Differentiation of solid and friable tumour thrombus in patients with renal cell carcinoma: The role of MRI apparent diffusion coefficient.

Purpose: Inferior vena cava (IVC) involvement by renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a higher disease stage and is considered a risk factor for poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of MRI 3D texture analysis in the differentiation of solid and friable tumour thrombus in patients with RCC.

Materials And Methods: The study involved 27 patients with RCC with tumour thrombus in the renal vein or IVC, surgically treated with nephrectomy and thrombectomy and in whom preoperatively abdominal MRI including the DWI sequence was conducted.

Host genetic variants associated with COVID-19 reconsidered in a Slovak cohort.

We present the results of an association study involving hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with a clinical background during the 3rd pandemic wave of COVID-19 in Slovakia. Seventeen single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the eleven most relevant genes, according to the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, were investigated. Our study confirms the validity of the influence of LZTFL1 and 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS)1/OAS3 genetic variants on the severity of COVID-19.

Heat shock proteins in cancer - Known but always being rediscovered: Their perspectives in cancer immunotherapy.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) represent cellular chaperones that are classified into several families, including HSP27, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90. The role of HSPs in the cell includes the facilitation of protein folding and maintaining protein structure. Both processes play crucial roles during stress conditions in the cell such as heat shock, degradation, and hypoxia.

Facing the Challenges in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: From Standard Treatments to the Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as a New Therapeutic Strategy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which counts more than 650 million cases and more than 6.6 million of deaths worldwide, affects the respiratory system with typical symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and fatigue. Other nonpulmonary manifestations are related with abnormal inflammatory response, the "cytokine storm", that could lead to a multiorgan disease and to death.

The performance and limitations of PCA3, TMPRSS2:ERG, HOXC6 and DLX1 urinary markers combined in the improvement of prostate cancer diagnostics.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. To date, the role of the combined application of long non-coding RNAs (PCA3, DLX1, HOXC6, TMPRSS2:ERG) for obtaining the most accurate method of detection of PCa has not yet been comprehensively investigated.

Methods: In total 240 persons were included in the retrospective study.

Association of anthropometric and body composition parameters with the presence of hypertension in the Central European population: results from KardioVize 2030 study.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most prevalent chronic non-communicable diseases and affects more than 60% of individuals over 60 years of age. Additionally, hypertension is a prominent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Human body composition is both the result and predictor of an individual's health status, and hypertension has consistently been shown to be more prevalent among obese individuals.

Cisplatin treatment reduces contraction to angiotensin II by altering expression of angiotensin II receptors: a pilot study.

The renin angiotensin system is a key regulator of blood pressure homeostasis. Angiotensin type 1 (ATR) and 2 receptors (ATR) have been investigated as targets for cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury; however, their therapeutic potential remains inconclusive. This pilot study aimed to determined the effect that acute cisplatin treatment had on angiotensin II (AngII)-induced contraction in blood vessels and expression profiles of ATR and ATR in mouse arteries and kidneys.

Flavonoids attenuate cancer metabolism by modulating Lipid metabolism, amino acids, ketone bodies and redox state mediated by Nrf2.

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells is a common hallmark of malignant transformation. The preference for aerobic glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation in tumors is a well-studied phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. Importantly, metabolic transformation of cancer cells also involves alterations in signaling cascades contributing to lipid metabolism, amino acid flux and synthesis, and utilization of ketone bodies.

Current Perspectives on Adult Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Biological Features and Clinical Indications.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) constitute one of the main mechanisms by which cells communicate with the surrounding tissue or at distance. Vesicle secretion is featured by most cell types, and adult mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) of different tissue origins have shown the ability to produce them. In recent years, several reports disclosed the molecular composition and suggested clinical indications for EVs derived from adult MSCs.

Prognostic value of Doppler echocardiographic coronary flow velocity assessment at rest in elderly patients.

Background: Atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) are a common condition and cause of death in the elderly population. There are difficulties with risk assessment in the elderly as the objectification of their symptomatic status can be challenging due to neuromuscular weakness, physical deconditioning or neurological, orthopaedic, peripheral vascular, or respiratory limitations. Non-invasive coronary artery velocity assessment by Doppler method at rest could be helpful in the elderly population.

Flavonoids exert potential in the management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy represent severe complications of pregnancy, which, if not treated, can result in serious health consequences for the mother and the child. Flavonoids are bioactive secondary metabolites commonly found in fruits, vegetables, green tea, whole grains, and medicinal plants. Flavonoids exert potent protective efficacy in experimental models of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, especially preeclampsia, demonstrated through their capacity to modulate inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction.

Procalcitonin kinetics following abdominal aortic surgery and its value for postoperative intestinal ischaemia detection.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to describe perioperative kinetics of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients undergoing aortic surgery, to compare the kinetics in the open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair and aortobifemoral bypass for aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD), and to evaluate the ability of PCT to detect intestinal ischaemia.

Methods: A prospective non-randomized observational cohort study in 80 patients (62 men and 18 women) undergoing elective aortic surgery was performed. Serum PCT was measured at baseline and defined intraoperative and postoperative timepoints up to postoperative day 7.

Higher Levels of Serum Ionic Calcium are Associated with Macular Edema in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy.

Background: The aim was to study the association of serum total calcium, ionic calcium, and magnesium with increases in macular thickness parameters and photoreceptor ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption in diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: This study is a tertiary care center based observational cross-sectional study with sixty-six consecutive cases, divided into 3 groups of 22 cases each with no diabetic retinopathy (No DR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and a control group of 22 healthy controls. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured on logMAR scale.

Additive prognostic value of high baseline coronary flow velocity to ejection fraction during resting echocardiography: 3-year prospective study.

Background: There is a lack of information about the prognostic value of high velocity in coronary arteries during echocardiography. The present study was aimed at investigating the three-year prognostic value of coronary velocity assessment in all patients who were referred for echocardiography examination.

Methods: The prospective study comprises 747 consecutive patients.

Should we routinely assess coronary artery Doppler in daily echocardiography practice?

A lot of people with coronary artery disease do not have specific symptoms, and myocardial infarction or death are the first manifestation of the disease. New accurate, non-invasive and safe screening methods are required that can assess the prognosis of patients during routine examinations performed on millions of people. The aim of this review was to discuss the current literature regarding the utility of non-invasive ultrasound imaging of the coronary artery in assessing a patient's prognosis in daily practice.

Kinetics of platelet adhesion to a fibrinogen-coated surface in whole blood under flow conditions.

Aim: To test a novel method of assessment of platelet adhesion to a fibrinogen-coated surface in whole blood under flow conditions.

Methods: We developed a fluidic device that mimics blood flow in vessels. The method of detection of platelet adhesion is based on recording of a scattered laser light signal from a fibrinogen-covered surface.

Dynamics of coronary artery velocity flow during exercise echocardiography.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to acquire non-invasive data from coronary flow velocity profiles during exercise in groups of healthy subjects and of patients with arterial hypertension.

Material And Methods: We enrolled 83 patients into two groups: (1) 35 non-selected consecutive healthy subjects; (2) 25 consecutive patients with arterial hypertension. All the patients performed supine bicycle symptoms-limited tests.

Human Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus specific immunity in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are endowed with the ability of establishing lifelong latency in human hosts and reactivating in immunocompromised subjects, including patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC). We, therefore, aimed to investigate virus-specific immunity in UC patients. A cohort of 24 UC patients (14 responders and 10 refractory to therapy) and 26 control subjects was prospectively enrolled to undergo virus-specific serology (by ELISA assay) and assessment of both CD4 and CD8 virus-specific T-cell response (by interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospotanalysis).

Flavonoids against the SARS-CoV-2 induced inflammatory storm.

The disease severity of COVID-19, especially in the elderly and patients with co-morbidities, is characterized by hypercytokinemia, an exaggerated immune response associated with an uncontrolled and excessive release of proinflammatory cytokine mediators (cytokine storm). Flavonoids, important secondary metabolites of plants, have long been studied as therapeutic interventions in inflammatory diseases due to their cytokine-modulatory effects. In this review, we discuss the potential role of flavonoids in the modulation of signaling pathways that are crucial for COVID-19 disease, particularly those related to inflammation and immunity.

Analysis of biometric parameters of 2340 eyes measured with optical biometer Lenstar LS900 in a Caucasian population.

Objectives: To describe the pattern and mutual relationships between basic biometric characteristics of the eye in a Central European Caucasian population.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective study of 2340 patients (965 males, 1375 females) scheduled for cataract surgery between 2014 and 2016. Measurements using laser interferometry included AL (axial length), K (average corneal curvature), ACD (anterior chamber depth), LT (lens thickness), CCT (central corneal thickness), AST (astigmatism) and WTW (white to white).

The role of plant-derived natural substances as immunomodulatory agents in carcinogenesis.

The role of immune system in carcinogenesis represents fundamental events associated with cancer eradication; however, tumor evolution is connected with various mechanisms of tumor evasion and progression of cancer. Based on recent evidence, phytochemicals are directly associated with immunomodulation of the innate and adaptive immunity via different mechanisms of action including stimulation and amplification of immune cells, humoral compartments, and associated molecules. This comprehensive study focuses on immunomodulating potential of phytochemicals (mixture in plants or separately such as individual phytochemical) and their impact on regulation of immune response during cancer development, immune tolerance, and immune escape.

Prevalence and significance of M541L single nucleotide polymorphism in the central European cohort of gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms can create a genetic microenvironment in some tumors that affects the course of treatment, resistance, etc. Whether single nucleotide polymorphisms have an impact on gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) development and disease progression is not yet accurately verified. KIT SNP in exon 10 correlates with a worse prognosis of many cancers.

Implications of flavonoids as potential modulators of cancer neovascularity.

Purpose: The formation of new blood vessels from previous ones, angiogenesis, is critical in tissue repair, expansion or remodeling in physiological processes and in various pathologies including cancer. Despite that, the development of anti-angiogenic drugs has great potential as the treatment of cancer faces many problems such as development of the resistance to treatment or an improperly selected therapy approach. An evaluation of predictive markers in personalized medicine could significantly improve treatment outcomes in many patients.