Albeit the lungs were thought to be sterile, recent scientific data reported a microbial microbiota in the lungs of healthy individuals. Apparently, new developments in technological approachesincluding genome sequencing methodologies... more
Albeit the lungs were thought to be sterile, recent scientific data reported a microbial microbiota in the lungs of healthy individuals. Apparently, new developments in technological approachesincluding genome sequencing methodologies contributed in the identification of the microbiota and shed light on the role of the gut and lung microbiomes in the development of respiratory diseases. Moreover, knowledge of the human microbiome in health may act as a tool for evaluating characteristic shifts in the case of disease. This review paper discusses the development of respiratory disease linked to the intestinal dysbiosis which influences the lung immunity and microbiome. The gastrointestinal–lung dialogue provides interesting aspects in the pathogenesis of the respiratory diseases. Lastly, we were further interested on the role of this interconnection in the progression and physiopathology of newly emergedCOVID-19.
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Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract affecting millions of patients worldwide. The gut microbiome partly determines the pathogenesis of both diseases. Even though... more
Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract affecting millions of patients worldwide. The gut microbiome partly determines the pathogenesis of both diseases. Even though probiotics have been widely used as a potential treatment, their efficacy in inducing and maintaining remission is still controversial. Our study aims to review the present-day literature about the possible role of probiotics in treating inflammatory bowel diseases in adults. This research was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We included studies concerning adult patients who compared probiotics with placebo or non-probiotic intervention. We identified thirty-three studies, including 2713 patients from fourteen countries. The role of probiotics in Crohn’s disease was examined in eleven studies. Only four studies presented statistically significant results in the remiss...
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Intestinal microorganisms play a crucial role in shaping the host immunity and maintaining homeostasis. Nevertheless, alterations in gut bacterial composition may occur and these alterations have been linked with the pathogenesis of... more
Intestinal microorganisms play a crucial role in shaping the host immunity and maintaining homeostasis. Nevertheless, alterations in gut bacterial composition may occur and these alterations have been linked with the pathogenesis of several diseases. In surgical practice, studies revealed that the microbiome of patients undergoing surgery changes and several post-operative complications seem to be associated with the gut microbiota composition. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of gut microbiota (GM) in surgical disease. We refer to several studies which describe alterations of GM in patients undergoing different types of surgery, we focus on the impacts of peri-operative interventions on GM and the role of GM in development of post-operative complications, such as anastomotic leak. The review aims to enhance comprehension regarding the correlation between GM and surgical procedures based in the current knowledge. However, preoperative and postoperative synthesis of GM n...
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Plants have long been thought to contribute to health promotion due to their fiber and phenolic content, as well as their inherent biological potential. The bioactive derivatives of medicinal plants are a valuable resource in the fight... more
Plants have long been thought to contribute to health promotion due to their fiber and phenolic content, as well as their inherent biological potential. The bioactive derivatives of medicinal plants are a valuable resource in the fight against serious diseases all around the world. The present review focuses on the current state of knowledge on the usage and medicinal applications of plant bioactives. Issues concerning the effect of aromatic plant derivatives on human gut microbiota and their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potentials are discussed and worth further exploring.
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The still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted athletes, and, in particular, para-athletes and athletes with disabilities. However, there is no scholarly appraisal on this topic. Therefore, a critical scoping review of the... more
The still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted athletes, and, in particular, para-athletes and athletes with disabilities. However, there is no scholarly appraisal on this topic. Therefore, a critical scoping review of the literature was conducted. We were able to retrieve sixteen relevant studies. The sample size ranged from 4 to 183. Most studies were observational, cross-sectional, and questionnaire-based surveys, two studies were interventional, and two were longitudinal. One study was a technical feasibility study. Almost all studies were conducted as single-country studies, with the exception of one multi-country investigation. Five major topics/themes could be identified: namely, 1) impact of COVID-19-induced confinement on training and lifestyles in athletes with disabilities/para-athletes; 2) impact of COVID-19-induced confinement on mental health in athletes with disabilities/para-athletes; 3) impact of COVID-19-induced confinement on performance outcomes in...
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The collection of normally non-pathogenic microorganisms that mainly inhabit our gut lumen shapes our health in many ways. Structural and functional perturbations in the gut microbial pool, known as “dysbiosis”, have been proven to play a... more
The collection of normally non-pathogenic microorganisms that mainly inhabit our gut lumen shapes our health in many ways. Structural and functional perturbations in the gut microbial pool, known as “dysbiosis”, have been proven to play a vital role in the pathophysiology of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although therapeutic regimes are available to treat this group of diseases, they have long been the main cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. While age, sex, genetics, diet, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption are major contributors (World Health Organization, 2018), they cannot explain all of the consequences of CVD. In addition to the abovementioned traditional risk factors, the constant search for novel preventative and curative tools has shed light on the involvement of gut bacteria and their metabolites in the pathogenesis of CVD. In this narrative review, we will discuss the established interconnections between the gut microbiota and CVD, as...
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Patients with psoriasis are frequently obese and experience anxiety or suffer from depressive disorders. The immunopathogenesis of psoriasis and indeed psoriatic arthritis is largely based on the pivotal role of IL-17/IL-23 axis, to an... more
Patients with psoriasis are frequently obese and experience anxiety or suffer from depressive disorders. The immunopathogenesis of psoriasis and indeed psoriatic arthritis is largely based on the pivotal role of IL-17/IL-23 axis, to an extent that currently monoclonal antibodies selectively inhibiting IL-17 or IL-23 are routinely used for the treatment of psoriatic diseases. Emerging data, demonstrating a decisive role for IL-17 and IL-17 producing cell subsets, such as Th17 in the induction and progression of obesity and depression has led authors to suggest that psoriatic disease, obesity and anxiety/depression may indeed be interconnected manifestation of a state of immunedysregulation, the linked being IL-17 and its related cells. We discuss this hypothetical link in depth taking into account the beneficial effects anti-IL17 and anti-IL-17 receptor inhibitors in treating psoriatic disease and the on-going debate as to whether these biologics may exert a direct or indirect effect...
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Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency (ID) is a major public health problem with high prevalence in early childhood. We assessed the prevalence of anemia, ID, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in healthy children of Thrace, Greece,... more
Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency (ID) is a major public health problem with high prevalence in early childhood. We assessed the prevalence of anemia, ID, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in healthy children of Thrace, Greece, its correlation with dietary factors, and evaluated the diagnostic performance of hematologic and biochemical markers of sideropenia. Patients and Methods: For 202 healthy children 1-5 years old, a questionnaire was filled out describing their nutritional habits during infancy and early childhood. Venous hemograms along with serum ferritin, TIBC, %TS, and CRP were obtained from all studied children. In a subset of 156 children, the concentration of sTfR was also determined. Results: Children with ID and IDA had significantly lower beef consumption than children without sideropenia (p=0.044). Using the WHO cut-off values of Hb <11g/dl and ferritin <12μg/l, the prevalence of anemia, ID, and IDA was 9.41%, 6.44%. and 3.47%, respectively. If Hb <...
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Introduction: Circadian variations in biological rhythms affect the pharmacological properties of many anaesthetic agents, suggesting circadian patterns of local anaesthetics’ activity in labour pain analgesia, with important differences... more
Introduction: Circadian variations in biological rhythms affect the pharmacological properties of many anaesthetic agents, suggesting circadian patterns of local anaesthetics’ activity in labour pain analgesia, with important differences among diurnal and nocturnal phases. Aim: We examined whether a rhythmic variation of the effect of intrathecal mixture of levobupivacaine and fentanyl exists throughout the day period regarding caesarean sections. Materials and methods: Eighty parturients presented for caesarean section, both urgent and/or elective, were assigned to five equal groups (A, B, C, D, and E) according to the time-point of the intrathecal drug administration. The same levobupivacaine and fentanyl dose was given to all patients. Pinprick or cold test, the four-point modified Bromage scale (0-3), and the numerical scale (NRS 0-10) were used respectively for the assessment of sensory and motor blockade, and post-anaesthetic pain. The duration of sensory and motor blockade, ...
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Introduction we present a rat experimental model used to evaluate the possible reduction in the extent of pancreatic tissue injury in acute pancreatitis cases, after administration of eugenol. Methods one hundred and twenty Wistar rats... more
Introduction we present a rat experimental model used to evaluate the possible reduction in the extent of pancreatic tissue injury in acute pancreatitis cases, after administration of eugenol. Methods one hundred and twenty Wistar rats were used, which were randomly assigned in 3 groups: sham (n=20), control (n=50) and eugenol (n=50). Acute pancreatitis was induced by biliopancreatic ligation in the control and eugenol groups, but not in the Sham group. In the eugenol group, eugenol was administered per-os. Five histopathological parameters, such as edema, inflammatory infiltration, duct dilatation, hemorrhage and acinar necrosis were evaluated. Results at 72 h from acute pancreatitis induction, the total histological score was diminished in the eugenol group (p<0.0005) and duct dilatation and inflammatory infiltration were reduced compared to the control group (p<0.05). In addition, at 72 h, eugenol reduced pancreatic myeloperoxidase activity (p<0.0005). Conclusion eugenol...
The nutritional habits regulate the gut microbiota and may provoke and/or prevent autoimmune disease. Western diet is rich in sugars, meat and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, which lead to dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota, disruption of... more
The nutritional habits regulate the gut microbiota and may provoke and/or prevent autoimmune disease. Western diet is rich in sugars, meat and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, which lead to dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota, disruption of gut epithelial barrier and chronic mucosal inflammation. On the other hand, Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is rich in ω3 fatty acids, fruits and vegetables and has anti-inflammatory properties, which can restore gut eubiosis. The effect of MedDiet and its components in health and disease states have been thoroughly analyzed in several studies. Moreover, several studies have specifically investigated the association between MedDiet, microbiota and risk for autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, the MedDiet has been associated with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, which plays a critical role in reducing mortality in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases with comorbidities. The aim of the present review is to specifically highlight current knowledg...
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The gut microbiome is known as an important predictive tool for perceiving characteristic shifts in disease states. Multiple renal diseases and pathologies seem to be associated with gut dysbiosis which directly affects host homeostasis.... more
The gut microbiome is known as an important predictive tool for perceiving characteristic shifts in disease states. Multiple renal diseases and pathologies seem to be associated with gut dysbiosis which directly affects host homeostasis. The gastrointestinal-kidney dialogue confers interesting information about the pathogenesis of multiple kidney diseases. Moreover, aging is followed by specific shifts in the human microbiome, and gradual elimination of physiological functions predisposes the microbiome to inflammaging, sarcopenia, and disease. Aging is characterized by a microbiota with an abundance of disease-associated pathobionts. Multiple factors such as the immune system, environment, medication, diet, and genetic endowment are involved in determining the age of the microbiome in health and disease. Our present review promotes recently acquired knowledge and is expected to inspire researchers to advance studies and investigations on the involved pathways of the gut microbiota ...
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The recent new developments in technology with culture-independent techniques including genome sequencing methodologies shed light on the identification of microbiota bacterial species and their role in health and disease. Microbiome is... more
The recent new developments in technology with culture-independent techniques including genome sequencing methodologies shed light on the identification of microbiota bacterial species and their role in health and disease. Microbiome is actually reported as an important predictive tool for evaluating characteristic shifts in case of disease. Our present review states the development of different renal diseases and pathologies linked to the intestinal dysbiosis, which impacts on host homeostasis. The gastrointestinal–kidney dialogue provides intriguing features in the pathogenesis of several renal diseases. Without any doubt, investigation of this interconnection consists one of the most cutting-edge areas of research with potential implications on our health.
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Anti-Ro52 autoantibody (autoAb), highly prevalent in Sjogren’s syndrome (SjS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is also frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Viral agents, such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), have been considered... more
Anti-Ro52 autoantibody (autoAb), highly prevalent in Sjogren’s syndrome (SjS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is also frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Viral agents, such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), have been considered as a trigger for SSc and SSc-associated autoAbs. To seek for antigen-specific anti-HCMV associations with anti-Ro52, we assessed the dominant anti-HCMV ab responses in anti-Ro52 antibody (ab)-positive and -negative patients with SSc and compared them with those in SLE and SjS. 116 Anti-HCMV ab(+) sera were analyzed, including 70 from anti-Ro52(+) patients (29 SSc, 23 SLE and 18 SjS) and 46 from anti-Ro52(−) patients (29 with SSc, 9 with SLE and 8 with SjS) as negative controls. Abs against specific HCMV pp130/UL57, pp65/UL83, pp55/UL55, pp52/UL44, p38 and pp28/UL99 antigens were tested by immunoblotting. Anti-Ro52(+) SSc patients reacted more frequently against pp52/UL44 and p38 compared to anti-Ro52(−) [(13/29, 44.8%; 95% CI 26.7–62.9% vs. 1/29, 3.4%; 95% CI 0–10%, p < 0.001, and 9/29, 31.0%; 95% CI 14.2–47.8% vs. 2/29, 6.9%; 95% CI 0–16.1%, p = 0.041, respectively]. No such differences were noted between anti-Ro52(+) and anti-Ro52(−) SLE or SjS patients. Also, antibody titres against HCMV pp65/UL83, pp52/UL44 and p38 antigens were higher in anti-Ro52(+) than anti-Ro52(−) SSc patients (p < 0.01). Ab responses against specific HCMV antigens differ among anti-Ro52 ab-positive and -negative patients with SSc (as well as between SSc and SLE or SjS), but whether these differences are epiphenomenal remains to be seen.
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Background and objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, such as insulin resistance. Furthermore, OSAS has been associated with decreased levels of vitamin D (Vit D).... more
Background and objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, such as insulin resistance. Furthermore, OSAS has been associated with decreased levels of vitamin D (Vit D). The aim of the study was to assess the association between Vit D levels (expressed as 25(OH)D serum levels) and insulin resistance in patients with OSAS. Materials and Methods: Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured in consecutive subjects who had undergone polysomnography and pulmonary function testing. OSAS patients were divided into those with (homeostatic model assessment [HOMA-IR] ≥ 2) and without insulin resistance (HOMA-IR < 2). Results: Overall, 92 patients (81 males) were included in the study. OSAS patients with insulin resistance significantly differed from those without insulin resistance in terms of the body-mass index (BMI) (36.3 ± 5.8 compared to 32 ± 5.6 kg/m2, respectively, p = 0.001), apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) (57.4 ± 28.9 compa...
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Aim: The object of study was to determine autoantibodies (Abs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their correlation with clinical manifestation. Materials and Methods: 20 adults aged 60,8 ± 6,2 years old with RA, 8 patients... more
Aim: The object of study was to determine autoantibodies (Abs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their correlation with clinical manifestation. Materials and Methods: 20 adults aged 60,8 ± 6,2 years old with RA, 8 patients had lung involvement and 12 age/sex matched healthy subjects were included. In all subjects were determined 24 aAb type G (dsDNA, RhF, b2GPI, LuM-membrane and LuS-cytoplasmic lung antigen (Ag), KiS-cytoplasmic and KiM-membrane kidney Ag, GaM-stomach membrane Ag, ItM-small intestine membrane Ag, HeS-liver cytoplasmic Ag, HMMP-antigen of liver mitochondria, b-adrenoreceptors, CoM-myocardial cells Ag, TrM-platelets’ Ag, ANCA, Thyroglobulin, TSH receptor, Insulin, Insulin receptors (IR), Adr-adrenal glands Ag, Membranous Ag of spermatozoids, S100, GFAP, MBP) and mean individual immune reactivity by ELISA (Immunculus, Russia). Clinical and serological markers of disease activity (CRP, ESR, RhF, anti-CCPs) were also measured. Results: The mean individual immune reactivity in RA accounted for 40% whereas it was significantly lower 8%, p Conclusions: Pulmonotropic Abs had an inverse relationship with the emergence of pulmonary manifestations in RA. This observation might support the use of these specific aAbs as early biomarkers of pulmonary parenchymatic lesions in RA.
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Background. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with systemic inflammation and increased risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. Cystatin C (Cyst C) is a novel biomarker of both latent renal damage and... more
Background. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with systemic inflammation and increased risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. Cystatin C (Cyst C) is a novel biomarker of both latent renal damage and cardiovascular disease. Aim of the study was to measure serum levels of Cyst C, as well as IL-8 and CRP, in otherwise healthy OSAS patients.Methods. 84 individuals examined with polysomnography for OSAS symptoms without known comorbidities were prospectively recruited.Results. According to apnea hypopnea index (AHI) subjects were divided in two groups: OSAS group (AHI > 5/hour,n=64) and controls (AHI < 5/hour,n=20), which were age- and BMI-matched. Cyst C levels were higher in OSAS patients versus controls (1176.13±351.33versus938.60±245.83 ng/mL, resp.;p=0.017) while serum IL-8 and CRP levels did not differ significantly. Positive correlation was found between Cyst C levels and respiratory disturbance index (RDI) (r=0.240,p=0.039) and percentage of ...
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nephrology peritoneal dialysis access program. Semin Dial 2003; 16:266–71. 8. Goh Bl, Ganeshadeva YM, Chew Se, Dalimi MS. Does peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion by interventional nephrologists enhance peritoneal dialysis penetration?... more
nephrology peritoneal dialysis access program. Semin Dial 2003; 16:266–71. 8. Goh Bl, Ganeshadeva YM, Chew Se, Dalimi MS. Does peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion by interventional nephrologists enhance peritoneal dialysis penetration? Semin Dial 2008; 21:561–6. 9. Mendelssohn DC. Increasing PD utilization: should suitable patients be forced? Perit Dial Int 2009; 29:144–6. 10. lim Yn, lim To, eds. Sixteenth report of the Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant registry 2008. Kuala lumpur: Malaysian Society of nephrology; 2009. 11. li PK, Chow KM. Importance of peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion by nephrologists: practice makes perfect. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2009; 24:3274–6. 12. Zaman F. Peritoneal dialysis catheter placement by nephrologist. Perit Dial Int 2008; 28:138–41. doi:10.3747/pdi.2009.00237
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This study was undertaken to evaluate the post-operative (post-OP) course of rabbits in a surgical model of myocardial infarction (MI). Ten New Zealand White rabbits were subjected to coronary artery ligation after lateral thoracotomy.... more
This study was undertaken to evaluate the post-operative (post-OP) course of rabbits in a surgical model of myocardial infarction (MI). Ten New Zealand White rabbits were subjected to coronary artery ligation after lateral thoracotomy. Anesthesia was delivered using a xylazine–ketamine–isoflurane protocol after endotracheal intubation. Among other cardiorespiratory parameters, arterial pressure was monitored via central ear artery catheterization. Post-OP care included
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Research Interests: Medicine, Toxicity, Animals, Blood sampling, Male, and 15 moreAnesthesia, Liver Function, Propofol, Creatine Kinase, Clinical Sciences, Intensive Care Unit, Skeletal Muscle, Time Factors, Mechanical Ventilation, Rabbits, Neurosciences, Multiple Organ Failure, Endotracheal intubation, Mortality rate, and Pulmonary Edema
Aim. Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory intra-abdominal disease, which takes a severe form in 15–20% of patients and can result in high mortality especially when complicated by acute renal failure. The aim of this study is to assess... more
Aim. Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory intra-abdominal disease, which takes a severe form in 15–20% of patients and can result in high mortality especially when complicated by acute renal failure. The aim of this study is to assess the possible reduction in the extent of acute kidney injury after administration of eugenol in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis. Materials and Methods. 106 male Wistar rats weighing 220–350 g were divided into 3 groups: (1) Sham, with sham surgery; (2) Control, with induction of acute pancreatitis, through ligation of the biliopancreatic duct; and (3) Eugenol, with induction of acute pancreatitis and eugenol administration at a dose of 15 mg/kg. Serum urea and creatinine, histopathological changes, TNF-α, IL-6, and MPO activity in the kidneys were evaluated at predetermined time intervals. Results. The group that was administered eugenol showed milder histopathological changes than the Control group, TNF-α activity was milder in the Eugenol...
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This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 leads to thrombotic complications, which have been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Neutrophils are the largest population of white blood cells and play a pivotal role in innate... more
Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 leads to thrombotic complications, which have been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Neutrophils are the largest population of white blood cells and play a pivotal role in innate immunity. During an infection, neutrophils migrate from circulation to the infection site, contributing to killing pathogens. This mechanism is regulated by chemokines such as IL-8. Moreover, it was shown that neutrophils play an important role in thromboinflammation. Through a diverse repertoire of mechanisms, neutrophils, apart from directly killing pathogens, are able to activate the formation of thrombi. In COVID-19 patients, neutrophil activation promotes neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, platelet aggregation, and cell damage. Furthermore, neutrophils participate in the pathogenesis of endothelitis. Overall, this review summarizes recent progress in research on the pathogenesis of COVID-19, highlighting the role of the prothrombot...
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238 Erciyes Med J 2019; 41(3): 238–43 • DOI: 10.14744/etd.2019.99075 INVITED REVIEW – OPEN ACCESS This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Elisavet Stavropoulou , Christine... more
238 Erciyes Med J 2019; 41(3): 238–43 • DOI: 10.14744/etd.2019.99075 INVITED REVIEW – OPEN ACCESS This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Elisavet Stavropoulou , Christine Tsigalou , Eugenia Bezirtzoglou Spreading of Antimicrobial Resistance Across Clinical Borders Spreading of antibiotic resistance is effective via many routes and is dependent on the setting. Moreover, poor hygiene conditions, poor sanitation, as well as inadequate infection control contribute to the spreading of resistant bacteria in health care and industrial facilities, in the community as well as in animal production. Bacteria are present in any environment and bacterial resistance disseminate across the world. Animals receiving antibiotics, they carry antibiotic resistant bacteria and are spread to humans through food or animal contact. Vegetables may be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria coming from animal manure fertilizers. Overuse or ...
BackgroundActivins are members of the TGFβ-superfamily implicated in the pathogenesis of several immuno-inflammatory disorders. Based on our previous studies demonstrating that over-expression of Activin-A in murine lung causes pathology... more
BackgroundActivins are members of the TGFβ-superfamily implicated in the pathogenesis of several immuno-inflammatory disorders. Based on our previous studies demonstrating that over-expression of Activin-A in murine lung causes pathology sharing key features of COVID-19, we hypothesized that Activins and their natural inhibitor Follistatin might be particularly relevant to COVID-19 pathophysiology.MethodsActivin-A, Activin-B and Follistatin levels were retrospectively analyzed in 574 serum samples from 263 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in three independent centers, and compared with common demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters. Optimal-scaling with ridge-regression was used to screen variables and establish a prediction model.ResultThe Activin/Follistatin-axis was significantly deregulated during the course of COVID-19, correlated with severity and independently associated with mortality. FACT-CLINYCoD, a novel disease scoring system, adding one point for each of Follista...
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The increasing incidence of drug- resistant pathogens raises an urgent need to identify and isolate new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants using standardized modern analytical procedures. Medicinal plant-derived compounds could... more
The increasing incidence of drug- resistant pathogens raises an urgent need to identify and isolate new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants using standardized modern analytical procedures. Medicinal plant-derived compounds could provide novel straightforward approaches against pathogenic bacteria. This review explores the antimicrobial activity of plant-derived components, their possible mechanisms of action, as well as their chemical potential. The focus is put on the current challenges and future perspectives surrounding medicinal plants antimicrobial activity. There are some inherent challenges regarding medicinal plant extracts and their antimicrobial efficacy. Appropriate and optimized extraction methodology plant species dependent leads to upgraded and selective extracted compounds. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests for the determination of the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts may show variations in obtained results. Moreover, there are several difficulties and ...
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The human gastrointestinal tract carries a large number of microorganisms associated with complex metabolic processes and interactions. Although antibiotic treatment is crucial for combating infections, its negative effects on the... more
The human gastrointestinal tract carries a large number of microorganisms associated with complex metabolic processes and interactions. Although antibiotic treatment is crucial for combating infections, its negative effects on the intestinal microbiota and host immunity have been shown to be of the utmost importance. Multiple studies have recognized the adverse consequences of antibiotic use upon the gut microbiome in adults and neonates, causing dysbiosis of the microbiota. Repeated antibiotic treatments in clinical care or low-dosage intake from food could be contributing factors in this issue. Researchers in both human and animal studies have strived to explain this multifaceted relationship. The present review intends to elucidate the axis of the gastrointestinal microbiota and antibiotics resistance and to highlight the main aspects of the issue.
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The aim of this study was to estimate the immunogenic effect of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. This study included 510 participants who received mRNA vaccine. The measurement of anti-COVID-19 antibodies was performed using the Abbott... more
The aim of this study was to estimate the immunogenic effect of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. This study included 510 participants who received mRNA vaccine. The measurement of anti-COVID-19 antibodies was performed using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG quantitative assay (Abbott). Overall, mean titer of anti-Spike antibodies was 19,319.2 ± 1787.5 AU/mL. Vaccination induced a robust immunogenic response in those previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared with non-infected subjects. Additionally, individuals that were asymptomatic after vaccination produced lower levels of antibodies compared to feverish individuals. In conclusion, remarkably high levels of anti-Spike COVID-19 antibodies were observed after vaccination.
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Over the last decades, the incidence of diabetes has increased in developed countries and beyond the genetic impact, environmental factors, which can trigger the activation of the gut immune system, seem to affect the induction of the... more
Over the last decades, the incidence of diabetes has increased in developed countries and beyond the genetic impact, environmental factors, which can trigger the activation of the gut immune system, seem to affect the induction of the disease process. Since the composition of the gut microbiome might disturb the normal interaction with the immune system and contribute to altered immune responses, the restoration of normal microbiota composition constitutes a new target for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Thus, the interaction of gut microbiome and diabetes, focusing on mechanisms connecting gut microbiota with the occurrence of the disorder, is discussed in the present review. Finally, the challenge of functional food diet on maintaining intestinal health and microbial flora diversity and functionality, as a potential tool for the onset inhibition and management of the disease, is highlighted by reporting key animal studies and clinical trials. Early onset of the disease i...
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Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been recently proposed as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Cystatin C (Cyst C) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) are novel biomarkers for the earlier... more
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been recently proposed as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Cystatin C (Cyst C) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) are novel biomarkers for the earlier detection of latent kidney disease. The aim of the study was to assess serum Cyst C and NGAL levels in otherwise healthy OSAS patients and to explore possible associations with sleep parameters. Consecutive subjects (n = 96, 79.2% males), without known comorbidities, with symptoms suggestive of OSAS were included. All of them underwent polysomnography (PSG) and blood examination for the measurement of serum Cyst C and NGAL levels. Based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), subjects were classified into two groups: 32 controls and 64 OSAS patients, with no significant differences in terms of age (50.1 ± 11.7 vs 51 ± 12.2 years, p = 0.747) and BMI (33.9 ± 8.8 vs 35.9 ± 13.1 kg/m, p = 0.449). Serum Cyst C and NGAL mean levels were higher in OSAS patients compa...