Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBS)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in human thyrocytes: involvement of AhR and NRF-2/HO-1 pathway.

Purpose: In this in vitro study, we investigated the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on human thyrocytes, with a focus on the involvement of AhR, a key player in xenobiotic response, and the anti-oxidant Nrf-2/HO-1 pathway.

Methods: Primary cultured thyrocytes were exposed to the dioxin-like congeners PCB118 and PCB126 at 2.5 and 5 µM concentrations.

miR-21 attenuated inflammation targeting MyD88 in human chondrocytes stimulated with Hyaluronan oligosaccharides.

Inflammation is the body's response to injuries, which depends on numerous regulatory factors. Among them, miRNAs have gained much attention for their role in regulating inflammatory gene expression at multiple levels. In particular, miR-21 is up-regulated during the inflammatory response and reported to be involved in the resolution of inflammation by down-regulating pro-inflammatory mediators, including MyD88.

Involvement of selected circulating ncRNAs in the regulation of cognitive dysfunction induced by anesthesia.

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) refers to the functional impairment of the nervous system caused by prolonged exposure to anesthetics. It is known that prolonged exposure to anesthetics may increase the risk for the development of several cognitive impairments. The drugs used to induce general anesthesia are generally safe, owing to the CNS's direct and/or indirect self-protective activity against drug-induced damages.

Development and validation of a predictive score for diagnosing prostate cancer in primary care.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) represents the fifth cause of death in the male population worldwide. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test demonstrated poor accuracy to assess the presence of PCa. Thus, the PSA testing paradigm should be moved from the systematic screening approach to the early identification of men who are harbouring clinically significant disease.

Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement and Renal Dysfunction: From Acute Kidney Injury to Chronic Disease.

Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is often complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI). Identifying patients at risk of AKI is important to start nephroprotective strategies or renal replacement therapy (RRT). This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of post-operative AKI in SAVR patients.