Increased lipocalin-2 expression in pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis.

Introduction: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with dismal prognosis. The underlying pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood, resulting in a lack of effective treatments. However, recurrent epithelial damage is considered critical for disease initiation and perpetuation, via the secretion of soluble factors that amplify inflammation and lead to fibroblast activation and exuberant deposition of ECM components.

SRC and TKS5 mediated podosome formation in fibroblasts promotes extracellular matrix invasion and pulmonary fibrosis.

The activation and accumulation of lung fibroblasts resulting in aberrant deposition of extracellular matrix components, is a pathogenic hallmark of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a lethal and incurable disease. In this report, increased expression of TKS5, a scaffold protein essential for the formation of podosomes, was detected in the lung tissue of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis patients and bleomycin-treated mice. Τhe profibrotic milieu is found to induce TKS5 expression and the formation of prominent podosome rosettes in lung fibroblasts, that are retained ex vivo, culminating in increased extracellular matrix invasion.

Collagen 1a1 Expression by Airway Macrophages Increases In Fibrotic ILDs and Is Associated With FVC Decline and Increased Mortality.

Within the Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD), patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and a subset of those with non-IPF fibrotic ILD have a distinct clinical phenotype of progression despite management. This group of patients has been collectively termed the progressive fibrotic phenotype (PFP). Their early recognition may facilitate access to antifibrotic therapies to prevent or slow progression.

Circulating miRNAs as Potential Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy.

Introduction: Disease recurrence is a major concern in patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) following treatment with radiotherapy (RT), and few studies have evaluated the clinical relevance of microRNAs (miRNAs) prior and post-RT.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the significance of miRNAs in the outcomes of prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and to identify the related pathways through bioinformatics analysis.

Materials And Methods: The expression levels of miR-21, miR-106b, miR-141 and miR-375 involved in the response to radiotherapy were assessed by RT-qPCR in the serum of PCa patients (n=56) prior- and post-RT.