Arch Med Sci
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Leptin is a cytokine-like hormone which has a complex role in inflammation. However, the importance of leptin in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is far from being fully elucidated. The aim of the study was to determine serum leptin levels in RA patients and to evaluate whether there is an association between disease activity, anthropometric indices and leptin levels. ⋯ The present results show that serum leptin levels are increased and significantly associated with disease activity in patients with RA and may have a valuable role in the inflammatory reactions and pathogenesis of RA.
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The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficiency of the STOP-Bang questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ The STOP-Bang questionnaire is an effective tool for OSA screening among Chinese patients with T2DM. A cut-off score of 3 distinguishes OSA from non-OSA with high sensitivity.
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The aim was to evaluate the association of serum total cholesterol (TC) level and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with heart failure (HF) caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). ⋯ In patients with HF caused by CHD, higher serum TC level appeared to be associated with higher LVEF, which might be associated with systemic inflammation improvement.
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Patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. The aim of the analysis was to compare time trends in the extent to which cardiovascular prevention guidelines have been implemented by primary care physicians and specialists. ⋯ The control of cardiovascular risk in CAD patients has only slightly improved since 1997/98 in all health care settings. The greatest potential for further improvement was found among patients whose post-hospital care is provided by primary care physicians. It is associated with promotion of a no-smoking policy and enhanced prescription of guideline-recommended drugs.
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Redox signaling initiates pathogenesis of neuronal degeneration. Plumbagin is a potential antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and radio sensitizing properties. In the present study, we aimed to determine the protective role of plumbagin against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells by determining nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) pathways. ⋯ Together, our results show that plumbagin modulated NF-κB and Nrf-2 signaling. Thus, plumbagin might be an effective compound in preventing H2O2-induced neurotoxicity and its associated inflammatory responses.