Medicina
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In recent years, numerous potential prognostic biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been investigated. Despite these advancements, clinical practice primarily relies on autoantibody tests-for rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (anti-CCP)-alongside inflammatory markers, such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). ⋯ Additionally, specific components of extracellular vesicles, such as non-coding RNAs, heat shock proteins, and lipids, are gaining attention. This review focuses on molecular markers found in synovial fluid and extracellular vesicles, excluding clinical and imaging biomarkers, and explores their potential applications in the diagnosis and management of RA.
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Background and Objectives: Heart failure is associated with high morbidity and mortality and linked with several pre-existing health conditions and risk factors. Early detection and prompt management in heart failure improves patient outcomes. Liver involvement is associated with heart failure disease progression, and hence liver biomarkers and liver fibrosis may have a prognostic impact. ⋯ FIB-4 score has a few limitations. Conclusions: Our study has shown a statistically significant positive correlation between severity categories of LVEF and FIB-4 score for heart failure patients with and without diabetes, and for heart failure patients with or without hypertension. We propose the implementation of FIB-4 score as a prognostic tool for heart failure.
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The emergence of endometriosis-associated clear cell carcinoma (CCC) within the abdominal wall is a notably rare phenomenon. This condition predominantly impacts females who have previously undergone surgical interventions, including hysterectomy or caesarean section (C-section), with the malignant transformation of endometriosis within the post-surgical abdominal scar posited as a likely mechanism. Herein, we delineate a distinctive case of endometriosis-associated CCC emanating from the abdominal wall. ⋯ Despite these measures, the patient experienced disease progression, manifested by bilateral inguinal lymph node involvement and metastasis to the left femoral bone. Advanced molecular diagnostics, specifically next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the resected specimen, identified a targetable PIK3CA E726K mutation. Subsequent treatment with alpelisib and everolimus was initiated, culminating in a sustained complete response.
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Background and Objectives: Exploring daily lifestyle characteristics in individuals with gaming disorder (GD) might identify underlying causes and intervention points. However, integrative and subjective assessments are lacking in studies on this topic. This study aimed to assess circadian typology and physical activity in young adults with GD. ⋯ The GD group had lower physical activity levels for daily calorie expenditure, daily steps, and daily walking distance compared with the control group. No significant differences were observed in body weight and sleep duration between these groups. Conclusions: Individuals with GD, compared to HC, exhibit an eveningness chronotype, poorer sleep quality, lower physical activity, and higher obesity risk, suggesting that lifestyle adjustments like increased exercise and earlier sleep might help modify habitual behaviors and potentially further provide a way to treat GD.
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Background and Objectives: A large amount of recent evidence suggests that cellular inability to consume oxygen could play a notable part in promoting sepsis as a consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The latter could, in fact, represent a fundamental stage in the evolution of the "natural history" of sepsis. Following a study previously conducted by the same working group on heart samples, the present research project aims to evaluate, through an immunohistochemical study, the existence and/or extent of oxidative stress in the brains of subjects who died due to sepsis and define, after reviewing the literature, its contribution to the septic process to support the use of medications aimed at correcting redox anomalies in the management of septic patients. ⋯ Neurons, conversely, appear to be more sensitive to oxidative stress because of a low number of protective or scavenger molecules (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, GSH, or vitamin E). Therefore, despite reduced production, the manifestation of the damage remains high. This evidence, together with that of the previous study, can only support the introduction of substances with an antioxidant function in the guidelines for the treatment of sepsis.