DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

Allelic distribution of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in healthy Romanian volunteers

Population stratification of functional gene polymorphisms is a potential confounding factor in genetic association studies. The Val66Met (rs6265) single-nucleotide polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF) exhibits one of the highest variabilities in terms of allelic distribution between populations. The present study reports the distribution of BDNF Val66Met alleles in a sample of healthy volunteers (N = 1124) selected from the Romanian population. Frequencies were 80.74% for the Val allele and 19.26% for the Met allele. The data from this study extends efforts to map the allelic distribution of BDNF Val66Met in populations around the world and emphasizes that population stratification should be controlled for in future studies that report phenotypic associations in samples from different populations

Atrophy and Inflammatory Changes in Salivary Glands Induced by Oxidative Stress after Exposure to Drugs and Other Chemical Substances: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Oxidative stress is involved in the alterations at the level of salivary glands, being the cause of oral pathologies like xerostomia, periodontitis, gingivitis, leucoplakia, and cancer. It is known that antioxidants can reverse changes induced by drugs or other chemicals in some organs, but the question is whether these substances can reduce or revert the effects of oxidative stress at the salivary gland level. Our aim was to find histopathological data at the level of salivary glands supporting the hypothesis of the reversal of oxidative stress-induced changes after the treatment with substances with antioxidant effect. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct, and Springer databases, including research articles on oxidative stress histological aspects and oxidative stress biomarkers induced by drugs or other chemicals on salivary glands. Results: Out of 1756 articles, 25 articles were selected with data on tissue homogenate used for biochemical analysis of oxidative and antioxidative markers, along with routine hematoxylin eosin (HE) and immunohistochemical analysis used for histopathological and immunohistochemical diagnosis. Drugs (antineoplastic drugs, antibiotics, and analgesics), alcohol, heavy metals, and fluoride can cause oxidative stress, resulting in morphological changes in different tissues, including in salivary glands. There are many antioxidants but only a few were evaluated regarding the effects on salivary glands in animal studies, such as hesperidin and selenium, which can reverse the damage induced by cyclophosphamide; 10-dehydrogingerdione (10-DHGD), a compound extracted from ginger, which has a protective effect against the oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by tramadol; and glycyrrhizic acid, which may repair the injuries incurred after the administration of sodium nitrite. Conclusions: Substances such as hesperidin, selenium, 10-dehydrogingerdione, and glycyrrhizic acid are antioxidants with proven restorative effects on salivary glands for the damage induced by oxidative stress after exposure to drugs and other chemical substances; however, demonstrating their similar effects in human salivary glands is challenging

Terahertz Spectroscopy and Imaging: A Cutting-Edge Method for Diagnosing Digestive Cancers

The Terahertz’s wavelength is located between the microwave and the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, Terahertz (THz)-based detection represents a very attractive tool for repeated assessments, patient monitoring, and follow-up. Cancer acts as the second leading cause of death in many regions, and current predictions estimate a continuous increasing trend. Of all types of tumors, digestive cancers represent an important percentage and their incidence is expected to increase more rapidly than other tumor types due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Because it can precisely differentiate between different types of molecules, depending on water content, the information obtained through THz-based scanning could have several uses in the management of cancer patients and, more importantly, in the early detection of different solid tumors. The purpose of this manuscript is to offer a comprehensive overview of current data available on THz-based detection for digestive cancers. It summarizes the characteristics of THz waves and their interaction with tissues and subsequently presents available THz-based technologies (THz spectroscopy, THz-tomography, and THZ-endoscope) and their potential for future clinical use. The third part of the review is focused on highlighting current in vitro and in vivo research progress in the field, for identifying specific digestive cancers known as oral, esophageal, gastric, colonic, hepatic, and pancreatic tumors