Background: B-cell activating factor (BAFF) is considered to have a role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Aim: We conducted a longitudinal study on early SSc patients to determine the change in BAFF serum level after treatment and its association with organ involvements.
Methods: A total of 46 patients (32 diffuse, 14 limited) were recruited, among which 35 patients (24 diffuse, 11 limited) completed 12-month follow-up.
Results: Higher pretreatment BAFF levels were observed in patients with positive anti-topoisomerase antibody (ATA) (2252.1 ± 899.7 pg/ml versus 1475.5 ± 697.6 pg/ml in ATA-negative patients; p = 0.01) and muscular involvement (2741.9 ± 1039.9 pg/ml versus 1897.2 ± 762.9 pg/ml in patients without muscular involvement; p = 0.005). Lower levels were observed in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) (1926.7 ± 757.9 pg/ml versus 2721.6 ± 1131.4 pg/ml in non-ILD patients; p = 0.01). After treatment, BAFF level reduced significantly in diffuse SSc patients (1652.2 ± 892.7 pg/ml versus 2147.6 ± 945.5 pg/ml before treatment; p = 0.03).
Conclusion: Patients with worsening outcome had the highest pretreatment BAFF level and was associated with increased BAFF level after treatment. BAFF can be used to predict and monitor patients' response to therapy.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2019.070 | DOI Listing |
J Thromb Haemost
January 2025
Medicine II Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan.
Background: COVID-19 is associated with intense systemic inflammation and abnormal coagulation profile leading to an increased incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE). This study investigates whether PE in COVID-19 patients has different clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics when compared to traditional PE in COVID negative patients.
Methods: We conducted an observational, multicentric, cross-sectional study on consecutive patients diagnosed with PE at admission or during hospital stay from February 21 2019 to February 20 2021.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Professorship of Exercise Biology, Department Health and Sport Sciences, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
While the effect of time-of-day (morning versus evening) on hormones, lipids and lipolysis has been studied in relation to meals and exercise, there are no studies that have investigated the effects of time-of-day on ice bath induced hormone and lipidome responses. In this crossover-designed study, a group of six women and six men, 26 ± 5 years old, 176 ± 7 cm tall, weighing 75 ± 10 kg, and a BMI of 23 ± 2 kg/mhad an ice bath (8-12 °C for 5 min) both in the morning and evening on separate days. Absence from intense physical exercise, nutrient intake and meal order was standardized in the 24 h prior the ice baths to account for confounders such as diet or exercise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomedicines
December 2024
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada.
The leading cause of death for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including heart attacks and strokes. However, research into biomarkers that could help predict MACE in patients with PAD has been limited. Immunomodulatory proteins are known to significantly influence systemic atherosclerosis, suggesting they could be useful prognostic indicators for MACE in patients with PAD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetes Care
January 2025
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Objective: To assess the extent to which the concomitant presence of subclinical myocardial injury or stress and diabetes affects the risk of heart failure (HF) subtypes.
Research Design And Methods: The Jackson Heart Study included Black adults, categorized based on diabetes status, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Subclinical myocardial injury was defined as hs-cTnI ≥4 ng/L in women and ≥6 ng/L in men, and subclinical myocardial stress as BNP ≥35 pg/mL.
Front Neurol
December 2024
Department of Human Repair, Neurosurgery, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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