Arch Med Sci
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Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is recognized as an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The aim of this study was to estimate the distribution of Lp(a) levels in working age adults from the Russian population and to assess its association with ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, diabetes mellitus (DM), and arterial hypertension (AH). ⋯ Lipoprotein(a) level ≥ 30 mg/dl was detected in every fifth adult aged 25-64 years. Increased risk of MI and IHD starts at an Lp(a) serum level above 9 mg/dl.
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Serological testing in SARS-CoV-2 infection is gaining both patients' and clinicians' attention. Antibody assessment has potential multidirectional utility, hampered by the scarcity of clinical validation studies of the tests available on the market. Therefore, this study aimed to provide some evidence on the clinical utility of anti-SARS-CoV-2 commercial assays, based on the comparison of the results obtained with different methods. ⋯ The results obtained in this study provide evidence for high overall concordance between the comparative CLIA method and different LFIAs. This could justify the use of LFIAs in some settings, where automated assays are not available, provided that some limitations are considered.
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Iron tests are deranged in sepsis; therefore new biomarkers should be used for diagnosis of iron deficiency (ID)/ID anemia (IDA). ⋯ Approximately half of sepsis patients are iron-deficient. Number of Rets may be a predictor of ID/IDA when Ret-He is not available. Hepcidin is a poor IDA predictor.
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In chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), an increase in venous pressure causes the passage of intravascular blood cells and molecules into the surrounding tissues and induces histopathological changes in the lower extremities, leading to increased pigmentation in the legs, ulceration, and tissue loss to various degrees. This study aimed to investigate whether an increase in venous pressure in the coronary veins can lead to the aforementioned histopathological changes. ⋯ This experimental study showed for the first time the histopathological and immunohistochemical changes in myocardial tissue, similar to those observed in CVI, as a result of increased coronary venous pressure due to coronary vein ligation. Further studies are needed to understand the clinical implications of these results.
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Neoadjuvant treatment in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is intended to decrease the cancer mass, increase the likelihood of radical resection and improve survival. Resistance to chemotherapy may depend on cellular expression of anti-apoptotic proteins. XIAP and survivin are the most potent inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP), but their role in drug-induced cancer cell apoptosis remains unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of pre-treatment expression of XIAP and survivin on pathological complete response and survival in LABC patients. ⋯ Our findings suggest that downregulation of XIAP and survivin in LABC patients might predict better treatment outcomes after anthracycline-based chemotherapy. This, in turn, may indicate XIAP and survivin proteins as potential targets for innovative anticancer therapies.