Stress-dependent menstrual disorders: The current state of the problem. A review

Epigenetic and Genetic Factors in the Cellular Responses to Radiations and DNA-damaging Chemicals

A Hypothesized Role for Dendritic Remodeling in the Etiology of Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Role of Epigenetic and Endocrine Factors On Emotion and Cognition During the Menstrual Cycles

Background and aim Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are used to quantify physical aspects of work capacity. Safety is a critical issue for clinical use of an FCE. Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) are known to report a temporary increase in pain following an FCE, but it is not known whether this increase is a normal pain response to FCE. It is currently unknown how healthy subjects respond to an FCE and whether this should be interpreted as a normal reaction after physical exercise. This study was performed to quantify the intensity, duration, location and nature of the pain response following an FCE in healthy subjects and to compare this pain response with the pain response of patients with CLBP from a previous study. Methods A total of 197 healthy working subjects between 20 and 60 years of age volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects performed a 12-item FCE. Pain response was measured by a self-constructed Pain Response Questionnaire (PRQ). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the pain response following an FCE. Mann–Whitney and t-tests were performed to compare the data from this study with data of patients with CLBP from a previous study. Results About 82% of all subjects reported a pain response following the FCE. The intensity of the pain response after 24 h post FCE was a median of 3.0 on a numeric rating scale (0–10). About 78% of all pain was reducible to muscle soreness. Pain was most often reported in the upper legs (51%), the lower back (38%) the shoulders (37%) and upper arms (36%). Symptoms decreased to pre-FCE levels in a mean of 3 days. The pain response of 2 subjects (1%) lasted for 3 weeks. The intensity and duration of the pain response of healthy subjects was not significantly different from the response of patients with CLBP. Conclusion Pain response of 99% of all subjects who reported a pain response was interpreted as normal. It was concluded that a pain response following an FCE can be expected in healthy subjects and that this pain response is a normal musculoskeletal reaction. The pain response of patients with CLBP resembles the pain response of healthy subjects.

2703

Interleukin- 1 Beta, -2, -6, and -8 Levels in Serum and Uterine Cavity Fluid During the Normal Luteal Phase

Dysmetabolic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common nephrological disorders in childhood, characterized by metabolic disturbances leading to intrarenal crystal formation and affecting 21–31% of the pediatric population in Ukraine. This article presents the results of a comprehensive investigation into the genetic and epigenetic determinants of DN in children, including the clinical course, biochemical abnormalities, and molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis associated with different genotypes. The relevance of the study is underscored by the polygenic nature of DN, with up to 90% of cases exhibiting polygenic inheritance determined by complex interactions between hereditary and environmental factors. Objective. To characterize the genetic and epigenetic determinants of dysmetabolic nephropathy in children through analysis of polymorphisms in the VDR, GSTM1, and GSTT1 genes and assessment of early developmental factors. Materials and methods. A total of 108 children aged 6–17 years with DN and 44 healthy children from the Ivano-Frankivsk region were enrolled. Genotyping for VDR polymorphisms (TaqI, ApaI) and GSTM1/GSTT1 deletions was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A comprehensive clinical and laboratory evaluation was conducted to assess metabolic disorders, oxidative stress markers, and early developmental factors. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University (Protocol No. 145/24 dated 20 March 2024). Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software package (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Intergroup comparisons were carried out using the Student’s t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and chi-squared (χ²) test as appropriate. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The study was supported by the research program of the State Institution “Institute of Hereditary Pathology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”: “Search for markers of early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of congenital malformations associated with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia” (State Registration No. 0114U001549), and by the research programs of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University: “Features of psychosomatic adaptation in children with chronic somatic pathology” (State Registration No. 0112U004423; implementation period 2012–2021) and “Health status and adaptation features of children of Prykarpattia with somatic diseases, their prevention” (State Registration No. 0121U111129; implementation period 2021–2026). Results. In children with dysmetabolic nephropathy (DN), significant associations with VDR gene polymorphisms were observed: the heterozygous Aa genotype (ApaI) was associated with a 5.69-fold increase in DN risk (p < 0.001), and the Tt genotype (TaqI) with a 2.66-fold increase. The double deletion of GSTM1/GSTT1 conferred a 4.73-fold increase in DN risk. Among epigenetic factors, the most significant associations were observed for threatened abortion (15.83% versus 8.93%), gestosis during the first half of pregnancy (53.83% versus 28.57%), early artificial feeding (67.31% versus 14.28%), and frequent acute respiratory infections in childhood (71.15% versus 12.50%). Elevated markers of oxidative stress and disturbances in connective tissue metabolism were also documented in patients. Conclusion. Dysmetabolic nephropathy in children exhibits a polygenic inheritance pattern with a substantial contribution from epigenetic factors. The identified genetic markers may be utilized for early identification of at-risk individuals, while modification of epigenetic risk factors may serve as a basis for preventive strategies.

Has the Genomic Revolution Failed?

156. Influence of estrogen and/or irradiation on apoptosis and cell cycle of fibroblasts derived from squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix

Menstrual cycle characteristics and risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes

Younger patients with MAFLD are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness: A multicenter preliminary analysis

Sexual Function in Chronic Kidney Disease

Clinical radiotherapeutic doses are limited by the tolerance of normal tissues. Patients given a standard treatment exhibit a range of normal tissue reactions, and a better understanding of this individual variation might allow for individualisation of radiotherapeutic prescriptions, with consequent improvement in the therapeutic ratio. At present, there is no simple way to describe normal tissue reactions, which hampers communication between clinic and laboratory and between groups from different centres. There is also no method for comparing the severity of reactions in different normal tissues. This arises largely because there is no definition of a "normal" reaction, an "extreme" reaction or the particular term "over-reactor" (OR). This report proposes definitions for these terms, as well as a simple terminology for describing normal tissue reactions in patients having radiotherapy. The "normal" range represents the individual variation in normal tissue reactions amongst large numbers of patients treated in the same way which is within clinically acceptable limits. The term "OR" is applied to an individual whose reaction is more severe than the normal range but also implies that this forced a major change in the radiotherapeutic prescription or that the reactions were very severe or fatal. A "severe OR" would develop serious problems with a typical radical dose, while an "extreme OR" would have such difficulties at a much lower dose. To describe the normal range, a numerical scale is suggested, from 1 to 5, resistant to sensitive. The term "highly radiosensitive" (HR) is suggested for category 5. An "informal" relative scale, as suggested here, is quick and simple. It should allow comparison between different hospitals, compensate for differences in radiotherapeutic dose and technique and allow comparison of reactions between different anatomical sites. It should be adequate for discriminating patients at the extremes of the normal range from those at the centre. It is hoped that the definitions and terminology proposed here will aid communication in the field of predictive testing of normal tissue radiosensitivity.

Chapter 28 - Epigenetics and the Impact of Early-Life Stress Across Generations

Tumor response, mucosal reactions and late effects after conventional and hyperfractionated radiotherapy