Traumatic spinal cord injuries: Neuroprotection and recent outcomes

Traumatic spinal cord injury has major effects on the injured person. In case of acute complete traumatic spinal cord injury methylprednisolone is a standard treatment option and surgery is often necessary, but these are not a cure for a complete spinal cord injury. This paper analyses the treatment outcomes in 37 cases of complete traumatic spinal cord injuries of which some patients received usual treatment and some patients received cerebrolysin, as neuroprotection and a protocol of intravenous fluids to ensure the spinal cord perfusion pressure augmentation, and standard surgical treatment

CSF phosphorylated neurofilament subunit NF-H (pNF-H) levels are biomarkers of spinal cord injury

Several studies showed that the phosphorylated form of the neurofilament subunit NF-H (pNF-H) are related to neuronal injuries and its detection provide information about the presence and degree of neuronal loss. Neurofilaments are three subunits, namely NF-L, NF-M and NF-H. The phosphorylated neurofilament subunit NF-H (pNF-H) is present into serum and CSF in significant amounts following neuronal injury and may be detected. The pNF-H can be a biomarker of the neuronal injuries and its detection allows the monitoring neuronal pathology and may provide diagnosis and prognosis in humans. We are interested in pNF-H as biomarker of neuronal injury in spinal cord injury and we used a pNF-H ELISA test capable of detecting the levels of phosphorylated NF-H (pNF-H) to patients with spinal cord injury. We studied the pNF-H levels in CSF in two patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and for normal values of pNF-H we determined the CSF pNF-H level from individuals without neurological damage. The pNF-H values of CSF from the two patients with SCI were 5-10 times higher than the normal and its higher values were related to an unfavorable outcome. In conclusion, although the number of cases is very low - only two, in the context of experimental studies in animals with SCI, we can say that pNF-H is marker in SCI in humans and its increased values are consistent with an unfavorable outcome

In Vitro Hypoxic Preconditioning of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Triggers ERK-Mediated Signaling and Growth of L363 Myeloma Cells Celulele stromale ale măduvei hematopoietice precondiţionate la hipoxie in vitro induc proliferarea celulelor mielomatoase L363

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM

Serum Uric Acid Concentration in Overweight and Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Nivelul acidului uric la femeile supraponderale și obeze cu sindromul ovarelor polichistice

Femeile cu sindromul ovarelor polichistice (PCOS) au un risc crescut de a dezvolta diabet zaharat, hipertensiune arterială și afectare coronariană. Datorită corelației negative dintre nivelul seric al acidului uric și sensibilitatea la insulină, determinarea acidului uric ar putea reprezenta un marker al rezistenței la insulină. Obiectiv: Stabilirea relației dintre acidul uric și markeri ai rezistenței la insulină la femeile supraponderale și obeze cu PCOS. Metodă: Nivelul seric al acidului uric a fost măsurat la un lot de 38 de paciente supraponderale și obeze cu PCOS comparativ cu un lot control alcătuit din 30 de femei cu aceeași vârstă și indice de masă corporală (BMI). Au fost evaluați parametri antropometrici, nivelul glicemiei și insulinemiei. Rezistența la insulină a fost apreciată prin calcularea indicelui HOMA (HOmeostasis Model Assessment). Rezultate: Nu au existat diferențe statistic semnificative între nivelurile de acid uric la femeile cu PCOS comparativ cu femeile fără PCOS. Nivelul acidului uric s-a corelat pozitiv cu BMI, circumferința taliei, insulină și HOMA. Aplicând analiza regresiei liniare, am observat că BMI a fost singurul parametru responsabil de 42,1% din variabilitatea nivelului acidului uric. Concluzii: La femeile cu PCOS obezitatea pare principalul determinat al nivelului de acid uric. Insulina și HOMA sunt implicate de asemenea în mai mică măsură, rolul lor urmând a fi clarificat în studii viitoare

Insulin resistance and adipokine levels correlate with early atherosclerosis – a study in prediabetic patients

Cardiovascular risk of prediabetes is still subject to controversies. We analyzed the associations between insulin resistance, adipokines and incipient atherosclerosis estimated by intima-media thickness (IMT) in a cross-sectional study on 122 prediabetic subjects without clinical signs of atherosclerotic disease. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, calculated as fasting insulin × fasting plasma glucose / 22.5), adiponectin, leptin, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio, carotid and femoral IMT were evaluated. We also assessed other parameters related to insulin resistance and adipokines (HbA1c, anthropometric and lipid parameters), as they may also influence atherosclerosis. Carotid IMT was correlated to adiponectin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (all p < 0.05), but not with HOMA-IR or leptin, while femoral IMT showed no relationship with these factors. After adjusting for leptin, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, cholesterol-to-HDL ratio, triglycerides-to-HDL ratio and HbA1c, IMT values became correlated with HOMA-IR. Adjustment for HOMA-IR induced the appearance of new correlations between adipokines and both IMT values. In conclusion, insulin resistance and adipokines seem related to IMT in prediabetic subjects without clinical signs of arterial obstruction

Determination of the phosphorylated neurofilament subunit NF-H (pNF-H) in cerebro-spinal fluid as biomarker in acute traumatic spinal cord injuries / Dozarea neurofilamentelor fosforilate (subunitatea pNF-H) ȋn LCR ca biomarker ȋn traumatismul vertebro-medular acut

Obiectivul studiului. Obiectivul acestui studiu a fost dozarea neurofilamentelor fosforilate (subunitatea pNF-H) în lichidul cefalorahidian al pacienţilor cu leziuni traumatice ale măduvei spinării şi stabilirea unei corelaţii intre valoarea pNF-H şi gravitatea leziunilor medulare. Material şi metode. Studiul a inclus 15 pacienţi cu leziuni traumatice acute medulare: opt pacienţi cu leziuni medulare complete şi şapte pacienţi cu leziuni medulare incomplete. Gravitatea leziunilor medulare a fost apreciată folosind scala ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association scale) şi la toti pacientii s-a aplicat tratamentul chirurgical în primele 24 de ore (decompresiune medulară şi stabilizare vertebrală). S-a facut determinarea zilnică a pNF-H din LCR folosind testul ELISA specific şi am corelat aceste valori cu evoluţia clinică. Rezultate. Subunitatea pNF-H a fost evidenţiată în LCR la toţi pacienţii cu traumatisme acute vertebro-medulare şi valorile au fost diferite în cazurile leziunilor medulare complete faţa de leziunile incomplete. Nivelul pNF-H din LCR a fost de zece până la o sută de ori mai mare în leziunile medulare complete fata de cazurile cu leziuni incomplete, unde nivelul acestui biomarker a fost aproape normal. Pacienţii cu o evoluţie neurologică favorabilă după tratament au avut un model specific al valorilor zilnice de pNF-H: o creştere bruscă până la o valoare maximă apoi o scădere progresivă până la normal. Valorile maxime au fost diferite în fiecare caz, de 10 ori până la 170 de ori mai mari faţă de normal. Concluzii. Forma fosforilată a subunităţii neurofilamentelor cu greutate moleculară mare pNF-H din lichidul cefalorahidian poate fi un biomarker specific pentru leziunile acute traumatice ale măduvei spinării corelat cu severitatea leziunilor medulare. pNF-H pare a fi un biomarker predictiv deoarece modelul evolutiv al valorilor sale arată reducerea sau blocarea leziunilor medulare secundare şi se corelează cu evoluţia favorabilă clinic

Immunological Study Regarding the Role of Ca(OH)2 Paste on the MMP8 Expression for Teeth with Chronic Periapical Lesions

Introduction MMP8 are secreted as inactive proproteins, stored in secondary granules within neutrophils and are activated by autolytic cleavage. The function of MMP8 is degradation of type I, II and III collagens. In this context, the concentration of MMP8 can be related to the intensity of inflammatory processes associated with chronic periapical lesions. Objectives The aim of our study was to measure changing of MMP8 within the periapical secretion of teeth affected by periapical lesions and treated with antibacterial medication, using immunological tests. Methods Study group included 22 patients with age 22-64 years. A number of 30 teeth with periapical lesions (periapical granuloma and diffuse periapical osteitis) were submitted to endodontic treatment and filled with Ca(OH)2 paste. The periapical secretion was collected with paper points at baseline, after 14 days and after 28 days. The concentration of MMP8 was assessed using ELISA test Quantikinine (Human MMP-8 Immunoassay, R&D System, USA) based on quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Results and discussions At baseline the mean concentration of MMP8 was 31.3 ng/mL. The concentrations of MMP8 were closely related to the type of periapical lesion: 12.5 ng/mL for incipient periapical lesions, 18.1 ng/mL for small periapical granuloma and 91.6 ng/mL for extended periapical granuloma. The levels of MMP8 decreased gradually after 2 weeks and 4 weeks comparing with baseline. Conclusion Metaloproteinases (MMP8) could be used as biochemical markers of the periapical status of inflammatory processes in course of initial stage of endodontic therapy