Bratisl Med J
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In the review we analyzed short history of the establishment of a novel hematological parameter for systemic inflammation and stress coined as a neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Today NLR is widely used across almost all medical disciplines as a reliable and easy available marker of immune response to various infectious and non-infectious stimuli. We analyzed the immunological and biological aspects of dynamic changes of neutrophil granulocytes and lymphocytes in circulating blood during endocrine stress, dysbalance of autonomic nervous system and systemic inflammation. ⋯ Dynamic changes of NLR precede the clinical state for several hours and may warn clinicians about the ongoing pathological process early. NLR is a novel perspective marker of cellular immune activation, a valid index of stress and systemic inflammation, which open a new dimension for clinical medicine, for better understanding of the biology of inflammation, coupling and antagonism between innate and adaptive immunity and its clinical consequences for health and disease (Tab. 8, Fig. 3, Ref. 151). Keywords: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic inflammation, immune-inflammatory response, endocrinne stress.
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The aim of this study was to find out the correlation and evaluate the accuracy of labial minor salivary gland biopsy as a diagnostic tool in the multidisciplinary management of patients with Sjögren syndrome. ⋯ The labial minor salivary gland biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool to establish the diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome. However, a positive biopsy result must always be correlated with all the other diagnostic criteria to prove the exact diagnosis (Tab. 1, Fig. 4, Ref. 49). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: Sjögren syndrome, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, xerostomia, labial minor salivary glands, biopsy, focal lymphocytic infiltration, focus score.
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The study aim was to analyse the frequency of polymorphic variants of angiotensinogen gene polymorphism (AGT 704T>C, rs699) in essential arterial hypertension (EAH) patients. ⋯ One-way ANOVA analysis confirmed the AGT (704T>C) gene polymorphism to be associated with systolic and diastolic BP elevation (F=7.80; p < 0.001 and F=4.90; p=0.01, respectively), especially in TT-genotype carriers (p < 0.05), and with body mass index increase, albeit only in women (F=13.94; p < 0.001) (Tab. 4, Fig. 3, Ref. 26). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: angiotensinogen gene (AGT 704T>C), diabetes mellitus type 2, arterial hypertension, obesity, risk.
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Polypharmacy and multiple diseases are common in geriatric practice; however, such kind of multiple interventions might result in adverse effects. Some previous studies have found the association of polypharmacy and Parkinson's disease, to confirm this relationship, we conducted a meta-analysis to analyze this issue quantitively. ⋯ In this study we have found an association between PD risk and polypharmacy, a better designed prospective long-term cohort study might be required for further discussion on this issue (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref. 14).
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Renal transplantation stands out with lower cost advantages in life expectancy, quality of life and especially in the long-term perspective compared to dialysis. Having significant side effects of immunosuppressive drugs in terms of patient and graft survival limits the use of these drugs. A variety of markers are being explored to prolong the renal graft life. One of these molecules, monocide chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) is a marker involved in renal inflammation. The production of MCP-1 was blocked in kidney diseases and the disease was improved. Along with these promising developments, we decided to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between immunosuppressive therapies used in renal transplantation therapy and serum MCP-1 levels. ⋯ Understanding the role of MCP-1 in monocyte homeostasis and the effects of MCP-1 inhibition in kidney disease will help to design better diagnostic and treatment strategies in patients with inflammatory kidney disease (Tab. 2, Fig. 7, Ref. 45).