Sex Difference in Peripheral Inflammatory Biomarkers in Drug-Naïve Patients with Major Depression in Young Adulthood

The number of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is increasing worldwide. In particular, the early onset of MDD from adolescence to young adulthood is more problematic than the later onset. The specific and expeditious identification of MDD before the occurrence of severe symptoms is significant for future interventions or therapies; however, there is no accurate diagnostic marker that has sufficient sensitivity and specificity for clinical use. In the present study, to identify the possibility of blood markers for depression, we first measured the baseline inflammatory biomarkers in the peripheral blood of 50 treatment-naïve young adults with MDD and 50 matched healthy controls. We then analyzed the correlation between prospective biomarkers and depressive symptoms using scores from various clinical depression indices. We also identified differential responses between males and females in prospective biomarkers. In young adulthood, men with MDD had increased peripheral interleukin (IL)-17 levels, whereas women with MDD had significantly increased IL-1β, IL-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared with healthy controls. However, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), CCL1, CCL2, adiponectin, and cortisol were not significantly different in young adult individuals with MDD. Higher levels of IL-17 in the male group and of IL-1β, IL-6, and CRP in the female group may have been associated with the clinical symptoms of MDD, including depressive moods, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, low self-esteem, and reduced psychological resilience. Our findings will be useful in developing diagnostic tools or treatments for MDD in young adulthood.

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Inter-relationships between inflammatory markers in patients with stable COPD with bronchitis: intra-patient and inter-patient variability

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thx.2007.086751 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. 493-499 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

E Sapey ◽

D Bayley ◽

A Ahmad ◽

P Newbold ◽

N Snell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sequential Sampling ◽

Stable State ◽

Inflammatory Biomarkers ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Data Points ◽

Factor Α ◽

The Relationship

Background:Measurements of pulmonary biomarkers can be used to monitor airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the variability of sampled biomarkers and their inter-relationships are poorly understood. A study was undertaken to examine the intra- and inter-patient variability in spontaneous sputum samples from patients in the stable state and to describe the relationship between biomarkers, cell counts and markers of disease.Methods:Sputum interleukin-1β, tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 8, myeloperoxidase, leucotriene B4, growth-related oncogene α and differential cell counts were measured in patients with moderate to severe stable COPD (n = 14) on 11 occasions over a 1-month period.Results:There was significant variability in all inflammatory indices (median intra-patient coefficient of variation (CV) 35% (IQR 22–69), median inter-patient CV 102% (IQR 61–145)). Variability could be reduced by using a rolling mean of individual patient data points. Sample size calculations were undertaken to determine the number of patients required to detect a 50% reduction in neutrophil count. Using a crossover design of a putative effective treatment, the number needed using one data point per patient was 72, reducing to 23 when a mean of three data points was used. Significant correlations were demonstrated both between the inflammatory biomarkers themselves and between inflammatory biomarkers and markers of disease. Some relationships were not apparent when results from a single sample were used. The reliability of inter-relationships improved as more data points were used for each patient.Conclusions:Clear relationships exist between inflammatory biomarkers in patients with stable COPD. Sequential sampling reduced the variability of individual mediators and the potential number of patients needed to power proof of concept interventional studies.

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New Trends and Developments in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis – Towards Optimal Treatment?

European Cardiology Review ◽

10.15420/ecr.2009.5.2.81 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 81 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Martijn WA van Geldorp ◽

Johanna JM Takkenberg ◽

Ad JJC Bogers ◽

A Pieter Kappetein ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aortic Stenosis ◽

Severe Aortic Stenosis ◽

Surgical Techniques ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Tissue Doppler ◽

Doppler Imaging ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Transcatheter Valve

Over the next few decades the number of patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis is expected to rise as the population ages and the use of several diagnostic tools expands. This will result in a growing need for both medical and surgical treatment and stimulate the development of new diagnostic and surgical techniques. This article briefly describes the prevalence, pathogenesis and clinical presentation of patients with aortic stenosis and focuses on developments in diagnostic tools, treatment strategies and treatment modalities: the use of echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging, stress testing and biomarkers is discussed, as well as timing of surgery and the role microsimulation can play in prosthesis selection. Furthermore, newly developed transcatheter valve implantation techniques and their possible role in treating ‘inoperable’ or ‘elderly’ patients are discussed.

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Mosquito and Tick-borne Illnesses in the United States. Guidelines for the Recognition and Empiric Treatment of Zoonotic Diseases in the Wilderness.

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526518666180626123340 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 238-257

Author(s):

Suresh Antony

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Lyme Disease ◽

Spotted Fever ◽

Disease Process ◽

Rocky Mountain ◽

The United States ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽

Number Of Patients

Background:In the United States, tick-borne illnesses account for a significant number of patients that have been seen and treated by health care facilities. This in turn, has resulted in a significant morbidity and mortality and economic costs to the country.Methods:The distribution of these illnesses is geographically variable and is related to the climate as well. Many of these illnesses can be diagnosed and treated successfully, if recognized and started on appropriate antimicrobial therapy early in the disease process. Patient with illnesses such as Lyme disease, Wet Nile illness can result in chronic debilitating diseases if not recognized early and treated.Conclusion:This paper covers illnesses such as Lyme disease, West Nile illness, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, Ehrlichia, Tularemia, typhus, mosquito borne illnesses such as enteroviruses, arboviruses as well as arthropod and rodent borne virus infections as well. It covers the epidemiology, clinical features and diagnostic tools needed to make the diagnosis and treat these patients as well.

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Circulating miRNAs Related to Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transitions (EMT) as the New Molecular Markers in Endometriosis

Current Issues in Molecular Biology ◽

10.3390/cimb43020064 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 900-916

Author(s):

Anna Zubrzycka ◽

Monika Migdalska-Sęk ◽

Sławomir Jędrzejczyk ◽

Ewa Brzeziańska-Lasota

Keyword(s):

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Endometrial Stromal Cells ◽

Disease Etiology ◽

Diagnostic Biomarkers ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Non Invasive

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease defined by the presence of endometrial-like tissue found outside the uterus, most commonly in the peritoneal cavity. Endometriosis lesions are heterogenous but usually contain endometrial stromal cells and epithelial glands, immune cell infiltrates and are vascularized and innervated by nerves. The complex etiopathogenesis and heterogenity of the clinical symptoms, as well as the lack of a specific non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers, underline the need for more advanced diagnostic tools. Unfortunately, the contribution of environmental, hormonal and immunological factors in the disease etiology is insufficient, and the contribution of genetic/epigenetic factors is still fragmentary. Therefore, there is a need for more focused study on the molecular mechanisms of endometriosis and non-invasive diagnostic monitoring systems. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) demonstrate high stability and tissue specificity and play a significant role in modulating a range of molecular pathways, and hence may be suitable diagnostic biomarkers for the origin and development of endometriosis. Of these, the most frequently studied are those related to endometriosis, including those involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), whose expression is altered in plasma or endometriotic lesion biopsies; however, the results are ambiguous. Specific miRNAs expressed in endometriosis may serve as diagnostics markers with prognostic value, and they have been proposed as molecular targets for treatment. The aim of this review is to present selected miRNAs associated with EMT known to have experimentally confirmed significance, and discuss their utility as biomarkers in endometriosis.

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In vitro testing of explanted shunt valves in hydrocephalic patients with suspected valve malfunction

Neurosurgical Review ◽

10.1007/s10143-021-01564-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christoph Bettag ◽

Christian von der Brelie ◽

Florian Baptist Freimann ◽

Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale ◽

Veit Rohde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Rate ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Obstructive Hydrocephalus ◽

Flow Characteristics ◽

Normal Pressure ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Programmable Valve ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Valve Malfunction

AbstractDiagnosis of symptomatic valve malfunction in hydrocephalic patients treated with VP-Shunt (VPS) might be difficult. Clinical symptoms such as headache or nausea are nonspecific, hence cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) over- or underdrainage can only be suspected but not proven. Knowledge concerning valve malfunction is still limited. We aim to provide data on the flow characteristics of explanted shunt valves in patients with suspected valve malfunction. An in vitro shunt laboratory setup was used to analyze the explanted valves under conditions similar to those in an implanted VPS. The differential pressure (DP) of the valve was adjusted stepwise to 20, 10, 6, and 4 cmH2O. The flow rate of the explanted and the regular flow rate of an identical reference valve were evaluated at the respective DPs. Twelve valves of different types (Codman CertasPlus valve n = 3, Miethke Shuntassistant valve n = 4, Codman Hakim programmable valve n = 3, DP component of Miethke proGAV 2.0 valve n = 2) from eight hydrocephalic patients (four male), in whom valve malfunction was assumed between 2016 and 2017, were replaced with a new valve. Four patients suffered from idiopathic normal pressure (iNPH), three patients from malresorptive and one patient from obstructive hydrocephalus. Post-hoc analysis revealed a significant difference (p < 0.001) of the flow rate between each explanted valve and their corresponding reference valve, at each DP. In all patients, significant alterations of flow rates were demonstrated, verifying a valve malfunction, which could not be objectified by the diagnostic tools used in the clinical routine. In cases with obscure clinical VPS insufficiency, valve deficiency should be considered.

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Decision making under ambiguity and risk in adolescent-onset schizophrenia

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03230-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dandan Li ◽

Fengyan Zhang ◽

Lu Wang ◽

Yifan Zhang ◽

Tingting Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Executive Function ◽

Iowa Gambling Task ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Syndrome Scale ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Abnormal Pattern ◽

Negative Syndrome ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective Numerous studies have identified impaired decision making (DM) under both ambiguity and risk in adult patients with schizophrenia. However, the assessment of DM in patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) has been challenging as a result of the instability and heterogeneity of manifestations. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT), which are frequently used to evaluate DM respectively under ambiguity and risk, are sensitive to adolescents and neuropsychiatric patients. Our research intended to examine the performance of DM in a relatively large sample of patients with AOS using the above-mentioned two tasks. We also aimed to take a closer look at the relationship between DM and symptom severity of schizophrenia. Methods We compared the performance of DM in 71 patients with AOS and 53 well-matched healthy controls using IGT for DM under ambiguity and GDT for DM under risk through net scores, total scores and feedback ration. Neuropsychological tests were conducted in all participants. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 71 patients with AOS. Pearson’s correlation revealed the relationship among total score of DM and clinical and neuropsychological data. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with AOS failed to show learning effect and had a significant difference on the 5th block in IGT and conducted more disadvantageous choices as well as exhibited worse negative feedback rate in GDT. Apart from DM impairment under risk, diminished DM abilities under ambiguity were found related to poor executive function in AOS in the present study. Conclusions Our findings unveiled the abnormal pattern of DM in AOS, mainly reflected under the risky condition, extending the knowledge on the performance of DM under ambiguity and risk in AOS. Inefficient DM under risk may account for the lagging impulse control and the combined effects of developmental disease. In addition, our study demonstrated that the performance on IGT was related to executive function in AOS.

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Skin Barrier Function in Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis: Transepidermal Water Loss and Temperature as Useful Tools to Assess Disease Severity

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10020359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 359 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Trinidad Montero-Vilchez ◽

María-Victoria Segura-Fernández-Nogueras ◽

Isabel Pérez-Rodríguez ◽

Miguel Soler-Gongora ◽

Antonio Martinez-Lopez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atopic Dermatitis ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Water Loss ◽

Barrier Function ◽

Skin Barrier ◽

Transepidermal Water Loss ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Psoriatic Skin ◽

Skin Barrier Function ◽

Healthy Controls

Multiple diagnostic tools are used to evaluate psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) severity, but most of them are based on subjective components. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and temperature are skin barrier function parameters that can be objectively measured and could help clinicians to evaluate disease severity accurately. Thus, the aims of this study are: (1) to compare skin barrier function between healthy skin, psoriatic skin and AD skin; and (2) to assess if skin barrier function parameters could predict disease severity. A cross-sectional study was designed, and epidermal barrier function parameters were measured. The study included 314 participants: 157 healthy individuals, 92 psoriatic patients, and 65 atopic dermatitis patients. TEWL was significantly higher, while stratum corneum hydration (SCH) (8.71 vs. 38.43 vs. 44.39 Arbitrary Units (AU)) was lower at psoriatic plaques than at uninvolved psoriatic skin and healthy controls. Patients with both TEWL > 13.85 g·m−2h−1 and temperature > 30.85 °C presented a moderate/severe psoriasis (psoriasis area severity index (PASI) ≥ 7), with a specificity of 76.3%. TEWL (28.68 vs. 13.15 vs. 11.60 g·m−2 h−1) and temperature were significantly higher, while SCH (25.20 vs. 40.95 vs. 50.73 AU) was lower at AD eczematous lesions than uninvolved AD skin and healthy controls. Patients with a temperature > 31.75 °C presented a moderate/severe AD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) ≥ 37) with a sensitivity of 81.8%. In conclusion, temperature and TEWL values may help clinicians to determine disease severity and select patients who need intensive treatment.

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Neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease is a neurodegenerative condition which can be a target for gene therapy

10.31219/osf.io/upgqd ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Moataz Dowaidar

Keyword(s):

Gene Therapy ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Repeat Expansion ◽

Gene Identification ◽

Therapeutic Assessment ◽

Causative Gene ◽

Central Nervous System Disorders ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Mechanism Research ◽

Or Gene

NIHID (neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease) is a neurodegenerative condition that is easy to detect but also easy to misdiagnose. Thanks to breakthroughs in MRI detection, the availability of skin biopsied pathology, and, most critically, the finding of the causative gene which can be targeted by gene therapy, the rate of NIID diagnosis before death has grown significantly in recent years. Symptoms linked with central nervous system disorders, autonomic and peripheral neuropathy, and myopathy may be experienced by patients with NIID. Regardless of how far clinical symptoms or gene identification have progressed in NOTCH2NLC gene-related repeat expansion disorders (NRED), it not only adds to our understanding of NIID, but it also adds to the number of challenges we must address. East Asia has seen a substantial number of patients with GGC repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC. Clinicians should work together to develop a database of NIID clinical and biological samples, as well as perform additional clinical diagnostic, therapeutic assessment, and pathogenic mechanism research.

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Neuronal variability of Resting State activity in Eating Disorders: increase and decoupling in Ventral Attention Network and relation with clinical symptoms

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.08.005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 ◽

pp. 10-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Angela V. Spalatro ◽

Federico Amianto ◽

Zirui Huang ◽

Federico D’Agata ◽

Mauro Bergui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Resting State ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Blood Oxygen Level ◽

Attention Network ◽

State Activity ◽

New Perspective

AbstractBackground:Despite the great number of resting state functional connectivity studies on Eating Disorders (ED), no biomarkers could be detected yet. Therefore, we here focus on a different measure of resting state activity that is neuronal variability. The objective of this study was to investigate neuronal variability in the resting state of women with ED and to correlate possible differences with clinical and psychopathological indices.Methods:58 women respectively 25 with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), 16 with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and 17 matched healthy controls (CN) were enrolled for the study. All participants were tested with a battery of psychometric tests and underwent a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) resting state scanning. We investigated topographical patterns of variability measured by the Standard Deviation (SD) of the Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) signal (as a measure of neuronal variability) in the resting-state and their relationship to clinical and psychopathological indices.Results:Neuronal variability was increased in both anorectic and bulimic subjects specifically in the Ventral Attention Network (VAN) compared to healthy controls. No significant differences were found in the other networks. Significant correlations were found between neuronal variability of VAN and various clinical and psychopathological indices.Conclusions:We here show increased neuronal variability of VAN in ED patients. As the VAN is relevant for switching between endogenous and exogenous stimuli, our results showing increased neuronal variability suggest unstable balance between body attention and attention to external world. These results offer new perspective on the neurobiological basis of ED. Clinical and therapeutic implication will be discussed.

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Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infections

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9091128 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 1128

Author(s):

Irene K. Sigmund ◽

Stephan E. Puchner ◽

Reinhard Windhager

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Mean Platelet Volume ◽

Preoperative Diagnosis ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Volume Ratio ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

Inflammatory Biomarkers ◽

Platelet Volume ◽

Joint Infections ◽

D Dimer

Accurate preoperative diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) can be very challenging, especially in patients with chronic PJI caused by low-virulence microorganisms. Serum parameters, such as serum C-reactive protein (CRP) or the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), are—among other diagnostic test methods—widely used to distinguish septic from aseptic failure after total hip or knee arthroplasty and are recommended by the AAOS in the preoperative setting. However, they are systemic parameters, and therefore, unspecific. Nevertheless, they may be the first and occasionally the only preoperative indication, especially when clinical symptoms are lacking. They are easy to obtain, cheap, and are available worldwide. In the last decade, different novel serum biomarkers (percentage of neutrophils, neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio, platelet count to mean platelet volume ratio, fibrinogen, D-Dimer, Il-6, PCT) were investigated to find a more specific and accurate serum parameter in the diagnosis of PJI. This article reviews the diagnostic value of established (serum CRP, ESR, WBC) and ‘novel’ serum inflammatory biomarkers (fibrinogen, D-dimer, interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin, percentage of neutrophils (%N), neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio (NLR), platelet count to mean platelet volume ratio (PC/mPV)) for the preoperative diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infections.

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