Mitochondria in health, disease, and aging.

Mitochondria are well known as organelles responsible for the maintenance of cellular bioenergetics through the production of ATP. Although oxidative phosphorylation may be their most important function, mitochondria are also integral for the synthesis of metabolic precursors, calcium regulation, the production of reactive oxygen species, immune signaling, and apoptosis. Considering the breadth of their responsibilities, mitochondria are fundamental for cellular metabolism and homeostasis.

Evaluation of Albumin Kinetics in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Compared to Those With Sepsis-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives: This report aims to characterize the kinetics of serum albumin in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 compared with critically ill patients with sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: We analyzed two critically ill cohorts, one with coronavirus disease 2019 and another with sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome, treated in the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Association of body mass index with morbidity in patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes other than death in patients hospitalised and intubated with COVID-19.

Methods: This is a single-centre cohort study of adults with COVID-19 admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine from 3 March 2020 through 15 May 2020. Baseline and outcome variables, as well as lab and ventilatory parameters, were generated for the admitted and intubated cohorts after stratifying by BMI category.

Effect of Neonatal Treatment With the NMDA Receptor Antagonist, MK-801, During Different Temporal Windows of Postnatal Period in Adult Prefrontal Cortical and Hippocampal Function.

The neonatal MK-801 model of schizophrenia has been developed based on the neurodevelopmental and NMDA receptor hypofunction hypotheses of schizophrenia. This animal model is generated with the use of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, during different temporal windows of postnatal life of rodents leading to behavioral defects in adulthood. However, no studies have examined the role of specific postnatal time periods in the neonatal MK-801 (nMK-801) rodent model and the resulting behavioral and neurobiological effects.

Treatment pattern, prognostic factors, and outcome in patients with infection due to pan-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria.

The present study investigated the clinical course, treatment pattern, prognostic factors, and outcome of patients with pun-drug resistant (PDR) infections. This was a retrospective single-center cohort study including consecutive eligible patients with a PDR infection hospitalized at the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece, between January 2010 and June 2018. In total, 65 patients with infections due to PDR gram-negative pathogens were identified.

Fatty acid synthase downregulation contributes to acute lung injury in murine diet-induced obesity.

The prevalence of obesity is rising worldwide and obese patients comprise a specific population in the intensive care unit. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) incidence is increased in obese patients. Exposure of rodents to hyperoxia mimics many of the features of ARDS.

Salt-induced effects on microvascular function: A critical factor in hypertension mediated organ damage.

Salt has been linked very closely to the occurrence and complications of arterial hypertension. A large percentage of patients with essential hypertension are salt-sensitive; that is, their blood pressure increases with increased salt intake and decreases with its reduction. For this reason, emphasis is placed on reducing salt intake to better regulate blood pressure.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aged Macrophages and Lung during Primary Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection is Improved with Pirfenidone.

Pneumococcal infections remain a leading cause of death in older adults, with the most serious cases occurring in persons ≥65 years of age. There is an urgent need to investigate molecular pathways underlying these impairments and devise new therapeutics to modulate innate immunity. The goal of our current study is to understand the impact of chronological aging on mitochondrial function in response to Streptococcus pneumoniae, a causative agent of bacterial pneumonia.

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative osteomyelitis: a 10-year study.

Aim: Few series of osteomyelitis due to multi-drug (MDR) or extensively-drug resistant (XDR) gram-negative bacteria exist. A retrospective study of MDR and XDR gram-negative osteomyelitis cases was performed, aiming to investigate causative organisms, proper surgical and medical management, as well as outcome.

Patients And Methods: All patients, treated at the University hospital of Crete between 2007 and 2016 for acute osteomyelitis, due to MDR or XDR gram-negative pathogens were evaluated.

Platelet microRNAs in hypertensive patients with and without cardiovascular disease.

Platelets contain abundant microRNAs (miRs) that regulate gene expression and protein synthesis and may reflect platelet activation. We assessed platelet levels of miR-223, miR-126, and miR-22 in 82 patients with essential hypertension and 28 healthy individuals, using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and evaluated their relation with the patients' clinical profile. Hypertensives had significantly lower platelet miR-22 and miR-223 levels (97.

Safety and long-term efficacy of AAV1.SERCA2a using nebulizer delivery in a pig model of pulmonary hypertension.

Nebulization delivery of adeno-associated virus serotype 1 encoding sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase2a (AAV1.SERCA2a) gene was examined in a Yukatan miniature swine model of chronic pulmonary hypertension (n = 13). Nebulization of AAV1.

Association of the Interleukin-6 rs1800795 Polymorphism with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Population of the Island of Crete, Greece.

Background: Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine, is elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and is considered an independent predictor of T2D. IL-6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with higher levels of IL-6. This study investigated the role of an IL-6 gene polymorphism and its possible association to T2D in the genetically homogeneous Greek population of the island of Crete.

Dynamic changes of phenotypically different circulating tumor cells sub-populations in patients with recurrent/refractory small cell lung cancer treated with pazopanib.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of 2-line pazopanib on the different CTCs subpopulations in SCLC patients and evaluate the clinical relevance of their changes. Different CTCs subpopulations were evaluated before pazopanib initiation (n = 56 patients), after one-cycle (n = 35) and on disease progression (n = 45) by CellSearch and double immunofluorescence using anti-CKs and anti-Ki67, anti-M30 or anti-Vimentin antibodies. Before treatment, CTCs were detected in 50% of patients by CellSearch whereas 53.

Decreased NLRP3 inflammasome expression in aged lung may contribute to increased susceptibility to secondary Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.

Post-viral pneumococcal pneumonia is a leading morbidity and mortality in older patients (≥65years of age). The goal of our current study is to understand the impact of chronological aging on innate immune responses to a secondary, post viral infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, a causative agent of bacterial pneumonia. Using aged murine models of infection, our findings demonstrate increased morbidity and mortality in aged mice within 48h post-secondary S.

Rare case of pulmonary involvement in an adult with Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease is an acute, self-limited, febrile vasculitis typically seen in early childhood. Pulmonary involvement is uncommon and is not part of the conventional diagnostic criteria. We add to the literature a unique case of a 22year-old male with Kawasaki disease and pulmonary involvement.

Heterogeneity of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated with pazopanib.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of pazopanib on different CTCs subpopulations in patients with recurrent SCLC and evaluate their clinical relevance.

Methods: Peripheral blood was obtained before the administration of pazopanib (n=56 patients), after the first cycle (n=35 patients) and at disease progression (n=45 patients). CTCs were detected by CellSearch and double immunofluorescent staining using antibodies against the cytokeratins (CK), TTF-1, CD56 and VEGFR2.

Intratracheal Gene Delivery of SERCA2a Ameliorates Chronic Post-Capillary Pulmonary Hypertension: A Large Animal Model.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by pulmonary arterial remodeling that results in increased pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular (RV) failure, and premature death. Down-regulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) in the pulmonary vasculature leads to perturbations in calcium ion (Ca(2+)) homeostasis and transition of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells to a proliferative phenotype.

Objectives: We assessed the feasibility of sustained pulmonary vascular SERCA2a gene expression using aerosolized delivery of adeno-associated virus type 1 (AAV1) in a large animal model of chronic PH and evaluated the efficacy of gene transfer regarding progression of pulmonary vascular and RV remodeling.