Publications by authors named "Maria C Cardenas"

Distinguishing between primary (PID) and secondary (SID) immunodeficiencies, particularly in relation to hematological B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD), poses a major clinical challenge. We aimed to analyze and define the clinical and laboratory variables in SID patients associated with B-CLPD, identifying overlaps with late-onset PIDs, which could potentially improve diagnostic precision and prognostic assessment. We studied 37 clinical/laboratory variables in 151 SID patients with B-CLPD.

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  • Timely diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is very important, and a test called LASSI-L may help identify early signs of the disease.
  • The study examined how well LASSI-L scores matched with specific fluid markers in 179 patients who were having memory issues but didn't have serious problems in their daily life.
  • Results showed that LASSI-L scores were linked to these fluid markers and could help detect signs of amyloid buildup in the brain, which is related to Alzheimer's disease.
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Despite advancements in genetic and functional studies, the timely diagnosis of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) remains a significant challenge. This exploratory study was designed to assess the diagnostic performance of a novel panel of biomarkers for CVID, incorporating the sum of κ+λ light chains, soluble B-cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) levels, switched memory B cells (smB) and the VISUAL score. Comparative analyses utilizing logistic regression were performed against established gold-standard tests, specifically antibody responses.

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  • * Researchers isolated and sequenced HBCs and CTBs from placentae of women across different COVID-19 infection stages, discovering significant differences in gene expression when compared to unexposed controls, especially highlighting the second trimester as most affected.
  • * Findings indicate that about 1,696 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to immune response and host defense mechanisms were identified in the second trimester, with implications for understanding the placenta's role during maternal infections.
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  • The AT(N) classification system enhances our understanding of Alzheimer's disease but faces challenges in clinical use, which may be addressed through data-driven clustering techniques.
  • A study analyzed the effectiveness of clustering CSF biomarkers, such as Aβ and tau proteins, comparing them to the original AT(N) classification using both clinical and research patient data.
  • The study identified three distinct groups of patients based on their biomarker profiles, suggesting a new classification that better predicts dementia risk and complements the AT(N) system.
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  • Monoclonal gammopathies (MG) involve the growth of plasma cells that create abnormal immunoglobulins known as monoclonal protein (M-protein), which are important for clinical management.
  • A systematic review examined various laboratory tests for detecting M-protein in serum and urine, along with essential biochemistry and hematology assessments, covering studies published from 2009 to 2022.
  • The paper outlines different diagnostic methods like electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, their limitations, and their roles in diagnosing, monitoring, and evaluating treatment responses in MG.
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In 1989, one in four (25%) infants born to women living with HIV were infected; by the age of 2 years, there was 25% mortality among them due to HIV. These and other pieces of data prompted the development of interventions to offset vertical transmission, including the landmark Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Group Study (PACTG 076) in 1994. This study reported a 67.

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Objectives: We sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in pediatric immunocompromised (IC) patients.

Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective cohort study of pediatric participants who underwent FMT between March 2013 and April 2020 with 12-week follow-up. Pediatric patients were included if they met the definition of IC and were treated with FMT for an indication of recurrent CDI.

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Objective: Fetal surgery has improved neonatal outcomes; however, it is unknown if the intervention contributes to the developmental of inflammatory pathologies in the placenta. Here, an association between fetal surgery and placental pathology was examined.

Method: This case-control study compared pregnancies with fetal surgery (n = 22), pregnancies with an indication for fetal surgery but without an intervention being done (n = 13), and gestational-age and fetus-number matched controls (n = 36).

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Serum and urine protein electrophoresis and immunofixation are the preferred techniques for monitoring monoclonal proteins and evaluating treatment response in multiple myeloma (MM) patients with measurable disease. However, urine studies are subjected to limitations that may lead to inaccuracies or prevent guidelines compliance. We retrospectively studied if the substitution of urine studies by measuring serum free light chains (sFLCs) results in a comparable disease monitoring, both in intact immunoglobulin (II) and light chain (LC) MM patients.

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Background: Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) is a widespread infection in several countries, and it is defined as an infection of a fetus, newborn, or infant under 1 year of age. Moreover, it represents a thread to pregnant women globally. The objective of our study is to evaluate a potential association between prematurity and CT and whether intrauterine transmission impacts gestational length during pregnancy.

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Aim: This study is a comprehensive review with the purpose of collecting the most relevant data in several sections including current treatment guidelines in the paediatric population.

Methods: Literature was systematically searched in different databases. Results were limited to 2019+ and English, French and Spanish language.

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Unlabelled:  Background. Nutritional deficiencies may aggravate the course of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Our aim has been to perform a comprehensive analysis of body composition and nutritional deficiencies in CHC patients in non-cirrhotic and compensated cirrhotic stages to correlate the detected deficiencies with the fibrosis stage.

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Insulin resistance (IR) is found in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) more frequently than in other chronic liver diseases.Prospective cross-sectional study to evaluate a wide multitest panel to identify factors related with IR in CHC and their possible interactions.In 76 patients with CHC we performed a series of routine laboratory analysis as well as specifically designed serum biochemical tests [retinol, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), 25-OH vitamin D, Vitamin E, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cystatin C].

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Background: Serum levels of cystatin C, an endogenous inhibitor of cysteine proteases, provide an alternative method to creatinine-based criteria for measuring glomerular filtration rate. Preliminary data suggested that serum cystatin C levels parallel with the stage of liver fibrosis in chronic liver disorders. Our aim has been to evaluate the possible role of serum cystatin C as a marker of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced chronic liver disease.

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