Bratisl Med J
-
This review aimed to discuss mechanisms through which gut microbiota could act as a key modifier of obesity and related metabolic abnormalities. Obesity is a growing health epidemic with an increasing incidence in European countries. ⋯ Probiotic and prebiotic ingredients provide an optimal target for the development of novel functional foods used in the prevention of obesity development as one of risk factors of chronic diseases. Knowledge about prebiotic and probiotic mechanisms of action, and novel functional foods supplemented with probiotics and prebiotics will facilitate their clinical application and development of personalized healthcare strategies (Fig. 1, Ref. 40) Keywords: gut microbiota, obesity, functional foods, nutrition.
-
Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical MHC class I molecule that regulates many immune functions. The physiologic HLA-G expression is restricted to foetal tissues such as: amniotic cells, erythroid precursors, and cytotrophoblasts, and, in adults, to immune-privileged organs. The ectopic expression in tumours could point out to a strategy used by malignant cells to escape the immune surveillance. ⋯ There exists a consistent evidence in literature that HLA-G represents an important factor in determining prognosis in various types of cancer. In this review, we will focus on soluble form of HLA-G (sHLA-G) in cancers and its association with the prognosis of cancer patients, because this immune check-point molecule appears as a promising relevant target for cancer immunotherapy (Fig. 2, Ref. 115). Keywords: cancer, diagnosis, HLA-G, soluble HLA-G, tumour.
-
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic disease earlier in 2020, several publications reported the electron microscope images of SARS-CoV-2. This article reviews 73 articles from March 1956 till April 2021, focusing on the ultrastructure characteristics of the coronaviruses. ⋯ With this we hope to facilitate accurate interpretation of TEM findings, and contribute to the building of a unified database in the face of COVID-19 (Tab. 2, Fig. 8, Ref. 81). Keywords.
-
This review is focused on the laboratory diagnoses of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by recognizing the antigen of the causative agent SARS-CoV-2 virus. Various antigen tests are available in this moment and these tests are being further developed in order to reach a better diagnostic value. The issue is reviewed in a complex view. ⋯ Small hand-held assays applicable in the point-of-care conditions for diagnosis of COVID-19 by analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antigen are the means of a growing interest and these means undergo a significant development leading to the improvements of their specifications and applicability to the current praxis. Merit of the assays is discussed in this paper (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 109).
-
AbstractAIMS: Aims: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused not only global pandemic, but it also pointed at unprepared health care systems and countermeasures were introduced under the pressure of urgent circumstances. This review is focused on discussion and critical evaluation of instrumental tools for COVID-19 diagnosis that were developed in the last months.