Publications by authors named "V Porras"
Article Synopsis
- Transgender women (TW) living with HIV face increased risks for both HIV infection and cardiovascular disease (CVD), prompting a study on the effects of estrogen-based hormone therapy (GAHT) in this population.
- The research included 15 TW on GAHT who were matched with HIV-positive cisgender individuals to assess various health indicators such as sex hormones, cardiometabolic factors, and inflammatory markers.
- Findings suggest that while TW on GAHT demonstrated improved outcomes in some areas compared to cisgender groups, and no significant elevation in subclinical CVD markers overall, further longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the long-term impacts of GAHT on their health.
Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are primary manifestations of the cardiorenal syndrome in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therapies that improve morbidity and mortality in HFpEF are lacking. Cell-based therapies promote cardiac repair in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Endothelial dysfunction contributes to the pathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Allogeneic but not autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improve endothelial function in DCM patients. We hypothesized that these effects are modulated by release of stromal derived factor-1α (SDF-1α).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been tested in ischemic cardiomyopathy, few studies exist in chronic nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM).
Objectives: The authors conducted a randomized comparison of safety and efficacy of autologous (auto) versus allogeneic (allo) bone marrow-derived hMSCs in NIDCM.
Methods: Thirty-seven patients were randomized to either allo- or auto-hMSCs in a 1:1 ratio.
Immunoglobulin E-mediated allergy and certain autoimmune diseases are characterized by the presence of a T helper type 2 (Th2) immune response and allergen-specific or self-reactive IgE. Soluble CD23 (sCD23) is a B-cell factor that fosters IgE class-switching and synthesis, suggesting that sCD23 may be a therapeutic target for these pathologies. We produced a recombinant protein, CTLA4Fcε, by fusing the ectodomain of the immunoregulatory molecule cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) with a fragment of the IgE H-chain constant region.
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