Markers Of Response Research Articles

Cellular responses following ex vivo lung exposure to the nerve agent VX – Potential for additional treatment targets?

Following inhalation exposure to organophosphorus nerve agents, symptoms rapidly develop and severe respiratory symptoms, such as bronchorrhea and bronchoconstriction are the leading causes of lethality. Nerve agent-induced lung injury is little investigated and the standard treatment for symptomatic relief targets the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and muscarinic acetylcholine and GABAergic receptors. In the present study, cellular responses in lung tissue during the acute (40 min) and extended phase (24 h) following severe exposure to the nerve agent VX have been investigated using an ex vivo rat precision-cut lung slice model including electrostimulation to induce a cholinergic response. Changes in protein amount, cell viability, together with, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers have been determined in both the lung tissue and incubation medium.During the acute phase, VX caused significantly increased airway contraction and decreased airway relaxation. Five micromolar of VX did not affect the sample protein levels and cell viability in lung tissue. Among seven markers of cellular responses investigated in the lung tissue, increased levels of heme oxygenase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 together with decreased levels of glutathione in the incubation medium were observed in the acute phase following VX-exposure compared to electrostimulation only. No difference in cellular response was observed following VX-exposure for 24 h compared to the air control. In comparison, LPS-exposure resulted in time-dependent changes in all markers of inflammation and oxidative response.In conclusion, the present study demonstrated VX-specific patterns of oxidative responses in the lung, as well as, signs of inflammatory response and remodelling of extracellular matrix. These potential mechanisms of tissue injury should be further investigated for their potential as additional therapeutic targets during the acute phase of intoxication.

Bladder sparing options for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

This review critically evaluates the current state of bladder-sparing options in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and provides an overview of future directions in the field. Bladder-sparing treatments have emerged as viable alternatives to radical cystectomy (RC) for selected patients with MIBC, especially in those who are unfit for RC or elect bladder preservation. Numerous studies have assessed the efficacy of trimodal therapy (TMT), with outcomes comparable to RC in a subgroup of well selected patients. Combining immunotherapy with conventional treatments in bladder-sparing approaches can yield promising outcomes. Current research is making significant progress in optimizing treatment protocols by exploring new combinations of systemic therapy agents, innovative drug delivery methods, and biomarker-based approaches. Furthermore, clinical markers of response are being tested to ensure adequate response assessment. Bladder preservation promise to offer a viable alternative to RC for selected patients with MIBC with the potential to improve patient quality of life. Careful patient selection and ongoing research are essential to optimize patient selection, response assessment, and salvage strategies. As evidence continues to evolve, the role of bladder preservation in MIBC is likely to expand, providing patients with more treatment options tailored to their needs and preferences.

Analysis of Inflammatory Markers in Response to Induction of Reprometabolic Syndrome by a Eucaloric High Fat Diet in Normal Weight Women.

Obesity is associated with chronic low-level inflammation and is known to contribute to metabolic dysfunction and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which we have previously termed the 'Reprometabolic Syndrome.' To investigate potential factors involved in obesity-related reproductive endocrine dysfunction, we conducted a secondary analysis of inflammatory markers in a sample of normal weight women exposed to a one-month eucaloric high-fat diet (HFD), which, as reported earlier, induced the relative hypogonadotropic hypogonadism characteristic of Reprometabolic Syndrome. Eighteen healthy women with a BMI between 18.0-24.9kg/m2 and regular menstrual cycles participated in the study. Frequent blood sampling was performed during the early follicular phase before and after the one-month eucaloric HFD intervention (48% of calories from fat). Serum samples pooled from each participant were analyzed using immunoassay to measure levels of 30 cytokines, interleukins, and chemokines. Differences between pre- and post-HFD intervention measures were examined by one-sample t-tests. Exposure to the eucaloric HFD did not result in changes in body weight. HFD-induction of Reprometabolic Syndrome in normal weight women was associated with a significant elevation only in the anti- inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (p = 0.04). Eotaxin, IL-6 and MIP-1β also increased in response to the HFD, but not statistically significantly (p = 0.07). Results suggest that the increase in multiple inflammatory markers, typically associated with obesity, are not primary mediators of the relative hypogonadotropic hypogonadism of Reprometabolic Syndrome. Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT02653092; Date of Registration: January 6, 2016.

Role of Circular RNAs in Prostate Cancer.

This study aims to summarize the current literature to demonstrate the importance of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in multiple aspects of prostate cancer (PCa) occurrence, progression, and treatment resistance and explore the potential role in therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting this molecule in PCa. The relevant literature from PubMed and Medline databases is reviewed in this article. Non-coding RNA has been proven to play a vital role in regulating tumor progression. Among them, circular RNA plays a more unique role due to its nonlinear structure. Lots of circRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in PCa and regulate cell signaling pathways by regulating particular gene expressions. Recent studies have demonstrated that circRNAs are associated with the chemoresistance of urinary tumors, suggesting that circRNAs might be a novel therapeutic target and a marker for therapeutic response and prognosis assessment. The potential crosstalk of circRNAs modifications in PCa development, therapy, and regulation of tumor metabolism is portrayed in this review. However, more preclinical and clinical trials of this targeted strategy are necessary for the treatment of urinary tumors.

Serum albumin nadir as marker of inflammatory response in abdominal trauma

Serum albumin nadir as marker of inflammatory response in abdominal trauma

144P Analysis of a novel predictive marker of immune checkpoint response in head and neck cancer, calculated from histopathological slides through inferred transcriptomics

144P Analysis of a novel predictive marker of immune checkpoint response in head and neck cancer, calculated from histopathological slides through inferred transcriptomics

FC20: Apathy: the fourth musketeer in the normal pressure hydrocephalus in older adults

Objectives: Highlight the presentation of behavioral symptoms in addition to the classic clinical trial in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus in the elderly. Identify apathy as the most prevalent behavioral symptom in normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) in the elderly.Methods: A bibliographic review of apathy as a behavioral symptom of NPH is carried out. Likewise, in addition to highlighting apathy as a possible diagnostic marker, the evidence of it as a prognostic marker of therapeutic response is discussed. For this, a review of publications in English and Spanish from the last 10 years was carried out in databases including Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS. The MESH terms apathy, Hakims-Adams, idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, chronic hydrocephalus, neuropsychiatric symptoms were used for the search.Results: Sixteen articles were selected that verified the heterogeneity of the diagnostic criteria for apathy for its detection in patients with NPH. Likewise, it is identified that apathy is the most prevalent behavioral alteration with a prevalence of 60% of patients in this condition. Regarding its predictive value as a prognostic marker for shunt surgical treatment, the evidence is not conclusive either to confirm or to rule out the usefulness of apathy. Conclusions: Apathy should be considered as another diagnostic key in NPH. Thus, the classic description of this condition as a motor-cognitive-urinary syndrome must be reconceptualized as a motor-cognitive-behavioral- urinary syndrome.

Phase II basket trial of dual anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 blockade in rare tumors (DART) SWOG S1609: the desmoid tumors

BackgroundDual inhibition using anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) checkpoint inhibitors has proven effective in many cancers. However, its efficacy in rare solid cancers remains unclear. Desmoid tumors...

Circulating monocytes as a marker of response to adalimumab in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A single institution, real-world cohort study

Circulating monocytes as a marker of response to adalimumab in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A single institution, real-world cohort study

Spermidine supplementation influence on protective enzymes of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Dietary supplementation has been proposed as a sustainable way to improve the health and resilience of honey bees (Apis mellifera, L.), as the decline in their numbers in recent decades has raised scientific, environmental, and economic concerns. Spermidine, a natural polyamine, has been shown to be a promising substance for honey bee supplementation, as its health-promoting effects have been demonstrated in numerous studies and in different organisms. As already shown, supplementation with spermidine at a certain concentration prolonged lifespan, reduced oxidative stress, and increased antioxidative capacity in honey bees. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether spermidine supplementation affects gene expression and/or enzyme activity of antioxidative and detoxification enzymes and immune response markers in honey bee workers. The different gene expression and enzyme activity patterns observed in abdominal and head tissues in response to spermidine supplementation suggest tissue-specific and concentration-dependent effects. In addition, the immune response markers suggest that spermidine has the ability to boost honey bee immunity. The observed changes make a valuable contribution to understanding the molecular mechanisms by which spermidine may exert its beneficial effects on the bee's health and lifespan. These results support the idea of the use of spermidine supplementation to promote bee health and resilience to environmental stressors, emphasizing that the dose must be carefully chosen to achieve a balance between the pro- and antioxidant effects of spermidine.

Pretreatment plasma osteopontin level as a marker of response to curative radiotherapy and hormonal treatment for prostate cancer

Background and purposeOsteopontin is a known marker for tumour hypoxia with relevance for the outcome of radiotherapy. We analysed the plasma concentration of OPN in prostate cancer patients receiving RT with or without ADT to evaluate OPN as a potential marker of treatment response. Materials and methodsBetween 2012 and 2014, 274 patients with prostate cancer qualifying for RT were enrolled to the study. SCADT received 34.3 % of patients, LCADT 46.3 %. The median OPN concentration was 83.9 ng/mL. We analysed the groups by OPN level: group A with OPN below and group B with OPN above the median. ResultsThere was a significant difference in OPN between the Gleason score (p = 0.005), the D’Amico risk (p = 0.002), the ADT (p < 0.001) and the RT (p = 0.019) groups. We found a positive correlation between OPN and clinical stage (p = 0.042).There were no significant effect of OPN on bRFS, RFS and MFS. The 10-year OS rate for group A was 81 % and for group B 60 % (p < 0.001). Cox analysis showed that low OPN level (p < 0.001), low age (p = 0.002) and low Gleason score (p = 0.038) were associated with higher OS. The prognostic influence of OPN on survival decreased with duration of ADT with the strongest effect of OPN (HR=3.93) observed when RT alone was used, weakest effect (HR=2.48) for SCADT and the smallest effect (HR=2.09) for LCADT. ConclusionsBased on the obtained results, we assume that the level of OPN measured before the start of radiotherapy may be an independent predictor of OS of patients with prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy with and without ADT.

Prognostic and predictive significance of soluble programmed death ligand 1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been shown to exhibit elevated levels of soluble programmed death-ligand 1 (sPD-L1) in the blood, associated with poor survival in NSCLC. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) composition reflects the tumor microenvironment of lung cancer. In this study, we investigated sPD-L1 levels in BALF and its role as a prognostic and predictive marker in patients with stage IV NSCLC. We prospectively obtained BALF from lung cancer patients who underwent bronchoscopy between January 2020 and September 2022 at Chungnam National University Hospital (CNUH). Finally, 94 NSCLC stage IV patients were included in this study. Soluble PD-L1 levels in BALF were measured using a human PD-L1 Quantikine ELISA kit. The correlation between PD-L1 expression in tumor cells and sPD-L1 in BALF was weakly positive (rho =0.314, P=0.002). The median overall survival (OS) of the low sPD-L1 in BALF group was 16.47 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 11.15-21.79 months], which is significantly longer than 8.87 months (95% CI: 0.0-19.88 months, P=0.001) in the high sPD-L1 in BALF group. In 64 patients treated with or without immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), sPD-L1 in BALF was significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. In the subgroup analysis of 31 patients treated with ICI, the objective response rate (ORR) in the low sPD-L1 BALF group was significantly higher than in high sPD-L1 in BALF group (ORR: 60.9% vs. 12.5%, P=0.02). Soluble PD-L1 in BALF is a potential prognostic indicator for patients with stage IV NSCLC and a predictive marker for ICI treatment response.

Anti-inflammatory effects of MerTK by inducing M2 macrophage polarization via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway in gout

Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) has been found to regulate the secretion of inflammatory factors and exert immunosuppressive effects, but its role in gout remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to clarify the immnue effects of MerTK in gout. MerTK in synovium or serum of gout patients was determined by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). In monosodium urate (MSU)-induced gout mice, the effect of MerTK inhibitor (UNC2250) on inflammation and polarization was also assessed. After inhibition, knockdown or overexpression of MerTK, inflammatory response and polarization level in THP1-derived macrophages were evaluated by RT-qPCR and flow cytometry. Regulation of MerTK inhibitors on mitochondrial function and downstream pathway in THP1-derived macrophages were detected. MerTK in synovium and serum of gout patients were increased. MerTK inhibitor stimulated the inflammation and M1 polarization in MSU-induced gout mice. MerTK inhibition, knock-down, or overexpression affected inflammatory response, polarization and mitochondrial function in vitro in gout model. The PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway was identified to reduce after MerTK inhibition and the relevant results were as expected, validated by knock-down or overexpressing MerTK. In conclusion, MerTK was detected to increase in both gout patients and model. MerTK influenced inflammatory response and polarization markers through PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway. Interfering MerTK/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β axis may provide a new therapeutic target for gout.

Calprotectin is regulated by IL-17A and induces steroid hyporesponsiveness in asthma.

Calprotectin, a calcium-binding protein, plays a crucial role in inflammation and has been associated with various inflammatory diseases, including asthma. However, its regulation and impact on steroid hyporesponsiveness, especially in severe asthma, remain poorly understood. This study investigated the regulation of calprotectin proteins (S100A8 and S100A9) by IL-17 and its role in steroid hyporesponsiveness using in vitro and in vivo models. Calprotectin expression was assessed in primary bronchial fibroblasts from healthy controls and severe asthmatic patients, as well as in mouse models of steroid hyporesponsive lung inflammation induced by house dust mite (HDM) allergen and cyclic-di-GMP (cdiGMP) adjuvant. The effects of IL-17A stimulation on calprotectin expression and steroid response markers in bronchial epithelial and fibroblast cells were examined. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of paquinimod, a calprotectin inhibitor, in mitigating airway inflammation and restoring steroid response signatures in the mouse model was evaluated. The results demonstrated upregulation of calprotectin expression in asthmatic bronchial fibroblasts compared to healthy controls, as well as in refractory asthma samples compared to non-refractory asthma. IL-17 stimulation induced calprotectin expression and dysregulated glucocorticoid response signatures in lung epithelial and fibroblast cells. Treatment with paquinimod reversed IL-17-induced dysregulation of steroid signatures, indicating the involvement of calprotectin in this process. In the HDM/cdiGMP mouse model, paquinimod significantly attenuated airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness, and restored steroid response signatures, whereas dexamethasone showed limited efficacy. Mechanistically, paquinimod inhibited MAPK/ERK and NF-κB pathways downstream of calprotectin, leading to reduced lung inflammation. These findings highlight calprotectin as a potential therapeutic target regulated by IL-17 in steroid hyporesponsive asthma. Targeting calprotectin may offer a promising approach to alleviate airway inflammation and restore steroid responsiveness in severe asthma. Further investigations are warranted to explore its therapeutic potential in clinical settings and elucidate its broader implications in steroid mechanisms of action.

CD19+CD73+ B cells infiltration indicates poor prognosis and unfavorable responses to immunotherapy in gastric cancer

ObjectivesCluster of Differentiation 73 (CD73) is expressed on immune cells and plays a significant role in tumor inhibition by suppressing antitumor immunity. The objectives of this study were to explore the expression and functional mechanisms of CD73 on B cells in patients with gastric cancer (GC). MethodsThe prognostic significance of CD19+CD73+ B cells was evaluated in 390 GC patients through dual immunohistochemistry staining. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the phenotype of the CD19 subpopulation using fresh tumor and non-tumor tissue samples from 8 GC patients. A bioinformatics analysis of CD19+CD73+ B cells was also performed within the scRNA-seq cohort, and the CD19+ B cell subtype was assessed using multiple immunofluorescence staining. ResultsThe infiltration of CD19+CD73+ B cells was observed to be elevated in gastric cancer (GC) tissue compared to normal tissues. A strong correlation was observed between high CD19+CD73+ B cell infiltration, poor overall survival, and diminished responsiveness to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in GC. These cells emerged as a novel subset of regulatory B cells (Bregs) linked to adenosine metabolism and the exhaustion of CD8+ T cells. The CD19+CD73+ B cells also correlated with the production of immunosuppressive cytokines IL-10 and TGFB1. Further analysis indicated an association between CD19+CD73+ B cells and advanced-stage GC. ConclusionsThe presence of CD19+CD73+ B cells in GC may serve as a prognostic indicator for clinical outcomes and a predictive marker for poor responsiveness to neoadjuvant immunotherapy. The correlation between the presence of CD19+CD73+ B cells and CD8+ T cell exhaustion, along with immunosuppression, highlights the tumor-promoting function of these cells.

Assessing the therapeutic efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine for uncomplicated malaria in Lagos, Nigeria: a comprehensive study on treatment response and resistance markers

BackgroundThe burden of malaria persists in sub-Saharan Africa and the emergence of artemisinin resistance has introduced complexity to control efforts. Monitoring the efficacy of artemisinin-based treatment for malaria is crucial to address this challenge. This study assessed treatment efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum isolates in a Nigerian population.MethodsParticipants presenting with clinical symptoms of uncomplicated malaria at a health centre in Lagos, Nigeria, were screened for P. falciparum. Enrolled participants were treated with AL and monitored through scheduled check-up visits, clinical and laboratory examinations for 28 days. Parasite clearance and genetic diversity were assessed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of merozoite surface proteins (msp1 and msp2). The prevalence of drug resistance mutations was assessed by P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene 1 (mdr1) genotyping followed by P. falciparum ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (ubp1) gene sequencing.ResultsThe PCR-uncorrected treatment outcome revealed 94.4% adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) and 5.6% late parasitological failure (LPF) rates. After PCR correction, no suspected LPF case was detected and ACPR 67/67 (100%) was achieved in all the individuals. Moreover, a high prevalence of wild-type alleles for mdr1 N86Y (93.7%), and mdr1 D1246Y (87.5%) was observed. Genetic diversity analysis revealed predominant K1 allelic family for msp1 (90.2%) and FC27 for msp2 (64.4%). Estimated multiplicity of infection (MOI) was 1.7, with the highest MOI observed in the 5–15 years age group. ubp1 sequence analysis identified one nonsynonymous E1528D polymorphism at a low frequency (1.6%).ConclusionThe study demonstrated sustained efficacy of AL for treating uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Genetic diversity analysis revealed various allelic types, suggesting occurrences of polyclonal infections. Nonetheless, the detection of a significant ubp1 polymorphism could have future implications for the epidemiology of anti-malarial drug resistance in the population.

18F-FDG positron emission tomography as a marker of disease activity and treatment response in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis

The ability of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) to track disease activity and treatment response in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) or Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) remains unclear. Here, we assessed whether 18F-FDG uptake is a marker of disease activity and treatment response in AS or PsA, and explored the ability of 18F-FDG to predict treatment response. Patients with AS (n = 16) or PsA (n = 8) who were scheduled to initiate treatment with biologics were recruited. Participants underwent a clinical evaluation and an 18F-FDG scan prior to therapy initiation. Eleven participants underwent a follow-up 18F-FDG scan 3 months post-treatment. Images were quantified using a composite measure that describes the inflammatory status of the patient. Clinically involved joints/entheses had higher 18F-FDG uptake compared to unaffected areas (median difference > 0.6, p < 0.01). Among patients with AS, pre-treatment 18F-FDG uptake was strongly associated with disease activity (r = 0.65, p = 0.006). Longitudinal 18F-FDG scans demonstrated that decreases in uptake at 3 months were associated to clinical response (βΔgSUVmax > 8.5, p < 0.001). We found no significant association between pre-treatment 18F-FDG uptake and subsequent clinical response. 18F-FDG PET shows potential as a marker of disease activity in AS and PsA, allowing for monitorization of biological treatment efficacy in these patients.

Peri-Tumoural Lipid Composition and Hypoxia for Early Immune Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.

The deregulation of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids (MUFAs, PUFAs, SFAs) from de novo synthesis and hypoxia are central metabolic features of breast tumour. Early response markers for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are critical for stratified treatment for patients with breast cancer, and restoration of lipid metabolism and normoxia might precede observable structural change. In this study, we hypothesised that peri-tumoural lipid composition and hypoxia might be predictive and early response markers in patients with breast cancer undergoing NACT. Female patients with breast cancer were scanned on a 3T clinical MRI scanner at baseline and Cycle1, with acquisition of lipid composition maps of MUFAs, PUFAs, and SFAs, and hypoxia maps of effective transverse relaxation rate R2*. The percentage change in lipid composition and hypoxia at Cycle1 was calculated with reference to baseline. Tumour-associated macrophages were analysed based on immunostaining of CD163 from biopsy and resection, with the percentage change in the resected tumour calculated across the entire NACT. We found no significant difference in lipid composition and R2* between good and poor responders at baseline and Cycle1; however, the correlation between the percentage change in MUFAs and PUFAs against CD163 suggested the modulation in lipids with altered immune response might support the development of targeted therapies.

Predictive markers for head and neck cancer treatment response: T1rho imaging in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

To investigate the potential of T1rho, a new quantitative imaging sequence for cancer, for pre and early intra-treatment prediction of treatment response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and compare the results with those of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). T1rho and DWI imaging of primary NPCs were performed pre- and early intra-treatment in 41 prospectively recruited patients. The mean preT1rho, preADC, intraT1rho, intraADC, and % changes in T1rho (ΔT1rho%) and ADC (ΔADC%) were compared between residual and non-residual groups based on biopsy in all patients after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with (n = 29) or without (n = 12) induction chemotherapy (IC), and between responders and non-responders to IC in the subgroup who received IC, using Mann-Whitney U-test. A p-value of < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Significant early intra-treatment changes in mean T1rho (p = 0.049) and mean ADC (p < 0.01) were detected(using paired t-test), most showing a decrease in T1rho (63.4%) and an increase in ADC (95.1%). Responders to IC (n = 17), compared to non-responders (n = 12), showed higher preT1rho (64.0 ms vs 66.5 ms) and a greater decrease in ΔT1rho% (- 7.5% vs 1.3%) (p < 0.05). The non-residual group after CRT (n = 35), compared to the residual group (n = 6), showed higher intraADC (0.96 vs 1.09 × 10-3 mm2/s) and greater increase in ΔADC% (11.7% vs 27.0%) (p = 0.02). Early intra-treatment changes are detectable on T1rho and show potential to predict tumour shrinkage after IC. T1rho may be complementary to DWI, which, unlike T1rho, did not predict response to IC but did predict non-residual disease after CRT. T1rho has the potential to complement DWI in the prediction of treatment response. Unlike DWI, it predicted shrinkage of the primary NPC after IC but not residual disease after CRT. Changes in T1rho were detected early during cancer treatment for NPC. Pre-treatment and early intra-treatment change in T1rho predicted response to IC, but not residual disease after CRT. T1rho can be used to complement DWI with DWI predicting residual disease after CRT.

Exploring the impact of high salinity and parasite infection on antioxidant and immune systems in Coris julis in the Pityusic Islands (Spain)

Climate change associated with human activities alters marine ecosystems and causes imbalances and abrupt changes in sea conditions. Scarce freshwater resources for human consumption often prompt the construction of desalination plants, which discharge significant amounts of brine into the sea, potentially elevating salinity levels. Furthermore, global trade together with higher temperature and pollution can facilitate the spread of parasites. The aim of this study was to assess the potential effects of salinity, an abiotic stressor, and Scaphanocephalus sp. parasitic infection responsible for black spot disease, a biotic stressor, on Coris julis, a common fish in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Fish were sampled from an area affected by a desalination plant, one with a high rate of parasite infection and a control area, and biomarkers were analysed in the liver, gills and epithelial mucosa. Both salinity and the parasite induced increases in catalase (CAT) and glutathione s-transferase activities in the liver, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) did not show significant changes. The effects of salinity were evident to a greater extent in the gills with an increase in the activity of all enzymes, as well as in the production of reactive species. The effects of the parasite were mainly observed in the mucus with significant increases in CAT and SOD activities. Regarding immune response markers in the mucus, both stressors induced an increase in lysozyme and alkaline phosphatase activities, and in the case of the parasite, also an increase in immunoglobulins. Malondialdehyde, as an indicator of oxidative damage, remained unchanged. In conclusion, both abiotic and abiotic stress induce a stress situation in C. julis that responds by activating its antioxidant and immune defence mechanisms but does cause oxidative damage. The differential tissue response to different stressors highlights the value of analysing multiple tissues to detect early indicators of diverse impacts on marine fauna.