Direct Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution Worsens the Functional Status of Stroke Patients Treated with Mechanical Thrombectomy.

Background The effect of air pollutants on the functional status of stroke patients in short-term follow-up is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of air pollution occurring in the stroke period and during hospitalization on the functional status of patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods Our study included stroke patients for which the individual-level exposure to ambient levels of O, CO, SO, NO, PM2.

Influence of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy on levels of fibroblast growth factor 21, adiponectin and biochemical parameters in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

The aim was to assess whether fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) and adiponectin influence intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) pathogenesis and whether ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has an impact on their levels. 50 pregnant women with ICP (ICP PW), 50 with uncomplicated pregnancy (HPW) and 50 healthy nonpregnant women (HW) were included. In ICP PW the first blood sample was drawn at the time of diagnosis, while in HPW it was drawn in the 28 week of pregnancy.

Irisin in Liver Cirrhosis.

Background: Sarcopenia is a prevalent muscle abnormality characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, common among patients with decompensated advanced chronic liver disease (dACLD). Irisin is a recently identified myokine, which is mainly expressed and secreted by skeletal muscle. Pointing to the essential role of irisin in metabolic regulation and energy expenditure we hypothesize that it plays an important role in cirrhosis development and progression.

Serum betatrophin and irisin levels in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development is a complex process with well-known risk factors, however the role of betatrophin/angiopoietin-like protein 8 and irisin has been poorly investigated thus far. The aim of this study is to measure betatrophin and irisin serum levels in HCC, cirrhotic patients and controls, assess their relationship with cancer etiology and grade, metabolic abnormalities and liver dysfunction severity. Serum betatrophin and irisin concentrations were measured with commercially available ELISA kits in 69 cirrhotic patients with HCC, 24 patients with non-viral cirrhosis and 20 healthy volunteers.

Serum visfatin and vaspin levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer, accountable for 90% cases. Visfatin and vaspin are adipocytokines with various suggested functions and proven significant correlations between BMI and percentage of body fat. The aim was to assess visfatin and vaspin serum levels in HCC patients and controls, compare their levels in patients with different cancer etiology and grade assessed according to the Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system.