The inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuropathy could be an onset marker of multiple ... more The inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuropathy could be an onset marker of multiple sclerosis. The authors review the place of optic neuropathy (neuritis) in the inflammatory demyelinating disease continuum, especially as the onset symptom of multiple sclerosis. We present the clinical symptoms, the aetiology of optic neuritis and the adjacent methods used to investigate optic neuritis. In the article are presented the actual criteria used to establish the multiple sclerosis diagnosis and the revised criteria for optic neuromyelitis, with emphasis on the differential diagnosis between these diseases.
Background: Liver cirrhosis (LC) is largely associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). More than 80%... more Background: Liver cirrhosis (LC) is largely associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). More than 80% of patients with LC manifest glucose intolerance and about 30% have type 2 DM. A particular and yet unrecognized entity is hepatogenous diabetes (HD), defined as impaired glucose regulation caused by altered liver function following LC. Numerous studies have shown that DM could negatively influence liver-related outcomes. Aim: We aimed to investigate whether patients with LC and DM are at higher risk for hepatic encephalopathy (HE), variceal hemorrhage (VH), infections and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The impact of DM on liver transplant (LT) outcomes was also addressed. Methods: Literature search was performed in PubMed, Ovid, and Elsevier databases. Population-based observational studies reporting liver outcomes in patients with LC were included. Results: Diabetics are at higher risk for HE, including post-transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt HE. DM also increases the risk...
E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule essential in maintaining cellular integrity and preserving nor... more E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule essential in maintaining cellular integrity and preserving normal epithelial tissue architecture in adult organisms. Loss of E-cadherin expression and epithelial characteristics has been described in the late stages of carcinogenesis in various human cancers. By loosing cell-cell adhesion mediated by E-cadherin and acquiring mesenchymal properties, a process reffered to as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), carcinoma cells become more motile and invasive, thus being able to penetrate the surrounding stroma. Our aim is to investigate E-cadherin expression, part of the EMT phenomenom, in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs), knowing that it represents a valuable model for understanding cancer progression. We conducted a retrospective study, performing immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin and analyzing its expression in 32 cases of primary cSCCs. E-cadherin membrane positivity was assessed in cells from the main tumor and cells fr...
The development of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) represents a significant advance i... more The development of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) represents a significant advance in the treatment of (human immunodeficiency virus) HIV infection. However, several studies report that a large percentage of individuals with HIV, particularly those receiving cART, present body composition differences compared with the general population. The aim of this study was to explore body composition differences by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), among HIV-positive patients receiving cART, in comparison to healthy controls. The cross-sectional study included 60 HIV-infected patients (all under 50 years old). We analyzed the association of antiretroviral medication use and different HIV-related factors, to the body composition parameters. Our cohort had significantly lower fat mass and lower bone mass compared to non HIV-infected persons. Median time since HIV infection diagnosis was 5 years (interquartile range, [IQR], 2-10.25) and viral suppression was achieved in 49 (81.66%) patients. Treatment with protease inhibitors (PIs) was strongly correlated with low fat mass, reduced lean mass and loss of bone mineral density. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)-containing treatment was associated with decrease of lean tissue mass (LM). The prevalence of osteopenia was 41.67% at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and 36.7% at the hip. We found osteoporosis in 10% of the patients at the lumbar spine. Reduced bone mass was associated, in the patient group, with the duration of PIs use and with smoking (in the males group). In our research, HIV-infected individuals compared to healthy controls had body composition differences, including fat mass atrophy and reduced bone mineral content.
The surgical management of the hepatic post hydatid remnant cavity includes conservative and radi... more The surgical management of the hepatic post hydatid remnant cavity includes conservative and radical methods. External drainage of the remnant cavity (with or without cavity-minimizing) is a simple conservative method that can be safely performed, and can be associated with endoscopic papillo-sphincterectomy (EPS) in case of cysto-biliary fistula. A retrospective study was performed on 112 patients operated in the Department of Surgery, "Caritas" Clinical Hospital, Bucharest between Jan 1997 and Feb 2007. Cavity was drained and the completely extraperitoneal approach for exteriorizing the drain was preferred, an original method conceived and put into practice by Prof. Dr. Burlui, using as pathway the round ligament, more precise the hepato-umbilical territory. The mean hospital stay was 12 days, and follow-up till complete recovery was performed by clinical, ultrasound, CT-scan and X-ray contrast on the drainage tube. The drainage of the remnant cavity was maintained a mea...
Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD, 2013
Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy (MHE) is a potentially reversible spectrum of neuro-psychiatric al... more Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy (MHE) is a potentially reversible spectrum of neuro-psychiatric alterations in patients with acute or chronic liver disease, in the presence of a normal neurological examination. Studies demonstrated that early diagnosis and treatment of this complication increases the quality of life of the patients and leads to an overall better liver disease management. Currently, a practical method of diagnosing MHE is through psychological tests, with modest accuracy. A highly sensible and specific non-invasive method of diagnosis is Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) which identifies the key neuro-biochemical profile of hepatic encephalopathy. In selected cases of equivocal psychological test results, MRS is justified and adequate according to the authors' opinion.
Intracerebellar primary hematoma are produced by spontaneous hemorrhages in the cerebellar parenc... more Intracerebellar primary hematoma are produced by spontaneous hemorrhages in the cerebellar parenchima and usually present an sudden onset. In the present study we analyzed a serie of 34 cases of primary intracerebellar hematoma, in patients of both genders, between 35 and 80 years old. Taking in account the incidence of symptoms, the clinical picture was dominated by the gait disturbances, headache and consciousness disorders. From the analyzed cases, 50% had had surgical indication and 50% benefits on conservative treatment. Even though the evolution was favorable in the great majority of cases,the mortality in the surgical treated group was lesser (5,88%) comparative to the conservative treated group (17,64%). The main criteria for surgical treatment were represented by GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) score < or =13 or blood collections exceeding 3 cm in diameter.
Romanian journal of morphology and embryology = Revue roumaine de morphologie et embryologie, 2009
Fahr's disease (FD) is a rare clinical neurodegenerative entity, occurring in fourth or fifth... more Fahr's disease (FD) is a rare clinical neurodegenerative entity, occurring in fourth or fifth decade or elderly patients, consisting in symmetric polytopic calcifications, in one ore more of the following areas: basal ganglia, cerebral white matter, thalami, internal capsulae, cerebellum, which can lead to pyramidal, extrapyramidal, cerebellar symptoms, alteration of sensitive perception and psychiatric manifestations. The purpose of this paper is to present the FD-diagnosis with unknown family history of disease, based on calcification pattern, symptomatology and lab tests. A three years retrospective study was effectuated on 1942 patients, aged between 20 and 96-year-old, presenting neurological and psychiatric symptoms, which required differential diagnosis with FD. All the patients were evaluated by CT-scans and levels of serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase were measured in cases with cerebral calcification, in order to exclude abnormal calcium-phosphorus metabolism. Cere...
We report the case of a 73 year old patient who presented for decreased vision in his right eye, ... more We report the case of a 73 year old patient who presented for decreased vision in his right eye, ocular examination revealed a pigmented tumour in the left optic disc (optic nerve melanocytoma). We briefly mention another case of optic nerve melanocytoma in a 6 year old, Caucasian patient.
The authors present the case of a 27 years old man who came to our clinic for sudden, painless an... more The authors present the case of a 27 years old man who came to our clinic for sudden, painless and profound bilateral loss of visual acuity in both eyes, 14 days ago, during hospitalization for an acute episode of abdominal pain. The clinical aspect correlated with the personal pathological aspects permitted us to establish the diagnosis of Purtscher retinopathy.
Poster: "ECR 2013 / C-1118 / MRI and MRS – Insight into the physiopathology of Hepatic Encep... more Poster: "ECR 2013 / C-1118 / MRI and MRS – Insight into the physiopathology of Hepatic Encephalopathy" by: "C. Scheau, A. E. Ghergus, R. Giurcan, E. Tarta, A. I. Badarau, I. G. Lupescu; Bucharest/RO"
Introduction. Pregnancy is characterized by specific cardiovascular changes which begin in the e... more Introduction. Pregnancy is characterized by specific cardiovascular changes which begin in the early weeks of gestation. There are multiple means of monitoring hemodynamics, and cardiac impedance proved its applicability in obstetrics in recent years. Material and methods. We performed a prospective study in ”Bucur” Maternity, which involved assessing the hemodynamic profile of pregnant women with single fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy compared to a control group of non-pregnant women. We used the technique of impedance cardiography. Results. This study involved 86 pregnant women in the first trimester compared to 20 non-pregnant women. Using the impedance cardiography technique we found that base impedance in women with single fetus (56.47 Ohm) is increased compared with non-pregnant women (26.14 Ohm), U=51,000, Z=-6.535, p<0.0001. Pregnancy influences heart rates values, which has higher values (85.6 b/min) compared with non-pregnant women (74.3 b/min). Electrome...
Flavonoids are a category of plant-derived compounds which exhibit a large number of health-relat... more Flavonoids are a category of plant-derived compounds which exhibit a large number of health-related effects. One of the most well-known and studied flavonoids is kaempferol, which can be found in a wide variety of herbs and plant families. Apart from their anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, kaempferol and its associated compounds also exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiprotozoal activities. The development of drugs and treatment schemes based on these compounds is becoming increasingly important in the face of emerging resistance of numerous pathogens as well as complex molecular interactions between various drug therapies. In addition, many of the kaempferol-containing plants are used in traditional systems all over the world for centuries to treat numerous conditions. Due to its variety of sources and associated compounds, some molecular mechanisms of kaempferol antimicrobial activity are well known while others are still under analysis. This paper thoroughly ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Antimony has been known and used since ancient times, but its applications have increased signifi... more Antimony has been known and used since ancient times, but its applications have increased significantly during the last two centuries. Aside from its few medical applications, it also has industrial applications, acting as a flame retardant and a catalyst. Geologically, native antimony is rare, and it is mostly found in sulfide ores. The main ore minerals of antimony are antimonite and jamesonite. The extensive mining and use of antimony have led to its introduction into the biosphere, where it can be hazardous, depending on its bioavailability and absorption. Detailed studies exist both from active and abandoned mining sites, and from urban settings, which document the environmental impact of antimony pollution and its impact on human physiology. Despite its evident and pronounced toxicity, it has also been used in some drugs, initially tartar emetics and subsequently antimonials. The latter are used to treat tropical diseases and their therapeutic potential for leishmaniasis means...
Background and aims. Our aim is to examine the relationship between the level of education, backg... more Background and aims. Our aim is to examine the relationship between the level of education, background, tumor size and lymph node status on the treatment outcome in a group of patients with early and locally advanced breast cancer (BC) by using the restricted mean survival time (RMST), which summarizes treatment effects in terms of event-free time over a fixed period of time. Methods. We evaluated the prognostic values in 143 patients treated for early BC at Elias University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania and followed up for a maximum of 36 months. The protocol was amended to include the levels of education (gymnasium, high school, or university), the background (urban or rural) and the clinical stage (primary tumor (T) and regional nodes (N)). The methodology consisted in using a Kaplan–Meier analysis and RMST for the entire sample and Cox regression, for the variables with statistical influence. The principal endpoints of the study were overall survival (OS) and progressio...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and affects about 8% of ci... more Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and affects about 8% of cirrhotic patients, with a recurrence rate of over 50%. There are numerous therapies available for the treatment of HCC, depending on cancer staging and condition of the patient. The complexity of the treatment is also justified by the unique pathogenesis of HCC that involves intricate processes such as chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and multiple molecular carcinogenesis events. During the last three decades, multiple in vivo and in vitro experiments have used somatostatin and its analogs (SSAs) to reduce the proliferative and metastatic potential of hepatoma cells by inducing their apoptosis and reducing angiogenesis and the inflammatory component of HCC. Most experiments have proven successful, revealing several different pathways and mechanisms corresponding to the aforementioned functions. Moreover, a correlation between specific effects and expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs...
Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors, which secrete catecholamines... more Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors, which secrete catecholamines, with the same embryological origin from the neural crest cells. Pheochromocytomas develop from the adrenal medulla, while paragangliomas are extraadrenal tumors, evolving from the autonomic sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous chains. In the last 10 years, molecular medicine has discovered novelties in the understanding of genetics of these tumors. Although the majority of these tumors occur sporadically, recent medical discoveries have indicated that approximately 30-40% of these tumors are associated with an inherited mutation. In addition to this, developments in molecular pathology of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas will provide the key to target specifi c cellular markers, assuring a personalised therapy. In this article we have reviewed the current medical literature, in order to summarise the most important aspects of genetics and clinical features of pheochromocytomas a...
The inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuropathy could be an onset marker of multiple ... more The inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuropathy could be an onset marker of multiple sclerosis. The authors review the place of optic neuropathy (neuritis) in the inflammatory demyelinating disease continuum, especially as the onset symptom of multiple sclerosis. We present the clinical symptoms, the aetiology of optic neuritis and the adjacent methods used to investigate optic neuritis. In the article are presented the actual criteria used to establish the multiple sclerosis diagnosis and the revised criteria for optic neuromyelitis, with emphasis on the differential diagnosis between these diseases.
Background: Liver cirrhosis (LC) is largely associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). More than 80%... more Background: Liver cirrhosis (LC) is largely associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). More than 80% of patients with LC manifest glucose intolerance and about 30% have type 2 DM. A particular and yet unrecognized entity is hepatogenous diabetes (HD), defined as impaired glucose regulation caused by altered liver function following LC. Numerous studies have shown that DM could negatively influence liver-related outcomes. Aim: We aimed to investigate whether patients with LC and DM are at higher risk for hepatic encephalopathy (HE), variceal hemorrhage (VH), infections and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The impact of DM on liver transplant (LT) outcomes was also addressed. Methods: Literature search was performed in PubMed, Ovid, and Elsevier databases. Population-based observational studies reporting liver outcomes in patients with LC were included. Results: Diabetics are at higher risk for HE, including post-transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt HE. DM also increases the risk...
E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule essential in maintaining cellular integrity and preserving nor... more E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule essential in maintaining cellular integrity and preserving normal epithelial tissue architecture in adult organisms. Loss of E-cadherin expression and epithelial characteristics has been described in the late stages of carcinogenesis in various human cancers. By loosing cell-cell adhesion mediated by E-cadherin and acquiring mesenchymal properties, a process reffered to as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), carcinoma cells become more motile and invasive, thus being able to penetrate the surrounding stroma. Our aim is to investigate E-cadherin expression, part of the EMT phenomenom, in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs), knowing that it represents a valuable model for understanding cancer progression. We conducted a retrospective study, performing immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin and analyzing its expression in 32 cases of primary cSCCs. E-cadherin membrane positivity was assessed in cells from the main tumor and cells fr...
The development of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) represents a significant advance i... more The development of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) represents a significant advance in the treatment of (human immunodeficiency virus) HIV infection. However, several studies report that a large percentage of individuals with HIV, particularly those receiving cART, present body composition differences compared with the general population. The aim of this study was to explore body composition differences by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), among HIV-positive patients receiving cART, in comparison to healthy controls. The cross-sectional study included 60 HIV-infected patients (all under 50 years old). We analyzed the association of antiretroviral medication use and different HIV-related factors, to the body composition parameters. Our cohort had significantly lower fat mass and lower bone mass compared to non HIV-infected persons. Median time since HIV infection diagnosis was 5 years (interquartile range, [IQR], 2-10.25) and viral suppression was achieved in 49 (81.66%) patients. Treatment with protease inhibitors (PIs) was strongly correlated with low fat mass, reduced lean mass and loss of bone mineral density. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)-containing treatment was associated with decrease of lean tissue mass (LM). The prevalence of osteopenia was 41.67% at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and 36.7% at the hip. We found osteoporosis in 10% of the patients at the lumbar spine. Reduced bone mass was associated, in the patient group, with the duration of PIs use and with smoking (in the males group). In our research, HIV-infected individuals compared to healthy controls had body composition differences, including fat mass atrophy and reduced bone mineral content.
The surgical management of the hepatic post hydatid remnant cavity includes conservative and radi... more The surgical management of the hepatic post hydatid remnant cavity includes conservative and radical methods. External drainage of the remnant cavity (with or without cavity-minimizing) is a simple conservative method that can be safely performed, and can be associated with endoscopic papillo-sphincterectomy (EPS) in case of cysto-biliary fistula. A retrospective study was performed on 112 patients operated in the Department of Surgery, "Caritas" Clinical Hospital, Bucharest between Jan 1997 and Feb 2007. Cavity was drained and the completely extraperitoneal approach for exteriorizing the drain was preferred, an original method conceived and put into practice by Prof. Dr. Burlui, using as pathway the round ligament, more precise the hepato-umbilical territory. The mean hospital stay was 12 days, and follow-up till complete recovery was performed by clinical, ultrasound, CT-scan and X-ray contrast on the drainage tube. The drainage of the remnant cavity was maintained a mea...
Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD, 2013
Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy (MHE) is a potentially reversible spectrum of neuro-psychiatric al... more Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy (MHE) is a potentially reversible spectrum of neuro-psychiatric alterations in patients with acute or chronic liver disease, in the presence of a normal neurological examination. Studies demonstrated that early diagnosis and treatment of this complication increases the quality of life of the patients and leads to an overall better liver disease management. Currently, a practical method of diagnosing MHE is through psychological tests, with modest accuracy. A highly sensible and specific non-invasive method of diagnosis is Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) which identifies the key neuro-biochemical profile of hepatic encephalopathy. In selected cases of equivocal psychological test results, MRS is justified and adequate according to the authors' opinion.
Intracerebellar primary hematoma are produced by spontaneous hemorrhages in the cerebellar parenc... more Intracerebellar primary hematoma are produced by spontaneous hemorrhages in the cerebellar parenchima and usually present an sudden onset. In the present study we analyzed a serie of 34 cases of primary intracerebellar hematoma, in patients of both genders, between 35 and 80 years old. Taking in account the incidence of symptoms, the clinical picture was dominated by the gait disturbances, headache and consciousness disorders. From the analyzed cases, 50% had had surgical indication and 50% benefits on conservative treatment. Even though the evolution was favorable in the great majority of cases,the mortality in the surgical treated group was lesser (5,88%) comparative to the conservative treated group (17,64%). The main criteria for surgical treatment were represented by GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) score < or =13 or blood collections exceeding 3 cm in diameter.
Romanian journal of morphology and embryology = Revue roumaine de morphologie et embryologie, 2009
Fahr's disease (FD) is a rare clinical neurodegenerative entity, occurring in fourth or fifth... more Fahr's disease (FD) is a rare clinical neurodegenerative entity, occurring in fourth or fifth decade or elderly patients, consisting in symmetric polytopic calcifications, in one ore more of the following areas: basal ganglia, cerebral white matter, thalami, internal capsulae, cerebellum, which can lead to pyramidal, extrapyramidal, cerebellar symptoms, alteration of sensitive perception and psychiatric manifestations. The purpose of this paper is to present the FD-diagnosis with unknown family history of disease, based on calcification pattern, symptomatology and lab tests. A three years retrospective study was effectuated on 1942 patients, aged between 20 and 96-year-old, presenting neurological and psychiatric symptoms, which required differential diagnosis with FD. All the patients were evaluated by CT-scans and levels of serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase were measured in cases with cerebral calcification, in order to exclude abnormal calcium-phosphorus metabolism. Cere...
We report the case of a 73 year old patient who presented for decreased vision in his right eye, ... more We report the case of a 73 year old patient who presented for decreased vision in his right eye, ocular examination revealed a pigmented tumour in the left optic disc (optic nerve melanocytoma). We briefly mention another case of optic nerve melanocytoma in a 6 year old, Caucasian patient.
The authors present the case of a 27 years old man who came to our clinic for sudden, painless an... more The authors present the case of a 27 years old man who came to our clinic for sudden, painless and profound bilateral loss of visual acuity in both eyes, 14 days ago, during hospitalization for an acute episode of abdominal pain. The clinical aspect correlated with the personal pathological aspects permitted us to establish the diagnosis of Purtscher retinopathy.
Poster: "ECR 2013 / C-1118 / MRI and MRS – Insight into the physiopathology of Hepatic Encep... more Poster: "ECR 2013 / C-1118 / MRI and MRS – Insight into the physiopathology of Hepatic Encephalopathy" by: "C. Scheau, A. E. Ghergus, R. Giurcan, E. Tarta, A. I. Badarau, I. G. Lupescu; Bucharest/RO"
Introduction. Pregnancy is characterized by specific cardiovascular changes which begin in the e... more Introduction. Pregnancy is characterized by specific cardiovascular changes which begin in the early weeks of gestation. There are multiple means of monitoring hemodynamics, and cardiac impedance proved its applicability in obstetrics in recent years. Material and methods. We performed a prospective study in ”Bucur” Maternity, which involved assessing the hemodynamic profile of pregnant women with single fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy compared to a control group of non-pregnant women. We used the technique of impedance cardiography. Results. This study involved 86 pregnant women in the first trimester compared to 20 non-pregnant women. Using the impedance cardiography technique we found that base impedance in women with single fetus (56.47 Ohm) is increased compared with non-pregnant women (26.14 Ohm), U=51,000, Z=-6.535, p<0.0001. Pregnancy influences heart rates values, which has higher values (85.6 b/min) compared with non-pregnant women (74.3 b/min). Electrome...
Flavonoids are a category of plant-derived compounds which exhibit a large number of health-relat... more Flavonoids are a category of plant-derived compounds which exhibit a large number of health-related effects. One of the most well-known and studied flavonoids is kaempferol, which can be found in a wide variety of herbs and plant families. Apart from their anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, kaempferol and its associated compounds also exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiprotozoal activities. The development of drugs and treatment schemes based on these compounds is becoming increasingly important in the face of emerging resistance of numerous pathogens as well as complex molecular interactions between various drug therapies. In addition, many of the kaempferol-containing plants are used in traditional systems all over the world for centuries to treat numerous conditions. Due to its variety of sources and associated compounds, some molecular mechanisms of kaempferol antimicrobial activity are well known while others are still under analysis. This paper thoroughly ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Antimony has been known and used since ancient times, but its applications have increased signifi... more Antimony has been known and used since ancient times, but its applications have increased significantly during the last two centuries. Aside from its few medical applications, it also has industrial applications, acting as a flame retardant and a catalyst. Geologically, native antimony is rare, and it is mostly found in sulfide ores. The main ore minerals of antimony are antimonite and jamesonite. The extensive mining and use of antimony have led to its introduction into the biosphere, where it can be hazardous, depending on its bioavailability and absorption. Detailed studies exist both from active and abandoned mining sites, and from urban settings, which document the environmental impact of antimony pollution and its impact on human physiology. Despite its evident and pronounced toxicity, it has also been used in some drugs, initially tartar emetics and subsequently antimonials. The latter are used to treat tropical diseases and their therapeutic potential for leishmaniasis means...
Background and aims. Our aim is to examine the relationship between the level of education, backg... more Background and aims. Our aim is to examine the relationship between the level of education, background, tumor size and lymph node status on the treatment outcome in a group of patients with early and locally advanced breast cancer (BC) by using the restricted mean survival time (RMST), which summarizes treatment effects in terms of event-free time over a fixed period of time. Methods. We evaluated the prognostic values in 143 patients treated for early BC at Elias University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania and followed up for a maximum of 36 months. The protocol was amended to include the levels of education (gymnasium, high school, or university), the background (urban or rural) and the clinical stage (primary tumor (T) and regional nodes (N)). The methodology consisted in using a Kaplan–Meier analysis and RMST for the entire sample and Cox regression, for the variables with statistical influence. The principal endpoints of the study were overall survival (OS) and progressio...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and affects about 8% of ci... more Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and affects about 8% of cirrhotic patients, with a recurrence rate of over 50%. There are numerous therapies available for the treatment of HCC, depending on cancer staging and condition of the patient. The complexity of the treatment is also justified by the unique pathogenesis of HCC that involves intricate processes such as chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and multiple molecular carcinogenesis events. During the last three decades, multiple in vivo and in vitro experiments have used somatostatin and its analogs (SSAs) to reduce the proliferative and metastatic potential of hepatoma cells by inducing their apoptosis and reducing angiogenesis and the inflammatory component of HCC. Most experiments have proven successful, revealing several different pathways and mechanisms corresponding to the aforementioned functions. Moreover, a correlation between specific effects and expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs...
Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors, which secrete catecholamines... more Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors, which secrete catecholamines, with the same embryological origin from the neural crest cells. Pheochromocytomas develop from the adrenal medulla, while paragangliomas are extraadrenal tumors, evolving from the autonomic sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous chains. In the last 10 years, molecular medicine has discovered novelties in the understanding of genetics of these tumors. Although the majority of these tumors occur sporadically, recent medical discoveries have indicated that approximately 30-40% of these tumors are associated with an inherited mutation. In addition to this, developments in molecular pathology of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas will provide the key to target specifi c cellular markers, assuring a personalised therapy. In this article we have reviewed the current medical literature, in order to summarise the most important aspects of genetics and clinical features of pheochromocytomas a...
Uploads
Papers by Anca Badarau