Evaluating Interleukin-2 and Its Receptors As Indicators of Acute Renal Graft Rejection.

Introduction Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a cytokine that exerts its actions via binding to a variety of interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2R), thereby stimulating T-cell response. Acute renal graft rejection (AR) is known to be mediated by CD8+ T-cells, through the IL-2 pathway. The aim of this study was to determine whether IL-2 and IL-2R could work as prognostic biomarkers of AR.

Circulating resistin is a significant predictor of mortality independently from cardiovascular comorbidities in elderly, non-diabetic subjects with chronic kidney disease.

Context: Resistin is associated with inflammation, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) disease.

Objective: To associate circulating resistin with all-cause and CV mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Methods: Serum resistin was determined in a cohort of 80 elderly, non-diabetic patients with stable CKD at different stages in a follow-up period of 5 years.

Let-7, mir-98 and mir-183 as biomarkers for cancer and schizophrenia [corrected].

Recent evidence supports a role of microRNAs in cancer and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, through their regulatory role on the expression of multiple genes. The rather rare co-morbidity of cancer and schizophrenia is an old hypothesis which needs further research on microRNAs as molecules that might exert their oncosuppressive or oncogenic activity in the context of their role in psychiatric disorders. The expression pattern of a variety of different microRNAs was investigated in patients (N = 6) suffering from schizophrenia termed control, patients with a solid tumor (N = 10) and patients with both schizophrenia and tumor (N = 8).

A longitudinal study of alterations of hippocampal volumes and serum BDNF levels in association to atypical antipsychotics in a sample of first-episode patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with structural and functional abnormalities of the hippocampus, which have been suggested to play an important role in the formation and emergence of schizophrenia syndrome. Patients with schizophrenia exhibit significant bilateral hippocampal volume reduction and progressive hippocampal volume decrease in first-episode patients with schizophrenia has been shown in many neuroimaging studies. Dysfunction of the neurotrophic system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Correlates of serum resistin in elderly, non-diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Renal function may be a major determinant of resistin levels, since most studies revealed association between elevated resistin levels and decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis whether serum resistin is associated with markers of malnutrition and inflammation in elderly non-diabetic adults in different stages of CKD including hemodialysis.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 80 elderly patients divided in four groups of 20 patients each according to eGFR and matched for age (+/- 5 years) and gender.

Bladder cancer and arsenic through drinking water: a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence.

Exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) through drinking water is a major international public health issue. We carried out a systematic review of the existing literature examining the association between the risk of bladder cancer in humans and exposure to arsenic through drinking water. We searched electronic databases for studies published from January 2000 up to April 2013.

Development of novel LOXL1 genotyping method and evaluation of LOXL1, APOE and MTHFR polymorphisms in exfoliation syndrome/glaucoma in a Greek population.

Purpose: In the Greek population of Epirus, exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) occur at a high prevalence. In this study, we validate a novel lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) genotyping method, investigate the previously reported association of LOXL1 with XFS/XFG, and evaluate apolipoprotein E (APOE) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms as genetic risk factors for both conditions in our population.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 82 patients with XFG, 69 patients with XFS, 52 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and 107 controls.

State-of-the-art technology in modern computer-aided drug design.

The quest for small drug-like compounds that selectively inhibit the function of biological targets has always been a major focus in the pharmaceutical industry and in academia as well. High-throughput screening of compound libraries requires time, cost and resources. Therefore, the use of alternative methods is necessary for facilitating lead discovery.

Risk factors for fishermen's health and safety in Greece.

Background: This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first occupational health study in Greek fishing.

Aim: The aim of the study is to determine the risks for health and safety in Greek fisheries workers by exploring their health status and the health risk factors present in their occupational environment, thus providing a current baseline for further research in the future and for documentation of the needs for prevention.

Materials And Methods: A questionnaire pilot study was carried out in a random sample of 100 Greek fishermen.

Evaluation of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM (GA733-2), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels in colorectal cancer patients and correlation with clinicopathological characteristics.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The aim of our study was: a) to determine the CEA, CA 19-9, EGFR, and EpCAM (GA733-2) levels both in healthy volunteers and in colorectal cancer patients, b) to evaluate the ELISA method for EGFR and EpCAM (GA733-2) measurement, and c) to correlate the tumor marker levels with clinicopathological findings in the CRC patients group.

Methods: Our study was conducted on 50 blood samples obtained from CRC patients and 40 blood samples from healthy individuals.

Association of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-related polymorphisms with stress in asthmatic children on inhaled corticosteroids.

Objective: Long-term treatment of asthmatic children with low and moderate doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may result in mild adrenal suppression. Various associations have been shown between adrenal reactivity and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We aimed to investigate the genetic contribution of four HPA axis-related SNPs to the individual stress response when on ICS.

e-Herophilus: 24-hour personalised telecardiology services.

Telecardiology is the use of telemedicine for remote cardiological monitoring and healing. The international shift from traditional healthcare to electronic healthcare and the various telecardiology solutions available worldwide motivated our efforts to design and develop the e-Herophilus platform implementing a strategy to improve the quality and reliability of telecardiology in Greece. Our primary goal was to develop a national standard to consider the needs of rural, urban and telehomecare cardiological services provision ranging from children to adults and the elderly.

Global DNA hypomethylation-induced ΔNp73 transcriptional activation in non-small cell lung cancer.

p73 possesses an extrinsic P1 promoter and an intrinsic P2 promoter controlling the expression of the pro-apoptotic TAp73 isoforms and the anti-apoptotic ΔΝp73 isoforms respectively. In this study, we investigated the DNA methylation status of both promoters as a means of epigenetic transcriptional control of their corresponding isoforms in 102 primary non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs). We demonstrated that while P1 hypermethylation-associated reduction of TAp73 mRNA levels is relatively infrequent, the P2 hypomethylation-associated over-expression of ΔΝp73 mRNA is a frequent event, particularly among squamous cell carcinomas.

Reduced serum BDNF levels in patients with chronic schizophrenic disorder in relapse, who were treated with typical or atypical antipsychotics.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signals and dopaminergic function in the brain are strongly associated, and research on BDNF in schizophrenia may enhance our insights on the pathophysiological mechanisms of this disease. In the present study we aimed to investigate the possible association between serum BDNF levels and schizophrenic relapses and the possible differential effects of treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics on serum BDNF levels in the same group of patients. We measured serum BDNF levels in 47 patients with schizophrenia during a relapse and again 6 weeks after administration of antipsychotic treatment (14 on risperidone, 18 on haloperidol, 10 on olanzapine and five on amisulpride) and in 44 healthy volunteers.

Telemedicine in primary health care.

Here, the possibilities to build integrated primary health care telemedicine services are presented accompanied with available epistemic criteria for quality evaluation purposes. Given that the cost of sanitary care is increasing continuously the telemedicine approach is a challenge for providing quality care and at low cost to the rural citizens.

Telemedicine models for primary care.

The provision of healthcare from the distance is extremely important in primary care for all nations in the world and especially as a humanitarian response for developing countries. International experience has demonstrated the clinical value and the technical feasibility of telemedicine-based patient care and service collaboration in primary care. Various models are proposed herein on the basis of the available technological driving forces, arrangements and current practices.

Data mining challenges in the design of telemedicine platforms.

The evolution of telemedicine information systems involves the general processes of acquiring useful knowledge from medical data sets for diagnosis, intelligent efficient patient record transmission and autonomous adaptation of biomedical devices and their related software environments using quality of service attributes. Knowledge engineering concepts and methods allow application to the design of intelligent telemedicine platforms, satisfying the performance requirements and the quality assurance criteria of each specialized telemedicine application.