A Preliminary Quantitative Electron Microscopic Analysis Reveals Reduced Number of Mitochondria in the Infralimbic Cortex of Rats Exposed to Chronic Mild Stress

Exposure to severe, uncontrollable and long-lasting stress is a strong risk factor for the development of numerous mental and somatic disorders. Animal studies document that chronic stress can alter neuronal morphology and functioning in limbic brain structures such as the prefrontal cortex. Mitochondria are intracellular powerhouses generating chemical energy for biochemical reactions of the cell. Recent findings document that chronic stress can lead to changes in mitochondrial function and metabolism. Here, we studied putative mitochondrial damage in response to chronic stress in neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex. We performed a systematic quantitative ultrastructural analysis to examine the consequences of 9-weeks of chronic mild stress on mitochondria number and morphology in the infralimbic cortex of adult male rats. In this preliminary study, we analyzed 4,250 electron microscopic images and 67000 mitochondria were counted and examined in the brains of 4 control and 4 stressed rats. We found significantly reduced number of mitochondria in the infralimbic cortex of the stressed animals, but we could not detect any significant alteration in mitochondrial morphology. These data support the concept that prolonged stress can lead to mitochondrial loss. This in turn may result in impaired energy production. Reduced cellular energy may sensitize the neurons to additional injuries and may eventually trigger the development of psychopathologies

Presepsin teardown – pitfalls of biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of bacterial infection in cirrhosis

AIM To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of presepsin in cirrhosis associated bacterial infections. METHODS Two hundred and sixteen patients with cirrhosis were enrolled. At admission, presence of bacterial infections and level of plasma presepsin, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were evaluated. Patients were followed for three months to assess the possible association between presepsin level and short-term mortality. RESULTS Present 34.7 of patients had bacterial infection. Presepsin levels were significantly higher in patients with infection than without (median, 1002 vs 477 pg/mL, P 1206 pg/mL sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values were as follows: 87.5%, 74.5%, 61.8% and 92.7%. The accuracy of presepsin, however, decreased in advanced stage of the disease or in the presence of renal failure, most probably because of the significantly elevated presepsin levels in non-infected patients. 28-day mortality rate was higher among patients with > 1277 pg/mL compared to those with ≤ 1277 pg/mL (46.9% vs 11.6%, P < 0.001). In a binary logistic regression analysis, however, only PCT (OR = 1.81, 95%CI: 1.09–3.01, P = 0.022) but neither presepsin and nor CRP were independent risk factor for 28-day mortality after adjusting with MELD score and leukocyte count. CONCLUSION Presepsin is a valuable new biomarker for defining severe infections in cirrhosis proving same efficacy as PCT. However, it is not a useful marker of short-term mortality

MikroRNS-ek szerepe a rheumatoid arthritis terápiájában

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Szérum ferritin szint, mint lehetséges biomarker májcirrhosisos betegek bakteriális infekcióinak előrejelzésében

A helyi konferenciához képest formailag meglehetősen nagy átalakuláson ment keresztül az előadás, így ezt a változatot most külön feltöltésként viszem be a rendszerbe. Ezenkívül ebben a formában adtam elő még a Magyar Belgyógyász Társaság Északkelet-Magyarországi Szekciójának Kongresszusán, Nyíregyházán, 2013. 11. 15-én. (A programfüzet 8. oldalán az első előadás.)Tanulmányi rendszerbe betöltv

Phenotypic polymorphism of haptoglobin: A novel risk factor for the development of infection in liver cirrhosis

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Emerging medical therapies for severe alcoholic hepatitis

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