Publications by authors named "Maria Iacobescu"
Article Synopsis
- Hepatic disease is a major issue for children with cystic fibrosis (CF), but its link to specific genetic factors remains unclear; this study investigates these connections in a Romanian pediatric population.
- The study involved 71 children with CF, comparing 25 with hepatic disease to 46 without, collecting data on CFTR genotypes and SERPINA1 alleles; results showed a common genotype (DF508/DF508) but no significant genetic associations with hepatic disease.
- Although the study found no strong links between genetics and liver complications, children with hepatic disease showed higher fibrosis scores and a trend towards delayed CF diagnosis, highlighting the need for early identification and monitoring of liver health in CF patients.
Article Synopsis
- * Using high-throughput mass spectrometry, the study identified 845 proteins, highlighting significant differences in protein levels among the conditions, with S100A9 and haptoglobin elevated in iCCA and ICAM2 in HCC.
- * Key findings suggest that serum amyloid A proteins (SAA1 and SAA4) as well as VCAM-1 and TEK may serve as potential biomarkers for distinguishing iCCA and HCC, emphasizing the need for further validation of these findings.
Background And Aims: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators, including elexacaftor/ivacaftor/tezacaftor (ETI) and lumacaftor/ivacaftor (LI), have revolutionized the treatment of cystic fibrosis. However, their impact on liver function remains unclear, with varying effects reported across studies. The aim of this study was to systematically review the effects of CFTR modulators on liver function in cystic fibrosis patients by evaluating changes in key hepatic biomarkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObesity is marked by excessive fat accumulation in the adipose tissue, which disrupts metabolic processes and causes chronic systemic inflammation. Commonly, body mass index (BMI) is used to assess obesity-related risks, predicting potential metabolic disorders. However, for a better clustering of obese patients, we must consider molecular and epigenetic changes which may be responsible for inflammation and metabolic changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation due to abnormal immune responses to gut microflora. The gut-brain axis is disrupted in IBDs, leading to neurobiological imbalances and affective symptoms. Systemic inflammation in IBDs affects the brain's inflammatory response system, hormonal axis, and blood-brain barrier integrity, influencing the gut microbiota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUndetermined pancreatic cystic lesion (PCL) differentiation benefits from endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) based on morphology and cyst fluid analysis, but room for new biomarkers exists. Our aim was to assess the intracystic and serum diagnostic value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (Ngal) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) for differentiation of PCLs. This prospective study included patients from one tertiary hospital, evaluated between April 2018 and May 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (allo-HSCT) come with significant benefits but also carry risks like graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) during preconditioning and after the procedure.* -
- Effective risk management and early detection of GVHD rely on clinical features, highlighting the need for tools that can identify and manage patients proactively.* -
- This review focuses on the promise of proteomics-based biomarkers from non-invasive samples to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for acute and chronic GVHD in patients undergoing allo-HSCT.*
Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by a chronic, progressive inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract often leading to complications, such as strictures and fistulae. Currently, there are no validated tools anticipating short- and long-term outcomes at an early stage. This investigation aims to elucidate variations in protein abundance across distinct CD phenotypes with the objective of uncovering potential biomarkers implicated in disease advancement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) might be more frequent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the relationship between these 2 entities is yet to be entirely established. Certain blood biomarkers (eg, serum amyloid A [SAA] and serum homocysteine [Hcy], which increase in IBD and MCI; brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], which decreases in MCI and AD but is not clearly modified in IBD; and S100 calcium-binding protein B [S100B], which increases in the blood-brain barrier and neuronal lesions) might predict the stage of MCI or dementia or progression to a further state. The gut-brain axis (GBA) might be the key to the development of MCI in patients with IBD, along with systemic inflammation and the possible and unknown adverse effects of disease-modifying medication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Role of Immunohistochemistry in the Differential Diagnosis between Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Metastasis, as Well as Its Prognostic Value.
Diagnostics (Basel)
April 2023
Article Synopsis
- * This study explored the diagnostic and prognostic value of various immunohistochemical stains in iCCA patients and found that CK19 and CA19-9 were highly sensitive markers.
- * Additionally, certain factors like high CK7 expression and low intratumoral immune cells were linked to better survival outcomes for iCCA patients, according to statistical analysis.