Lipid Profile Features and Their Associations With Disease Severity and Mortality in Patients With COVID-19.

Emerging studies have described and analyzed epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of COVID-19 patients. Yet, scarce information is available regarding the association of lipid profile features and disease severity and mortality. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study to investigate lipid profile features in patients with COVID-19.

Bone Turnover Markers and Bone Mineral Density to Predict Osteoporotic Fractures in Older Women: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of the detection of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM) in older women with osteoporosis, and to compare their predictive power for osteoporotic fractures (OF).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 96 patients with OF and 107 patients with osteoporosis who were hospitalized in the Department of Orthopedics at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College were examined from October 2017 to February 2019. All selected patients were divided into either the fracture group (96 cases, 47.

Activation of the STAT3/microRNA-21 pathway participates in angiotensin II-induced angiogenesis.

Angiotensin II (AngII) facilitates angiogenesis that is associated with the continuous progression of atherosclerotic plaques, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to promote angiogenesis; however, whether miRNAs play a crucial role in AngII-induced angiogenesis remains unclear. This study evaluated the functional involvement of miRNA-21 (miR-21) in the AngII-mediated proangiogenic response in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs).

Protective effects of DL‑3‑n‑butylphthalide in the lipopolysaccharide‑induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

DL‑3‑n‑butylphthalide (NBP) is extracted from rapeseed and exhibits multiple neuroprotective effects, exerted by inhibiting the inflammatory process, including reducing oxidative stress, improving mitochondrial function and reducing neuronal apoptosis. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of NBP in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). The behavior of mice was assessed using the rotarod test and open‑field test, the amount of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra pars compacta was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the levels of phosphorylated c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (JNK), mitogen‑activated protein kinase 14 (p38) and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase 1 were determined by western blotting.

Staphylococcal SSL5-induced platelet microparticles provoke proinflammatory responses via the CD40/TRAF6/NFκB signalling pathway in monocytes.

Pathogens-induced platelet activation contributes to inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, but underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 5 (SSL5) is a known activator of platelets. Here we examined whether SSL5 is implicated in Staphylococcus aureus (S.