Przydatność oznaczania NT−proBNP i różnych metod echokardiograficznych w określaniu subklinicznej późnej toksyczności spowodowanej doksorubicyną

Background and aim: Our aims were to investigate the utility of plasma N terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level and find the most beneficial echocardiographic parameters to detect subclinical cardiotoxicity in childhood- cancer survivors treated with doxorubicin.Methods: The study included 23 patients with a mean age of 17.1 years, who had received doxorubicin therapy with a mean cumulative dose of 241.1 mg/m2 with a median time period of 10.5 years since the last dose of doxorubicin. The control group consisted of 19 healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and weight.Results: The serum NT-proBNP levels of the patient group were higher than the control group. The measurements of myocardial performance index (MPI), tissue Doppler mitral septal annulus systolic (S’s) and early diastolic (E’s) velocities, ratio of early mitral flow velocity (E) to E’s (E/E’s), left ventricular diastolic volume (LVDV), tricuspid early diastolic velocity (TE) and percentage of left ventricular posterior wall thickness (%LVPWt) were found to be significantly different from the control group. MPI values were significantly correlated with NT-proBNP levels and cumulative doxorubicin doses.Conclusions: Elevated MPI values, associated with high NT-pro BNP levels and high cumulative doxorubicin doses, could be a useful indicator of subclinical cardiotoxicity. NT-proBNP could be an effective marker in the long-term follow up of subclinical cardiotoxicity.Wstęp i cel: Celem pracy była ocena przydatności osoczowego stężenia N-końcowego fragmentu propeptydu natriuretycznego typu B (NT-proBNP) i ustalenie echokardiograficznych parametrów najbardziej pomocnych w wykrywaniu subklinicznej kardiotoksyczności u dzieci, które przebyły leczenie doksorubicyną z powodu choroby nowotworowej.Metody: Badaniem objęto 23 chorych w wieku średnio 17,1 roku, którzy otrzymywali doksorubicynę w średniej skumulowanej dawce 241,1 mg/m2; mediana czasu od przyjęcia ostatniej dawki doksorubicyny wynosiła 10,5 roku. Grupa kontrolna składała się z 19 zdrowych ochotników dopasowanych pod względem wieku, płci i masy ciała.Wyniki: Stężenia NT-proBNP były wyższe w grupie leczonej niż w grupie kontrolnej. Wskaźnik wydolności mięśnia sercowego (MPI), określony na podstawie badania techniką doplera tkankowego, skurczowa (S’s) i wczesnorozkurczowa prędkość pierścienia mitralnego (E’s) w części przegrodowej, stosunek prędkości wczesnorozkurczowej napływu mitralnego (E) do E’s (E/E’s), objętość rozkurczowa lewej komory (LVDV), wczesnorozkurczowa prędkość pierścienia trójdzielnego (TE) i skurczowy przyrost grubości tylnej ściany lewej komory (LVPWt) różniły się istotnie między grupami. Stwierdzono istotne korelacje między wartościami MPI a stężeniami NT-proBNP i skumulowanymi dawkami doksorubicyny. Podwyższone wartości MPI w połączeniu z wysokimi stężeniami NT-proBNP i dużą skumulowaną dawką doksorubicyny mogą być przydatnym wskaźnikiem subklinicznej kardiotoksyczności. Stężenie NT-proBNP może być stosowane jako skuteczny wskaźnik w długookresowej obserwacji subklinicznej kardiotoksyczności poantracyklinowej.Conclusions: Elevated MPI values, associated with high NT-pro BNP levels and high cumulative doxorubicin doses, could be a useful indicator of subclinical cardiotoxicity. NT-proBNP could be an effective marker in the long-term follow up of subclinical cardiotoxicity

Relationship of growth differentiation factor-15 with aortic stiffness in essential hypertension

WOS: 000482426900004PubMed ID: 31428452Aim: We aimed to assess the relationship between echocardiographic parameters of aortic elasticity, namely aortic strain, aortic distensibility and aortic beta-index, and serum growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 in patients with newly diagnosed essential hypertension (HT). Methods: Grade-1 HT patients (n = 50), grade-2 HT (n = 70) patients and 35 healthy controls were included. Results: GDF-15 was greater in grade-2 HT group compared with the other groups. All aortic elasticity parameters were worse in grade-2 HT group compared with the other groups. GDF-15 correlated positively with E/E ratio (the ratio of transmitral E velocity to mean diastolic mitral annular velocity) and beta-index; and aortic strain and aortic distensibility correlated negatively with serum GDF-15. beta-index, aortic diastolic diameter and diastolic blood pressure were independently associated with GDF-15. Conclusion: GDF-15 may be utilized in the prediction of increased aortic stiffness. Lay abstract: Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and is closely associated with impaired arterial and aortic elasticity. Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 is a novel marker of cardiovascular diseases, and appeals more and more to the researchers. In the present study, we evaluated the relationship of GDF-15 with echocardiographic parameters regarding aortic stiffness, namely aortic beta-index, aortic distensibility and aortic strain in 120 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. We found that serum GDF-15 was correlated with impaired aortic elasticity; moreover, it turned out to be a potent predictor of an increased aortic beta-index in hypertension. [GRAPHICS

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid inhibits LX2 cells proliferation via decreasing yes-associated protein/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif proteins

Background: Hepatic fibrosis is a complex and dynamic process similar to "wound healing" that results in the progressive accumulation of connective tissue. We aimed to investigate the epigenetic control of liver fibrosis and Hippo pathway in human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line. We examined the effect of Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor on the LX2 cell line

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid inhibits LX2 cells proliferation via decreasing yes-associated protein/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif proteins

Background: Hepatic fibrosis is a complex and dynamic process similar to "wound healing" that results in the progressive accumulation of connective tissue. We aimed to investigate the epigenetic control of liver fibrosis and Hippo pathway in human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line. We examined the effect of Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor on the LX2 cell line

Assessment of The Antimicrobial Effect of Manuka Honey in The Implant- Related Spinal Infections in Rats

WOS: 000328090600009Aim: Implant-related infections in spinal surgical procedures are still an important problem despite all the precautions. Various methods and medicinal products have been applied in order to prevent implant-related infections. "Manuka honey" is a type of honey which has been approved by FDA as a medicinal product. "Manuka honey" has bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects on "methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus" which is the most frequently isolated bacteria. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether as an inexpensive and natural product, honey would prevent infection growth on rats in the implant related infection model. Method: Rats were divided into 3 groups, each of which containing 8 rats: namely, the control, infection and treatment groups. In the 1st group, there was no bacterial proliferation. Planted standard MRSA strain has been detected on rats belonging to the groups 2 and 3. On the vertebral column and implants, bacterial growth was greater in the 2nd group than the 3rd group. Also more bacterial colony growth has been detected in 2nd group as compared to 3rd group. While this difference was deemed significant in implant, the same did not apply to vertebral column. Result: Manuka honey could not completely eradicate the MRSA infection; however, it did decrease the intensity of the infection. If manuka honey, through constituting a different model, could be used in infections regularly, more objective and promising results would be revealed. Moreover, we consider that experimenting "manuka honey" on different bacteria including other Staph. aureus strains would be appropriate through constituting different models

The Effects of Balneotherapy on Oxidant/Antioxidant Status in Patients With Fibromyalgia: An Observational Study

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate whether there was a difference between oxidative stress index (OSI), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) values between patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and healthy controls, and to show the effect of balneotherapy on clinical conditions such as pain, depression, and quality of life in patients with FMS and oxidative stress

Serum GAS6, sAXL, IL-10, NO, and BCL-2 levels are decreased in patients with Behçet’s disease

Purpose: Behçet’s disease (BD) is an autoimmune chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by a versatile clinical spectrum. Growth arrest specific protein 6 (GAS6)/soluble AXL (sAXL) signaling pathway draws attention in the resolution of inflammation, and its deficiency is associated with chronic inflammatory, autoimmune diseases, as well as clearance of apoptotic cells by phagocytes – efferocytosis. In this study, it was aimed to investigate whether GAS6/sAXL, interleukin (IL)-10, nitric oxide (NO), and BCL-2 levels were associated with inflammation and efferocytosis contributes to the pathogenesis of BD. Methods: A total of 37 Behçet patients with ocular involvement and 30 healthy control subjects were included in this study. GAS6, sAXL, IL-10, NO, and BCL-2 levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: Serum GAS6, sAXL, IL-10, NO, and BCL-2 levels were significantly lower in patients with BD compared to the controls (P < 0.005, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). In correlation analysis, research parameters decreased in patients with BD was significantly correlated with each other: GAS6–IL-10 (r = 0.585, P < 0.001), GAS6–BCL-2 (r = 0.541, P < 0.001), sAXL–BCL-2 (r = 0.696, P < 0.001), IL-10–NO (r = 0.717, P < 0.001), IL-10–BCL-2 (r = 0.759, P < 0.001), and NO–BCL-2 (r = 0.541, P < 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, decreased serum BCL-2 level may be an indicator of increased apoptosis in these patients and decreased levels of GAS6/sAXL, IL-10, and NO may indicate insufficient clearance of apoptotic bodies released as a result of increased apoptosis in BD patients

Evaluation of chromosomal damage, cytostasis, cytotoxicity, oxidative DNA damage and their association with body-mass index in obese subjects

Over-weight and obesity are serious problems that increase the risk not only for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease but also of various types of cancer. This study was conducted to evaluate cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-cyt) assay parameters and plasma concentrations of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and their relationship with age, body-mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in 83 obese, 21 over-weight and 21 normal-weight subjects. Frequencies of micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB), nuclear buds (NBUD), and apoptotic and necrotic cells in lymphocytes of obese subjects were found to be significantly higher than those found in normal-weight and over-weight subjects (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05), whereas plasma concentrations of 8-0HdG in obese subjects were lower than those observed in normal-weight and over-weight subjects (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). There was a negative correlation between age and frequency of necrotic cells and NDI (p < 0.05), whereas there was no correlation between BMI, WHR, CBMN cyt assay parameters and plasma 8-0HdG in normal-weight subjects. In over-weight subjects, a negative correlation was observed between age and NDI (p < 0.01) and a positive correlation between age and frequency of NPB (p <0.01) and between BMI and frequency of NBUD (p < 0.05). In obese subjects, a negative correlation was observed between age and NDI (p < 0.01) and between BMI and NDI (p < 0.05), whereas no correlation was observed between WHR and CBMN-cyt assay parameters and plasma 8-0HdG. However, frequencies of MN, NPB, NBUD, apoptotic and necrotic cells in total over-weight/obese (p < 0.01/p < 0.05) and all subjects (p < 0.01) increased with increasing BMI. The increase in genomic damage (MN, NPB and NBUD) in obese subjects and the positive correlation between genomic damage and BMI in total over-weight/obese subjects indicate that obesity increases genomic damage and may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, because an increase in MN frequency is a predictor of cancer risk. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Time-dependent analysis of extra length of stay and mortality due to ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive-care units of ten limited-resources countries: findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC)

Ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs) are a worldwide problem that significantly increases patient morbidity, mortality, and length of stay (LoS), and their effects should be estimated to account for the timing of infection. The purpose of the study was to estimate extra LoS and mortality in an intensive-care unit (ICU) due to a VAP in a cohort of 69 248 admissions followed for 283 069 days in ICUs from 10 countries. Data were arranged according to the multi-state format. Extra LoS and increased risk of death were estimated independently in each country, and their results were combined using a random-effects meta-analysis. VAP prolonged LoS by an average of 2.03 days (95% CI 1.52-2.54 days), and increased the risk of death by 14% (95% CI 2-27). The increased risk of death due to VAP was explained by confounding with patient morbidity