Control Subjects Research Articles

Investigating tRNA-Derived Small RNA Expression Patterns and Bioinformatics Analysis in Epicardial Fat of Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Abstract: The intricate mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF) remain elusive. It is proposed that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may play a role in arrhythmias by releasing bioactive molecules, including exosomes containing tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). Although tsRNAs are known to significantly influence cellular functions, their relationship with AF remains unexplored. To investigate this, we conducted RNA sequencing on EAT samples from 6 AF patients and 6 sinus rhythm control subjects. Our analysis identified 146 upregulated and 126 downregulated tsRNAs in AF. Four tsRNAs (tRF-SeC-TCA001, tiRNAGly–CCC–003, tRF-Gly-GCC-002, and tRF-Tyr-GTA-007) were validated via quantitative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction. Bioinformatic analysis revealed these tsRNAs target genes associated with cell adhesion and various cellular processes mediated by plasma membrane adhesion molecules. KEGG analysis suggested these target genes may contribute to AF pathogenesis through processes such as glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis, AMP-activated protein kinase activity, and the insulin signaling pathway. Our findings unveil altered tsRNA expression profiles in EAT from AF patients, hinting at potential interactions between tsRNAs and mRNA within EAT that could impact AF pathogenesis.

Efficacy of antioxidants in the management of psoriasis: A case control study

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory dermatosis. The pathophysiology of the disease is still incompletely elucidated and multiple factors are said to be involved in its initiation and perpetuation, e.g., stressors, genetic factors, environmental factors. In the last decade, a new theory is trying to explain the pathophysiology of this disease by looking at the role played by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation in the initiation of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Keeping in consideration the increased oxidative stress in the patients of psoriasis, the anti-oxidant drugs can form an important part of the therapeutic ladder of psoriasis. Materials and Methods: The aim of this study was to measure the possible role of oxidative stress in psoriasis patient by measuring SOD level and comparing it with normal individuals and administer antioxidants supplements to the patients group to see the efficacy. It was a Case- Control study (1st part) and Clinical Trial without control group (2nd part). The study was carried out in Psoriasis awareness Club from June 2023 to December 2023. Purposive sampling done who fulfill the inclusion & exclusion criteria. 23 patients with psoriasis and 23 age and sex matched control subjects were recruited for this study. Clinical severity of the disease was determined by PASI score. All patients and control subjects were examined for plasma SOD level. 23 psoriatic patients were given antioxidant therapy in the form of once daily tablet for 30 days. PASI score, DLQI and SOD (Superoxide dismutase) level were measured before therapy (day 0) and after therapy (day 30) in patients group. Statistical analysis and Results: Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD) for quantitative variables and numbers. For comparison of two means (t test) and (ANOVA "F") test were used for several means. Chi-square (χ2 ) or fisher exact test were used when appropriate, (P<0.05) was considered statistically significant. The mean age of the patients and control subjects were 37.64 (±5.89) and 33.6 (11.02) years, respectively. The mean duration of the disease was 12.43 (±8) years. No significant difference was observed between SOD level of psoriatic patients & controls. No significant correlations of SOD level with severity of psoriasis and duration of disease were found. We observed no statistically significant difference in PASI and DLQI scores before and after antioxidant therapy but there was significant increase in the level of SOD after treatment. Conclusion: It is indisputable that antioxidant supplementation can reduce the overall morbidity, enhance the prognosis of psoriasis. Notably, in most cases, antioxidants alone are not able to induce significant clinical changes in the aspect and/or course of the disease, except perhaps in mild forms. They must be used in conjunction with standard pharmacological treatments to achieve measurable results.

Assessment of muscle dysfunction in COPD patients: A case-control study

Introduction: peripheral muscle dysfunction satellite of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has emerged in recent years as a major factor which limits patients' ability to exercise. Methods: This study is a case-control investigation of the associations between COPD and muscle dysfunction. Cases and control subjects were recruited to evaluate their body composition using bioelectrical impedance (BIA). Quadriceps strength and endurance tests were performed. Dyspnoea was estimated by the mMRC scale. The patients were redirected from the department of pulmonary diseases of Batna, Algeria. The healthy subjects were volunteers without any lung, heart or systemic diseases or handicap in physical effort. Results: 175 patients with stable COPD (9 female and 166 male) aged between 40–86 years, mean FEV1 52 ± 21% and 175 age-and-sex-matched healthy subjects (FEV1: 91± 9%) were included in this study. The cigarette consumption was 35 (20) pack/years in COPD patients vs 15 (15) pack/years in healthy subjects. The classification of airflow limitation showed that 19.43% of patients were classified GOLD I, 30.29% (GOLD II), 33.71% (GOLD III), and 16.57% (GOLD IV). 22. 85% of COPD patients were classified in (category A) ,17.14% (category B) ,16.57% (category C) and 43.42% (category D). fat-free mass index (FFMI) was 19.3 (1.6) kg/m2 in COPD patients vs 18 (4.7) kg/m2 in controls. Quadriceps strength was 109.27 (42.8) Nm in COPD patients vs 141.6 (15) Nm in healthy subjects. The quadriceps endurance was 3.75 (1.14) min in patients vs 16.6 (15) min in controls. Conclusion: This study supports the idea that skeletal muscle mass, quadriceps strength and endurance, were adversely affected in patients with COPD.

Neuroanatomical alterations in brain disorder: A magnetic resonance imaging analysis

Background: Bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder caused by strong mood fluctuations, affecting 2% of the world's population. People with bipolar disorder experience both manic and depressive episodes, which can lead to suicidal thoughts and changes in appetite, activity, and focus. There are different subtypes of bipolar disorder, with cyclothymic disorder being the milder of the two. Bipolar I is characterized by manic periods, while bipolar II is marked by hypomanic and significant depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is a biological, genetic, and environmental condition that can affect anyone at any age. Methods: In this study, we enrolled a total of 49 bipolar disorder (BD) participants to 44 healthy control (HC) subjects. Bipolar disorder patients were enlisted with their consent using web portals, medical facilities, and local marketing. MRI contraindications, medical history, self-reported using a mood-altering medication, inadequate vision, and left-handedness were among the exclusion criteria. The various tissue structures which are: the gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were examined using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to ascertain these changes. We employed statistical parametric mapping (SPM) for both image processing and statistical analysis. Results: Our findings demonstrate that individuals with bipolar disorder showed a substantial volume decrease in both gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), with gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume decreases being more noticeable in the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Additionally, individuals with bipolar disorder showed no CSF volume in any of the brain regions. Conclusion: Our VBM research backs up earlier studies that link changes in brain structure, particularly gray matter and white matter, to bipolar disorder. These discoveries shed more information on the neurology of bipolar disorder and could guide the creation of more potent diagnostic and treatment modalities.

A case control study investigating the methylation levels of GHRL and GHSR genes in alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a relapsing disease described as excessive use of alcohol. Evidence of the role of DNA methylation in addiction is accumulating. Ghrelin is an important peptide known as appetite hormone and its role in addictive behavior has been identified. Here we aimed to determine the methylation levels of two crucial genes (GHRL and GHSR) in ghrelin signaling and further investigate the association between methylation ratios and plasma ghrelin levels. Individuals diagnosed with (n = 71) and without (n = 82) AUD were recruited in this study. DNA methylation levels were measured through methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM). Acylated ghrelin levels were detected by ELISA. The GHRL rs696217 polymorphism was analyzed by the standard PCR-RFLP method. GHRL was significantly hypermethylated (P < 0.0022) in AUD between 25 and 50% methylation than in control subjects but no significant changes of GHSR methylation were observed. Moreover, GHRL showed significant positive correlation of methylation ratio between 25 and 50% with age. A significant positive correlation between GHSR methylation and ghrelin levels in the AUD group was determined (P = 0.037). The level of GHRL methylation and the ghrelin levels showed a significant association in the control subjects (P = 0.042). GHSR and GHRL methylation levels did not change significantly between control and AUD groups. However, GHRL and GHSR methylations seemed to have associations with plasma ghrelin levels in two groups. This is the first study investigating the DNA methylation of GHRL and GHSR genes in AUD.

Diagnostic ability of macular nerve fiber layer thickness measured by swept-source OCT in preperimetric glaucoma.

We evaluated the diagnostic ability of macula retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness in preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) patients. This prospective study included 83 patients with PPG and 83 age- and refractive error-matched normal control subjects. PPG was defined as a localized RNFL defect corresponding to glaucomatous optic disc changes with a normal visual field test. We used spectral-domain (SD) OCT to measure the circumpapillary RNFL (cpRNFL) thickness and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness. Swept-source (SS) OCT was used to measure cpRNFL thickness, macular ganglion cell layer + inner plexiform layer (IPL) thickness (GCL+), and macular ganglion cell layer + IPL+ mRNFL thickness (GCL++). The mRNFL thickness was defined as GCL++ minus GCL+. To evaluate the diagnostic power of each parameter, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) was analyzed to differentiate PPG from the normal groups. Using SD-OCT, all GCIPL parameters and most cpRNFL parameters, except at the nasal and temporal quadrant, were significantly lower in PPG versus normal controls. PPG eyes had significantly smaller values than normal controls for all cpRNFL and GCL parameters measured by SS-OCT, except mRNFL at the superonasal area. The inferotemporal GCL++ had the largest AUROC value (0.904), followed by inferotemporal GCL+ (0.882), inferotemporal GCIPL thickness (0.871), inferior GCL++ (0.866), inferior cpRNFL thickness by SS-OCT (0.846), inferior cpRNFL thickness by SD-OCT (0.841), and inferotemporal mRNFL thickness (0.840). The diagnostic performance was comparable between inferotemporal mRNFL thickness and the best measures of GCL (inferotemporal GCL++, p = 0.098) and cpRNFL (inferior cpRNFL thickness by SS-OCT, p = 0.546). The diagnostic ability of mRNFL thickness was comparable to that of the best measures of cpRNFL and GCL analysis for eyes with PPG. Therefore, mRNFL thickness could be a new parameter to detect early structural changes in PPG.

Lipoprotein (a) concentration as a risk factor for ischaemic stroke and its subtypes.

To investigate the relationship between serum lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] concentration and the risk of ischaemic stroke (IS) and its subtypes. Lp(a) plays a role in atherogenic, pro-thrombotic, and antifibrinolytic processes. Elevated plasma Lp(a) is a strong independent risk factor for the development and progression of atherosclerotic disease. The association between lipoproteins and IS is more complex than that reported for cardiovascular diseases, with inconsistent and contradictory results from epidemiological studies. 231 patients with acute IS (defined as cases) and 163 age- and sex-matched control subjects were included in this prospective case-control study. Demographic and clinical variables (i.e. age, sex, smoking, presence of chronic diseases and concomitant medication) and laboratory data (i.e. concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, Lp(a), apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B) were recorded. The mean age and the percentage of men did not significantly differ between groups. Compared to controls, there was a significantly higher percentage of cases reported with concomitant diseases: diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, ischaemic heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and atrial fibrillation. The study showed a significantly higher serum Lp(a) concentration in cases than in control subjects (81.81 nmol/L [c.32.7 mg/dL] vs. 59.75 nmol/L [c.23.9 mg/dL]; p = 0.036) and found an association between Lp(a) levels stratified by quartiles and the risk for ischaemic stroke (Q1 [Lp(a) < 13 nmol/L] vs. Q4 [Lp(a) > 117 nmol/L]: OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.23-4.03; p = 0.008). A subgroup analysis based on the TOAST classification of IS also showed a significant association between Lp(a) value of more than 75 nmol/L (30 mg/dL) and the risk of large-artery atherosclerosis stroke compared to the controls (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.39-3.93; p = 0.001), as well as a statistically non-significant association with other subtypes of IS. The influence of Lp(a) remained significant even after adjusting for established risk factors for IS (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.05-3.76; p = 0.04; respectively for the large-artery atherosclerotic subtype: OR 2.54; 95% CI 1.39-4.67; p = 0.003). We found that Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for ischaemic stroke, and for the large-artery atherosclerotic subtype of ischaemic stroke.

Mediation of White Matter Alterations in the Association Between Ventricular Dilation and Cognitive Decline in Hydrocephalus Patients: An MRI Study.

Cognitive impairment is commonly observed in hydrocephalus patients. Ventricular enlargement compresses brain parenchyma, especially the white matter (WM). To investigate whether the relationship between ventricular dilation and cognitive decline in hydrocephalus patients is mediated by WM alterations. Retrospective. 51 communicating hydrocephalus patients (median age, 54 years), 50 obstructive hydrocephalus patients (median age, 49 years), and 53 control subjects (median age, 50 years). Diffusion tensors imaging, 3D T1 BRAVO, 3D FIESTA, CUBE T2, and FLAIR sequences at 3T. DTI parameters (skeletonized fractional anisotropy (FA), skeletonized mean diffusivity (MD), and peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity p(PSMD)) were extracted using FSL software. Global, periventricular, and deep white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes, degree of ventricular enlargement (Evans index), and other conventional imaging markers (number of lacunes and perivascular spaces, intracranial and brain volume) were extracted using united imaging intelligence. Cognitive tests included Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), clock drawing test (CDT), and vocabulary fluency test (VFT). Multivariable linear regression analysis, mediation analyses, and dominance analysis. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. The degree of ventricular dilation, DTI parameters, and cognitive function scores were interrelated. The skeletonized FA values (β = -0.0917, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.205, -0.024) and normalized global WMH volume (β = -0.0635, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.0005) together mediated 37.2% of the association between Evans index and MoCA. A comparable causal pathway was found for periventricular WMHs but not for deep WMHs. Dominance analysis indicated skeletonized FA values had a greater impact on cognition than WMH volume. The skeletonized FA values also mediated the association between Evans index and CDT (β = -0.0897, 95% CI: -0.165, -0.026) and VFT (β = -0.1589, 95% CI: -0.27, -0.083). WM alterations were causal mediators between ventricular dilation and cognitive decline in hydrocephalus patients. 3. Stage 3.

Evaluation of systemic medications associated with diabetic retinopathy: a nested case–control study from the UK Biobank

AimsThis study aims to investigate the associations between commonly used systemic medications and diabetic retinopathy (DR).MethodsIndividuals with linked primary care prescription data from the UK Biobank were included. Cases were...

A fractal modification of the tropical algebra for noise removal and optimal control

This paper proposes a fractal modification of tropical algebra for noise removal and optimal control. Fractal addition, fractal multiplication, and fractal dot product are defined and explained in a fractal space. A fractal tropical polynomials function can model a coastline at any scale, providing a new tool for fractal analysis of any irregular curve. An example is given to solve an optimal control subject to a fractal tropical polynomials function. This paper provides a new window for tropical algebra, combining fractal geometry and algebra.

Meta-analysis of genomic variants in power and endurance sports to decode the impact of genomics on athletic performance and success.

Association between genomic variants and athletic performance has seen a high degree of controversy, as there is often conflicting data as far as the association of genomic variants with endurance, speed and strength is concerned. Here, findings from a thorough meta-analysis from 4228 articles exploring the association of genomic variants with athletic performance in power and endurance sports are summarized, aiming to confirm or overrule the association of genetic variants with athletic performance of all types. From the 4228 articles, only 107 were eligible for further analysis, including 37 different genes. From these, there were 21 articles for the ACE gene, 29 articles for the ACTN3 gene and 8 articles for both the ACE and ACTN3 genes, including 54,382 subjects in total, from which 11,501 were endurance and power athletes and 42,881 control subjects. These data show that there is no statistically significant association between genomic variants and athletic performance either for endurance or power sports, underlying the fact that it is highly risky and even unethical to make such genetic testing services for athletic performance available to the general public. Overall, a strict regulatory monitoring should be exercised by health and other legislative authorities to protect the public from such services from an emerging discipline that still lacks the necessary scientific evidence and subsequent regulatory approval.

On the Need to Optimize the Mechanism of Interaction between the Accounting Chamber of Russia and Subjects of Public Control

This scientific research addresses issues related to the study of the statics and dynamics of interaction and cooperation of subjects of public control in Russia with the federal control and accounting authorities - the Accounts Chamber, which, at the same time, acts as a body of parliamentary control. The article also analyzes the institution of public control as a key guarantee of the implementation of the system of constitutional principles, first of all, democracy and the participation of Russian citizens in the functioning of the public administration system. The authors examine the existing forms and methods of interaction between the above-mentioned body of parliamentary control and subjects of public control. The article examines the main problems that make it difficult to optimize the mechanism of interaction between the Accounts Chamber of Russia and subjects of public control, in particular, in connection with: the failure to consolidate the foundations of such interaction in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as the legislation regulating the organization and activities of the Accounts Chamber of Russia; the lack of development in the legislation on public control, as well as in scientific and educational literature, of specific forms and methods of the above-mentioned interaction; weak powers of subjects of public control, including the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation; weak use of positive foreign experience of interaction between parliamentary control bodies and civil society institutions, including those whose activities are aimed at organizing and exercising control over the apparatus of public power; insufficient use of modern information and communication technologies in this interaction; weak funding of public control subjects in the country. The work formalizes and substantiates a system of measures to resolve these problems, including by: developing and consolidating in the Constitution of Russia, as well as current legislation, a mechanism for interaction of subjects of public control with public authorities, including the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation; organization by the Public Chamber of Russia of analysis, adaptation and subsequent implementation of foreign positive experience of interaction between parliamentary control bodies and subjects of public control; development and implementation of a system of federal programs aimed at developing the system of subjects of public control, their organizational, financial, and technical support; development in the domestic scientific legal doctrine of directions for optimizing the mechanism of interaction between the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation and subjects of public control.

Neutrophil-Derived Peptidyl Arginine Deiminase Activity Contributes to Pulmonary Emphysema by Enhancing Elastin Degradation.

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inflammation gives rise to protease-mediated degradation of the key extracellular matrix protein, elastin, which causes irreversible loss of pulmonary function. Intervention against proteolysis has met with limited success in COPD, due in part to our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms that underlie disease pathogenesis. Peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) enzymes are a known modifier of proteolytic susceptibility, but their involvement in COPD in the lungs of affected individuals is underexplored. In this study, we showed that enzyme isotypes PAD2 and PAD4 are present in primary granules of neutrophils and that cells from people with COPD release increased levels of PADs when compared with neutrophils of healthy control subjects. By examining bronchoalveolar lavage and lung tissue samples of patients with COPD or matched smoking and nonsmoking counterparts with normal lung function, we reveal that COPD presents with markedly increased airway concentrations of PADs. Ex vivo, we established citrullinated elastin in the peripheral airways of people with COPD, and invitro, elastin citrullination significantly enhanced its proteolytic degradation by serine and matrix metalloproteinases, including neutrophil elastase and matrix metalloprotease-12, respectively. These results provide a mechanism by which neutrophil-released PADs affect lung function decline, indicating promise for the future development of PAD-based therapeutics for preserving lung function in patients with COPD.

A reduced proteomic signature in critically ill Covid-19 patients determined with plasma antibody micro-array and machine learning

BackgroundCOVID-19 is a complex, multi-system disease with varying severity and symptoms. Identifying changes in critically ill COVID-19 patients’ proteomes enables a better understanding of markers associated with susceptibility, symptoms, and treatment. We performed plasma antibody microarray and machine learning analyses to identify novel proteins of COVID-19.MethodsA case-control study comparing the concentration of 2000 plasma proteins in age- and sex-matched COVID-19 inpatients, non-COVID-19 sepsis controls, and healthy control subjects. Machine learning was used to identify a unique proteome signature in COVID-19 patients. Protein expression was correlated with clinically relevant variables and analyzed for temporal changes over hospitalization days 1, 3, 7, and 10. Expert-curated protein expression information was analyzed with Natural language processing (NLP) to determine organ- and cell-specific expression.ResultsMachine learning identified a 28-protein model that accurately differentiated COVID-19 patients from ICU non-COVID-19 patients (accuracy = 0.89, AUC = 1.00, F1 = 0.89) and healthy controls (accuracy = 0.89, AUC = 1.00, F1 = 0.88). An optimal nine-protein model (PF4V1, NUCB1, CrkL, SerpinD1, Fen1, GATA-4, ProSAAS, PARK7, and NET1) maintained high classification ability. Specific proteins correlated with hemoglobin, coagulation factors, hypertension, and high-flow nasal cannula intervention (P < 0.01). Time-course analysis of the 28 leading proteins demonstrated no significant temporal changes within the COVID-19 cohort. NLP analysis identified multi-system expression of the key proteins, with the digestive and nervous systems being the leading systems.ConclusionsThe plasma proteome of critically ill COVID-19 patients was distinguishable from that of non-COVID-19 sepsis controls and healthy control subjects. The leading 28 proteins and their subset of 9 proteins yielded accurate classification models and are expressed in multiple organ systems. The identified COVID-19 proteomic signature helps elucidate COVID-19 pathophysiology and may guide future COVID-19 treatment development.

Evaluation of optical coherence tomography findings in patients with multiple sclerosis and glaucoma.

Glaucoma and multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause optic disc pathology and, in this way, affect optical coherence tomography (OCT) data. In this context, the objective of this study is to investigate the changes in the mean, quadrant, and sector data measured by OCT in glaucoma and MS patients. The sample of this prospective cohort study consisted of 42 MS patients (84 eyes), 34 Primary open-angle glaucomas patients (67 eyes), and 24 healthy control subjects (48 eyes). The MS group was divided into two groups according to the presence of a history of optic neuritis. Accordingly, those with a history of optic neuritis were included in the MS ON group, and those without a history of optic neuritis were included in the MS NON group. The differences between these groups in the mean, quadrant, and sector data related to the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) were evaluated. Superior nasal (SN), superior temporal (ST), inferior nasal (IN), and superior quadrant (SUP) values were significantly lower in the glaucoma group than in the MS group (p < 0.05). The mean superior GCC (GCC SUP) value was significantly lower in the MS ON group than in the glaucoma group (p < 0.05). On the other hand, SN, ST, inferior temporal (IT), IN, average RNFL (AVE RNFL), semi-average superior RNFL (SUP AVE RNFL), semi-average inferior RNFL (INF AVE RNFL), SUP, and inferior quadrant RNFL (INF) values were significantly lower in the glaucoma group than in the MS NON group (p < 0.05). RNFL and GCC parameters get thinner in MS and glaucoma patients. While the inferior and superior RNFL quadrants are more frequently affected in glaucoma patients, the affected quadrants vary according to the presence of a history of optic neuritis in MS patients. It is noteworthy that the GCC superior quadrant was thin in MS ON patients. The findings of this study indicate that OCT data may be valuable in the differential diagnosis of glaucoma and MS.

Paediatrics congenital heart disease is associated with plasma miRNAs.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) are the most common malformations from birth. The severity of the different forms of CHD varies extensively from superficial mild lesions with follow-up for decades without any treatment to complex cyanotic malformations requiring urgent surgical intervention. microRNAs have been found to be crucial in cardiac development, giving rise to possible phenotypes in CHD. We aimed to evaluate the expression of miRNAs in 86 children with CHD and divided into cyanotic and non-cyanotic heart defects and 110 controls. The miRNAs expression of miR-21-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-144-3p were analyzed by RT-qPCR. In addition, the expressions of the miRNAs studied were correlated with the clinical characteristics of both the children and the mothers. The expression levels of miR-21-5-5p, miR-15-5p5, miR-221-3p, and miR-26-5p significantly differed between CHD and control subjects. Moreover, miR-21-5p levels were higher in patients with cyanotic versus non-cyanotic CHD patients. The expression levels of miRNAs of pediatric patients with CHD could participating in the development of cardiac malformations. Additionally, the high expression of miR-21-5p in cyanotic CHD children may be related to greater severity of illness relative to non-cyanotic CHD. This study adds to knowledge of the association between microRNAs and congenital heart disease in children. The expression levels of miR-21-5-5p, miR-15-5p5, miR-221-3p, and miR-26-5p of pediatric patients with CHD could be involved in the development and phenotype present in pediatric patients. miR-21-5p may help to discriminate between cyanotic and non-cyanotic CHD. In the future, the miRNAs studied could have applications as clinical biomarkers.

IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES: A NON INVASIVE AND COSMETIC FRONTIER FOR WOUND CLOSURE

Abstract Cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) implantation procedures have undergone continuous improvement. Every aspect of the procedure can contribute to these improvements, including incision closure. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and validity of a non–invasive method using adhesive skin closure strips for wound closure of CIEDs in older adults, instead of surgical suture, evaluating parameters such as infection, erythema, skin reaction, itching, pain, oedema, time for closure, cosmetic outcomes and patients’ satisfaction. A retrospective study was carried out in 152 subjects (mean age 81 +9.3 years).undergoing application of adhesive strips after CIEDs substitution/implant and 132 usual care control subjects (mean age 76.6+8.9). Variables considered were: age, gender, risk factors for wound complications. Wound evaluation was conducted by using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS). Operative time for closing the incision and for removing sutures or strips were significantly lower in both application and removal in the adhesive strip group. At follow–up evaluations, each parameter considered by evaluation of the patients and staff was significantly better than in the control group. Fewer complications were observed in the patients undergoing wound closure wit adhesive strips. Previoulsy, to the best of our knowledge, the use of adhesive strips in closing surgical wounds of patients undergoing CIEDs implant/replacement has never been considered. Adhesive strips for wound closure of CIEDs incision are characterized by shorter procedural time, optimal early and late cosmetic results, fewer complications in older patients and is cheaper. Its use for CIEDs wound closure is reasonably supported.

Microscopic Small Airway Abnormalities Identified in Early Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis In Vivo Using Endobronchial Optical Coherence Tomography.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) affects subpleural lung, but is considered to spare small airways. Micro-CT studies demonstrated small airway reduction in end-stage IPF explanted lungs, raising questions about small airway involvement in early-stage disease. Endobronchial optical coherence tomography (EB-OCT) is a volumetric imaging modality that detects microscopic features from subpleural to proximal airways. We use EB-OCT to evaluate small airways in early IPF and control subjects in vivo. EB-OCT was performed in 12 IPF and 5 control subjects (matched by age, sex, smoking-history, height, BMI). IPF subjects had early disease with mild restriction (FVC: 83.5% predicted), diagnosed per current guidelines and confirmed by surgical biopsy. EB-OCT volumetric imaging was acquired bronchoscopically in multiple, distinct, bilateral lung locations (total: 97 sites). IPF imaging sites were classified by severity into affected (all criteria for UIP present) and less affected (some but not all criteria for UIP present) sites. Bronchiole count and small airway stereology metrics were measured for each EB-OCT imaging site. Compared to control subjects (mean: 11.2 bronchioles/cm3; SD: 6.2), there was significant bronchiole reduction in IPF subjects (42% loss; mean: 6.5/cm3; SD: 3.4; p=0.0039), including in IPF affected (48% loss; mean: 5.8/cm3; SD: 2.8; p<0.00001) and IPF less affected (33% loss; mean: 7.5/cm3; SD: 4.1; p=0.024) sites. Stereology metrics showed IPF affected small airways were significantly larger and more distorted/irregular than in IPF less affected sites and control subjects. IPF less affected and control airways were statistically indistinguishable for all stereology parameters (p=0.36-1.0). EB-OCT demonstrated marked bronchiolar loss in early IPF (between 30 and 50%), even in areas minimally affected by disease, compared to matched controls. These findings support small airway disease as a feature of early IPF, providing novel insight into pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.

Associations of cerebrospinal fluid profiles with severity and mortality risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

BackgroundThe relationship between routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing and the disease phenotype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is unclear, and there are some contradictions in current studies.MethodsThis study aimed to analyze the relationship between CSF profiles and disease phenotype in ALS patients. We collected 870 ALS patients and 96 control subjects admitted to West China Hospital of Sichuan University. CSF microprotein, albumin, IgG, index of IgG (IgGindex), albumin quotient (QALB), and serum IgG were examined.ResultsIn ALS patients, CSF IgG, and QALB were significantly increased, while CSF IgGindex was decreased, compared with control subjects. Approximately one-third of ALS patients had higher CSF IgG levels. The multiple linear regression analysis identified that CSF IgGindex was weakly negatively associated with ALS functional rating scale revised (ALSFRS-R) scores (β = −0.062, p = 0.041). This significance was found in male ALS but not in female ALS. The Cox survival analyses found that upregulated CSF IgG was significantly associated with the increased mortality risk in ALS [HR = 1.219 (1.010–1.470), p = 0.039].ConclusionIn the current study, the higher CFS IgG was associated with increased mortality risk of ALS. CSF IgGindex may be associated with the severity of ALS. These findings may be sex-specific.

Levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in Complicated versus Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the world's most frequent infectious diseases, affecting 150 million people each year and resulting in severe morbidity and high medical expenditures. UTIs can be clinically defined as uncomplicated UTIs (uUTIs) or complicated UTIs (cUTIs) to differentiate infections of benign origin from those with a higher risk of recurrence or progression to severe pathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 as potential biomarkers in differentiating complicated and uncomplicated. Ninety samples of urine were collected. There were 43 samples from healthy controls and 47 samples from UTI patients—those who have been clinically diagnosed with UTIs by the urologist. The serum IL-6 and IL-8 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and commercially available kits. The levels of both IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly higher in UTI patient then in control subjects (p=0.001, p=0.001). A significant difference was observed in the mean of level IL-6 between culture positive UTI patients and culture negative UTI patients (p=0.014). In addition, the type of bacterial growth, a significant difference was observed in the mean of serum IL-6 and IL-8 level in UTI caused by gram negative bacteria in comparison with UTI caused by gram positive bacteria. High levels of IL-6 are associated with the growth of gram-negative bacteria, and this indicates that gram-negative bacteria could induce stronger inflammatory responses than gram-positive bacteria. IL-8 levels are higher in UTIs caused by gram-negative bacteria. This result further supported the evidence that gram-negative bacteria are potent inducers of inflammatory responses.