From Acute Infection to Prolonged Health Consequences: Understanding Health Disparities and Economic Implications in Long COVID Worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a growing number of patients experiencing persistent symptoms and physiological changes after recovering from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as Long COVID. Long COVID is characterized by recurring symptoms and inflammation across multiple organ systems. Diagnosis can be challenging, influenced by factors like demographics, comorbidities, and immune responses.

Syntenin-1-mediated arthritogenicity is advanced by reprogramming RA metabolic macrophages and Th1 cells.

Objectives: Syntenin-1, a novel endogenous ligand, was discovered to be enriched in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) specimens compared with osteoarthritis synovial fluid and normal synovial tissue (ST). However, the cellular origin, immunoregulation and molecular mechanism of syntenin-1 are undescribed in RA.

Methods: RA patient myeloid and lymphoid cells, as well as preclinical models, were used to investigate the impact of syntenin-1/syndecan-1 on the inflammatory and metabolic landscape.

Inhibition of IRAK4 dysregulates SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-induced macrophage inflammatory and glycolytic reprogramming.

Escalated innate immunity plays a critical role in SARS-CoV-2 pathology; however, the molecular mechanism is incompletely understood. Thus, we aim to characterize the molecular mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein advances human macrophage (Mϴ) inflammatory and glycolytic phenotypes and uncover novel therapeutic strategies. We found that human Mϴs exposed to Spike protein activate IRAK4 phosphorylation.

Metabolic reprogramming of macrophages instigates CCL21-induced arthritis.

This study was designed to delineate the functional significance of CCL21 in metabolic reprogramming in experimental arthritis and differentiated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) macrophages (MΦs). To characterize the influence of CCL21 on immunometabolism, its mechanism of action was elucidated by dysregulating glucose uptake in preclinical arthritis and RA MΦs. In CCL21 arthritic joints, the glycolytic intermediates hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), cMYC and GLUT1 were overexpressed compared with oxidative regulators estrogen-related receptor γ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 (PGC1)-α.

IRAK4 inhibitor mitigates joint inflammation by rebalancing metabolism malfunction in RA macrophages and fibroblasts.

Recent studies show a connection between glycolysis and inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) macrophages (MΦs) and fibroblasts (FLS). Yet, it is unclear which pathways could be targeted to rebalance RA MΦs and FLS metabolic reprogramming. To identify novel targets that could normalize RA metabolic reprogramming, TLR7-mediated immunometabolism was characterized in RA MΦs, FLS and experimental arthritis.

Consideration on some hormone binding proteins patterns during pregnancy.

Serum concentrations of sex hormone binding globulin, transcortin, thyroxine binding globulin, transthyretin together with retinol binding protein, ceruloplasmin, transferrin and albumin were measured sequentially in pregnant women in order to derive more definite suppositions relating to the prime function of hormone binding proteins. Thus, the fact that except for transthyretin all other specific hormone binding proteins exhibited appreciable but significantly variable increases would suggest: a) the apparent existence of more complex mechanisms regulating protein metabolism during pregnancy than hitherto postulated (i.e.

Ultrafiltrable copper and related analytes in maternal and cord blood.

We utilized the Amicon micropartition system (MPS-1) to prepare ultrafiltrates of serum for evaluating non-protein-bound copper (NPBCu). The method is rapid (a usual turnaround time less than 2 h), practical (only 1 mL of serum is required), and reproducible (average CV = 5.7% within assay and 9.

Free amino acids, copper, iron and zinc composition in sera of patients with thyrometabolic diseases.

Free amino acids together with copper, iron and zinc were measured in sera of 67 adult patients with thyrotoxicosis (n = 29) or hypothyroidism (n = 38). In contradistinction to the almost indifferences exhibited by the three metals, many amino acids displayed significant relationships with the thyrometabolic activity (mainly tyrosine and arginine with r values of 0.5 and 0.

The diagnostic significance of serological screening of patients with uveitis.

A prospective clinical and serological study was carried out in 165 consecutive patients with anterior uveitis (AU), and a control group comprising 110 healthy volunteers, and 70 patients with Behcet's disease. It appeared from our analysis that infections such as syphilis and brucellosis should be suspected in non-responsive cases of anterior uveitis. Furthermore, a highly significant frequency (41%) of sero-positive herpes simplex virus (HSV) antibodies in patients with AU would suggest a possible role of this virus in the etiology of anterior uveitis.

Deprecating the diagnostic significance of free thyroxine levels in human serum.

Prime diagnostic importance has been postulated for the measurement of free thyroxine in human serum. During the past decade various innovative and routinely applicable techniques have been developed for its assay, and claims for their superior performance in clinical practice have subsequently been made. However, in our opinion, based on current literature concerning thyroxine metabolism together with basic information about the physicochemical characteristics that govern its intravascular distribution, it seems appropriate to indicate caution against overestimating the diagnostic sensitivity attributed to free thyroxine measurement irrespective of assay methodology and its conceptual elegance.

Etiologic role of infectious agents in uveitis.

A prospective clinical and serological study of 120 consecutive patients with anterior uveitis, 15 with posterior uveitis, and 110 healthy volunteers was carried out. It appeared from our findings that infections such as syphilis and brucellosis should be suspected in non-responsive cases of anterior uveitis. Furthermore, a highly significant frequency (41%) of seropositive HSV antibodies in our patients would suggest the possibility of its role in the etiology of uveitis.

Non-separation radioassay for cortisol binding capacity in human serum.

A radioassay for the measurement of cortisol binding capacity in human serum was developed and the results validated by radioimmunoassay of serum corticosteroid binding globulin. The mini-scale method is simple, reliable and rapid, and avoids separation of partitioned phases. The linear correlation between the free cortisol index and free cortisol concentration as calculated by the two methods utilizing serum samples with normal and abnormal protein concentrations was r = 0.

Distribution of thyroid diseases and evaluation of laboratory parameters used in their diagnosis.

A retrospective rationalization of commonly performed tests and procedures for the assessment of patients with suspected thyroid disease was attempted. The final diagnosis, in 392 consecutive new referrals to a central thyroid clinic, was primarily established by combined criteria of clinical/scintigraphic/cytopathologic findings. Detailed statistical analysis and evaluation of the accumulated data have demonstrated that: (a) only 15.

A simple and economical method for the preparation of adsorbents for the thyroid hormone uptake test.

A low-cost and simple method has been developed for the preparation of human or animal protein-based adsorbents for use in the thyroid hormone uptake test. A combination of sodium sulphate precipitation and glutaraldehyde polymerisation of pooled whole serum or purified albumin preparations was employed to yield a fine solid-phase suspension which eliminates the need for capping and rotating assay tubes. Results for 107 samples obtained by this method correlated well with those obtained by use of a commercial kit.

Clinical and laboratory evaluation of a commercial kit for measurement of serum free thyroxin ("Amerlex Free T4").

Different indexes of thyroid function were determined in conjunction with values obtained with a new commercial radioimmunoassay kit for serum free thyroxin, in 49 apparently healthy subjects, 87 pregnant women, and 142 outpatients attending the thyroid clinic. The results indicate a diagnostic success rate of 88% when free thyroxin was measured instead of estimating the so-called free thyroxin index. Furthermore, in three cases of papillary carcinoma the concentration of free thyroxin was increased, although all the other laboratory tests indicated a euthyroid state.