Serum Levels of Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinase 2 in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis With Duration More Than 2 Years: Correlation With Cardiac and Pulmonary Abnormalities

In this study, we measured the serum concentration of TIMP-2 in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and explored its possible correlation with cardiac and pulmonary lesions. We studied 42 patients with SSc, with duration equal to or more than 2 years. CT chest, ECG, echocardiography, and serum TIMP-2 concentration measurement using ELISA technique were performed in all patients and in 25 normal controls. The mean serum levels of TIMP-2 in patients was higher than in controls (P = .005). The mean CT score of dSSc patients with elevated TIMP-2 levels was significantly higher than dSSc patients with normal levels (P = .013). Four patients out of five with elevated TIMP-2 levels showed diastolic dysfunction (80%), compared to 2 out of 15 lSSc patients with normal levels (13.3%), with P = .014. Our research, though involving a small group of patients, points to the probable role of TIMP-2 in the development of pulmonary lesions in dSSc patients and cardiac lesions in lSSc patients with duration equal to or more than 2 years

Mucin1 expression and gustatory function in postmenopausal females : a case-control observational study

Investigating possible relationship between Mucin1 expression levels in saliva, gustatory function, and taste perception in postmenopausal females. Using whole mouth taste test, twenty-five post-menopausal females (51.35 ± 5.22 years) and twenty-five p

Evaluación sérica y salival del factor de crecimiento transformante beta, factor de crecimiento endotelial vascular y factor de necrosis tumoral alfa en liquen plano oral.

Introduction: Lichen planus is one of the most common oral mucosal lesions. Transforming growth factor-? (TGF- ?) has a marked effect on epithelial–mesenchymal transition and immune cells function. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) mediates T-lymphocyte homing and apoptosis of epithelial cells. Objetive: The present study was conducted in order to compare the expression of serum and salivary TGF- ?, VEGF, TNF-? between OLP patients and control individuals to investigate if saliva can be used as an alternative to serum for diagnostic purposes and for monitoring disease. Materials and Methods: 23 OLP patients and 23 control individuals were included to evaluate serum and salivary TGF-?, VEGF, TNF-? using ELISA kits. Five milliliters of venous blood was collected and unstimulated saliva was collected by the spitting method. Results: Serum and salivary levels of TGF- ?, VEGF, TNF-? are higher in OLP patients compared to normal controls. Mean difference is higher in saliva than serum. Moreover, there was a significant difference in serum and salivary VEGF and TNF-? between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Conclusions: Saliva can be a used as a substitute for serum to evaluate levels of the assessed biomarkers.Introducción: El liquen plano oral es una de las lesiones de la mucosa oral más comunes. El factor de crecimiento transformante ? (TGF-?) tiene un efecto marcado sobre la transición epitelial-mesenquimal y la función de las células inmunes. El factor de crecimiento endotelial vascular (VEGF) es un regulador clave de la vasculogénesis y la angiogénesis. El factor de necrosis tumoral ? (TNF-?) media la localización de los linfocitos T y la apoptosis de las células epiteliales. Objetivo: El presente estudio se realizó con el fin de comparar la expresión en suero y saliva de TGF-?, VEGF, TNF-? entre pacientes con OLP y personas de control para investigar si la saliva se puede utilizar como alternativa al suero para fines de diagnóstico y monitoreo de la enfermedad. Material y Métodos: Se incluyeron 23 pacientes con OLP y 23 individuos control para evaluar los niéveles en suero y en saliva de TGF-?, VEGF, TNF-? utilizando kits ELISA. Se recogieron cinco mililitros de sangre venosa y se recogió saliva no estimulada por el método de escupir. Resultado: Los niveles séricos y salivales de TGF-?, VEGF, TNF-? son más altos en pacientes con OLP en comparación con los controles normales. La diferencia media es mayor en saliva que en suero. Además, hubo una diferencia significativa de VEGF y TNF-? en suero y saliva entre los grupos sintomáticos y asintomáticos. Conclusion: La saliva puede usarse como un sustituto del suero para evaluar los niveles de los biomarcadores estudiados

The Metabolic Syndrome and Disturbances in Sex Hormones Levels in both gender

Background: Sex hormones play an important role in lipid metabolism, but also on elements of the metabolic syndrome. Gonadal hormones have been associated with an increased cardiovascular risk and with severity of atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus patients and healthy men. Furthermore, low levels of serum testosterone and high levels of estradiol have been associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance .This study aimed to study the disturbances in sex hormone in both gender and evaluated the correlation between sex hormone with phsio-biochemical parameters in both group. Methods: Total of 80 subjects(40 male:40 female) ,aged35-65 years included in this study .About 5ml of fasting blood (8-12 h.) was collected from each individual. To determine serum FSH(Follicle-Stimulating Hormone),LH(Luteinizing Hormone) and sex hormone the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique were used.FBG and Lipid profile were measured by an enzymatic colorimetric(GPO-POD) method. Results: There were significant differences in physio-biochemical parameters between patients and control groups. There were significant elevation (P<0.05) in BMI(Body Mass Index), waist circumference (WC),Microalbuminuria (MA) ,Fasting blood glucose (FBG) , TG ,Testosterone ,Estradiol, FSH and LH in metabolic patients than control group, whereas the results of Systolic(SBP) and diastolic(DBP) blood pressure ,Cholesterol , HDL(High density lipoprotein) , LDL(Low density lipoprotein) and VLDL (Very low density lipoprotein) show no significant differences (P > 0.05) between metabolic groups and control. According to gender the results show significant elevation (P<0.05) in BMI ,HDL, Estradiol, FSH and LH in females than males and significant elevation (P<0.05) in Triglyceride and Testosterone in males than females , while other parameters show no significant differences (p>0.05) between males and females. Correlation analysis showed positive correlation between Estradiol with BMI in metabolic patients(r= 0.43,P= 0.05), while in control group there was an inverse correlation between Estradiol and BMI was found(r= - 0.01,P= 0.03) . Conclusions: Disturbances in Sex hormones has been associated with metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity. Keywords:Sex hormones, metabolic syndrome, lipid profile, BMI.

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Nanoemulsion: A Review on Mechanisms for the Transdermal Delivery of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Drugs

Nanoemulsions (NEs) are colloidal dispersions of two immiscible liquids, oil and water, in which one is dispersed in the other with the aid of a surfactant/co-surfactant mixture, either forming oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) nanodroplets systems, with droplets 20–200 nm in size. NEs are easy to prepare and upscale, and they show high variability in their components. They have proven to be very viable, non-invasive, and cost-effective nanocarriers for the enhanced transdermal delivery of a wide range of active compounds that tend to metabolize heavily or suffer from undesirable side effects when taken orally. In addition, the anti-microbial and anti-viral properties of NE components, leading to preservative-free formulations, make NE a very attractive approach for transdermal drug delivery. This review focuses on how NEs mechanistically deliver both lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs through skin layers to reach the blood stream, exerting the desired therapeutic effect. It highlights the mechanisms and strategies executed to effectively deliver drugs, both with o/w and w/o NE types, through the transdermal way. However, the mechanisms reported in the literature are highly diverse, to the extent that a definite mechanism is not conclusive

Evaluation of serum and salivary transforming growth factor beta, vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor alpha in oral lichen planus.

Introduction: Lichen planus is one of the most common oral mucosal lesions. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF- β) has a marked effect on epithelial–mesenchymal transition and immune cells function. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mediates T-lymphocyte homing and apoptosis of epithelial cells. Objetive: The present study was conducted in order to compare the expression of serum and salivary TGF- β, VEGF, TNF-α between OLP patients and control individuals to investigate if saliva can be used as an alternative to serum for diagnostic purposes and for monitoring disease. Materials and Methods: 23 OLP patients and 23 control individuals were included to evaluate serum and salivary TGF-β, VEGF, TNF-α using ELISA kits. Five milliliters of venous blood was collected and unstimulated saliva was collected by the spitting method. Results: Serum and salivary levels of TGF- β, VEGF, TNF-α are higher in OLP patients compared to normal controls. Mean difference is higher in saliva than serum. Moreover, there was a significant difference in serum and salivary VEGF and TNF-α between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Conclusions: Saliva can be a used as a substitute for serum to evaluate levels of the assessed biomarkers.Introducción: El liquen plano oral es una de las lesiones de la mucosa oral más comunes. El factor de crecimiento transformante β (TGF-β) tiene un efecto marcado sobre la transición epitelial-mesenquimal y la función de las células inmunes. El factor de crecimiento endotelial vascular (VEGF) es un regulador clave de la vasculogénesis y la angiogénesis. El factor de necrosis tumoral α (TNF-α) media la localización de los linfocitos T y la apoptosis de las células epiteliales. Objetivo: El presente estudio se realizó con el fin de comparar la expresión en suero y saliva de TGF-β, VEGF, TNF-α entre pacientes con OLP y personas de control para investigar si la saliva se puede utilizar como alternativa al suero para fines de diagnóstico y monitoreo de la enfermedad. Material y Métodos: Se incluyeron 23 pacientes con OLP y 23 individuos control para evaluar los niéveles en suero y en saliva de TGF-β, VEGF, TNF-α utilizando kits ELISA. Se recogieron cinco mililitros de sangre venosa y se recogió saliva no estimulada por el método de escupir. Resultado: Los niveles séricos y salivales de TGF-β, VEGF, TNF-α son más altos en pacientes con OLP en comparación con los controles normales. La diferencia media es mayor en saliva que en suero. Además, hubo una diferencia significativa de VEGF y TNF-α en suero y saliva entre los grupos sintomáticos y asintomáticos. Conclusion: La saliva puede usarse como un sustituto del suero para evaluar los niveles de los biomarcadores estudiados