Liposomal and Nanostructured Lipid Nanoformulations of a Pentacyclic Triterpenoid Birch Bark Extract: Structural Characterization and In Vitro Effects on Melanoma B16-F10 and Walker 256 Tumor Cells Apoptosis.

: Pentacyclic triterpenoids are increasingly studied as anticancer agents with many advantages compared to synthetic chemotherapeutics. The aim of this study was to prepare liposomal and nanostructured lipid formulations including a standardized extract of silver birch () outer bark (TTs) and to evaluate their potential as anticancer agents in vitro, using Melanoma B16-F10 and Walker carcinoma cells. : Appropriate solvents were selected for efficient TTs extraction, and original recipes were used to obtain Pegylated liposomes and nanolipid complexes with entrapped TTs, comparative to pure standards (betulinic acid and doxorubicin) in similar conditions.

In Search of Relevant Urinary Biomarkers for Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma and Benign Thyroid Nodule Differentiation, Targeting Metabolic Profiles and Pathways via UHPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS Analysis.

Background: Identification of specific urine metabolic profiles for patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma (TC) vs. benign nodules (B) to identify specific biomarkers and altered pathways compared to those of healthy controls (C).

Methods: Patient urine samples were collected, before surgery and after a histological confirmation of TC ( = 30) and B ( = 30), in parallel with sample collection from healthy controls ( = 20).

Metabolic Profiles and Blood Biomarkers to Discriminate between Benign Thyroid Nodules and Papillary Carcinoma, Based on UHPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS Analysis.

In this study, serum metabolic profiling of patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and benign thyroid pathologies (BT) aimed to identify specific biomarkers and altered pathways when compared with healthy controls (C). The blood was collected after a histological confirmation from PTC (n = 24) and BT patients (n = 31) in parallel with healthy controls (n = 81). The untargeted metabolomics protocol was applied by UHPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS analysis and the statistical analysis was performed using the MetaboAnalyst 5.

Pentacyclic Triterpenoid Phytochemicals with Anticancer Activity: Updated Studies on Mechanisms and Targeted Delivery.

Pentacyclic triterpenoids (TTs) represent a unique family of phytochemicals with interesting properties and pharmacological effects, with some representatives, such as betulinic acid (BA) and betulin (B), being mainly investigated as potential anticancer molecules. Considering the recent scientific and preclinical investigations, a review of their anticancer mechanisms, structure-related activity, and efficiency improved by their insertion in nanolipid vehicles for targeted delivery is presented. A systematic literature study about their effects on tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, as free molecules or encapsulated in liposomes or nanolipids, is discussed.

Thyroid Cancer Diagnostics Related to Occupational and Environmental Risk Factors: An Integrated Risk Assessment Approach.

There are still many questions remaining about the etiopathogenesis of thyroid cancer, the most common type of endocrine neoplasia. Numerous occupational and environmental exposures have been shown to represent important risk factors that increase its incidence. Updated information about thyroid cancer diagnostics related to occupational and environmental risk factors is reviewed here, considering an integrated risk assessment approach; new data concerning thyroid cancer etiology and pathogenesis mechanisms, diagnostic biomarkers and methodologies, and risk factors involved in its pathogenesis are presented.

Lipidomic Signatures for Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Progression Using UPLC-QTOF-ESIMS.

Metabolomics coupled with bioinformatics may identify relevant biomolecules such as putative biomarkers of specific metabolic pathways related to colorectal diagnosis, classification and prognosis. This study performed an integrated metabolomic profiling of blood serum from 25 colorectal cancer (CRC) cases previously classified (Stage I to IV) compared with 16 controls (disease-free, non-CRC patients), using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS). More than 400 metabolites were separated and identified, then all data were processed by the advanced Metaboanalyst 5.

Melatonin, an ubiquitous metabolic regulator: functions, mechanisms and effects on circadian disruption and degenerative diseases.

The last four decades, we assist to an increasing scientific interest on melatonin, a circadian hormone, a metabolic regulator which influences not only plants' metabolism and their defense against pathogens but mostly the animals and humans' metabolic pathways, their response to circadian disruption, stress and burnout syndrome. In humans, as a hormonal regulator, produced in the pineal grand as well in mitochondria, melatonin is involved in different, complex intracellular signaling pathways, with antioxidant and immune stimulating effects, proving to act as a circadian synchronizer, as a preventive and therapeutic agent in many degenerative diseases, and especially in hormone-dependent cancers. Preclinical or clinical studies showed recently the mechanisms involved in regulating the cellular activity, its role in aging and circadian disturbances and impact on degenerative diseases.

Current status of imaging diagnosis in the transplanted kidney. A review of the literature with a special focus on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

Objectives: Ultrasonographic scanning is currently the most widespread imaging diagnostic procedure. The method provides real-time morphological, vascular and elastographic information in a non-invasive manner. In recent years, harmonic vascular examination has become accessible using intravenous contrast agents.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the initial evaluation of the kidney graft function: a pilot study.

Aim: Our study aimed to assess the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the initial evaluation of the graft function.

Materials And Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the early postoperative period on patients with kidney transplantation, between September 2017 to November 2018. Two groups of patients were investigated; delayed graft function (DGF) and early graft function (EGF).

Difficulties in diagnosing HIV-associated nephropathy in kidney transplanted patients. The role of ultrasound and CEUS.

A 62-year-old woman who underwent kidney transplantation in 2014 was diagnosed with HIV infection in 2018. Grey scale and Doppler ultrasound evaluation revealed a normal aspect of the allograft. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound detected a quick cortical contrast uptake followed by a rapid cortical wash-out.

Ultrasound as the first imaging method in severe lung disease. Considerations about a case of pulmonary tuberculosis and review of the literature.

Abdominal ultrasound (US) performed as a "primary imaging procedure" is an important diagnostic tool in gastroenterol-ogy. Expanding the routine investigation to the lower thoracic region might sometimes accelerate the diagnosis in inconclusive manifestations such as pulmonary pathology.US is a valuable tool in evaluating patients with breathing difficulties, chest pain, hypoxia, or chest trauma.

Accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy of focal liver lesions.

Aim: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become an indispensable method for diagnosis in gastroenterology and new indications for EUS continue to emerge. However, there are limited data regarding the accuracy of EUS-guided biopsy of hepatic focal lesions. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic yield of EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of focal liver lesions.

Shear-Wave Elastography Variability Analysis and Relation with Kidney Allograft Dysfunction: A Single-Center Study.

Shear-wave elastography (SWE) showed the absence or presence of significant differences among stable kidney allograft function and allograft dysfunction. We evaluated the variability of kidney allograft stiffness in relation to allograft dysfunction, respectively, in terms of a correlation of stiffness with patients' characteristics. A single-center prospective study on patients who had undergone renal transplantation was conducted between October 2017 and November 2018.