Urinary Diseases Research Articles

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF PORTULACA OLERACEA LINN.

Portulaca oleracea, an edible herb of Portulacaceae family is widely found in Bangladesh. This plant has many traditional medicinal uses and it is used to treat disorders of urinary, digestive, cardiac, hepatic, renal systems and many diseases. The goal of this research was to search antioxidant potential of crude extract of P. oleracea and its various solvent fragments (water, butanol, chloroform and n-hexane). Phytochemical screening revealed the existence of various phytochemical groups. In DPPH assay, IC50 value of the methanol extract, water, butanol, chloroform fractions were found to be 23, 25, 28 and 41µg/mL respectively. Total flavonoid content of methanol extract and water, butanol and chloroform fractions were found to be 137.72, 102.08, 88.93 and 67.83 mg of QE/gm of arid extract. Methanolic extract, butanol and chloroform fractions exhibited significant reducing power with absorption maximum 1.3121, 1.4231 and 1.4892, respectively. Total content of phenolic of methanolic extract, water, butanol, and chloroform fractions showed 176.70, 157.13, 122.84 and 70.61 mg of GAE/gm of arid extract, respectively. Methanolic extract, butanol and water fractions exhibited significant ferrous ion chelating ability with IC50 value of 25, 32 and 29 µg/mL respectively. Total tannin content of methanol extract and water, butanol, and chloroform fractions showed 140.56, 114.10, 89.14 and 41.44 mg of TAE/gm of arid extract respectively. Methanolic extract, water, butanol and chloroform fragments exhibited significant scavenging ability of nitric oxide (NO) with IC50 10, 27, 24 and 36 µg/mL respectively. Based on these findings, we can say that P. oleracea is a possible reservoir of antioxidants and it can be applied to combat oxidative damages of our body.

Etnofarmakološka upotreba petrovca (Agrimonia eupatoria) u Pirotskom okrugu (Srbija)

Agrimonia eupatoria is perennial herbaceous plant from family Rosaceae, characterized by pinnate leaves, and yellow spike-like racemose inflorescences. It flowers from June to September, and above ground part of plants are collected for medicinal purposes. Survey on participants' knowledge and use of medicinal plants in the Pirot County was carried in the form of interviews in four municipalities: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka and Dimitrovgrad. Out of the total number of respondents, which amounted to 631, it was noted that 34 people knew the use of common agrimony. The largest number of respondents mentioned common agrimony against the group of urinary diseases (19 reports). A small number of respondents have mentioned the use against prostate disease (6 reports) and treatment of wounds (5 reports). Five reports against the group of digestive tract diseases were recorded. The results were compared with other ethnopharmacological studies from Serbia and the Balkan Peninsula. The following applications of common agrimony were not mentioned in previous ethnopharmacological investigations in Serbia and Balkan Peninsula: for circulation, for the heart, against varicose veins, catarrh of the stomach, for colon, for the stomach, bile, liver, prostate disease, against kidney and urinary tract sand, and diseases of internal organs.

Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Natural Drugs.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common urinary diseases affecting men, generally after the age of 50. The prevalence of this multifactorial disease increases with age. With aging, the plasma level of testosterone decreases, as well as the testosterone/estrogen ratio, resulting in increased estrogen activity, which may facilitate the hyperplasia of the prostate cells. Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the activity of the enzyme 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. In older men, the activity of this enzyme increases, leading to a decreased testosterone/DHT ratio. DHT may promote prostate cell growth, resulting in hyperplasia. Some medicinal plants and their compounds act by modulating this enzyme, and have the above-mentioned targets. This review focuses on herbal drugs that are most widely used in the treatment of BPH, including pumpkin seed, willow herb, tomato, maritime pine bark, Pygeum africanum bark, rye pollen, saw palmetto fruit, and nettle root, highlighting the latest results of preclinical and clinical studies, as well as safety issues. In addition, the pharmaceutical care and other therapeutic options of BPH, including pharmacotherapy and surgical options, are discussed, summarizing and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each therapy.

Ratiometric 3D DNA Machine Combined with Machine Learning Algorithm for Ultrasensitive and High-Precision Screening of Early Urinary Diseases.

Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) have received considerable attention as a potential biomarker source for the diagnosis of urinary diseases. Present studies mainly focus on the discovery of biomarkers based on high-throughput proteomics, while limited efforts have been paid to applying the uEVs' biomarkers for the diagnosis of early urinary disease. Herein, we demonstrate a diagnosis protocol to realize ultrasensitive detection of uEVs and accurate classification of early urinary diseases, by combing a ratiometric three-dimensional (3D) DNA machine with machine learning (ML). The ratiometric 3D DNA machine platform is constructed by conjugating a padlock probe (PLP) containing cytosine-rich (C-rich) sequences, anchor strands, and nucleic-acid-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNAAgNCs) onto the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The competitive binding of uEVs with the aptamer releases the walker strand, thus the ratiometric 3D DNA machine was activated to undergo an accurate amplification reaction and produce a ratiometric fluorescence signal. The present biosensor offers a detection limit of 9.9 × 103 particles mL-1 with a linear range of 104-108 particles mL-1 for uEVs. Two ML algorithms, K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and support vector machine (SVM), were subsequently applied for analyzing the correlation between the sensing signals of uEV multibiomarkers and the clinical state. The disease diagnostic accuracy of optimal biomarker combination reaches 95% and 100% by analyzing with KNN and SVM, and the disease type classification exhibits an accuracy of 94.7% and 89.5%, respectively. Moreover, the protocol results in 100% accurate visual identification of clinical uEV samples from individuals with disease or as healthy control by a t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (tSNE) algorithm.

Cause of Death Trends Among Persons With Spinal Cord Injury in the United States: 1960-2017

ObjectiveTo identify trends in causes of death after spinal cord injury (SCI) that could enhance understanding of why life expectancy after SCI has not improved in the last 3 decades. DesignCohort study. SettingTwenty-nine SCI Model Systems and 3 Shriners Hospitals. ParticipantsIndividuals with traumatic SCI (N=49,266) enrolled in the SCI Collaborative Survival Study Database between 1973 and 2017. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresAge-standardized cause-specific SCI mortality rates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for 5 time intervals (1960-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009, and 2010-2017). ResultsA total of 17,249 deaths occurred in 797,226 person-years of follow-up. Since 2010, the highest mortality rate was for respiratory diseases, followed by heart disease, cancer, infective and parasitic diseases (primarily septicemia), and unintentional injuries. Mortality rates for respiratory diseases, cancer, stroke, urinary diseases, and digestive diseases, initially decreased significantly but remained relatively stable since 1980, whereas essentially no progress occurred for infective and parasitic diseases. Mortality rates for heart disease, pulmonary embolus, and suicide decreased significantly throughout the entire study period, but were offset by increases in mortality rates for endocrine (primarily diabetes), nutritional, and metabolic diseases, as well as unintentional injuries. From 2010 to 2017, the overall age-standardized mortality rate was 3 times higher for individuals with SCI than the general population, ranging from 27% higher for cancer to 9 times higher for infective and parasitic diseases. ConclusionImproving life expectancy after SCI will require: (1) reducing mortality rates from respiratory diseases and septicemia that have remained high, (2) reversing current trends in diabetes and unintentional injury deaths, and (3) continuing to reduce mortality from heart disease and other leading causes.

Dysbiosis of the Human Urinary Microbiome and its Association to Diseases Affecting the Urinary System.

The human urinary microbiome, also termed urobiome, has been overlooked due to the clinical dogma of sterile urine, as reported by routine culture. However, evolving sensitive tools such as expanded quantitative urine culture, 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, and next-generation sequencing have discovered a vast number of microorganisms present in urine, even in healthy individuals. Microbiome dysbiosis and its links to disease is a heavily explored area in several microbial niches. Presently, urobiome dysbiosis and its correlation to urinary system-related diseases is at its infancy but rapidly emerging, as it provides potential therapeutic insights. This review outlines the changes in the human urinary microbiome concerning globally prevalent diseases affecting kidney function, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and urinary tract infection (UTI). Alterations to urine microbial diversity, including differences in the abundance and species richness of particular microbial genera, notably Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, between diseased and healthy samples are discussed utilising studies to date. Subsequent research needs to move beyond correlation to understand the roles of the urinary microbiota in diseases, thereby clarifying whether urinary dysbiosis has causal contributions that may provide important insight for diagnostics, pathophysiology, and therapy in renal pathologies.

Toxocariasis-associated urinary system diseases: a systematic review of reported cases.

Toxocariasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Toxocara species can involve many organs, such as the brain, heart and lungs, however, the urinary system involvement of toxocariasis is largely unknown. We performed a systematic review to identify cases infected with urinary tract toxocariasis. We identified seven cases that were eligible to be reviewed. Among the included citations, four studies reported bladder involvement and three reported kidney involvement. Fever, urinary, and abdominal presentations were amongst the most important clinical symptoms. Eosinophilic cystitis and nephrotic syndrome were the most common diagnoses.. The treatment regimen included a combination of anthelmintic drugs and steroids. In cases of urinary tract presentations accompanied by eosinophilia or histopathologic findings suggestive of parasitic infection, toxocariasis should be included in the list of differential diagnoses, especially in endemic areas.

First Report of Diaporthe longicolla Causing Leaf Spot on Kalanchoe pinnata in China.

Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. [syn.: Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken] is an important medicinal agent in southern China. The succulent leaves of this plant are used in the treatment of cholera, bruises, uri-nary diseases and whitlow. In Oct. 2019, leaf spots were detected on K. pinnata plants in Chengmai County, Hainan Province, China. Lesions with brown to black margins were irregularly shaped and associated with leaf margins. Spots coalesced to form larger lesions (Fig. S1-A), with black pycnidia present in more mature lesions. Symptomatic K. pinnata were found with 10-20% incidence during the humid winters of Hainan Province. Leaf tissues of 10 symptomatic plants were collected and surface sterilized in 70% ETOH for 30s, 0.1% HgCl2 for 30 s, rinsed 3x with sterile distilled water for 30s, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 30mg/L of kanamycin sulfate, and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 3-5 days. Four fungal isolates were obtained using a single-spore isolation method. The colonies were floccose, dense, and white with forming on older colonies grown on PDA (Fig. S1-B-1&2). Alpha conidia exuded from ostiole, rostrate, long-beaked pycnidia in creamy-to-yellowish drops. Alpha conidia were hyaline, ellipsoidal, separated and averaged 6.3μm (SD ± 1.13) long × 1.9μm (SD ± 0.33) wide (n=50). Beta conidia were not seen. The morphological characteristics matched the previous description of Diaporthe longicolla (syn. Phomopsis longicolla) (Hobbs et al. 1985). Mycelial genomic DNA of the representative isolate LDSG3-2 was extracted as template. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) , translation elongation factor 1α gene (TEF) and β-tubulin (TUB2) regions were amplified. These loci were amplified using primer pairs ITS4/ITS5 (White, et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999) and Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995), respectively. A BLAST search of GenBank showed ITS (MN960195), TEF (MN974483) and TUB2 (MN974482) sequences of the isolate were 99%, 100%, and 99% homologous with D. longicolla strains DL11 (MF125048, 557/563 bp), D55 (MN584792, 347/347 bp) and DPC-HOH-32 (MK161506, 502/504 bp). Maximum likelihood trees based on concatenated nucleotide sequences of the three genes were constructed using MEGA 7.0, and bootstrap values indicated the isolate was D. longicolla (Fig. S1-D). Pathogenicity testing was performed using isolate LDSG3-2 by depositing 5µl droplets of a conidial suspension (1 × 106 ml-1) into 5 artificially wounded leaves (using a sterile needle) of 10 healthy 3-month-old K. pinnata plants. An equal number of artificially wounded control leaves were inoculated with sterile water to serve as a negative control. The test was conducted three times. Plants were kept at 25°C in 80% relative humidity and observed for symptoms. Two weeks after inoculation, no symptoms were observed on control plants (Fig. S1-C-1) and all inoculated plants showed symptoms (Fig. S1-C-2) similar to those observed in the field. The fungus was re-isolated from the infected tissues and showed the same cultural and morphological characteristics of the strain inoculated and could not be isolated from the controls fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot on K. pinnata caused by D. longicolla in China. This disease is of concern since Phomopsis diseases are common in K. pinnata fields and can cause significant reduction in yield.

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVE COMPONENT OF SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA (RAKTURA) FOR THEIR ANTI-ARTHRITIC ACTIVITY

S. campanulata, widely distributed in India is traditionally used as astringent, aphrodisiac, purgative, anthelmintic, depurative, febrifuge and expectorant. The plant is also used in rheumatism, dropsy, urinary diseases and jaundice. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of the methanolic extract of the flower of S. campanulata in experimental animal models. The powdered drug was subjected to successive solvent extraction, with solvents in increasing order of polarity to obtain the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant. Isolation and characterization of plant extract were performed through UV, IR, NMR and Mass spectroscopy. Characterization approximately conformed the isolated compound was kaempferol. S. campanulata was evaluated for anti-arthritic action by Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis test in adult Albino rats (150-200 gm). Rats were injected 0.1 ml of complete Freund's adjuvant into the planter region of the left hind paw. Statistical analysis was performed using One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferonni test. P less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The methanolic extract of in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg showed 75.50% and 68.33% protection against increase in paw edema, respectively. S. campanulata showed dose-dependent action in all the experimental models.

Медико-соціальна складова медичного менеджменту: удосконалення моделі надання медичної допомоги дітям з інфекційно-запальними захворюваннями сечовидільної системи

The purpose of the study was to substantiate and develop the improved model of the specialized nephrology care for the children with infectious inflammatory diseases of the urinary system at the regional level. Materials and methods. The official statistical data have been studied (reports on the state of medical care for children in the Chernivtsi region and data from the Center of medical statistics of the Ministry of Healthcare from 2006 to 2017), information-analytical and statistical methods have been used. The modern etiological structure of uropathogens – urinary tract infection pathogens among the children of the Chernivtsi region (2009-2016) was studied. Clinical and laboratory examination of 3,089 children (0-17 years old) was conducted in the region; the regional spectrum of sensitivity to antibacterial drugs was determined among the main groups of urinary tract infection pathogens; their age, gender and administrative-territorial differences among the children's population of the region are analyzed. Results and discussion. During 2012-2017 there was a significant increase (by 23.0%) in the incidence of infectious and inflammatory groups of the urinary system diseases among children of 0-14 years old, while among adolescents there was simultaneously an intensive decrease in indicators (by 40.0%) compared to 8.7% in 2006-2011. The ratio of indicators and their dynamics suggests that the growth of sick adolescents is largely due to the insufficient effectiveness of medical care, while children of 0-14 years old is due to their low and insufficient prevention. The data formed the foundation for substantiation and development of an improved functional-organizational model of the system. In addition to the existing and functionally changed elements the model contains new elements: regional/inter-regional center of specialized medical aid for children with infectious-inflammatory diseases of the urinary system. Conclusion. Implementation of the elements of the suggested improved model in a part of a rational approach in distribution of functions concerning medical observation of patients at the stages of providing medical aid enabled to make the period of hospitalization of nephrological patients by 11.40% shorter and an average period of treatment of patients with infectious-inflammatory diseases of the urinary system by 2.93% shorter. Efficiency of implementation of certain elements of the suggested model with its positive evaluation by independent experts and its compliance with the strategy of branch reforms enables to recommend the improved functional-organization model of providing medical aid for children with infectious-inflammatory diseases of the urinary system at the regional level to be introduced into the health care system of Ukraine

Healthcare spending in U.S. emergency departments by health condition, 2006-2016.

BackgroundHealthcare spending in the emergency department (ED) setting has received intense focus from policymakers in the United States (U.S.). Relatively few studies have systematically evaluated ED spending over time or disaggregated ED spending by policy-relevant groups, including health condition, age, sex, and payer to inform these discussions. This study’s objective is to estimate ED spending trends in the U.S. from 2006 to 2016, by age, sex, payer, and across 154 health conditions and assess ED spending per visit over time.Methods and findingsThis observational study utilized the National Emergency Department Sample, a nationally representative sample of hospital-based ED visits in the U.S. to measure healthcare spending for ED care. All spending estimates were adjusted for inflation and presented in 2016 U.S. Dollars. Overall ED spending was $79.2 billion (CI, $79.2 billion-$79.2 billion) in 2006 and grew to $136.6 billion (CI, $136.6 billion-$136.6 billion) in 2016, representing a population-adjusted annualized rate of change of 4.4% (CI, 4.4%-4.5%) as compared to total healthcare spending (1.4% [CI, 1.4%-1.4%]) during that same ten-year period. The percentage of U.S. health spending attributable to the ED has increased from 3.9% (CI, 3.9%-3.9%) in 2006 to 5.0% (CI, 5.0%-5.0%) in 2016. Nearly equal parts of ED spending in 2016 was paid by private payers (49.3% [CI, 49.3%-49.3%]) and public payers (46.9% [CI, 46.9%-46.9%]), with the remainder attributable to out-of-pocket spending (3.9% [CI, 3.9%-3.9%]). In terms of key groups, the majority of ED spending was allocated among females (versus males) and treat-and-release patients (versus those hospitalized); those between age 20–44 accounted for a plurality of ED spending. Road injuries, falls, and urinary diseases witnessed the highest levels of ED spending, accounting for 14.1% (CI, 13.1%-15.1%) of total ED spending in 2016. ED spending per visit also increased over time from $660.0 (CI, $655.1-$665.2) in 2006 to $943.2 (CI, $934.3-$951.6) in 2016, or at an annualized rate of 3.4% (CI, 3.3%-3.4%).ConclusionsThough ED spending accounts for a relatively small portion of total health system spending in the U.S., ED spending is sizable and growing. Understanding which diseases are driving this spending is helpful for informing value-based reforms that can impact overall health care costs.

Liposomal formulations of oxybutynin and resiniferatoxin for the treatment of urinary diseases: improvement of drug tolerance upon intravesical.

The use of liposomes for drug release has demonstrated to be a promising therapeutic platform for biomedical applications. In this study, intravesical administration of OXI (1.5mM) and RTX (100nM) was used to compare histological changes caused in Wistar female rats by the drugs both unloaded and loaded in liposomes. After instillation of formulations by intravesical catheter, bladders were removed and histological analysis carried out at pre-determined time intervals over a period of 60days. Urinalysis was performed to verify the presence of infection and of liposomes. Results showed that RTX caused a higher bladder damage, with inflammatory reaction that reached all bladder layers. After 60days, RTX-treated group showed urothelial alterations, collagen replacement by fibrosis and also abdominal adherence, but not the OXI-treated group. At the end of the assay, the liposomal-treated groups showed a minimal inflammatory reaction and significantly increased bladder size. Moreover, urinalysis confirmed the presence of liposomes in rat urine. RTX promoted higher bladder damage than OXI. Intravesical administration of liposomal OXI or RTX formulations minimized inflammatory reaction, with an extended drug effect on bladders. After a single intravesical administration, liposomes were found in rat urine samples after 60days.

ETHNO BOTANICAL APPROACHES, PHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL BENEFITS OF GENUS SIDA USED IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINES

The four species of Sida genus viz: Sida cordifolia L., Sida acuta Burm. f., Sida cordata Burm. f. and Sida rhombifolia L. are medicinal herbs plants reported for its used in Indian system of traditional medicines of Ayurveda and Siddha. The main objective of the review is to deliver detailed information on botanical descriptions, traditional uses, ethno medicinal benefits, pharmacological activities and meaningful knowledge on these plants for future research. Plants were collected from Agra region and identified by RARI, Jhansi, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India for exact information. Scientific literature collected from journals, books and libraries, electronic sources like PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Springer, Scopus and major search engines to obtain get relevant information. Several parts of Sida plants used by the traditional system of herbal medicine which are traditionally used in diarrhea, leucorrhoea, gonorrhea, asthma, wheezing, fever, cold, flu, headache, weight loss, sexual strength, hair strength, hypertension, diuretic, piles, ulcer, cancer, aphrodisiac, rheumatism, urinary, venereal, skin, respiratory and heart diseases. Pharmacological activity viz: antioxidant, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anti-diabetic property are present, and rich in saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, coronaric acid, coumarins, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and ethno medicinal property. This review will serve as a database to provide knowledgeful information about the medicinal significance, traditional uses, ethno medicinal and ethno pharmacological benefits and contribution of Sida plant

The Microbiome’s Function in Disorders of the Urinary Bladder

The introduction of next generation sequencing techniques has enabled the characterization of the urinary tract microbiome, which resulted in the rejection of the long-held notion of urinary bladder sterility. Since the discovery and confirmation of the human bladder microbiome, an increasing number of studies have defined this microbial community and understand better its relationship to urinary pathologies. The composition of microbial communities in the urinary tract is linked to a variety of urinary diseases. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of current information about the urinary microbiome and diseases as well as the development of novel treatment methods.

Elevated Serum Levels of Carbohydrate Antigen 72-4 in Diabetic Kidney Disease.

The aim of this study was to determine whether carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) is elevated in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and examine the association between urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and CA72-4 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Non-dialysis patients with T2DM (n=296) and 90 healthy controls were recruited in this study. CA72-4 level was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. DKD was defined as UACR≥ 30 mg/g in the absence of a urinary infection or other renal diseases. We found that patients with DKD had significantly higher serum CA72-4 levels compared to those with normoalbuminuria and healthy controls. Positive rates of CA72-4 increased gradually and markedly from normoalbuminuria to microalbuminuria and to macroalbuminuria in diabetic patients (7.5, 11.2, and 17.4%, respectively; P for trend< 0.05). CA72-4 also showed a positive correlation with UACR (r=0.288, P< 0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed the association of increased UACR with an increased odds ratio of elevation of CA72-4 levels (P for trend< 0.05) after multivariable adjustment. In conclusion, serum levels of CA72-4 increase abnormally with the increase in urinary albumin excretion, which affects the specificity of diagnosis of malignancies. An appropriate interpretation of CA72-4 is essential to prevent unnecessary and even hazardous diagnostic procedures in patients with T2DM.

LYOPHILIZED AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PINUS HALEPENSIS (MILL.) RESIN: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIDERMATOPHYTIC ACTIVITIES

In traditional Algerian medicine, Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin is used as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, wound healer, for the treatment of respiratory and urinary diseases. In the present study, a lyophilized aqueous extract (LAE) of Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin is subjected to chemical composition analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS), antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using 2,2-diphenyl-b,picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene bleaching assays. LAE of Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin was also tested for its potential activity against four dermatophytic fungi: Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton equinum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans. Results showed that LAE of Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin contained 64.57% of aromatic compounds. This extract contains also succinic acid, sugars and alcohol sugars, alkaloids and other compounds that represent respectively 0.58%, 6.45%, 0.87% and 2.05%. The obtained extract exhibited satisfying antioxidant activity with an inhibition percentage of 93.76±0.41 at a concentration of 300 µg/mL and IC50 of 83.64µg/mL by the DPPH method. The tested extract showed also a good antioxidant activity using β-carotene test. At resin concentration of 100 µg/mL antifungal tests showed, inhibition rates of 58.9%, 58.44%, 41.36% and 34.43% against T. tonsurans, T. equinum, T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes respectively. Upon the obtained results, this extract can be used as external treatments for wounds to prevent oxidation and fungal infections.

Characteristics, treatment patterns, and economic burden of patients with metastatic cervical cancer receiving systemic anticancer therapy.

51 Background: In 2021, 14,480 patients are estimated to be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the US; 16% of patients are expected to have metastatic disease for whom the 5-year survival rate is 17.6% per SEER estimates. Patients with metastatic cervical cancer (mCC) are treated mainly with systemic therapy. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics, demographics, treatment patterns, and economic burden of patients with mCC receiving systemic therapy. Methods: Eligible women had been diagnosed with cervical cancer, as evidenced by &gt;2 outpatient or &gt;1 inpatient claim in the Optum Research Database from January 2014 through January 2020. Patients were included if they had metastasis within 6 months before or after cervical cancer diagnosis, with evidence of systemic treatment on or after the latter of a claim date for cervical cancer disease or metastatic disease. The index date was the first-line treatment initiation date. Patients were required to have ≥6 months of pre-index continuous enrollment. The top 3 treatment regimens and median treatment duration by line of therapy were described. All-cause per-patient-per-month (PPPM) costs (2019 US dollars), including plan and patient paid amounts, were reported for full follow-up period from first-line and second-line therapy initiation. Results: The study sample consisted of 778 patients (mean age, 59 years; commercial, 58%; Medicare Advantage, 42%). The mean (median) follow-up period was 14 (9) months. Top baseline comorbidities were diseases of the urinary system (71%) and diseases of the female genital organs (70%), and the median Charlson comorbidity index was 7. In the first line, 80% of patients received platinum-based therapy and 23% received bevacizumab (bev). Of 778 patients, only 294 (38%) received second-line therapy, with 34% receiving bev. Top first-line treatment regimens were carboplatin + paclitaxel (27%), cisplatin (21%), and bev + carboplatin + paclitaxel (10%); the median (95% CI) duration of treatment was 3.4 (3.1-3.7) months. Top second-line treatment regimens were bev + carboplatin + paclitaxel (13%), carboplatin + paclitaxel (11%), and pembrolizumab (6%); the median duration of treatment was 3.8 (3.1-4.2) months. Mean all-cause total PPPM costs were $19,519 from first-line and $22,660 second-line therapy initiation (table). Conclusions: This study indicates that real-world mCC patients have short treatment durations and significant economic burden with first-line and second-line therapy. Novel therapies associated with greater clinical benefits in patients with mCC may provide economic benefit.[Table: see text]

Incidental Diagnosis of Urinary System Diseases on Lumbar Spine MRI Performed for Lower Back Pain

Objective: purpose of this study was to calculate the frequencies of pathological findings that incidentally detected in urinary system during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of lumbar spine scans. Materials and Methods: A total of 379 lumbar spine MRI patients were prospectively examined in the period extending from August 2018 to April 2019. Both 1.5 and 0.35 Tesla MRI systems (Toshiba and Siemens Medical system) were applied to investigate patients with suspected intervertebral disc abnormalities at three MRI diagnostic centers in Khartoum, Sudan. Results: Out of the 379 patients, urinary system incidental findings were found in 56 patients (14.7%). Various incidental findings (IFs) were seen, including renal cysts, hydronephrosis, atrophic kidney, ectopic kidney, bladder wall thickening and ADPKD. Conclusions: Various urinary system incidental findings were identified during a routine lumbar spine MRI and approximately the majority of them were not significant clinically. Therefore, it is essential for the reporting radiologists to pay attention to urinary system abnormalities and other abnormalities while reporting lumbar spine MRI to avoid missing clinically significant findings.

TiO2/MXene‐Assisted LDI‐MS for Urine Metabolic Profiling in Urinary Disease

AbstractCancer remains an intractable medical problem. Rapid diagnosis and identification of cancer are critical to differentiate it from nonmalignant diseases. High‐throughput biofluid metabolic analysis has potential for cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, the present metabolite analysis method does not meet the demand for high‐throughput screening of diseases. Herein, a high‐throughput, cost‐effective, and noninvasive urine metabolic profiling method based on TiO2/MXene‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI‐MS) is presented for the efficient screening of bladder cancer (BC) and nonmalignant urinary disease. Combined with machine learning, TiO2/MXene‐assisted LDI‐MS enables high diagnostic accuracy (96.8%) for the classification of patient groups (including 47 BC and 46 ureteral calculus (UC) patients) from healthy controls (113 cases). In addition, BC patients can also be identified from noncancerous UC individuals with an accuracy of 88.3% in the independent test cohort. Furthermore, metabolite variations between BC and UC individuals are investigated based on relative quantification, and related pathways are also discussed. These results suggest that this method, based on urine metabolic patterns, provides a potential tool for rapidly distinguishing urinary diseases and it may pave the way for precision medicine.

Визначення біохімічної активності ферменту N-ацетилтрансферази, продукції гена NAT2 у дітей з екопатологією після проведеної терапії

Вивчення біохімічної активності ферменту N-ацетилтрансферази, продукції гена NAT2 у дітей з екологічно несприятливих регіонів (ЕНР) є надзвичайно важливим для виявлення схильності до екопатології, зокрема до захворювань щитоподібної залози, нирок та органів сечовивідної системи в умовах забрудненого довкілля. Прикладом такого регіону є хімічно забруднені Галицький, Долинський і Калуський райони та радіологічно забруднений Снятинський район Івано-Франківської області. Було обстежено 239 дітей з ЕНР та 70 дітей із групи контролю. Вік дітей — від 3 до 18 років, стать: хлопці — 48 %, дівчата — 52 %. Всі діти оглянуті клінічно, їм проведена інструментальна (УЗД, ультразвукова денситометрія) та лабораторна діагностика до й після терапії. Біохімічним методом визначена активність ферменту N-ацетилтрансферази. Низька активність ферменту, що кодується геном NAT2, у дітей з екопатологією обумовлює їх низьку здатність до ацетилювання, що є підґрунтям для формування екозалежних захворювань щитоподібної залози, кісток і нирок у цих дітей. Мембранопротекторна, антиоксидантна, сорбційна терапія та застосування препаратів кальцію мають виражений позитивний ефект щодо активності ферменту N-ацетилтрансферази у крові обстежених дітей.