Exploratory inflammatory profiles in patients with depressive disorders and a history of cancer considering alcohol consumption.

Baclofen improves abstinence in alcoholic cirrhosis: Still better to come?

Effectiveness and safety of baclofen for maintenance of alcohol abstinence in alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis: randomised, double-blind controlled study

Efficacy of Psychosocial Interventions in Inducing and Maintaining Alcohol Abstinence in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review

Disulfiram (DF), acamprosate, naltrexone, baclofen and sodium oxybate (SO) are currently the medications approved for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this context, combined pharmacological interventions and sex differences are an interesting area in the treatment of non-responder AUD patients. To evaluate the efficacy of SO in combination with DF in maintaining alcohol abstinence in patients with AUD who failed to achieve abstinence either with SO or DF alone. 126 detoxified AUD patients, previously treated with only SO or DF, were retrospectively enrolled from 2018 to 2022. At the end of treatment, a higher number of females than males (74.1% vs 66.3%: p=0.03) maintained continuous abstinence from alcohol, and all the females responded completely or partially to the treatment. This study shows that the combination of SO and DF may be considered a further pharmacological opportunity for AUD patients (particularly in females) who do not respond to mono-therapy.

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AimThis study examined the association between drinking behavior patterns and depressive symptoms after alcohol abstinence in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD).MethodWe recruited 102 AUD inpatients with baseline depressive symptoms, indicated by scores ≥6 on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self‐Report Japanese Version (QIDS‐SR‐J) pre‐detoxification. Post‐4‐week abstinence, remission was defined as QIDS‐SR‐J scores <6. Patients were classified into remitted (n = 51) and persistent (n = 51) groups. Comparative analyses were conducted using patient profiles and the Drinking Behavior Pattern 20‐item Questionnaire (DBP‐20). Logistic regression identified factors related to post‐abstinence persistent depression. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined DBP‐20 cutoff scores differentiating between persistent and remitted depression.ResultsThe persistent group exhibited higher scores in the DBP‐20 “coping with negative affect” subscale. Logistic regression showed low education, unemployment, and using alcohol for coping as significant factors for persistent depression. Conversely, an automatic drinking pattern indicated natural remission post‐abstinence. A subscale score of ≥8 in alcohol use for coping, especially among unemployed patients, predicted persistent depression (sensitivity 86.8%, positive predictive value 73.3%).ConclusionUnemployed patients with AUD using alcohol to cope with negative affect may experience residual depression even after detoxification. In contrast, patients with AUD with predominantly automatic drinking behavior may exhibit natural remission post‐abstinence.

91 Seeking Help of Faith Healers in Modern Psychiatric Practice: Results of a 4 Years Study in Northern India

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in relation to comorbid depression and cytokine levels in Nepalese men with alcohol-use disorders

Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation are common pathophysiological characteristics of chronic heart failure (CHF). Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are recognized as useful markers of vascular damage and endothelial repair. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a cardiac rehabilitation program on EPCs and inflammatory profile in CHF patients of different severity. Forty-four patients with stable CHF underwent a 36-session cardiac rehabilitation program. They were separated into two different subgroups each time, according to the median peak VO2, predicted peak VO2, VE/VCO2 slope, and ejection fraction. EPCs, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured. Flow cytometry was used for the quantification of EPCs. Mobilization of EPCs increased and the inflammatory profile improved within each severity group (p < 0.05) after the cardiac rehabilitation program, but there were no statistically significant differences between groups (p > 0.05). A 36-session cardiac rehabilitation program has similar beneficial effects on the mobilization of EPCs and on the inflammatory profile in patients with CHF of different severity.

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common pathology among other rheumatic diseases. Chronic inflammation, prolonged pain, early disability of patients - all these factors contribute to the development of depressive and...

The Moderating Effect of Age on the 12-Month Prevalence of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Adults with a Lifetime History of Cancer

BackgroundAlcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and depressive disorder often co-exist and have a shared heritability. This study aimed to investigate Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and three Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAMs) as transdiagnostic biomarkers in AUD and depression co-morbidity.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, patients with AUD (n=22), AUD and depression (n=19), and healthy controls (n=20) were examined. Depression and anxiety severity were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Anhedonia, alcohol use and dependence, craving, and social adaptation were assessed through self-report questionnaires. BDNF and CAM concentrations in peripheral serum were measured after overnight fasting using a Luminex assay. After controlling for age and gender, biomarker levels were compared across groups. The association between biomarker concentrations and symptom severity scales were explored using correlation and multiple regression analyses.ResultsBDNF and Neuronal CAM were lower in patients with AUD with and without depression compared to healthy controls. No differences were observed for Vascular CAM-1 and Interstitial CAM-1. BDNF correlated negatively with anhedonia levels. BDNF, age and gender together explained 21% of variability in anhedonia levels.ConclusionThis pilot study suggests that peripheral levels of BDNF and NCAM might be reduced in AUD with and without comorbid mood disorder. Since low BDNF levels were associated with self- reported anhedonia across these conditions, BDNF and anhedonia might reflect transdiagnostic aspects involved in AUD and depression.

Overweight and obesity have been associated with better survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). On the other hand, excess body weight is associated with abnormal metabolic and inflammatory profiles that define the metabolic syndrome and predispose to cardiovascular diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of overweight and obesity on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and on the metabolic and inflammatory profiles in patients with COPD. Twenty-eight male patients with COPD were divided into an overweight/obese group [ n = 16, body mass index (BMI) = 33.5 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2)] and normal weight group (n = 12, BMI = 21.1 +/- 2.6 kg/m(2)). Anthropometry, pulmonary function and body composition were assessed. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to waist circumference, circulating levels of triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, fasting glycemia and blood pressure. C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin and adiponectin plasma levels were measured. Airflow obstruction was less severe in overweight/obese compared with normal weight patients (forced expiratory volume(1): 51 +/- 19% versus 31 +/- 12% predicted, respectively, P < 0.01). The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 50% of overweight/obese patients and in none of the normal weight patients. TNF-alpha, IL-6 and leptin were significantly higher in overweight/obese patients whereas the adiponectin levels were reduced in the presence of excess weight. The metabolic syndrome was frequent in overweight/obese patients with COPD. Obesity in COPD was associated with a spectrum of metabolic and inflammatory abnormalities.

Background: Increased intake of alcohol causes changes in the cognitive process, affecting many important functions such as execution, recent memory, and visuospatial abilities. Sometimes changes imparted by alcohol use are irreversible. Aims and Objectives: The impairments caused by alcohol abuse are usually underdiagnosed even though they are moderate to severe. To this purpose, we studied the cognitive improvement on abstinence of alcohol use. Materials and Methods: The present study was done in 100 patients, whose diagnosis was made as per the International Classification of Disorders-10 as alcohol dependence syndrome. Patients were administered with the scales, the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SAD-Q), Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Postgraduate Inventory Battery of Brain Dysfunction (PGIBBD), Trail Making Test-B, Digit Span Test, and Digit Vigilance Test. The evaluation of patients was done after 2 weeks of the last alcohol intake and reassessed at the end of the 3rd and 6th months, scores were compared. Analysis of data was done by using mean and standard deviation for continuous variables. The categorical variables were presented as frequency and percentages, and the comparisons between the quantitative data were done by analysis of variance test. Results: The cognitive assessment revealed impairments in executive function, short-term verbal memory, recent memory, visuospatial abilities, visual recognition, and processing speed on initial evaluation, and all the values improved in 6 months of abstinence. Conclusions: In this study, we found, there was significant impairment in memory, executive function, processing speed, visuospatial and recognition skills, initially, and improvement in cognitive function in alcohol.

IntroductionAlthough black-grained wheat (BGW) is recognized as a nutritional food for humans in China, it has yet to be utilized well for industrial applications, which can be attributed to the limited research data available on its health benefits. Thus, the hypothesis was tested that a daily substitution of BGW for a partial staple food would improve glycemia and inflammatory profile of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients by a randomized controlled trial.Materials and methodsA total of 120 patients were randomly divided between control group (diet control and nutritional education) and BGW group (daily substitution of BGW for a partial staple food).ResultsBased on the significant difference between BGW and control groups (P<0.05), the primary outcomes were that BGW treatment in diet resulted in a significant lowering of glycated albumin (GA, 18.05 to 16.06 mmol/L) level in T2DM patients after a 5-week intervention, and this treatment regimen was much more efficient than the strategy of diet control alone. In addition, BGW supplementation prevented the increase in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 induced by T2DM. There were no significant differences in blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin or insulin levels between the 2 groups. The subgroup analyses of the BGW daily intake showed that, except the TNF-α, significant improvements in GA and IL-6 were observed when the BGW intake dose was >69 g/day.ConclusionThese findings support the hypothesis that BGW may improve glycemia and the inflammatory profile in T2DM patients.