Endothelial biomarkers (Von willebrand factor, BDCA3, urokinase) as predictors of mortality in COVID-19 patients: cohort study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is a systemic disease that affects endothelial function and leads to coagulation disorders, increasing the risk of mortality. Blood levels of endothelial biomarkers such as Von Willebrand Factor (VWF), Thrombomodulin or Blood Dendritic Cell Antigen-3 (BDCA3), and uUokinase (uPA) increase in patients with severe disease and can be prognostic indicators for mortality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of VWF, BDCA3, and uPA levels on mortality.

Regulation of Cancer-Associated miRNAs Expression under Hypoxic Conditions.

Solid tumors frequently experience hypoxia or low O levels. In these conditions, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1) is activated and acts as a transcription factor that regulates cancer cell adaptation to O and nutrient deprivation. HIF-1 controls gene expression associated with various signaling pathways that promote cancer cell proliferation and survival.

Effect of smoking on the redox status of knee osteoarthritis: A preliminary study.

Even though smoking has been scarcely studied in osteoarthritis (OA) etiology, it is considered a controversial risk factor for the disease. Exposure to tobacco smoke has been reported to promote oxidative stress (OS) as part of the damage mechanism. The aim of this study was to assess whether smoking increases cartilage damage through the generation of OS.

Oxidative Stress and Air Pollution: Its Impact on Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

Redox regulation participates in the control of various aspects of metabolism. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species participate in many reactions under physiological conditions. When these species overcome the antioxidant defense system, a distressed status emerges, increasing biomolecular damage and leading to functional alterations.

Effect of Hypoxia in the Transcriptomic Profile of Lung Fibroblasts from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an aging-associated disease characterized by exacerbated extracellular matrix deposition that disrupts oxygen exchange. Hypoxia and its transcription factors (HIF-1α and 2α) influence numerous circuits that could perpetuate fibrosis by increasing myofibroblasts differentiation and by promoting extracellular matrix accumulation. Therefore, this work aimed to elucidate the signature of hypoxia in the transcriptomic circuitry of IPF-derived fibroblasts.

Seasonal and Spatial Variability of PM Concentration, and Associated Metal(loid) Content in the Toluca Valley, Mexico.

This study provides evidence of the seasonal and spatial variation of metal(lloid)s in particulate matter minor to 2.5 microns (PM) in the Toluca Valley Metropolitan Area (TVMA), the fifth largest urban center in Mexico. Four sites were sampled between 2013 and 2014, which included urban and industrial areas, in the dry-cold (November-February) and dry-hot (March-May) seasons; PM was collected using high- and medium-volume samplers.

Plasma Endothelial and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Associated with Late Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a significant public health problem worldwide. COVID-19 increases the risk of non-pulmonary complications such as acute myocardial injury, renal failure, thromboembolic events, and multi-organic damage. Several studies have documented increased inflammation molecules, endothelial dysfunction biomarkers, and dysregulation of coagulation factors in COVID-19 patients.

Osteopontin's relationship with malnutrition and oxidative stress in adolescents. A pilot study.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein involved in inflammatory illnesses such as fibrosis and cancer; its overexpression in cardiovascular diseases promotes the biomineralization of blood vessels and other soft tissues. Moreover, there is an active component of oxidative stress related with those diseases. The present study relates serum OPN levels with nutritional condition and oxidative stress in a group of adolescents.

Physiological Network From Anthropometric and Blood Test Biomarkers.

Currently, research in physiology focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the functioning of living organisms. Reductionist strategies are used to decompose systems into their components and to measure changes of physiological variables between experimental conditions. However, how these isolated physiological variables translate into the emergence -and collapse- of biological functions of the organism as a whole is often a less tractable question.

Obesity and pro-inflammatory mediators are associated with acute kidney injury in patients with A/H1N1 influenza and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: The obesity has been shown to increase the severity of A/H1N1 infection and the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and organ involvement.

Methods: Circulating levels of C-peptide, insulin, glucagon, leptin, acute phase reactants (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, tissue plasminogen activator, and serum amyloids A and P), were measured in samples from 32 critically ill patients with A/H1N1 virus infection, 17 of whom had ARDS complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) and 15 of whom had ARDS but did not develop AKI.

Results: Patients with ARDS and AKI (ARDS/AKI) had higher BMI and higher levels of C-peptide, insulin, leptin, procalcitonin and serum amyloid A compared to those ARDS patient who did not develop AKI.

Air pollution: impact and prevention.

Air pollution is becoming a major health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. In support of this observation, the World Health Organization estimates that every year, 2.4 million people die because of the effects of air pollution on health.

Airborne particulate matter PM2.5 from Mexico City affects the generation of reactive oxygen species by blood neutrophils from asthmatics: an in vitro approach.

Background: The Mexico City Metropolitan Area is densely populated, and toxic air pollutants are generated and concentrated at a higher rate because of its geographic characteristics. It is well known that exposure to particulate matter, especially to fine and ultra-fine particles, enhances the risk of cardio-respiratory diseases, especially in populations susceptible to oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fine particles on the respiratory burst of circulating neutrophils from asthmatic patients living in Mexico City.