpentine oil (0,6ml/kg b.w. i.m.). MA extract was given for 7 days. Were used 6 groups (n=5) of male Wistar rats: Groups 1-3 were with acute inflammation and treated with MA dilutions (100%, 50%, 25%); Group 4 was acute inflammation control; Group 5 was negative control; Group 6 was acute inflammation treated with diclofenac (10mg/kg b.w. p.o). In day 8 nitro-oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring serum nitrites and nitrates (NOx), Total oxidative stress (TOS), Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), Oxidative stress index (OSI), Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Thiols (SH). MA reduced OSI and TOS, increased SH, and had no important effect on TAC, NO and MDA. Compared to MA, Diclofenac was a stronger inhibitor of TOS and OSI, and had a smaller effect on SH. Mahonia aquifolium flowers extract had inhibitory effect on the oxidative stress, without influencing NO and lypoperoxides production, the effect being smaller than that of Diclofenac