Verbascum nigrum: Cytotoxicity Evaluation in A431 Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells and Untargeted LC-HR-MS/MS Metabolite Profiling.

The crude methanolic extract obtained from Verbascum nigrum aerial parts (VNE) and its six fractions (VNF1-VNF6) were initially screened regarding their effects on the viability of immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes and A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells (MTT assay, 24 h). None of the tested samples affected the viability of HaCaT cells in a concentration range of 25-150 μg/mL. VNE and VNF4 exhibited significant cytotoxic effects in A431 cells, with IC values of 81.

Posterior Capsule Opacification and Nd-YAG rates evaluation in a large series of pseudophakic cases.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of Intraocular Lens (IOL) material and design on Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) and Neodymium-YAG (Nd-YAG) rates in eyes implanted with different Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lenses (PC IOLs) designs at the end of uncomplicated cataract surgeries.

Setting: Oculus Eye Clinic, Bucharest, Romania.

Design: Retrospective, observational study.

Impact of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Functional Movement Disorders: Cortical Modulation or a Behavioral Effect?

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) improves functional movement disorders (FMDs), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The objective was to determine whether the beneficial action of TMS in patients with FMDs is due to cortical neuromodulation or rather to a cognitive-behavioral effect.

Method: Consecutive patients with FMDs underwent repeated low-frequency (0.

Inactivation of viruses using novel protein A wash buffers.

Low pH viral inactivation is typically performed in the eluate pool following the protein A capture step during the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies and Fc-fusion proteins. However, exposure to low pH has the potential to alter protein quality. To avoid these difficulties, novel wash buffers capable of inactivating viruses while antibodies or Fc-fusion proteins were bound to protein A or mixed mode resins were developed.

Mitigation of chromatography adsorbent lot performance variability through control of buffer solution design space.

The separation of undesired product-related impurities often poses a challenge in the purification of protein therapeutic species. Product-related impurity species, which may consist of undesirable isoforms, aggregated, or misfolded variants of the desired monomeric form of the product, can be challenging to remove using preparatory scale chromatographic techniques. When using anion exchange chromatography to remove undesirable product-related impurities, the separation can be highly sensitive to relatively small changes in the chromatography operating conditions, including changes to buffer solution pH, buffer solution conductivity protein loading, and operating temperature.

Plasma myeloperoxidase levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a glycoprotein released by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils, which takes part in the defence of the organism through production of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a potent oxidant. MPO has a role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the time course of MPO plasma levels in the early stage of ischemic stroke.

Changes of magnesium serum levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke and acute infections.

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency seems to be implicated in immune dysfunction, including acute and chronic infections. Magnesium serum levels in 53 patients with acute ischemic stroke and acute bacterial (37 patients) and acute viral infections (16 patients) (29 men and 24 women, mean age 68.6+/-4.

Relationship between quality of life and weight loss 1 year after gastric bypass.

Background/aims: Improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) along with decreasing obesity-related morbidity is one of the cornerstones of bariatric surgery. The aim of the study was to investigate how losing weight influences the HRQoL 1 year after gastric bypass and whether HRQoL prior to surgery predicts the amount of weight loss 1 year after gastric bypass.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine obese women [median (range): age 45 years (20-71), BMI 44 (29-88)] admitted for gastric bypass were selected prospectively and completed the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) quality of life questionnaire before and 1 year after surgery.

Phospholipase A2 in patients with noncardioembolic ischemic stroke and severe inflammatory reaction.

The inflammatory reaction is characterized by increased circulatory levels of various indicators of the severity of inflammation. The objective was to investigate the value of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in patients with noncardioembolic ischemic stroke and severe proinflammatory reaction. There were investigated prospectively Lp-PLA2 levels in sera from 47 patients with ischemic stroke and severe inflammatory reaction (32 men and 15 women, mean age 63 +/- 4.

Changes in plasma levels of complement in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Inflammatory processes are involved in cerebral ischemia. Patients with ischemic stroke may be predisposed to marked activation of the inflammatory system. The objective was to analyze the association between the level of complement at different stages after stroke and outcome.

Expression of IL-6 activity in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Cerebral ischemia initiates an inflammatory response in the brain and periphery. Inflammatory mechanisms, including IL-6, are suspected to play a role in arterial thrombogenesis. Their presence in the periphery is still controversial.

Detecting anti-prothrombin antibodies in young women with acute ischemic stroke.

Prothrombin (PT) is a target for antibodies with lupus anticoagulant (LA) activity. Anti-prothrombin antibodies (aPT) were recently identified as antibodies directed toward a phospholipid-binding protein. aPT are a new serologic marker of antiphospholipid syndrome.

Some clinico-immunological aspects in patients with ocular myasthenia gravis associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

The link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) is thought to be related to the production of autoantibodies. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of some antibodies in OMG patients with IBD. Sixty-four patients with IBD and neurological symptoms were examined neurologically and immunologically (41 men and 23 women, mean age 43-5.

Interleukin-2 alterations in the immune status of patients with mammary neoplasm.

Immune control is achieved by the balance between tumour reduction mechanisms and the "immunological creeping" phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to look into the alterations of the immune effector component in the case of mammary tumours. The study included 42 cases of women with a clinical diagnosis of mammary tumour, initially referred for surgery, with a mean age of 45.

Immune mechanisms in the process of hepatopathies chronicization. Contribution and role of lymphokines.

The study attempts to evaluate the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis. We have used EIA sensitive methods to determine the serum concentration in patients with chronic active hepatitis of HB (+) (CAH-HE Ag+) antigen, with chronic active hepatitis of HB(-) (CAH-HBAg-) antigen and in those with persistent chronic hepatitis of HB(+) (CPH-HBAg+) antigen, compared with a group of controls (blood donors) in whom HBAgs, antiHBs, HBAge, antiHBe and anti HBc were absent. Disease status diagnosis was given in accordance with international conventions, immunologic tests included.

Self-association of violamycin (VBI).

Violamycin (VBI) self-associates in aqueous solution at concentration greater than 7 x 10(-5) M. We report in this paper visible spectrophotometric and kinetic experiments that characterize this self-association. We started from a simple dimerization model supported by our experimental data, and we used different methods described in literature for the computation of the dimeric extinction coefficient epsilon d at various wavelengths and the dimerization constant Kd = 9300 M-1.