Propolis is a sustainable and environmentally friendly agrochemical of natural origin, a resinous mixture produced by honeybees. It is used as a natural remedy in multiple pathologies., but it is also a natural defense enhancer, a phytostimulator that helps to bind, bloom, and pollinate plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/objectives: Neuroretinitis (NR) is a rare inflammatory condition characterized by sudden vision loss, optic disc edema and macular star appearance predominantly affecting individuals in their third and fourth decades of life.
Methods: This paper describes the case of 33-year-old Caucasian man with no significant medical history complaining of decreased vision for about a week.
Results: The ophthalmological exam revealed best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for the right eye (RE) of 0.
Aim: This study investigates the demographic distribution, antibiotic resistance profiles, and molecular characteristics of infections.
Methods: The study was carried out in 141 patients, 60.4% male, in patients from Chania and Heraklion, Crete.
Investigating the quality of bee products obtained across different geographical regions and analyzing their antimicrobial activity is of significant interest to various scientific disciplines. This study focuses on comparing the antimicrobial activity of honey and propolis samples from different areas of Alba County, Romania. The quality parameters of five samples of two types of bee products (honey and propolis) were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study provides a comparative analysis of 243 Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) isolated strains from Greece and Romania, focusing on their epidemiology and antibiotic resistance patterns. Laboratory procedures included phenotypic and automated identification methods, susceptibility testing, DNA isolation, and PCR for detecting antibiotic resistance genes (, ). Our study results show significant regional differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: represents one of the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted diseases. This study aims to explore the relationship between HLA alleles/genotypes/haplotypes and infection to better understand high-risk individuals and potential complications. : This prospective study recruited participants from Transylvania, Romania.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Hematologic biomarkers of inflammation may serve as valuable adjuncts in clinical practice, aiding in several aspects such as differential diagnosis, prognostic assessment for patient stratification and monitoring the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), Lymphocyte to Monocyte Ratio (LMR), and Systemic Inflammatory Index (SII) in predicting bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI).
Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the north-west region of Romania and included patients from several medical special units such as dermatology, obstetrics-gynecology, urology, and general practice.
Background And Aims: (HT) is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hypothyroidism. The pathophysiology of HT involves the production of antithyroid antibodies that attack the thyroid tissue, causing inflammation and progressive fibrosis. Recent studies demonstrated a strong correlation between Interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels and the development of autoimmune diseases, suggesting that this cytokine may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAutoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), particularly Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Basedow-Graves disease (BGD) are diseases of global public health concern, characterized by autoimmune attacks on the thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism in HT and hyperthyroidism in BGD. We conducted a study between 2019 and 2021 in northwestern Transylvania (Romania) on patients with HT and with BGD compared to the control group. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlations of HLA class II alleles with AITD by identifying potential genetic susceptibility factors such as and genes in patients diagnosed with HT and BGD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlaucoma is one of the world's leading causes of irreversible vision loss. It is often asymptomatic until it reaches an advanced stage, which can have a significant impact on patients' daily lives. This paper describes the case of a 50-year-old female patient who presented with acute onset of ocular pain, photophobia, and loss of visual acuity in her right eye (RE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: While existing literature addresses the psychological impact of HIV, there is a notable gap in data regarding other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study aims to fill this gap by evaluating the association between STIs, the psychological profile of patients as measured by anxiety levels, and the impact on couple adaptability. : A prospective investigation was conducted in Romania, from November 2021, including individuals with high suspicion of STI and healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, we aimed to investigate whether specific HLA alleles found in patients from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection and its associated mortality. We analyzed the HLA alleles at the -A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 loci in a cohort of 130 individuals with severe and extremely severe forms of COVID-19, including 44 individuals who died. We compared these findings to a control group consisting of individuals who had either not been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had experienced mild forms of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPropolis use in medicine, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries is well known. This study aimed to investigate propolis' phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial potential. Nine propolis samples obtained from distinct Romanian regions and characterized in terms of physical-chemical parameters, phenols and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant properties were prepared as dry propolis and aqueous extracts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: CT () is among the most common pathogens leading to sexually transmitted diseases. Considering the uncertain mechanism by which HLA polymorphisms influence the CT infection, reinfection, comorbidities or evolution and because there is no consensus regarding the alleles involved in the pathogenesis of the infection, we considered necessary to perform a review to summarize the current knowledge of HLA related to CT.
Methods: Pubmed was researched using key terms.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by the production of autoantibodies against the thyroid gland. Different studies have shown that several genes may be associated with HT, which explains why patients often have family members with thyroiditis or other autoimmune diseases. The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the correlation between polymorphisms at the level of exon 1 from the gene and the susceptibility to developing HT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this paper was to study the phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial activity of brown propolis collected from the counties of four regions in Romania. The main physico-chemical and functional properties of 16 samples of propolis from different landforms of geographical regions were determined. Their antimicrobial activities were established against 5 bacterial strains (, , , , and ) and 5 fungal strains (, , , , and ).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntraocular foreign body injuries (IOFB) can lead to a number of intraocular pathologies; the visual results depend on the mechanism of the injury, the type of foreign body and the subsequent complications. The presence of intraocular cilia (eye lashes) following penetrating injury or surgical intervention is uncommon. In the present paper, we present a case of a 58-year-old woman with a history of eye trauma and a perforated corneal wound in the left eye that occurred 50 years ago.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHELLP syndrome is a pregnancy complication, putting at risk the life of mother and child, characterized by high blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. Serous retinal detachment is a rare complication of pregnancy and may be associated with HELLP syndrome. One of the most common symptoms is a decrease in visual acuity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a pathogenic bacterium that causesinfections. Its virulence is due to surface components, proteins, virulence genes, , , , and , which are low molecular weight superantigens. are usually encoded by mobile genetic elements, and horizontal gene transfer accounts for their widespread presence in .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to review the physicochemical characterization of Romanian honey and propolis and their antifungal effect on different strains. As an indicator of environmental pollution, lead exceeded the allowed limits in two study areas. The relationship between the acidity and electrical conductivity of polyfloral honey and the antioxidant activity with the total content of phenolics and flavonoids was investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report the case of a 34-year-old male patient, a bodybuilding trainer and user of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) for 16 years. He was found in cardio-respiratory arrest in his home. By performing a medico-legal autopsy, a severe form of COVID-19, aortic atherosclerotic plaques, and an old myocardial infarction was found.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
October 2022
(1) Background: Affective distress can be triggered by aggressive stimuli with an unfavorable role for the individual. Some of the factors that lead to the development and evolution of a mental disorder can be genetic. The aim of this study is to determine some correlations between the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and the affective distress profile (PDA).
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