Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease: Review and Meta-Analysis.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, reaching 60-80% of case totals, and is one of the major global causes of the elderly population's decline in functionality concerning daily life activities. Epidemiological research has already indicated that, in addition to several others metabolic factors, diabetes mellitus type 2 is a risk factor of Alzheimer's disease. Many molecular pathways have been described, and at the same time, there are clues that suggest the connection between type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease, through specific genes, autophagy, and even inflammatory pathways.

Neurological manifestations of long-COVID syndrome: a narrative review.

Accumulating evidence points toward a very high prevalence of prolonged neurological symptoms among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors. To date, there are no solidified criteria for 'long-COVID' diagnosis. Nevertheless, 'long-COVID' is conceptualized as a multi-organ disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations that may be indicative of underlying pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrine, hematologic, renal, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, immunological, psychiatric, or neurological disease.

Guillain-Barré syndrome and fulminant encephalomyelitis following Ad26.COV2.S vaccination: double jeopardy.

This correspondence comments on a published article presenting a case of rhombencephalitis following SARS-CoV-2-vaccination with the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech). We also present the case of a 47-year-old man who developed Guillain-Barré-syndrome and a fulminant encephalomyelitis 28 days after immunization with Ad26.COV2.

Omentin Is Independently Associated with Stroke Severity and Ipsilateral Carotid Artery Stenosis in Patients with Acute Cerebral Ischemia.

Mounting evidence indicates an association between adipokines and inflammation-related atherosclerosis. Here, we sought to investigate the association of vaspin and omentin with clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with acute cerebral ischemia (ACI). Consecutive ACI patients were evaluated within 24 h from symptom-onset.

Referral for "Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy" for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer to a Multidisciplinary Board: Patterns, Management and Outcomes.

Background: Utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer in everyday practice differs from that of clinical trials. We describe the patterns of referral for "neoadjuvant chemotherapy", treatment and outcomes in a multidisciplinary tumor board.

Methods: This was an observational study.

The effect of the COVID pandemic lockdown measures on surgical emergencies: experience and lessons learned from a Greek tertiary hospital.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in healthcare demands leading to significant restructuring of hospital emergency departments worldwide. The aim of the present study is twofold: firstly, to discern any differences in regard to reason for surgical emergency department (SED) attendance and hospital admission during the pandemic and pre-pandemic eras in Greece, and secondly, to assess the impact of the lockdown measures implemented during the pandemic on SED patient attendance.

Methods: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece (1 March 2020) and up to 15 December 2020, the charts of all adult patients arriving at the SED of the third surgical department of the "Attikon" University Hospital (a tertiary referral center for surgical and COVID-19 cases) were retrospectively reviewed and broken down in four periods reflecting two nationwide lockdown (period A 1/3/2020 to 30/4/2020 and period D 16/10/2020 to 15/12/2020) and two interim (period B 1/5/2020 to 15/6/2020 and period C 15/9/2020 to 30/10/2020) periods.

A Case of Meningococcal and HSV-2 Meningitis in a Patient Being Treated with Ustekinumab for Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris.

Unlabelled: Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare chronic inflammatory papulosquamous dermatosis affecting both adults and children. Six subtypes of PRP have been described. Recently, the management of PRP with biologic immunosuppressive agents regularly used in psoriasis has been supported by several case reports and series.

Polycystin-1 induces activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and promotes angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma.

In the present study we investigated the expression and the functional role of mechanosensitive polycystins in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In 115 RCC patients we evaluated the protein expression of polycystin-1 (PC1), polycystin-2 (PC2), VEGF and protein components of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which have been implicated both in RCC and polycystic kidney disease. PC1 and PC2 demonstrated reduced expression throughout the RCC tissue compared to the adjacent normal tissue.

Blood-based analysis of 84 microRNAs identifies molecules deregulated in individuals with type-2 diabetes, risk factors for the disease or metabolic syndrome.

Aim: Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in insulin-signaling and the development of type-2 diabetes (T2D). Their deregulated expression is mostly described in the pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, or adipose tissue of diabetic animals. Relevant studies in humans are limited due to difficulties in accessing tissue-biopsies.

Decreased expression of microRNAs targeting type-2 diabetes susceptibility genes in peripheral blood of patients and predisposed individuals.

Aim: Certain microRNA molecules (miRNAs) that target genes involved in beta-cell growth and insulin resistance are found deregulated in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and correlate with its complications. However, the expression profile of miRNAs that regulate genes bearing T2D-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms has been hardly studied. We recently reported that the mRNA patterns of specific T2D-susceptibility genes are impaired in patients, and associate with disease parameters and risk factors.

Blood-based analysis of type-2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility genes identifies specific transcript variants with deregulated expression and association with disease risk.

Despite significant progress by genome-wide association studies, the ability of genetic variants to conduce to the prediction or prognosis of type-2 diabetes (T2D) is weak. Expression analysis of the corresponding genes may suggest possible links between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and T2D phenotype and/or risk. Herein, we investigated the expression patterns of 24 T2D-susceptibility genes, and their individual transcript variants (tv), in peripheral blood of T2D patients and controls (CTs), applying RNA-seq and real-time qPCR methodologies, and explore possible associations with disease features.

Circulating adipokines and mRNA expression in adipose tissue and the placenta in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Maternal adipose tissue and the placenta secrete various molecules commonly called adipokines such as chemerin, omentin-1, visfatin, adiponectin, and leptin that are important players in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as a state of glucose intolerance characterized by β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. To examine whether circulating adipokines and their mRNA expression in the adipose tissue and the placenta are altered in GDM pregnancy, we compared 15 GDM women [obese (BMI > 30) and non-obese (BMI < 30)] to 23 NGT (normal glucose tolerance) women [obese and non-obese], at the time of the Cesarean section.

Plasma Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in the Differential Diagnosis of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: Plasma GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) has recently emerged as a potential biomarker for the differentiation of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) from acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We prospectively assessed the diagnostic accuracy of GFAP in the differential diagnosis of ICH.

Methods: Consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department within 6 hours from symptom onset were evaluated.

Alterations in Plasma Triglyceride Concentrations Following Two Oral Meals with Different Fat Content in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Enhanced postprandial lipaemia has been reported in patients with obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We compared 2 oral fat meal tests (LIPOLD: 149g of fat, 56g of carbohydrates and 11.7g of proteins administrated per 2m2 of body surface) and LIPOTEST: 75g of fat, 25g of carbohydrates and 10g of protein with the addition of 15g common sugar) with regard to changes in triglycerides (TGs) as well as other cardiometabolic parameters between baseline and 4 h after the meals.

Updated risk factors should be used to predict development of diabetes.

Aims: Predicting incident diabetes could inform treatment strategies for diabetes prevention, but the incremental benefit of recalculating risk using updated risk factors is unknown. We used baseline and 1-year data from the Nateglinide and Valsartan in Impaired Glucose Tolerance Outcomes Research (NAVIGATOR) Trial to compare diabetes risk prediction using historical or updated clinical information.

Methods: Among non-diabetic participants reaching 1year of follow-up in NAVIGATOR, we compared the performance of the published baseline diabetes risk model with a "landmark" model incorporating risk factors updated at the 1-year time point.

Vascular risk factors and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis: are conventional pharmacological approaches protective for cognitive decline progression?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for more than half of cases with cognitive impairment. With numbers of patients expected to rise sharply over the following years in parallel with the ageing of population, there is intense clinical interest in discovering modifiable risk factors that may contribute to the increasing prevalence of AD. Accumulating data from in vitro and epidemiological studies have highlighted the vascular component of AD and raised hope that treatment of vascular risk factors could eventually lead to primary prevention of AD.

Adipose tissue lipolysis and circulating lipids in acute and subacute critical illness: effects of shock and treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess lipid metabolism at the tissue level in critically ill subjects.

Materials And Methods: We studied 182 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome/severe sepsis or shock during the acute (day 1) and subacute phase of critical illness (day 6). All subjects had a tissue microdialysis (MD) catheter placed in femoral adipose tissue upon admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Cytokines, diabetes mellitus and psychopathology: a challenging combination.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α with trait and state psychological factors in type 2 diabetic patients.

Design: Patients were divided in two groups. Group A consisted of 86 controlled diabetic patients (HbA1c<7) and the Group B consisted of 45 uncontrolled diabetic patients (HbA1c ≥ 7).

Endothelial progenitor cells as a cardiometabolic risk factor marker in prediabetes.

Objective: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have recently been considered as a potential novel marker of vascular integrity, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. This study was performed to investigate the main determinants of EPC levels in individuals with prediabetes.

Design: Thirty-nine participants with newly diagnosed prediabetes were enrolled.

Association of lean body mass with cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objective: Aim of this study was to investigate the association of total and regional lean body mass (LBM) with cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy obese and nonobese postmenopausal women.

Methods: A total of 150 postmenopausal women (age 54 ± 7 years, BMI 29.6 ± 5.

High insulin and leptin increase resistin and inflammatory cytokine production from human mononuclear cells.

Resistin and the proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF- α , IL-6, and IL-1 β , produced by adipocytes, and macrophages, are considered to be important modulators of chronic inflammation contributing to the development of obesity and atherosclerosis. Human monocyte-enriched mononuclear cells, from ten healthy individuals, were exposed to high concentrations of insulin, leptin, and glucose (alone or in combination) for 24 hours in vitro. Resistin, TNF- α , IL-6, and IL-1 β production was examined and compared to that in untreated cells.

Comparing classic and newer phenotypes in Greek PCOS women: the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and their association with insulin resistance.

Objective: Recently, it has been debated whether the new polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes, according to the Rotterdam criteria, share the same metabolic risk with the classic ones (National Institutes of Health 1990). Our study sought to compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and glucose homeostasis disorders in Greek women with classic and new PCOS phenotypes.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred and sixty-six Greek PCOS women were recruited and divided into groups according to two of the three Rotterdam criteria that they fulfilled.

Prevalence of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis in Caucasians: a prospective, multicenter, transcranial Doppler study.

Background: There are limited data available regarding symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis (SIA) prevalence in Caucasians. We sought to investigate SIA prevalence among Caucasian patients hospitalized with acute cerebral ischemia (ACI) in a prospective, multicenter Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) study.

Methods: Consecutive patients with ACI were prospectively evaluated with TCD over a 24-month-period.

The prevalence of glucose metabolism abnormalities in Greek women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

The prevalence of glucose metabolism abnormalities in PCOS women worldwide varies between 10 and 40% but there are no data in Greek PCOS women. In this retrospective study the prevalence of glucose abnormalities and the indices of insulin resistance (IR) and whole-body insulin sensitivity were estimated in a Greek population with PCOS. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2DM) were calculated.