Multigene Methylation Analysis And The Noninvasive Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer From Body Fluids

Introduction During prostatic carcinogenesis, DNA hypermethylation occurs, thus representing a promising biomarker for the early detection of this malignancy. In our study, we aim to determine the usefulness of a molecular and multigene test for prostate cancer. However, this is based on the quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP) of three genes from voided urine specimens by noninvasive methods. Materials and Methods In this study, the voided urine specimens were collected from 89 patients with prostate cancer and 69 controls. Genomic DNA was isolated and subjected to bisulfite modification. Consequently, we tested the methylation status of genomic DNA of three genes, namely: GSTP1, APC, and MDR1. This was done using the quantitative methylationspecific PCR method. Therefore, the obtained results were correlated with the clinicopathologic findings. Results Promoter methylation of GSTP1 gene in voided urine samples was found in 87 out of 89 (97.8%) PCa patients and in 13 out of 62 (21 %) BPH men. In APC gene, methylated levels have been found in 61 out of 89 (68.5%) PCa patients and in 8 out of 62 (12.9%) BPH men. MDR1 gene was found to be hypermethylated in 60 out of 89 (67.4%) PCa patients and in 4 out of 62 (6.5%) BPH men. In addition, we obtained a sensitivity of 88.99% and a specificity of 85.5% for the multigene panel. The AUC in this case was 0.927. Conclusion The analysis of a multigene panel of three methylated genes in prostate cancer by qMSP, can be used to distinguish between men with malignant and benign prostatic diseases from voided urine specimens. Also, it can be used for the follow-up of those men who are presenting increased risk of prostate cancer by noninvasive methods

General Anesthesia as a Multimodal Individualized Clinical Concept

In the last decades, several new and modern techniques have been developed for the continuous monitoring of vitals for patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. These complex methods are meant to come as an adjunct to classical monitoring protocols used in general anesthesia to increase patient safety. The main objectives of multimodal monitoring are avoiding the over- or underdosing of anesthetic drugs, adapting the concentration for the substances in use, reducing post-anesthetic complications, and increasing patient comfort. Recent studies have shown a series of benefits with significant clinical impact such as a reduced incidence of nausea and vomiting, shorter reversal times, a reduction in opioid consumption, shorter hospital stays, and an increase in patient satisfaction

Multimodal Diagnostic Methods of Sepsis in Critically Ill Patients

The Special Issue “Multimodal Diagnostic Methods in Sepsis in the Critically Ill Patients” published in Diagnostics, Section “Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics”, reports a series of scientific works from varying international authors regarding different methods of diagnosis and identification of clinical signs in critical patients with sepsis [...

Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Therapy in Critically Ill Polytrauma Patients with Severe Head Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death among critically ill patients from the Intensive Care Units (ICU). After primary traumatic injuries, secondary complications occur, which are responsible for the progressive degradation of the clinical status in this type of patients. These include severe inflammation, biochemical and physiological imbalances and disruption of the cellular functionality. The redox cellular potential is determined by the oxidant/antioxidant ratio. Redox potential is disturbed in case of TBI leading to oxidative stress (OS). A series of agression factors that accumulate after primary traumatic injuries lead to secondary lesions represented by brain ischemia and hypoxia, inflammatory and metabolic factors, coagulopathy, microvascular damage, neurotransmitter accumulation, blood-brain barrier disruption, excitotoxic damage, blood-spinal cord barrier damage, and mitochondrial dysfunctions. A cascade of pathophysiological events lead to accelerated production of free radicals (FR) that further sustain the OS. To minimize the OS and restore normal oxidant/antioxidant ratio, a series of antioxidant substances is recommended to be administrated (vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol, N-acetylcysteine). In this paper we present the biochemical and pathophysiological mechanism of action of FR in patients with TBI and the antioxidant therapy available

Influence of Hypothermia on the Clinical and Molecular Status of a Freshwater Drowning Victim with Severe Trauma. A Case Report

Drowning in freshwater kills many people around the world. Complications are multiple and sometimes impossible to treat. Fluid and electrolyte resuscitation is difficult because of all the physiological, biophysical and biochemical changes that decrease the rate of survival. Extreme lung injury and cardiovascular disorders are responsible for tissue hypoxia, increased production of inflammation markers, biosynthesis of reactive oxygen species and finally, multiple organ damage. Hypothermia, frequently associated with drowning, provides multiple benefits to this type of patients. Various studies have developed the idea that hypothermia protects the brain from biochemical mediators, thereby preventing neuronal cell destruction. In this case report we present the biological parameters and evolution of a patient drowned in freshwater, and also the benefits of hypothermia to the clinical picture

Original Research. Photoacoustic Microscopy in Dental Medicine

Introduction: Photoacoustic microscopy, also known as optoacoustic imaging, is a comparatively new method of investigation in dental medicine, which uses a laser-generated ultrasound (short laser pulses) to achieve images for interpretation. Photoacoustic microscopy can be used in a broad spectrum, from detecting tooth decay at its earliest stages to dental anatomy analysis. Material and methods: The energy emitted by the photoacoustic pulse is moderately absorbed by the target and exchanged into heat, leading to a local transitory temperature upsurge. The tension propagates and grows as ultrasonic waves, distinguished by the ultrasonic transducers which are planted apart from the tissue. The photoacoustic microscope has a tunable dye laser which passes through a condensing lens, an objective and ultimately an ultrasonic transducer attached to an acoustic lens to capture and receive information about the scanned probe from a sample moved on the X, Y dimensions. Results: The precise anatomy of layered concentric structures can be clearly observed in photoacoustic microscopy. The image value of the inner layer can be higher, indicating strong optical absorption, while the image value of the outer layer is lower, indicating weaker optical absorption. Meanwhile, the inner layer has the exact same size as the dentin structure and the outer layer has the exact same size as the enamel structure in this cross-section. Conclusions: The photoacoustic microscope (all-optical) comes out to be a future and promising tool for detecting early-stage caries and lesions on the surface of the teeth, where micro-leakage occurs at the interface of tooth restoration, and also the anatomy of dental tissues