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Undernutrition and inflammatory processes are predictors of early mortality in the elderly and require a rapid and accurate diagnosis. Currently, there are laboratory markers for assessing nutritional status, but new markers are still being sought. Recent studies suggest that sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) has the potential to be a marker for undernutrition. This article summarizes available studies on the association of SIRT1 and undernutrition in older people. Possible associations between SIRT1 and the aging process, inflammation, and undernutrition in the elderly have been described. The literature suggests that low SIRT1 levels in the blood of older people may not be associated with physiological aging processes, but with an increased risk of severe undernutrition associated with inflammation and systemic metabolic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the value of proprotein-converting subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients with different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to compare these findings with a healthy control group without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: A total of 135 patients, 100 of whom were patients with T2D and 35 of whom were in the health control group, were included in this prospective study. T2D patients were divided into three groups: the first group included 34 people with T2D without DR, the second group had 32 people with non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and the third group had 34 people with proliferative DR (PDR). Serum PCSK9 levels were analyzed and compared between the groups. Results: Forty-nine percent of the participants were female, and the mean age was 64 ± 9.1 years, with no statistically significant results between the four groups in terms of age and sex. The mean serum PCSK9 value was significantly different (p = 0.01) when all groups were evaluated, and statistically significant change was observed with the progression of DR. When serum PCSK9 levels were evaluated in all T2D patients (groups 1, 2, and 3), a medium-level correlation was observed with low-density lipoprotein (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum PCSK9 values differed significantly in diabetic patients compared to the control group. One should be clinically cautious about the usefulness of circulating PCSK9 concentrations as an indicator of the risk of diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) is suggested to have an oncogenic role in several tumors based on its overexpression. However, its diagnostic and prognostic role in gastric cancer remains unclarified. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of NAP1L1 in gastric cancer patients. A total of 85 patients [mean (SD) age: 60.9 (1.6) years, 49.4% were males] with newly-diagnosed gastric cancer and 40 healthy individuals [mean (SD) age: 60.7 (1.7) years, 52.5% were males] were included. Data on patient demographics (age, gender), TNM stages and tumor size, and the serum NAP1L1 levels were recorded. Serum NAP1L1 levels were significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than in control subjects [12 (9.5–13.8) vs. 1.8 (1.5–2.4) ng/mL, p < 0.001]. Also, certain tumor characteristics such as tumor size of >4 vs. <4 cm (p < 0.001), M1 vs. M0 stage (p < 0.001), N2 vs. N0 and N1 stage (p < 0.001), and T4 vs. lower T stage (p < 0.001) were associated with significantly higher serum NAP1L1 levels in gastric cancer patients. Our findings revealed for the first time that serum levels for NAP1L1 were overexpressed in the gastric cancer, as also correlated with the disease progression. NAP1L1 seems to be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer, providing clinically important information on early diagnosis and risk stratification. This study aimed to investigate serum levels for nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) in patients with gastric cancer in relation to healthy controls and tumor pathology. It was demonstrated for the first time that serum levels for NAP1L1 were overexpressed in the gastric cancer, as also correlated with the disease progression. These findings seem to implicate the potential role of serum NAP1L1 as a distinct diagnostic and prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer, offering clinically important information on early diagnosis and risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean is one of the world's most widely cultivated food crops, and soybean seeds are supplied from national seed resources in Korea. However, the transmission of seed-borne diseases through infected soybean seeds is problematic. Among these diseases, soybean seed decay is caused by Diaporthe spp. Infecting the pods, and the infected seeds show rotting symptoms. Most diseased seeds are removed during the selection process; however, it is difficult to distinguish infected seeds that do not display symptoms. Hence, a sequence-based method was devised to screen Diaporthe-infected seeds. Based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribe spacer (ITS) region of the pathogen, a primer was designed to distinguish the infection from other soybean seed pathogens. As a result of the comparison between healthy and Diaporthe-diseased seeds by using the primers, Diaporthe was detected only in the diseased seeds. Therefore, it is possible to distribute healthy soybean seeds by detecting Diaporthe-diseased seeds at the genetic level using the Diaporthe-specific primers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is useful for risk stratification in patients with sepsis and respiratory infections. The study's purpose was to assess the available data and determine the association between MR-proADM levels and mortality in COVID-19 participants. A comprehensive literature search of medical electronic databases was performed including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and grey literature for relevant data published from 1 January 2020, to 20 November 2022. Mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Fourteen studies reported MR-proADM levels in survivors vs. non-survivors of COVID-19 patients. Pooled analysis showed that MR-proADM level in the survivor group was 0.841 ± 0.295 nmol/L for patients who survive COVID-19, compared to 1.692 ± 0.761 nmol/L for non-survivors (MD = −0.78; 95%CI: −0.92 to −0.64; p < 0.001). The main finding of this study is that mortality of COVID-19 is linked to MR-proADM levels, according to this meta-analysis. The use of MR-proADM might be extremely beneficial in triaging, assessing probable therapy escalation, predicting potential complications during therapy or significant clinical deterioration of patients, and avoiding admission which may not be necessary. Nevertheless, in order to confirm the obtained data, it is necessary to conduct large prospective studies that will address the potential diagnostic role of MR-proADM as a marker of COVID-19 severity. Severity of COVID-19 seems to be linked to MR-proADM levels and can be used as a potential marker for predicting a patient's clinical course. The use of MR-proADM might be beneficial in triaging, assessing probable therapy escalation, predicting potential complications during therapy or significant clinical deterioration of patients, and avoiding admission which may not be necessary. For patients with COVID-19, MR-proADM may be an excellent prognostic indicator because it is a marker of endothelial function that may predict the precise impact on the equilibrium between vascular relaxation and contraction and lowers platelet aggregation inhibitors, coagulation inhibitors, and fibrinolysis activators in favor of clotting factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteocytes invivo exhibit different functional states, but no specific marker to distinguish these is currently available. To simulate the differentiation process of pre-osteoblasts to osteocytes invitro, MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on type I collagen gel and a three-dimensional (3D) culture system was established. The Notch expression of osteocyte-like cells in 3D culture system was compared with that of in situ osteocytes in bone tissues. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that Notch1 was not detected in "resting" insitu osteocytes, but was detected in normal cultured osteocyte-like cell line MLO-Y4. Osteocytes obtained from conventional osteogenic-induced osteoblasts and long-term cultured MLO-Y4 cells could not replicate the Notch1 expression pattern from insitu osteocytes. From day 14–35 of osteogenic induction, osteoblasts in 3D culture system gradually migrated into the gel to form canaliculus-like structures similar to bone canaliculus. On day 35, stellate-shaped osteocyte-like cells were observed, and expression of DMP1 and SOST, but not Runx2, was detected. Notch1 was not detected by immunohistochemistry, and Notch1 mRNA level was not significantly different from that of insitu osteocytes. In MC3T3-E1 cells, down-regulation of Notch2 increased Notch1, Notch downstream genes (β-catenin and Nfatc1), and Dmp1. In MLO-Y4 cells, Notch2 decreased after Notch1 siRNA transfection. Downregulation of Notch1 or Notch2 decreased Nfatc1, β-catenin, and Dmp1, and increased Sost. We established "resting state" osteocytes using an invitro 3D model. Notch1 can be a useful marker to help differentiate the functional states of osteocytes (activated vs. resting state). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out with the aim of revealing the genetic differences of 30 cotton varieties from 14 countries using the iPBS-retrotransposon marker method. Genetic differences were determined by using iPBS marker method in PCR for 30 cotton varieties. According to the genetic distance matrix obtained in the NTSYS-pc 2.10e program, the closest genotypes were determined to be AzGR-11468 (Azerbaijan) and Maydos Yerlisi (India), and the similarity value between them was found to be 0.0318. The most distant genotypes were determined to be Hill Cotton 3 (Bangladesh) and Shazbaz (Pakistan), and the similarity value between them was found to be 0.7572. When the dendrogram generated based on the UPGMA method was examined.30 cotton varieties were divided into 2 clades. According to the PCA made in the JMP program, the graphic results and eigen values obtained on the two-dimensional plane also supported these results. The first 3 eigen values explained 85% of the total variance in the population. Overall results suggest that Hill Cotton 3 (Bangladesh) (Gossypium arboreum) and Shazbaz (Pakistan) (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars, which are the most distant relatives among 30 cotton genotypes, can be used as breeding cultivars in future cotton breeding studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most melanocytic skin lesions are correctly diagnosed, numerous studies have shown interobserver disagreement. This review analyzes 20 molecules as immunohistochemical markers for distinguishing dysplastic and/or Spitz nevi from early melanomas (in situ, Clark level I or II and/or Breslow thickness at most 1 mm). The detected presence and/or level of tested molecules was significantly different in early melanomas than in dysplastic and Spitz nevi for six and seven potential markers, respectively. The most promising results were obtained for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, cyclooxygenase-2 and PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma whose levels were different in dysplastic and Spitz nevi compared to early melanomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate first trimester maternal weight as a spina bifida screening marker. Case-control study of spina bifida and unaffected pregnancies; cases were from national records and controls from women referred to prenatal screening centers in the Ukraine. The median and inter-quartile range of weight, body mass index (BMI) and the obesity rate (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) were compared. Discriminatory power was assessed by logistic regression. Gaussian modeling was used to predict the additional spina bifida detection when weight was included as a screening marker risk in addition to first trimester biparietal diameter (BPD) and serum α-fetoprotein (AFP). There were 97 cases and 274 controls. The distribution of maternal weight was increased in cases by 3 kg, on average, about 5% (p <.05); BMI was increased about 8% (p <.005). Some 15% of cases were obese compared with 6.9% of controls (p <.02). In logistic regression including BMI and maternal age, 29% cases and 9.8% controls had high risk of spina bifida. Modeling predicted that incorporating weight would increase the detection rate compared with BPD and AFP alone by 3% and BMI would increase it by 4%. Incorporating maternal weight into first trimester spina bifida screening protocols will increase detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illicit use of dexamethasone and other glucocorticoids for cattle fattening in livestock production has been widely described; evidence for illegal treatments can be obtained by direct or indirect detection. In our previous study, we applied two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) to identify plasma protein markers of dexamethasone administration in veal calves. Comparison of 2DE maps obtained from blood samples before and after treatment showed the disappearance of two protein spots identified as serum paraoxonase/arylesterase 1 precursor (PON1). In the present study, we validated PON1 as a marker by analysing a larger number of samples treated with dexamethasone for illicit use. Analysis of samples from experimental treatment with other glucocorticoids, androgens and oestrogens confirmed that their influence on PON1 could be excluded. The specificity of the PON1 protein marker was verified on expected negative field samples to exclude interfering factors. However, there is poor statistical evidence to support a significant association between the outcome of PON1 and the considered variables. The results on field samples were compared with histological examination of the thymus as a biomarker of corticosteroid treatment monitored in the Italian histological plan for the control of growth promoters in animals. Two suspect cases were identified from two Piedmont farms where other animals had tested positive at histological examination. In conclusion, the absence of PON1 in the plasma of veal calves can indirectly reveal illicit dexamethasone treatment in individual animals and so identify suspect farms for further investigation. It is effective in a period ranging from 3 to about 10 days from illicit treatment, covering a time span that goes beyond the limits of official chemical controls and preceding histological controls on the thymus of slaughtered animals. PON1 detection in plasma can be coupled with other tests to identify illegal dexamethasone use on veal calf farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature requirement A1 (HtrA1) is a serine protease detected in maternal plasma and in placental tissues during normal gestation and in various pathological conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the maternal plasma concentration of HtrA1 in first trimester, alone or combined with other maternal factors, can be used to identify women at risk for spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). This is a cohort study on pregnant women at 12 weeks of gestation recruited between 2014 and 2016 and prospectively followed until delivery. One hundred and fifty-nine women were included in the study: 140 women delivered at term and 19 (11.9%) delivered spontaneously preterm. Plasma samples were assessed for HtrA1 by ELISA and data were compared between women which delivered at term with women which delivered preterm. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the independent effect of women's characteristics on the probability of a SPTB. SPTB was significantly associated with log HtrA1 values at 12 weeks of gestation, BMI before pregnancy and physical activity. In particular, the probability of a SPTB increases of 79% for every added unit of log HtrA1, while decreases of 18% for every added unit of BMI. In addition, physical activity was found as an important protective factor. The ROC curve showed that the model had a good accuracy in predicting SPTB, with an AUC equal to 0.83 (95%CI: 0.73–0.91). Maternal plasma HtrA1 may be considered a marker of SPTB. In addition, our model indicates two factors that could be modified to reduce the risk of SPTB, i.e. BMI before pregnancy and maternal physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer as one of the most common causes of death has always been one of the major health challenges globally. Since, the identification of tumors in the early tumor stages can significantly reduce mortality rates; it is required to introduce novel early detection tumor markers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have pivotal roles in regulation of cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and tumor progression. Moreover, due to the higher stability of miRNAs than mRNAs in body fluids, they can be considered as non-invasive diagnostic or prognostic markers in cancer patients. In the present review we have summarized the role of miR-217 during tumor progressions. The miR-217 functions were categorized based on its target molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways. It was observed that miR-217 mainly exerts its function by regulation of the transcription factors during tumor progressions. The WNT, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways were also important molecular targets of miR-217 in different cancers. The present review clarifies the molecular biology of miR-217 and paves the way of introducing miR-217 as a non-invasive diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the persistent inability to attain and/or maintain erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a problem with increasing incidence every day which disrupts quality of life significantly. We aimed to research whether ED is a warning symptom for the early stages of CKD or not.Materials and Methods: The records of 639 patients attending Ordu University due to ED were retrospectively investigated. According to International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores and degree of ED, patients were compared in terms of GFR values.Results: In 92.8% of patients, serum creatinine values were within normal limits (<1 mg/dL), while 30.5% of patients were observed to have GFR below 80. While stage 2 CKD was identified in 1% of the control group, this rate was calculated as 8% in the group with severe ED. In stage 1 and stage 2 CKD, IIEF scores were identified to be low by clear degree.Conclusions: Results confirm that it was identified that the incidence of stage 1 and stage 2 CKD was higher among patients attending with ED compared to the control group. Just as ED may be an early clinical marker of coronary artery disease, it may be early warning symptom for CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tangwang Mingmu granule (TWMM), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common microvascular complication in diabetes mellitus. To establish a method to select target compounds from herbs for a pharmacokinetic study using network pharmacology, which could be applied in clinical settings. First, UPLC/Q Exactive Q-Orbitrap and GCMS 2010 were used to determine the non-volatile and volatile ingredients of TWMM. Based on the identified compounds, network pharmacology was used to screen the key compounds and targets of TWMM in the treatment of DR. Based on the compound-target-pathway network and identification of components emigrant into blood, the potential compound markers in vivo were chosen. Then, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were administrated of TWMM at a 9.6 g/kg dose to investigating pharmacokinetic parameters using the UPLC-QQQ-MS. Ninety and forty-five compounds were identified by UPLC-MS and GC-MS, respectively. Based on the network pharmacology, nine compounds with a degree value above 15 were screened and implied that these compounds are the most active in DR treatment. Moreover, criteria of degree value greater than 7 were applied, and PTGS2, NOS2, AKT1, ESR1, TNF, and MAPK14 were inferred as the core targets in treating DR. After identification of components absorbed into blood, luteolin and formononetin were selected and used to investigate the pharmacokinetic parameters of TWMM after its oral administration. The reported strategy provides a method that combines ingredient profiling, network pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics to determine luteolin and formononetin as the pharmacokinetic markers of TWMM. This strategy provides a clinically relevant methodology that allows for the screening of pharmacokinetic markers in Chinese medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolomics is rapidly evolving omics technology in personalized medicine, it offers a new avenue for identification of multiple novel metabolic mediators of impaired glucose tolerance and dysglycemia. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are most commonly used analytical methods in the field of metabolomics. Recent evidences showed that metabolomic profiles are link to the incidence of diabetes. In this review, an overview of metabolomics studies in diabetes revealed several diabetes-associated metabolites including 1,5-anhydroglycitol, branch chain amino acids, glucose, α-hydroxybutyric acid, 3-hydroundecanoyl-carnitine and phosphatidylcholine that could be potential biomarkers associated with diabetes. These identified metabolites can be used to develop personalized prognostics and diagnostic, and help in diabetes management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)/Angiotensin (Ang) II pathway has crucial regulatory effects on circulatory hemostasis and immune responses. This pathway has a major role in the development of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a devastating complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study is to investigate the serum ACE activity and its correlation with clinical features and the disease severity in patients with COVID-19. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 by detecting SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid RT-PCR were included in the study. Demographic data, clinical features, laboratory and radiologic investigations were recorded. Patients were classified by disease severity; asymptomatic, mild, and severe pneumonia. The serum ACE activity was evaluated with an autoanalyzer based on a spectrophotometric method. Fifty-five patients (50.9% female) and 18 healthy subjects (33.3 % female) were enrolled in the study. The median age of patients was 40 years, ranging from 22 to 81 years. Eighteen healthy subjects were served as the control group. The baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. The median serum ACE activity of patients and controls (38.00 [IQR 21] U/L and 32.00 [IQR 24] U/L, respectively) and of between patients grouped by disease severity (38.5 [IQR 19], 36 [IQR 25], and 38 [IQR 22] U/L, asymptomatic, mild and severe pneumonia group, respectively) were similar. There was no correlation between the serum ACE activity and conventional inflammatory markers. In this study, we did not find an association between serum ACE activity and COVID-19 and serum ACE activity on admission did not reflect disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung (Lung NENs) encompass NE tumors (NETs), which are in turn split into typical and atypical carcinoids, and NE carcinomas (NECs), which group together small-cell carcinoma and large-cell NE carcinoma. This classification is the current basis for orienting the daily practice of these patients, with diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive inferences.Areas Covered: The clinical implications of lung NEN classification are addressed according to three converging perspectives, which were dissected through an extensive literature overview: (1) how to put intratumor heterogeneity into the context of the current classification; (2) how to contextualize immunohistochemistry markers to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy prediction; and (3) how to use immuno-oncology strategies for life-threatening NECs, which still account for 90% or more of lung NENs.Expert Opinion: We provide practical insights to account for intratumor heterogeneity, practice the choice of immunohistochemistry markers, and emphasize once again the added value of immuno-oncology in the setting of personalized medicine of lung NENs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We aimed to compare the amniotic fluid interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations measured using the automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method and ELISA, and to establish an IL-6 concentration cut-off value for intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI) in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM), which can be used in the automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method.Materials and methods: A total of 120 women with PPROM were included in this study. Amniotic fluid samples were obtained through transabdominal amniocentesis. IL-6 concentrations were assessed using both the automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method and ELISA, the current gold standard. IAI was defined as an amniotic fluid IL-6 concentration of ≥2600 pg/mL measured using ELISA.Results: A correlation between both assays was found (Spearman's rho = 0.97; p < .0001). Based on the receiver-operating characteristic curve for the identification of IAI (area under the curve = 0.99), a cut-off value of ≥3000 pg/mL was selected for the automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method with a sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 99%, positive predictive value of 97%, negative predictive value of 96%, and likelihood ratio of 76.Conclusions: For amniotic fluid IL-6 concentrations assessed using the automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method, a cut-off value of 3000 pg/mL was indicated for diagnosing IAI in women with PPROM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a marker for degree of inflammation. Inflammation has been regarded as one of the causes of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Objectives: This study investigated the potential association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Material and methods: This retrospective, case–control clinical trial analyzed data from 186 subjects diagnosed with ISSNHL and admitted to Kyung-Hee Medical Center between March 2016 and February 2019. Hematologic and audiometric parameters were measured. Results: NLR showed a linear correlation with hearing recovery in patients with ISSNHL, with hearing gain (dB) = 56.698 – 3.718 × NLR (r2 = 0.451, p =.001). Hearing recovery at all frequencies was numerically higher in patients with low (<6.661) than higher (≥6.661) NLR at all frequencies and was significantly higher at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz. Hearing thresholds at 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz in the low NLR group were significantly lower after treatment. Conclusions and significance: The ability to recover from ISSNHL decreases as NLR increases. NLR may be a valuable prognostic marker in patients with ISSNHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early onset sepsis (EOS) is potentially life-threatening problem especially in preterm. EOS diagnosis is challenging due to its non-specific signs and laboratory tests. Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been used as predictor of many inflammatory diseases.Objectives: To assess the correlation between serial MPV measurement and EOS occurrence in preterm infants and to determine MPV effectiveness in combination with C reactive protein (CRP) to diagnose EOS and mortality prediction.Methods: The study was carried out on 95 preterm infants with antenatal risk factor for EOS. Blood samples were taken for complete blood count (CBC) including MPV evaluated at birth (cord blood) and at 72 h of life. CRP analyzed on days 1 and 3, subsequently patients were identified in two groups: sepsis (n = 28) and no-sepsis (n = 67).Results: MPV was significantly higher on both day 1 (10.23 ± 0.92) fl and day 3 (10.77 ± 1.16) fL in the sepsis group compared with no-sepsis (8.11 ± 0.29) fl and (8.53 ± 0.42) fl, respectively. MPV of 8.6 fL was identified as cut off value in patients probably resulting in sepsis with a sensitivity of 97.14% and a specificity of 100%. MPV of 10.4 fl was determined as cut off value in patients possibly resulting in death with a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 82.5%. The combination of both MPV and CRP on day 1 resulted in improving performance of MPV with higher negative predictive value (93.1%) and higher sensitivity (80%).Conclusion: High cord blood and day 3 MPV can be used as surrogate marker for prediction of EOS and associated mortality in preterm neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the predictive value of lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) levels for coronary collateral circulation (CCC) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Method & methods: A total of 409 consecutive patients with AMI were enrolled for this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to rentrop grades assessed by coronary angiography: bad (n = 277) and good CCC group (n = 132). Result: Patients with bad CCC had a higher level of Lp(a) than that with good CCC (median Lp[a] 219.1 vs 122.0 mg/l). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves of Lp(a) in predicting bad CCC was 0.647 (95% CI: 0.592–0.702) with the cut-off value of 199.0 mg/l. Conclusion: Our data firstly suggested that Lp(a) might be a useful marker for CCC after AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scatterplots require different symbols for different purposes. For presentation, aesthetically pleasing symbols are popular. For analysis, highly discriminable symbols aid pattern detection. This study identifies a default symbol set suitable for both presentation and analysis. This is achieved by using popular symbols with preattentive differences. Supplemental materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal cancers worldwide. Detection of CRC at the early stages of disease can play an important role in decrease of associated mortality rates. The Wnt signaling pathway is crucial for the progression of different cellular and developmental processes and Wnt pathway deregulation has been well characterized in a variety of cancers, particularly in CRC. The aim of this study was to analyze protein expression of Pygopus2 (PYGO2), the main transcription factor of Wnt pathway, in CRC tissues and evaluate its probable correlation with clinicopathological features of the patients. The expression pattern of PYGO2 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in tumor tissues and their margin normal which is the piece of normal, or unaffected tissue excised from the surrounding the visible tumors in 46 CRC patients. A defined scoring system was applied to analyze immunostaining results. The expression of PYGO2 protein was detected in all tumor tissues. Furthermore, this expression was significantly higher in CRC samples than in normal tissues. There was a significant association between PYGO2 protein expression in CRC and tumor cell metastasis to the lymph nodes. Considering the significant expression of PYGO2 protein in colorectal tumor cells and its correlation with lymph node metastasis, this protein may be used as a biomarker for metastatic CRC as well as a putative therapeutic target to inhibit aggressiveness and metastasis of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various pathovars (pv.) of Xanthomonas campestris (Xc) are prevalent in South Korea, of which pv. campestris causing black rot threatens the production of cabbage in this major cabbage producing country of the world. Rapid and sensitive detection of the pathovar is an essential prerequisite for any plant protection programme. This study took an approach of re-aligning the whole genome sequences (upon availability) of representative strains of the bacteria and identified pathovar-specific genomic regions that are absent in other pathovars and other bacterial strains. Herein, eight Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCAR) primer sets were designed, of which three sets, namely Xcc_48F/R, Xcc_53F/R and Xcc_79F/R, specifically amplified all Xcc strains and did not amplify other pathovars and bacterial strains. These primers also detected the Xcc strains collected from black rot infected field samples in South Korea. After optimizing the PCR conditions, one of the primers, Xcc_48F/R, was able to amplify as low as 6 × 10−3 ng μL−1 bacterial DNA. This unique method of marker development thus yielded sensitive, specific and reliable markers that can be used for efficient and inexpensive detection of Xcc for purposes including quarantine and disease forecasting by early detection from asymptomatic field samples. Additionally, the method can be replicated in developing markers from other phyto-pathogenic agents for which the variable genomic regions are not known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, male infertility has become a growing social problem. Standard diagnostic procedures, based on assessing seminological parameters, are often insufficient to explain the causes of male infertility. Because of this, new markers with better clinical application are being sought. One of the promising markers seems to be an assessment of telomere length of sperm. Sperm telomeres, in contrast to somatic cells, are elongated as men age. The results of some studies suggest that telomere length may be relevant in the case of fertilization and normal embryo development. Literature reports indicate that there is a correlation between telomere length of sperm and abnormal sperm parameters. The measurement of telomere length using the method of quantitative PCR could become a new marker of spermatogenesis, which can be useful for evaluating male reproductive age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is produced and up-regulated by exposure of myeloid cells to lipopolysaccharides or other components of either bacterial or fungal origin, which causes it to be strongly expressed on phagocytes that accumulate in inflamed areas. Because TREM-1 participates in septic shock and in amplifying the inflammatory response to bacterial and fungal infections, we believe it could be an immunohistochemical marker for postmortem diagnosis of sepsis. We tested the anti-TREM-1 antibody in 28 cases of death by septic shock and divided them into two groups. The diagnosis was made according to the criteria of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. In all cases, blood cultures were positive. The first group was comprised subjects that presented high ante-mortem serum procalcitonin and the soluble form of TREM-1 (s-TREM-1) values. The second group comprised subjects in which s-TREM-1 was not measured ante-mortem. We used samples of brain, heart, lung, liver and kidney for each case to test the anti-TREM-1 antibody. A semiquantitative evaluation of the immunohistochemical findings was made. In lung samples, we found immunostaining in the cells of the monocyte line in 24 of 28 cases, which suggests that TREM-1 is produced principally by cells of the monocyte line. In liver tissue, we found low TREM-staining in the hepatocyte cytoplasm, duct epithelium, the portal-biliary space and blood vessel. In kidney tissue samples, we found the TREM-1 antibody immunostaining in glomeruli and renal tubules. We also found TREM-1 staining in the lumen of blood vessels. Immunohistochemical staining using the anti-TREM-1 antibody can be useful for postmortem diagnosis of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High-resolution imaging is the gold standard to measure the functional and biological features of bone lesions. Imaging markers have allowed the characterization both of tumour heterogeneity and metabolic data. Besides, ongoing studies are evaluating a combined use of 'imaging markers', such as SUVs, MATV, TLG, ADC from PET and MRI techniques respectively, and several 'biomarkers' spanning from chemokine immune-modulators, such as PD-1, RANK/RANKL, CXCR4/CXCL12 to transcription factors, such as TP53, RB1, MDM2, RUNX family, EZH2, YY1, MAD2. Osteoimmunology may improve diagnosis and prognosis leading to precision medicine in bone lesion treatment. Areas covered: We investigated modalities (molecular and imaging approach) useful to identify bone lesions deriving both from primary bone tumours and from osteotropic tumours, which have a higher incidence, prevalence and prognosis. Here, we summarized the recent advances in imaging techniques and osteoimmunology biomarkers which could play a pivotal role in personalized treatment. Expert commentary: Although imaging and molecular integration could allow both early diagnosis and stratification of cancer prognosis, large scale clinical trials will be necessary to translate pilot studies in the current clinical setting. Abbreviations: ADC: apparent diffusion coefficient; ALCAM: Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule; ALP: Alkaline phosphatases; BC: Breast cancer; BSAP: B-Cell Lineage Specific Activator; BSAP: bone-specific alkaline phosphatase; BSP: bone sialoprotein; CRIP1: cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1; CD44: cluster of differentiation 44; CT: computed tomography; CXCL12: C-X-C motif ligand 12; CXCR4: C-X-C C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4; CTLA-4: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4; CTX-1: C-terminal end of the telopeptide of type I collagen; DC: dendritic cell; DWI: Diffusion-weighted MR image; EMT: mesenchymal transition; ET-1: endothelin-1; FDA: Food and Drug Administration; FDG: 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose; FGF: fibroblast growth factor; FOXC2: forkhead box protein C2: HK-2: hexokinase-2; ICTP: carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen; IGF-1R: Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor; ILC: innate lymphocytes cells; LC: lung cancer; IL-1: interleukin-1; LYVE1: lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronic acid receptor 1; MAD2: mitotic arrest deficient 2; MATV: metabolically active tumour volume; M-CSF: macrophage colony stimulating factor; MM: multiple myeloma; MIP1a: macrophage inflammatory protein 1a; MSC: mesenchymal stem cell; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; PC: prostate cancer; NRP2: neuropilin 2; OPG: osteoprotogerin; PDGF: platelet-derived growth factor; PD-1: Programmed Cell Death 1; PET: positron emission tomography; PINP: procollagen type I N propeptide; PROX1: prospero homeobox protein 1; PSA: Prostate-specific antigen; PTH: parathyroid hormone; RANK: Receptor activator of NF-kB ligand; RECK: Reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein; SEMAs: semaphorins; SPECT: single photon computed tomography; SUV: standard uptake value; TLG: total lesion glycolysis; TP53: tumour protein 53; VCAM-1: vascular endothelial molecule-1; VOI: volume of interest; YY1: Yin Yang 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim is to describe changes in serum concentration for the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 and MCP-1, for the satiety factor leptin and for factors associated with neuronal changes, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and glial activation S100-beta protein (S100-β), and explore their association with abstinence in alcohol-dependent subjects after withdrawal. Methods: Serum sampling and clinical assessments from 115 alcohol-dependent subjects admitted to a psychiatric hospital for alcohol were repeated during the first 48 h of withdrawal (M0) and 1, 2, 4 and 6 months (M1, M2, M4 and M6) thereafter. Serum factors were determined with Luminex technology or by ELISA. Results: The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, IL-12, MCP-1, and leptin decreased after withdrawal and remained low until M6, regardless of alcohol consumption. IFN-γ levels remained constant and IL-10 levels changed only slightly. NSE levels were not modified, whereas serum S100-β concentration increased significantly on M1 and then plateaued, regardless of abstinence status at 6 months. Conclusions: Alcohol-dependent subjects present an inflammatory condition that is not dependent on alcohol consumption. An understanding of the changes in concentration of the various proteins considered here would provide insight into the physiology of withdrawal or dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burrowing nematode (Radapholus similis) is a major threat to banana (Musa spp.) production throughout the world. All commercial banana cultivars are lacking of R. similis resistance. The conferred resistance available in non-commercial banana genotypes opens ways to develop new hybrids with R. similis resistance by conventional or molecular-breeding techniques. Understanding the mechanism of resistance is the primary step that can provide Musa breeders and molecular biologists with the necessary principles to create nematode-resistant plants. Phenols and lignin have been ascribed as post-infectional resistant mechanism in banana. However, information on anti-nematode compounds that are presented in resistant banana plants before challenge by R. similis is limited. Therefore, the roots of some resistant/tolerant genotypes were tested for anti-nematode bioactivity by root amendment study. The root homogenates of resistant/tolerant genotypes (Yankambi km-5 (YKM-5), Pisang Lilin, Pisang Jaribuaya, Rose, Matti, Hatidat, Veneettu Kunnan, Then kunnan, Manoranjitham, Anaikomban, Agneeswar, Pisang Mas, Gros Michel, Williams, Red Banana (Mutant), Green Red and Tongat) inhibited the infectivity of R. similis on susceptible Musa cv. Grand Nain (AAA). To confirm their bio-activity, R. similis was exposed directly to the root extracts (water, methanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane) of the resistant/tolerant genotypes. Methanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane root extracts of the resistant/tolerant genotypes affected the mobility of R. similis. Results confirmed that roots of resistant/tolerant plants have pre-infectional nematostatic compounds to resist R. similis. Further bio-assay-guided fractionation, isolation and identification of nematostatic compound from methanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane root extracts of YKM-5 was attempted. The compounds N´- (3,6-dichloro-2,7-bis (2-(diethylamino) ethoxy) dodecahydro − 9H-fluoren-9-ylidene) pivalohydrazide isolated from methanol root extract; methyl 9,12-dimethylheptadecanoate isolated from ethyl acetate extract and; 1-isopropyl-2-propyldisulfane isolated from n-hexane extract were found to have nematostatic effect on R. similis. Further effort to validate that the production of these compounds contributes to resistance against R. similis in Musa germplasm would yield concrete markers for nematode resistance breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a method that can effectively define and sort cancer stem cells (CSCs) is extremely desirable. Mechanical stiffness is of paramount importance for a cell to differentiate and can reflect the differentiation state of cells. In line with this notion, cell softness is identified to be a unique marker for highly tumorigenic CSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is causal risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and LDL-associated variables including LDL-C, apolipoprotein B (apoB), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), lipoprotein a [Lp(a)], small dense LDL (sd-LDL), and oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) have been widely used for predicting the risk of CAD. This study was aimed to compare the values of six LDL-related variables for predicting the severity of CAD using untreated patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG). Methods: A group of 1977 individuals were consecutively enrolled and divided into CAD (n = 1151) and non-CAD groups (n = 826) according to the results of CAG. LDL-C, apoB, non-HDL-C, Lp(a), sd-LDL and ox-LDL were measured, respectively. The numbers of stenotic arteries and Gensini Scores (GS) were used to calculate the severity of CAD and the associations of six variables with the severity of CAD and predicting value of these parameters were simultaneously examined. Results: CAD patients had significantly higher concentrations of LDL-related variables than non-CAD ones (all p < 0.05). Importantly, all variables rose with the increase in the severity of CAD. The predicting value of CAD manifested as sd-LDL > ox-LDL > apoB > non-HDL-C > LDL-C > Lp(a) [area under curve (AUC): sd-LDL 0.641; ox-LDL 0.640; apoB 0.611; non-HDL-C 0.587; LDL-C 0.583; Lp(a) 0.554; respectively]. In multivariate logistic analysis, all variables showed as independent risk factors for the severity of CAD [odds ratio (OR): ox-LDL > sd-LDL > apoB > non-HDL-C > LDL-C > Lp(a)]. Conclusions: All of LDL-related variables could be useful marker for predicting the severity of CAD but sd-LDL and ox-LDL appeared to litter better. Further study may be needed to validate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This work investigates the apparent metabolisable energy (AME), its nitrogen-corrected form (AMEn) and amino acid (AA) digestibility coefficients of the microalgae Spirulina platensis as an ingredient in broiler chicken diets. 2. One group of birds was fed with a basal control diet (BD), and another was fed with a test diet composed of the BD with the addition of the microalgae at a proportion of 200 g/kg. AME and AMEn were assessed by total excreta collection and indigestibility analysis using acid-insoluble ash (AIA) as a marker. 3. The microalgae comprised 888.0 g/kg dry matter (DM), 18.42 MJ/kg gross energy, 514.7 g/kg crude protein, 9.9 g/kg ether extract, 10.6 g/kg crude fibre, 94.4 g/kg ash, 3.1 g/kg Ca and 11.0 g/kg P. 4. The values obtained for AME (13.48 MJ/kg DM) and AMEn (11.72 MJ/kg DM) were higher (p < 0.01) than those obtained using the AIA method (9.39-8.29 MJ/kg DM). The microalgae ileal digestibility coefficients were 0.80 ± 0.04 and 0.78 ± 0.04 for essential and non-essential AA, respectively. 5. Overall, the metabolisable energy content and digestibility of AA for S. platensis indicated that the microalgae are potentially an alternative nutrient source for broilers. The AIA method underestimated AME and AMEn in comparison to the total excreta collection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Traditional diagnosis and classification of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have been based on clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, endoscopy, imaging, and histological examinations. With the advancement of medical technology, an increasing number of molecular surrogates are playing a key role in diagnosis, differential diagnosis, assessment of disease activity, prediction of clinical course, and therapeutic response of IBD. Areas covered: The authors review roles of both existing and emerging surrogates including genetic, serological, histologic, and fecal markers in diagnosis and classification of IBD. Comparisons in advantages and disadvantages of different markers have also been discussed. In addition, this review underscores controversial and unclear aspects which need further study. Expert commentary: IBD is characteristic of chronicity, relapse-remission and destructiveness. It is of great importance for clinicians to make an accurate diagnosis and classification. Current and new molecular markers perform well with acceptable sensitivity and specificity. The use of molecular markers in clinical practice needs to be further explored and then generalized. More work is warranted to identify novel useful markers and elucidate how to apply them together with current markers in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the expression of napsin A, TTF1, SPA and CK7 in primary lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and compared antibody specificity and sensitivity. We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) using antibodies directed against napsin A, TTF1, SPA, and CK7 on cancer tissue from 454 patients diagnosed with lung cancer. In primary lung ADC, napsin A exhibited a sensitivity of 87.25% and specificity of 95.02%, TTF1 exhibited a sensitivity of 80.72% and specificity of 90.48%, SPA exhibited a sensitivity of 60.46% and specificity of 94.87% and CK7 exhibited a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80.31%. The order of sensitivity of the four indicators was CK7 > napsin A > TTF1 > SPA, and the order of specificity was napsin A > SPA > TTF1 > CK7. We can select effective indicators for diagnostic and differential diagnostic purposes based on differences in sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is valued for its unique bioactive honey, but relatively little is known about mānuka nectar and the factors modulating its production. In this study the compositional variability of nectar collected throughout mānuka floral development was measured in glasshouse-cultivated plants. The total yield of nectar was estimated by rinsing flowers with water and measuring total sugars (°Brix). The concentration of total sugars and of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the precursor to methylglyoxal and the key mānuka honey bioactive, increased through floral development and maximised just prior to initiation of flower degradation. Similarly, the patterns of several mānuka honey authenticity markers including lepteridine, leptosperin and 3-phenyllactic acid also followed a similar trend through flower development, suggesting that their biosynthesis was associated with nectar production. Leaf exudates produced as a result of scale insect infestation of some mānuka plants were deficient in the key markers DHA, leptosperin and lepteridine, but did contain 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid. This study suggests that the predominant key markers of genuine mānuka are biosynthesised in the floral tissues of the plant rather than elsewhere. For robust analysis and comparison of mānuka nectar yield and composition, sampling needs to take into account the floral developmental stage of the flowers sampled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is valued for its unique bioactive honey, but relatively little is known about mānuka nectar and the factors modulating its production. In this study the compositional variability of nectar collected throughout mānuka floral development was measured in glasshouse-cultivated plants. The total yield of nectar was estimated by rinsing flowers with water and measuring total sugars (°Brix). The concentration of total sugars and of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the precursor to methylglyoxal and the key mānuka honey bioactive, increased through floral development and maximised just prior to initiation of flower degradation. Similarly, the patterns of several mānuka honey authenticity markers including lepteridine, leptosperin and 3-phenyllactic acid also followed a similar trend through flower development, suggesting that their biosynthesis was associated with nectar production. Leaf exudates produced as a result of scale insect infestation of some mānuka plants were deficient in the key markers DHA, leptosperin and lepteridine, but did contain 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid. This study suggests that the predominant key markers of genuine mānuka are biosynthesised in the floral tissues of the plant rather than elsewhere. For robust analysis and comparison of mānuka nectar yield and composition, sampling needs to take into account the floral developmental stage of the flowers sampled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to determine the cervical calreticulin and cathepsin-G concentrations in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) with respect to the presence of microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) and intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI).Methods: Eighty women with singleton pregnancies complicated by PPROM were included in this study. Cervical and amniotic fluids were obtained at the time of admission, and concentrations of calreticulin and cathepsin-G in cervical fluid were determined using ELISA. The MIAC was defined as a positive PCR analysis for Ureaplasma species, Mycoplasma hominis, and/or Chlamydia trachomatis and/or by positivity for the 16S rRNA gene. IAI was defined as amniotic fluid bedside IL-6 concentrations ≥745 pg/mL Result: Neither women with MIAC nor with IAI had different cervical fluid concentrations of calreticulin (with MIAC: median 18.9 pg/mL vs. without MIAC: median 14.7 pg/mL, p = 0.28; with IAI: median 14.3 pg/mL vs. without IAI: median 15.6 pg/mL, p = 0.57;) or of cathepsin-G (with MIAC: median 30.7 pg/mL vs. without MIAC: median 24.7 pg/mL, p = 0.28; with IAI: median 27.3 pg/mL vs. without IAI: median 25.1 pg/mL, p = 0.80) than women without those complications. No associations between amniotic fluid IL-6 concentrations, gestational age at sampling, and cervical fluid calreticulin and cathepsin-G concentrations were found.Conclusions: Cervical fluid calreticulin and cathepsin-G concentrations did not reflect the presence of MIAC or IAI in women with PPROM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Given that high-intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) of benign thyroid nodules often causes a massive release of thyroglobulin (Tg) into the circulation, we hypothesised a greater initial Tg rise may result in a greater nodule shrinkage 6 months after ablation. Methods:One hundred and five patients who underwent HIFU for symptomatic benign thyroid nodule from 2015 to 2016 were analysed. Serum Tg and anti-Tg autoantibody were checked on treatment day (baseline) and 4 d after treatment. The % of Tg rise = [serum Tg on day-4 – baseline serum Tg]/[baseline serum Tg] * 100 while the nodule shrinkage as measured by volume reduction ratio (VRR) = [baseline volume – volume at 6-month]/[baseline volume] * 100. Treatment success was defined as VRR >50%. Results:At 6-month, the mean VRR was 62.2 ± 25.0% and 59 (76.6%) patients had treatment success. The mean baseline Tg level increased from 292.8 ± 672.7 ng/mL to 2022.7 ± 1759.8 ng/mL in the first-week. The % of Tg rise did not significantly correlate with either 3-month or 6-month VRR (p = 0.920 andp = 0.699, respectively). The mean % of Tg rise in the first week was not different between those with and without 6-month treatment success (368.2% vs. 1068.7%,p = 0.381). No clinical factors significantly correlated with treatment success. Conclusions:There was an almost seven-fold increase in the mean Tg level 4 d after HIFU ablation. The % of Tg rise in the first week did not appear to correlate with the 6-month nodule shrinkage or treatment success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Intracellular compartmentalisation is a significant barrier to the successful nucleocytosolic delivery of biologics. The endocytic system has been shown to be responsible for compartmentalisation, providing an entry point, and trigger(s) for the activation of drug delivery systems. Consequently, many of the technologies used to understand endocytosis have found utility within the field of drug delivery. The use of fluorescent proteins as markers denoting compartmentalisation within the endocytic system has become commonplace. Several of the limitations associated with the use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) within the context of drug delivery have been explored here by asking a series of related questions: (1) Are molecules that regulate fusion to a specific compartment (i.e. Rab- or SNARE-GFP fusions) a good choice of marker for that compartment? (2) How reliable was GFP-marker overexpression when used to define a given endocytic compartment? (3) Can glutathione-s-transferase (GST) fused in frame with GFP (GST–GFP) act as a fluid phase endocytic probe? (4) Was GFP fluorescence a robust indicator of (GFP) protein integrity? This study concluded that there are many appropriate and useful applications for GFP; however, thought and an understanding of the biological and physicochemical character of these markers are required for the generation of meaningful data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Distributions of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its historical trends of deposition in sediments from Afam, mangrove, estuary, and illegal petroleum refinery sites of Imo River, southeast Nigeria over the past approximately five decades were evaluated in order to reassess the compound's potential as a marker for petroleum and/or coal combustion emission source(s). The spatial distributions in the concentrations of DBT varied from 12.46 ng/g dry weight (dw) to 1,720.42 ng/g dw (mean 454.77±14 ng/g dw), maximizing and minimizing at locations adjacent to an illegal petroleum refinery site. There was no strong geographic element that influenced DBT distribution across the river. The concentrations of DBT down cores ranged from 13.54 ng/g dw at the middle layer (15-20 cm, approximately 1981-1989) of the Afam site to a maximum of 470.43 ng/g dw at near-top layer (5-10 cm) of the illegal petroleum refinery site. The later layer corresponds to a depositional time frame of approximately 1997-2005, coinciding with the period of intensive illegal petroleum refinery operations when coal was used as a refinery fuel in the illegal processing and oil bunkering/pipeline vandalization were at their peaks. The general decline in DBT levels from neartop layers (5-10 cm) to the most recent top layers (0-5 cm) was linked to the recent offer of amnesty to the Niger Delta militant groups by the Nigerian government and subsequent clamp down on economic saboteurs by the Nigerian joint armed forces. Due to its extra stability to microbial degradation relative to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the study illustrated the greater potential of DBT as a marker for petroleum and/or coa [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated a placental growth factor alone and combined clinical (mean arterial pressure, MAP), biophysical (uterine artery pulsability index, PI) and biochemical (placental growth factor, PLGF) model for predicting preeclampsia in late first trimester. The inclusion criteria was primigravida (<40 years) attending their first hospital visit with singleton pregnancy at 11-14 weeks of gestation. Of the enrolled and followed 291 subjects, 35 (12%) later developed PE (5.8%)/GH (6.2%). An equal number of randomised women with normotensive non-proteinuric course were considered as reference group. For preeclampsia, PLGF alone had detection rate of 40% and 51% with 5% and 10% FPR, respectively. On addition of MAP, the AUC improved to 0.937 for PE. Further, addition of mean PI slightly improved AUC to 0.965. This signifies that a model with all three markers had better prediction of preeclampsia rather than PLGF alone. Impact statement In view of high morbidity and mortality due to hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, there has been extensive research for developing markers to detect/screen the condition in early pregnancy. Several such markers have been tested in their individual capacities and in combination during early pregnancy. Most of these studies have originated from high income countries and focussed mainly on the second trimester of pregnancy. We investigated a placental growth factor alone and combined clinical (mean arterial pressure, MAP), biophysical (uterine artery pulsability index, PI) and biochemical (placental growth factor, PLGF) model for predicting preeclampsia in the first trimester in primigravida (<40 years). A nested case control model was used for our study. For preeclampsia, PLGF alone had detection rate of 40% and 51% with 5% and 10% FPR, respectively. On addition of MAP, the AUC improved to 0.937 for PE. Further, addition of mean PI slightly improved AUC to 0.965. The present study has been done in an Indian subcontinent setting (where maternal mortality related to preeclampsia are even higher) where very limited studies are available for the role of either PLGF or in combinations for prediction of preeclampsia. Our research pointed shows better predictability for PE when a combination of markers is used especially in low-risk nulligravida. These are easy, cheap and non-invasive measurements that can be taken in all women at their first routine antenatal visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes serious hepatocyte injury, and new markers are needed to predict APAP-induced hepatic injury. Glutathione S-transferase A1 (GSTA1) plays a significant role in the metabolism of APAP. Primary mouse hepatocytes were isolated by a two-step perfusionin situ. An APAP-induced hepatocyte injury model was used to characterize GSTA1 in APAP treated cells and determine whether GSTA1 could be a prognostic markerin vitro. A significant increase (p < .05) in GSTA1 in cell culture supernatant was detected at 6 h after APAP treatment, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) showed marked differences (p < .05) at 8 h after APAP exposure, 2 h later than GSTA1. Furthermore, GSTA1 increased in a dose-dependent manner with APAP treatment. GSTA1 increased significantly (p < .05) at a concentration of 5.0 mmol/L APAP, while the marked changes in ALT, AST and other indexes were undetectable until the concentration of APAP reached 7.5 mmol/L. These results suggest that increased GSTA1 can be more sensitive than ALT and other indexes as a marker of APAP-induced hepatic injury, which provide novel diagnostic index for APAP-induced hepatic injury and supply valuable information to further understand the pathogenesis of liver damage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Matrix metalloproteinase-3 is invariably upregulated in cancerous condition. So we aimed to determine serum level of MMP-3 in canine mammary tumors. The gene was expressed inE. colisystem as ~43kDa recombinant protein, which was refolded, purified, and confirmed. Hyperimmune serum was raised against the expressed protein in rabbits and mice to standardize sandwich ELISA. ROC analysis revealed largest area under the curve of 0.998 with sensitivity (100%) and specificity (95%) for a cut-off value of 0.363 with respect to histopathological staining. The finding of the present study indicates that MMP-3 can act as a potential molecular marker for serodiagnosis of canine mammary carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochemical analysis of biological substances found at a crime scene is an important aspect of forensic investigations, where the objective is to determine the identification of crime victims and suspects/persons-of-interest. One particular biochemistry/molecular biology-based area of interest in forensic analysis is forensic serology; this area focuses on the complex task of gathering information regarding the type, age, ethnicity, and/or gender of the sample originator from the biological fluids (blood, saliva, etc.) found at a crime scene. In this review, we cover various studies involving biocomputing techniques used for the analysis of biological samples – namely blood – in different forensic applications. The studies covered include the differentiation of gender and ethnicity using a biocomputing system that produces a binary result, as well as the determination of blood spot age. Each of the applications showcased in this review produces sometimes ambiguous results that would normally pose major problems for a study, however, the addition of biocomputing logic provides an extra level of certainty and clarity. We hope to convey the advantages of utilizing biocomputing methods in various forms of forensic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Melatonin, an indolamine endogenously produced by pineal body, has important role as an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic. Whether melatonin concentration changes in neonatal sepsis and whether it can be used as a marker of sepsis is unknown.Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate melatonin concentration in the serum as a marker for neonatal sepsis and compare it to standard markers.Study Design: We prospectively studied 40 neonates: 20 diagnosed with late neonatal sepsis and 20 healthy neonates as a control group. Markers of sepsis and melatonin concentration were compared between both groups.Results: The sepsis groups had significantly increased immature to total neutrophils ratio (I/T ratio), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP), and decreased platelet count. Melatonin concentration was increased in sepsis group when compared to control group (27.2 ± 3.3 versus 11.4 ± 3.2 pg/ml, p = 0.001), and positively correlated with HsCRP (r = 0.952, p = 0.001) and I/T ratio (r = 0.326, p = 0.015). Combining melatonin to HsCRP increased sensitivity and specificity to detect neonatal sepsis to 97.3 and 93.3%, respectively.Conclusions: Endogenous melatonin concentration is increased in late neonatal sepsis and can potentially be used as a marker for sepsis especially when combined with CRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The lack of management strategies for the diagnosis of GC in patients gives rise to the challenging questions about the new tumor markers for GC. Developing malignant process may induce local and systemic inflammatory responses. Cancer-associated inflammation is characterized by the infiltration of immune cells. Thus, the inflammation-related proteins, such as cytokines, chemokines, and selected matrix metalloproteinases, may facilitate the growth, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells, including GC. Based on our previous findings, we assessed the significance of various inflammatory mediators as candidates for tumor markers of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We studied epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression profile in urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) which is a complex and heterogeneous disease with a large spectrum of histological aspects and deadly potential. Using immunohisto-chemistry (IHC), all GI tumors and pTa cases showed a low expression profile of EGFR. However, we note that when the stage of disease is advanced, tumors over-express EGFR. Indeed, 5% and 25% of GII and GIII tumors over-expressed EGFR, respectively. Further, 0% of pTa, 9,5% of pT1, 15% of pT2, 50% of pT3, and 90% of pT4 tumors were shown to be high EGFR expression (HEE). Moreover, we found a statistically significant correlation between the EGFR over-expression and grade and stage (P < 0.05). Thus, EGFR over-expression could be a potential prognostic marker to predict poor outcome in Tunisian patients with UBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a state of inflammation. It has been widely known that neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) to platelet ratio (RPR) reflect systemic inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether these inflammatory markers could be used as reliable markers in early prediction of AP in pregnancy and if there is a relationship between disease severity and these markers.Methods: The study group consisted of 14 patients, who developed AP in ongoing pregnancy, and the control group consisted of 30 healthy pregnant women. NLR, PLR and RPR were calculated for both the groups.Results: NLR was significantly elevated in the AP group when compared with the controls (p = 0.00), but there was no statistically significant difference in terms of PLR and RPR (p > 0.05). ROC curve analysis results for NLR showed that there was a significant prediction power of NLR for AP (R(2) = 0.842; p < 0.001). For NLR parameter, if cut-off value is chosen to be 4.1030, then sensitivity is 71.4% and specificity is 100.0%. There was statistically significant and positive correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) and glucose with NLR (p = 0.001, p = 0.043). It was seen that Ranson was close to be significant (p = 0.051).Conclusion: NLR might be used as an early marker of AP and may have a role in prediction of disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty of measurement is the numeric expression of the errors associated with all measurements taken in clinical laboratories. Serum creatinine concentration is the most common diagnostic marker for acute kidney injury. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of the uncertainty of measurement of serum creatinine concentrations on the diagnosis of acute kidney injury. We calculated the uncertainty of measurement of serum creatinine according to the Nordtest Guide. Retrospectively, we identified 289 patients who were evaluated for acute kidney injury. Of the total patient pool, 233 were diagnosed with acute kidney injury using the AKIN classification scheme and then were compared using statistical analysis. We determined nine probabilities of the uncertainty of measurement of serum creatinine concentrations. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of patients diagnosed with acute kidney injury when uncertainty of measurement was taken into consideration (first probability compared to the fifthp = 0.023 and first probability compared to the ninthp = 0.012). We found that the uncertainty of measurement for serum creatinine concentrations was an important factor for correctly diagnosing acute kidney injury. In addition, based on the AKIN classification scheme, minimizing the total allowable error levels for serum creatinine concentrations is necessary for the accurate diagnosis of acute kidney injury by clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: We aimed to investigate whether urine intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) might serve as a marker of renal disorder in children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Material and methods:Twenty-nine children with severe hydronephrosis (HN) were compared with 23 participants with mild HN and with 19 healthy peers. Results:Urine ICAM-1/uCre levels were significantly higher in HN children than healthy controls (P <0.01), and in severe HN when compared with mild HN (p <0.05). Conclusions:It seemed to us that uICAM-1 is a biomarker of renal disorder, and might have the potential to predict which patients will require surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]