Publications by authors named "Georgios Barkas"

Article Synopsis
  • The review evaluates the potential of pioglitazone, an anti-diabetic medication, as a treatment for asthma by examining its effects on asthma control and lung function based on existing studies.
  • It summarizes findings from both animal studies, which indicate improvements in airway inflammation and lung function, and clinical trials, which show minimal benefits and notable side effects in human asthma patients.
  • The conclusion highlights that while preliminary data from animal studies is promising, the efficacy of pioglitazone in treating asthma in humans is still unproven, necessitating further research to clarify its safety and effectiveness.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the psychological impact of asthma, finding a significant prevalence of psychopathological symptoms among patients.
  • 23.8% of participants reported somatization and compulsive behaviors, while 38.1% experienced depression, with women showing higher symptom scores.
  • Factors such as longer disease duration, uncontrolled asthma, and comorbid conditions were linked to increased psychopathological issues, highlighting the need for holistic treatment approaches.
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Small airway disease (SAD) is a pathological condition that affects the bronchioles and non-cartilaginous airways 2 mm or less in diameter. These airways play a crucial role in respiratory function and are often implicated in various pulmonary disorders. Pulmonary fibrotic diseases are characterized by the thickening and scarring of lung tissue, leading to progressive respiratory failure.

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The biological functions of osteopontin (OPN) are diverse and specific to physiological and pathophysiological conditions implicated in inflammation, biomineralization, cardiovascular diseases, cellular viability, cancer, diabetes, and renal stone disease. We aimed to present the role of OPN in respiratory health and disease. OPN influences the immune system and is a chemo-attractive protein correlated with respiratory disease severity.

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Hypertensive nephropathy is the second most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease in western societies. In previous experiments in our laboratory with proteomic analysis of renal parenchyma of SHR hypertensive animals, we identified two molecules, namely SGLT2 and CLIC4, associated with the development of hypertension. Here, we apply the methodology of targeted proteomic analysis in kidney biopsies from patients with hypertensive nephropathy to study the role of SGLT2 and CLIC4 in the pathogenesis of the disease.

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Background: Hypertensive nephropathy, a leading cause of declining kidney function, is a multifactorial process not well understood. In order to elucidate biological processes and identify novel macromolecular components crucially involved in the process of kidney damage, the application of system biology approaches, like proteomics, is required.

Methods: Proteomic studies were performed using the renal parenchyma of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their normotensive Wistar Kyoto controls.

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The model biological organisms Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilis have been utilized to assess effects on apoptotic cell death of follicles during oogenesis and reproductive capacity (fecundity) decline. A total of 280 different experiments were performed using newly emerged flies exposed for short time daily for 3-7 d to various EMF sources including: GSM 900/1800 MHz mobile phone, 1880-1900 MHz DECT wireless base, DECT wireless handset, mobile phone-DECT handset combination, 2.44 GHz wireless network (Wi-Fi), 2.

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