Prediction Models of Severity in Acute Biliary Pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis is a common condition with a variable prognosis. While the overall mortality rate of acute pancreatitis is relatively low, ranging between 3 and 5% in most cases, severe forms can result in significantly higher morbidity and mortality. Therefore, early risk assessment is crucial for optimizing management and treatment.

Capillaroscopic Insights: Exploring the Connection Between Microvascular Changes and Pulmonary Manifestations in Systemic Sclerosis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex connective tissue disease characterized by microangiopathy, immune dysregulation, and fibrosis. Early detection of microvascular abnormalities using nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) is crucial in assessing disease progression and associated disease's involvement such as interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationships correlation between NVC patterns, clinical manifestations, and systemic complications in SSc.

Subclinical Enthesopathy in Psoriasis-An Ultrasonographic Study.

The present study is aimed at assessing the presence and prevalence of subclinical entheseal changes in Psoriasis (PsO) patients using musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US), conjoined with the analysis of possible differences in terms of demographic, clinical, or biological features. We carried out an observational study on 54 patients with PsO and 40 controls. Subclinical enthesopathy, according to OMERACT definitions, was identified in 20 of the psoriasis patients (37.

Ultrasound Features in Gout: An Overview.

The accurate diagnosis of gout frequently constitutes a challenge in clinical practice, as it bears a close resemblance to other rheumatologic conditions. An undelayed diagnosis and an early therapeutic intervention using uric acid lowering therapy (ULT) is of the utmost importance for preventing bone destruction, the main point of managing gout patients. Advanced and less invasive imaging techniques are employed to diagnose the pathology and ultrasonography (US) stands out as a non-invasive, widely accessible and easily reproducible method with high patient acceptability, enabling the evaluation of the full clinical spectrum in gout.

Skin Ultrasound Assessment of Patients with Systemic Scleroderma-An Observational Study.

This study aims to analyze the changes in dermal thickness in patients with systemic scleroderma (SSc) in comparison with normal skin and also compare clinical forms with diffuse and limited cutaneous involvement. The study group consisted of female patients diagnosed with SSc with a disease history not exceeding 5 years. The areas of interest for ultrasound examination included the proximal phalanx of the third finger, the second intermetacarpal space, and the extension surface of the lower third of the forearm.

Review: A Contemporary, Multifaced Insight into Psoriasis Pathogenesis.

Psoriasis is a chronic recurrent inflammatory autoimmune pathology with a significant genetic component and several interferences of immunological cells and their cytokines. The complex orchestration of psoriasis pathogenesis is related to the synergic effect of immune cells, polygenic alterations, autoantigens, and several other external factors. The major act of the IL-23/IL-17 axis, strongly influencing the inflammatory pattern established during the disease activity, is visible as a continuous perpetuation of the pro-inflammatory response and keratinocyte activation and proliferation, leading to the development of psoriatic lesions.

Microbiota-Accessible Boron-Containing Compounds in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

The microbiota-gut-brain axis has garnered increasing attention in recent years for its role in various health conditions, including neuroinflammatory disorders like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic neuropathic pain, and its etiology and pathophysiology remain elusive. Emerging research suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota composition and function could play a significant role in CRPS development and progression.

MMP-13, VEGF, and Disease Activity in a Cohort of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

Identifying certain serum biomarkers associated with the degree of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity can provide us with a more accurate view of the evolution, prognosis, and future quality of life for these patients. Our aim was to analyze the presence and clinical use of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), along with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and well-known cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) for patients with RA. We also wanted to identify the possible correlations between MMP-13 and these serological markers, as well as their relationship with disease activity indices, quality of life, and ultrasonographic evaluation.

Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering: Current Techniques and Challenges.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global mortality. Over the past two decades, researchers have tried to provide novel solutions for end-stage heart failure to address cardiac transplantation hurdles such as donor organ shortage, chronic rejection, and life-long immunosuppression. Cardiac decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) has been widely explored as a promising approach in tissue-regenerative medicine because of its remarkable similarity to the original tissue.

Staphylococcus aureus-induced septic arthritis of the ankle related to malum perforans in a diabetes patient.

Septic arthritis (SA) is a less common joint pathology with potentially fatal outcome. It is considered a medical emergency, in which prompt diagnosis and differentiation of bacterial etiology is essential for appropriate management. The knee is the most prevalent site for SA (~50% of cases), followed by hip, shoulder, and elbow.

Opportunistic Colonoscopy Cancer Screening Pays off in Romania-A Single-Centre Study.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer in men (after prostate and lung cancers) and in women (after breast and lung cancer). It is the second cause of cancer death in men (after lung cancer) and the third one in women (after breast and lung cancers). It is estimated that, in EU-27 countries in 2020, colorectal cancer accounted for 12.

Antibiotic Resistance, Still a Global Challenge.

The use of antibiotics represents a major health problem worldwide because they are often administered without medical prescription. This has led to different situations starting from a large use in inappropriate cases without medical recommendation, to a major issue that represents antimicrobial resistance. Our aim was to identify the opinion of healthcare workers (physicians and pharmacists) about the most effective solution at reducing antimicrobial resistance, helping the policy makers to take a decision.

Vitamin Status as Predictors in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of long term disability in EU with a significant impact on health care system and with increased social and economic costs. Despite of recent advances in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research field, here is still lacking of specific biomarkers that can be used in order to distinguish between different RA patterns and the clinical criteria are still the main tool used only for classification of diseases. Our hypothesis is that the vitamin deficiency associated with chronic inflammation can lead to a mild increase in Hcy level in blood that can act as predictor of increased risk of complication in RA patients.

Entheseal involvement in a group of psoriatic arthritis patients: An ultrasonographic study.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory potentially destructive disease that requires early diagnosis and therapeutic approach. Its main pathogenic event and the condition's hallmark is considered to be enthesitis. Clinical examination of the enthesis can be a challenge in the clinical practice; thus, ultrasonography (US) has emerged as an indispensable imaging tool for evaluating both structural and inflammatory changes of this structure.

Extending and validating the Baveno VI criteria for the exclusion of high-risk varices.

Aim: The updated Baveno VI guidelines recommend that screening for high-risk varices (HRV) by esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) can be avoided in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) who have liver stiffness LSM<20 kPa and platelet count PLT>150,000/L. The aims of this study were to validate extended Baveno VI criteria in patients with chronic liver disease and to establish cut-off values for our cohort.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 839 patients with liver cirrhosis evaluated by Transient Elastography (TE), biological tests, and upper endos-copy, all within one year.

Facing the Unseen - Metabolic Syndrome in Psoriatic Arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous multifaceted inflammatory artropathy, associated or not with psoriasis, part of the spondyloarthropaties group. Beyond articular and skin manifestations, patients with psoriatic disease are prone to associated comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity and metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or fatty liver disease; in order to improve the prognosis and the quality of life for these patients, it is mandatory to prevent, identify and properly manage any of the comorbidities. We aimed to assess the presence of traditional CV risk factors and MetS in a group of PsA patients, compared to controls and their possible inter-relation.

JAK/STAT pathway in pathology of rheumatoid arthritis (Review).

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is classified as an inflammatory, chronic autoimmune and disabling disease based on the intricate interplay between environmental and genetic factors. With a prevalence ranging from 0.3 to 1%, RA is the most prevalent inflammatory joint disease observed in adults.