The importance of circulating tumor products as „liquid biopsies” in colorectal cancer

Liquid biopsies represent an array of plasma analysis tests that are studied to evaluate and identify circulating tumor products, especially circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Examining such biomarkers in the plasma of colorectal cancer patients has attracted attention due to its clinical significance in the treatment of malignant diseases. Given that tissue samples are sometimes challenging to procure or unsatisfactory for genomic profiling from patients with colorectal cancer, trustworthy biomarkers are mandatory for guiding treatment, monitoring therapeutic response, and detecting recurrence. This review considers the relevance of flowing tumor products like circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating messenger RNA (mRNA), circulating micro RNA (miRNA), circulating exosomes, and tumor educated platelets (TEPs) for patients with colorectal cancer

The importance of circulating tumor products as „liquid biopsies” in colorectal cancer

Liquid biopsies represent an array of plasma analysis tests that are studied to evaluate and identify circulating tumor products, especially circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Examining such biomarkers in the plasma of colorectal cancer patients has attracted attention due to its clinical significance in the treatment of malignant diseases. Given that tissue samples are sometimes challenging to procure or unsatisfactory for genomic profiling from patients with colorectal cancer, trustworthy biomarkers are mandatory for guiding treatment, monitoring therapeutic response, and detecting recurrence. This review considers the relevance of flowing tumor products like circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating messenger RNA (mRNA), circulating micro RNA (miRNA), circulating exosomes, and tumor educated platelets (TEPs) for patients with colorectal cancer

PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH ENDOCRINE DYSFUNCTIONS

Introduction: Psychiatric disorders occurring during endocrine dysfunction and, conversely, endocrine dysfunctions associated with mental disorders were the emergence of a new discipline, psychoendocrinology. Psychiatric disorders correlated with endocrine diseases are defined as psychopathological manifestations of variable intensity and clinical symptomatology, determined by complex psycho-neuro-endocrinological interrelationships. Defining elements consist of the association between diagnosis of mental disorders and specific symptoms for endocrine dysfunction. Methods: We conducted a prospective one-year study (January 2018 - December 2018 on 112 patients hospitalized in the Clinic of Psychiatry who also had an endocrinological comorbidity. We investigated the frequency and severity of psychoendocrinological associations by studying a number of demographic and clinical items. Results: The results showed that the highest incidence belongs to thyroid disorder - 55.36%, followed by gonadal disorders - 24.11%, and, rarely, pituitary diseases and diabetes. Hyperthyroidism was associated most frequently with manic episodes, while unipolar depression prevailed in patients with hypothyroidism. In gonadal disorders, present in majority in female patients (secondary amenorrhea, menopause or erectile dysfunction in males), depression accompanied by anxiety, often severe in intensity, was the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis. Psychotic disorders were met in a smaller number of cases, especially in patients with long history of endocrine disorders and instability of biological constants. Conclusions: We may state that affective disorders are the most frequent nosologically category in patients with endocrine dysfunctions. It requires a better collaboration between specialists in endocrinology and psychiatry, to highlight the determinants which contribute to the development of psychopathological manifestations in endocrine diseases and to individualize the treatment depending on cases’ particularities.</jats:p

Calcifediol Concentration vs Circulating Thyrotropin and Free Thyroxine in Human Blood of Postmenopausal Women

A total of 55 patients were: G1 of 9 patients, G2 of 23 subjects, and G3 of 23 patients. Similar age and years since menopause was found between the groups. There was no statistical significant difference between the groups regarding these aspects: p-value G1-G2 of 0.67, p-value G1-G3 of 0.72, p-value G2-G3 of 0.47. Similar results were obtained when TSH, FT4 and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies were analysed between the groups. No TSH-25-OHD correlation reached the statistical significance, neither FT4-25-OHD, TPO-25-OD. P-values between G1 and G2 for TSH, FT4, TPO were 0.23, 0.38, respective 0.7, between G2 and G3 were 0.19, 0.1, 0.35, between G1 and G3 were 0.48, 0.84, respective 0.75. Bone profile analyze based on 25-OHD levels did not identify any statistical significance difference between the mentioned groups (including bone turnover markers). </jats:p

The importance of circulating tumor products as „liquid biopsies” in colorectal cancer

Liquid biopsies represent an array of plasma analysis tests that are studied to evaluate and identify circulating tumor products, especially circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Examining such biomarkers in the plasma of colorectal cancer patients has attracted attention due to its clinical significance in the treatment of malignant diseases. Given that tissue samples are sometimes challenging to procure or unsatisfactory for genomic profiling from patients with colorectal cancer, trustworthy biomarkers are mandatory for guiding treatment, monitoring therapeutic response, and detecting recurrence. This review considers the relevance of flowing tumor products like circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating messenger RNA (mRNA), circulating micro RNA (miRNA), circulating exosomes, and tumor educated platelets (TEPs) for patients with colorectal cancer

Study on Cystic Fibrosis Evolution in Children

Cystic fibrosis (CF) or mucoviscidosis, although considered a rare disease, is the most common genetic disease with autosomal recessive transmission of the Caucasian race. The study included 13 children aged between 0 and 18 years diagnosed with CF between 01.01.2000 and 31.12.2018, being recorded, monitored and treated in the Regional Center for CF Craiova from the Pediatrics II Clinic, County Emergency Clinical Hospital Craiova, Romania. For each patient we evaluated the following parameters: the year of CF diagnosis, the age at diagnosis, sex and environment of origin, clinical manifestations at onset, evolution of treatment cases by 2018. Of the 13 children with CF in study, most of them (11) are male. The most common clinical manifestations were the respiratory ones. Genetic tests were performed on all children, highlighting that 6 out of 13 children were homozygous �F508 and 2 children had mutations not genetically identified, requiring sequencing. </jats:p

Alteration of Glucidic Metabolism in Relation with Visceral Adiposity Index

Obesity is has become a major problem worldwide. Since 1975, the prevalence of obesity nearly trippled, and nowadays we are facing an obesity epidemic. Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases such as cardiovascular ones (mainly heart disease and stroke) -being the leading cause of death worldwide, musculoskeletal disorders or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). </jats:p

Blood Parathyrin and Mineral Metabolism Dynamics. A clinical analyze

Circulating parathyrin (PTH or parthormon) is increased in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) in association with high total/ionic calcium (T/I Ca) and others mineral metabolism anomalies. This is a clinical cross-sectional and case-control study analyzing these changes after PHP surgical correction in menopausal women. Baseline parameters were: mean age at diagnosis (59.63�9.6 years), TCa of 10.9�0.7 mg/dL, PTH of 138.02�59.36 pg/mL. Longitudinal data showed: final TCa p[0.00001, ICa p[0.00001, phosphorus p[0.0001, magnesium p=0.9, 24-h urinary calcium p=0.4, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol p=0.01, PTH p[0.00001. High circulating parathyrin values due to PHP normalized after surgery in addition to statistical significant changes of TCa, ICa, P, lumbar Bone Mineral Density provided by Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry; Mg and 24-h Ca might not be a marker of general mineral metabolism improvement. </jats:p

Myocardial Noncompaction

Left ventricular noncompaction is a primary cardiomyopathy with genetic transmission in the vast majority of autosomal dominant cases. It is characterized by the presence of excessive myocardial trabecularities that generally affect the left ventricle. In diagnosing this condition, echocardiography is the gold standard, although this method involves an increased risk of overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis. There are also uncertain cases where echocardiography is inconclusive, a multimodal approach is needed, correlating echocardiographic results with those obtained by magnetic resonance imaging. The clinical picture may range from asymptomatic patients to patients with heart failure, supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias, thromboembolic events and even sudden cardiac death. There is no specific treatment of left ventricular noncompaction, but the treatment is aimed at preventing and treating the complications of the disease. We will present the case of a young patient with left ventricular noncompactioncardiomyopathy and highlight the essential role of transthoracic echocardiography in diagnosing this rare heart disease. </jats:p

Considerations on the Hematologic Toxicity of the all IC-BFM 2002/2009 Therapeutic Protocol in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent malign hematologic disease in children. We studied the hematologic toxicity caused by the cytostatic treatment which was administered to the children diagnosed with ALL, according to the ALL-IC-BFM 2002/2009 protocol. The study included a number of 15 children with ALL who were treated from 2008 to 2018 within the Oncopediatrics Department of the 2nd Pediatric Clinic of the Emergency County Hospital in Craiova. We decided upon the level of toxicity in blood values, taking into account the severity level (G), according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 2010 guideline and we calculated the mean value of the hemoglobin, leukocytes, neutrophils, and thrombocytes in the children with ALL, for every phase of the cytostatic treatment. The most severe toxicity (grade 4 of severity) was registered in neutrophils (7/15 patients), during the induction and re-induction periods; 4 of these patients had severe infections. </jats:p