Publications by authors named "Elena Hogea"

Background And Objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes due to their compromised immune systems and chronic inflammatory state. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the inflammatory status of COVID-19 patients with CKD, stratified by creatinine clearance (CrCl) levels: CrCl < 30 mL/min, CrCl 30-60 mL/min, and CrCl > 60 mL/min. Multiple inflammatory scores combining laboratory parameters were assessed, including novel scores and established indices.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the identification of biomarkers that can predict disease severity, particularly in vulnerable populations such as individuals with diabetes. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of inflammatory and liver function markers, specifically derived Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (dNLR), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-lymphocyte ratio (ALRI), AST to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), and Systemic Inflammation Index (SII), in COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes. This cross-sectional study included 336 participants, comprising 168 patients with diabetes matched with 168 without, based on gender, body mass index (BMI), and COVID-19 severity at hospitalization.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how different decontamination methods, including conventional and laser treatments, affect microbial growth on titanium (Ti) and zirconia (Zr) materials used in dental implants.
  • It involved testing four treatment groups (traditional methods, photodynamic therapy, Er:YAG laser, and a combination of both) and measuring their effectiveness by counting bacteria colonies.
  • Results showed that the combined treatment was the most effective, reducing microbial presence to zero on both materials, while traditional methods were less effective.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates antimicrobial resistance trends in bacterial uropathogens from patients in Western Romania during the pandemic (January 2020 - December 2022), revealing significant challenges in managing UTIs amidst COVID-19 pressures.
  • - A total of 378 positive urine samples were analyzed, with the most common uropathogen being E. coli (46.3% of cases) and significant resistance noted in E. coli to various antibiotics, including a rise in carbapenemase production to 52.5%.
  • - The findings emphasize the need for improved infection control and antibiotic stewardship to tackle the rising antimicrobial resistance, particularly among Gram-negative bacteria, as healthcare systems adapt post-pandemic.
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The emergence of SARS-CoV2 has presented itself as a significant global health crisis. The prevalence of thrombotic events is known to be high in these patients, affecting various organ systems, sometimes leading to cutaneous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism (PE), stroke, or coronary thrombosis. The available evidence suggests that thromboembolism, hypercoagulability, and the excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines play a significant role in the development of multiorgan failure.

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The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has had significant impacts on pulmonary function. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate pulmonary function and structure in patients 40 days post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, employing an array of testing methodologies including spirometry, plethysmography, forced oscillometry, and CT scanning. It also sought to establish potential correlations between these metrics and evaluate if forced oscillometry could provide additional value in post-infective lung function assessment.

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Data on bacterial or fungal pathogens and their impact on the mortality rates of Western Romanian COVID-19 patients are scarce. As a result, the purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of bacterial and fungal co- and superinfections in Western Romanian adults with COVID-19, hospitalized in in-ward settings during the second half of the pandemic, and its distribution according to sociodemographic and clinical conditions. The unicentric retrospective observational study was conducted on 407 eligible patients.

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Background: In orthodontic therapy, the enamel around brackets is very susceptible to bacterial-plaque retention, which represents a risk factor for dental tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of methylene blue and a chlorophyllin-phycocyanin mixture, used with and without light activation, in contrast with a 2% chlorhexidine solution, on Streptococcus mutans colonies.

Methods: Twenty caries-free human extracted teeth were randomized into five groups.

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Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in the pathophysiology of DKD involving actions of microRNAs (miRNAs). The aims of the study were to establish the involvement of selected lncRNAs in the epigenetic mechanisms of podocyte damage and tubular injury in DKD of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients in relation to a particular miRNAs profile. A total of 136 patients with type 2 DM and 25 healthy subjects were assessed in a cross-sectional study concerning urinary albumin: creatinine ratio (UACR), eGFR, biomarkers of podocyte damage (synaptopodin, podocalyxin) and of proximal tubule (PT) dysfunction (Kidney injury molecule-1-KIM-1, N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase-NAG), urinary lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1), myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT), taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1), urinary miRNA21, 124, 93, 29a.

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Maintaining an upright posture while talking or texting on the phone is a frequent dual-task demand. Using a within-subjects design, the aim of the present study was to assess the impact of a smartphone conversation or message texting on standing plantar pressure and postural balance performance in healthy young adults. Thirty-five subjects (mean age 21.

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Background: Over recent decades, a dramatic increase in infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens has been observed worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between local resistance bacterial patterns and antibiotic consumption in an intensive care unit in a Romanian university hospital.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2013.

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Background: Due to the vulnerable nature of its patients, the wide use of invasive devices and broad-spectrum antimicrobials used, the intensive care unit (ICU) is often called the epicentre of infections. In the present study, we quantified the burden of hospital acquired pathology in a Romanian university hospital ICU, represented by antimicrobial agents consumption, costs and local resistance patterns, in order to identify multimodal interventional strategies.

Methods: Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013, a prospective study was conducted in the largest ICU of Western Romania.

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In recent years, nutraceuticals attracted a great amount of attention in the biomedical research due to their significant contribution as natural agents for prevention of various health issues. Ethanolic extracts from the ungerminated and germinated seeds of L. and L.

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Aim: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have an increased risk of infections, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and etiology of UTIs and identify the risk factors for their development in patients with DM.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective, noninterventional study, the medical records of 2,465 adult patients with DM who were hospitalized in a Diabetes Clinic were reviewed.

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Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus agalactiae strains isolated from urocultures in order to obtain new data regarding circulating phenotypes in Urology Department.

Methods: For identifications of Streptococcus agalactiae strains we used Pastorex Strep (BioRad). The sensitivity of isolated germs to antimicrobials was tested using standardised Kirby-Bauer technique.

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From 1911 outpatients, who addressed a Timişoara private clinical laboratory, from January to December 2005, we collected 1,889 urine cultures, 431 being positive. Bacteria identification was generally done using morphological, cultural, biochemical characters and pathogenicity tests. Sensitivity testing to antimicrobial medical drugs was done by using the classical diffusion Kirby-Bauer method and the automatic analyzer Osiris, also.

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The aim of the study was to determine the aminoglycosides resistance of Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from urocultures. Identification of the germs was performed by the API system (BioMerieux) and susceptibility tests was performed by disk-diffusion test (CLSI standards) and with API strips. For detecting the resistance to aminoglycosides we used gentamicin, tobramycin, netilmicin and amikacin.

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Purposes: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of multiresistant germs with nosocomial potential and their main resistance phenotype and genotype patterns in surgical departments.

Methods: Identification of germs was performed by the API system (BioMerieux France) and susceptibility tests by disk-diffusion tests, (CLSI standards) with automatic reading methods (Osiris-Bio Rad Laboratories). ESBL producing E.

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In order to analyse the evolution of the sensitivity to antibiotics of same strains with nosocomial potential such as Klebsiella isolated in a hospital, we took into study a number of 976 samples, collected in a new-born care department of the "Dr. D. Popescu" hospital Timişoara.

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We studied 119 bacterial strains isolated from postoperative infected wounds. All these strains were considered to be strains that derived from the same number of nosocomial infections, all the postoperative infections of the wounds being nosocomial infections. Regarding their frequency, we isolated the following strains: E.

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We collected 312 samples from hospitalized patients in two hospitals in Timişoara between September-December 2003. We isolated 83 strains with nosocomial potential. Identification of the germs was performed using the automatic API system, and the susceptibility tests were performed using disc-diffusion and the agar dilution test.

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This study analyzes the sensitivity to meropenem of 880 bacterial strains isolated from hospitalized patients in various medical units of County Hospital No. 1 Timişoara. As a result, a high sensitivity of gram-negative pathogens to meropenem (82.

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Objectives: Between November 2001-January 2002 we collected 406 samples from patients hospitalized in Intensive Care adults and new-borns Unit (ICU). The aim was to observe the colonization and infection status with bacteria that may have nosocomial potential and to establish circulating phenotypes in ICUs.

Methods: The identification was performed by API (bioMerieux) method, and we have performed the antimicrobial susceptibility tests by both: API method and by Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion test.

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