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Cataract is one of the most common diabetes mellitus complication among the adult population worldwide. The purpose of this review is to describe how reactive oxigen species (ROS) are produced, the antioxidant enzymes involved in their neutralization, and the molecular mechanisms associated with hyperglycemia that contributes to cataract development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to statistical data published in 2019, breast cancer is among the leading causes of death in women worldwide. The serine/threonine kinase (AKT) or protein kinase B (PkB) signaling pathway is activated by phosphorylation processes, which further is associated with cell growth, proliferation, and survival, but also with activation of glucose metabolism. Mutations of the AKT signaling pathway components (especially PI3KCA and PTEN) have been observed in breast cancer patients, which are associated with resistance to hormonal treatment. Many clinical trials are testing the effect of AKT inhibition in order to block the growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells. The purpose of this review is to present the incidence of this neoplastic disease, to describe AKT signaling pathways activation, mutations that occur at its level, and inhibitors that can block this protein kinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,6,8-trioxypurine known as uric acid represents a heterocyclic derivative of purine, with a molecular weight of 158 Da. In contrast to primates and humans, in the other animals uric acid is further oxidized by the uricase enzyme (urate oxidase) to allantoin, 100 times more water-soluble than uric acid and, consequently, more efficient excreted in the urine. Humans and higher pri¬mates lack a functional uricase gene. The uricase activity loss in higher primates and humans occurred about 15 million years ago, re¬sulting in a relatively higher plasma uric acid level than that in lower ani¬mals. This was an impressive and very important evolutionary event, providing essential survival advantages for humans. Uric acid represents a powerful antioxidant capable of scavenging singlet oxygen molecules, oxygen radicals, and peroxynitrite (ONOO−) molecules. However, in vivo and cellular research studies are interestingly illustrating that, depending on its chemical microenvironment, the uric acid molecule plays a duplicate role, being also a pro-oxidant. Uric acid represents the most important salivary antioxidant, in the circumstances of very low salivary thiols concentrations. Uric acid plays an important role in oral pathology and may be regarded as a very useful future salivary biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of many systemic and oral diseases such as periodontal disease. The main aim of this study is to explore a possible association between salivary markers of OS and alveolar bone loss. Materials and methods. The study included 20 patients with chronic periodontitis and 20 controls. Salivary OS biomarkers 8-hidroxy-desoxguanosine (8-HOdG), malondialdehyde (MDA), uric acid, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were evaluated. Bone loss markers such as C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX I), matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), osteocalcin and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25- OH D) were detected in this study. The methods included general biochemical tests and ELISA. Results. Salivary 8-OHdG, MDA levels were significantly higher in the chronic periodontitis group compared with controls ( p < 0.05). Salivary activities for uric acid, TAC and GPx were significantly decreased in patients with chronic periodontitis vs controls ( p < 0.05). Salivary levels for CTX I, MMP-8, 25-OH D and Osteocalcin were significantly higher in the chronic periodontitis group compared to the controls ( p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between salivary levels of MDA and CTX I. Significant negative correlations between uric acid and CTX I and between MMP-8 and uric acid have been found. Significant positive correlations were observed between CTX I, MMP-8, 25-OH D, osteocalcin and clinical parameters of periodontal disease. Conclusions. Important oxidative stress associated with alveolar bone loss biomarkers can be detected in saliva of patients with periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of saliva as a diagnostic fluid is a relatively recent trend. Saliva is a mixed oral fluid derived from major and minor salivary glands. Oral fluid, often called the mirror of the body's health, is a perfect medium to be explored for health and disease surveillance. Saliva is considered to be the first line of defense against oxidative stress (OS), the main cause for many systemic and oral diseases. Important sources of oral free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are tobacco smoke, periodontitis and other oral diseases. Saliva is rich in antioxidants: uric acid, albumin, ascorbate and enzymes which constitute the antioxidant potential of saliva. Aim of the study: To test possible correlations between several salivary biomarkers and oral diseases associated with OS. Material and methods: We have determined the salivary antioxidant potential in patients with periodontitis (20), oral lichen planus (OLP) (20) smokers (20) versus controls (20). The following salivary biomarkers were evaluated: uric acid, albumin and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Salivary biomarkers were performed using analysis kits on automatic analyzer. Analysis kits were provided by Biosystems Diagnostics (Spain) and by Randox (UK). Results: Analysis revealed statistically significant changes of the mentioned parameters in patients' saliva versus controls. Conclusions: Our results illustrate that OS caused a depletion of antioxidant status in the oral cavity. Uric acid, albumin and TAC are very important and promising salivary biomarkers for monitoring the oral OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is a serious health problem worldwide, representing the second cause of death through malignancies among women in developed countries. Population, endogenous and exogenous hormones, and physiological, genetic and breast-related factors are involved in breast cancer pathogenesis. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a signaling pathway involved in cell proliferation, survival, invasion, migration, apoptosis, glucose metabolism and DNA repair. In breast tumors, PIK3CA somatic mutations have been reported, located in exon 9 and exon 20. Up to 40% of PIK3CA mutations are estrogen receptor (ER) positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -negative in primary and metastatic breast cancer. HER2 is overexpressed in 20–30% of breast cancers. HER1, HER2, HER3 and HER4 are membrane receptor tyrosine kinases involved in HER signaling to which various ligands can be attached, leading to PI3K/AKT activation. Currently, clinical studies evaluate inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis. The main purpose of this review is to present general aspects of breast cancer, the components of the AKT signaling pathway, the factors that activate this protein kinase B, PI3K/AKT-breast cancer mutations, PI3K/AKT/mTOR-inhibitors, and the relationship between everolimus, temsirolimus and endocrine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saliva is the first line of defense against oxidative stress. The salivary antioxidant system includes different categories of molecules, the most important of these being the uric acid molecule and the salivary peroxidase system, both hydrosoluble. Our experimental data revealed significant reductions in salivary uric acid levels in the context of severe oral conditions, such as periodontal disease, oral lichen, oral cancer, compared to controls. The analysis of our results led us to the conclusion that chronic inflammation, as well as premalignant and/or malignant lesions, can significantly reduce the salivary antioxidant potential, supported primarily by uric acid, thus causing the oral environment to become more vulnerable to oxidative stress, which explains the progression of oral affections and the emergence of resistance to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regardless of whether the articles they examined were ultimately published, the editors would like to express their appreciation and thank the following reviewers for the time and dedication that they have shown I Cells i : those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). I Cells i was able to uphold its high standards for published papers due to the outstanding efforts of our reviewers. Thanks to the efforts of our reviewers in 2022, the median time to first decision was 16 days and the median time to publication was 42 days. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction. Crushing syndrome can affect all structures of a limb and can cause unique or complex injuries. The clinical picture of the injuries is nonspecific and extremely varied, and is not characteristic of the mechanism that generated it. The aim of our study was to correlate the changes of ALD A (aldolase A) and CAIII (carbonic anhydrase III) in the appearance and evolution of the crushing syndrome. Material and methods. The present study included 22 patients with crushing syndrome. The control group consisted of 20 healthy subjects. IL-6 (interleukin-6), CK (creatine kinase), ALD A and CAIII blood levels were determined simultaneously from all the participants to the study. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 and Microsoft Office Excel / Word 2013. Results. Our results showed significantly increased levels of ALD A, CAIII, IL-6 and CK in patients with crushing syndrome. However, no statistically significant correlations could be found between the studied biomarkers. Discussions. So far, in the medical literature, very few studies focused on the correlation between the occurrence of crushing syndrome and changes in ALD A and CA III levels. Conclusions. Our study showed that ALD A and CAIII may become important biomarkers for the rapid diagnosis of crushing syndrome in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Polytrauma patients are expected to have a higher risk of mortality than that obtained by the summation of expected mortality owing to their individual injuries. Subsequent life-threatening posttraumatic complications are associated with overproduction of proinflammatory mediators (e.g. cytokines, chemokines) and the critical imbalance of cell-regulated innate immunity. Material and methods. The present study is aimed to identify a possible relationship between NT-proBNP, hs-CRP and OXSR1 biochemical markers in polytrauma patients, both by bibliographic research and quantitative analysis and statistics of some parameters of interest in lot of 46 patients. Results and discussions. The correlation between hsCRP and the inflammatory response after trauma is well-known and well documented in literature, so the negative correlation between hsCRP and OXSR1 that resulted from our analysis is of great significance resulting in a potentially new biomarker to be further studied and used in determining the possible outcome of polytrauma patients. Conclusion. Although OXSR1 is a new in the field of polytrauma patients, because is negatively correlated with hsCRP and the clinical evolution of the patients we think that OXSR1 is a good biomarker to further in investigate and may be used in determining the clinical progress of the polytrauma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The implications of oxidative stress and inflammation are unanimously accepted in thyroid disease. Objective. The aim of our study was to find correlations between serum antioxidant markers: glutathione peroxidase-3 (GPx-3), thioredoxin (Trx), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), inflammatory marker IL-8 and thyroid hormones, TSH and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (ATPO antibodies). Patients with different thyroid disorders were compared. Materials and methods. The study included 57 patients (men and women), divided into three groups: 26 patients with hyperthyroidism, 19 patients with hypothyroidism and 12 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. The control group was represented by 33 healthy subjects. All the participants provided the informed consent for this study. Results. Our results showed that the patients with autoimmune thyroiditis had the highest level of Il-8 and the lowest TAC. Both Trx and GPx-3 were negatively correlated with TAC and IL-8 was positively correlated with the free T4 level, the ATPO antibodies titers, GPx-3 activity and negatively with serum TAC values. Conclusions. Systemic oxidative stress and inflammation are present in thyroid disorders, act in cluster and potentiate each other The presence of autoimmune antibodies worsens the biological picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide breast cancer (BC) represents one of the most common type of cancer. Mortality from this disease is declining due to new therapies, but many patients face the side effects of cancer and treatment. The most common side effect is the lymphedema of the upper extremity. Although the incidence of lymphedema secondary to breast cancer is 63.4%, there are few studies on the immune mechanisms responsible for lymphedema and healing. Extensive research of the development, structure and function of the lymphatic system must be performed to identify the role of lymphatic vessels in breast cancer. All this can lead to discovery of new potential biomarkers in lymph in order to improve early detection and treatment of lymphedema and the current strategies for controlling tumor metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uric acid is a potential metabolite that serves as a danger‐associated molecular pattern (DAMP) and induces inflammatory responses in sterile environments. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone periodontopathogen, and its gingipain proteases play a critical role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. In this study, we demonstrate that P. gingivalis gingipains play a role in THP‐1 macrophage uric acid production by increasing the expression and activity of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR). Uric acid sodium salt induces caspase‐1 activation, cell death, and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL‐1α, IL‐6, and IL‐8, in the human keratinocyte HOK‐16B cell line. Our results suggest that gingipain‐induced uric acid can mediate inflammation in periodontal tissue cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 95% of oral cancers are represented by squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Despite the serious progress concerning the oral cancer treatment made in the last decade, the OSCC prognosis remains poor. Currently, the OSCC detection and diagnosis is mainly based on clinical oral examination combined with biopsy for a histopathological examination if a suspect area is detected. Our study has included 20 patients (12 females and 8 males) diagnosed with OSCC. TAC, OXSR1 and MMP-9 were measured in the tumoral cells lysates by ELISA. Our results revealed that the MMP-9 levels were significantly and negatively correlated with OXSR1 levels. Also, our study results illustrated a significant positive correlation of TAC with OXSR1. In conclusion, corroborating our findings with literature reports, we can outline that OXSR1 and MMP-9, together, possibly, with TAC, could be regarded as new steps in order to elaborate diagnostic tools for early detection OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crushing represents the mechanism by which a group of skeletal muscles is caught by a high-energy traumatic agent over a wide area. The traumatic agent acts straight on the human body, causing serious injury, with potentially irreversible results. In the absence of a quick and correct treatment, these effects may lead to the death of the patient. In this article we discuss the importance of local and general clinical examination for assessing the patient who was a victim of trauma with a high energy traumatic agent or had a surgical approach that could had caused damage to surrounding muscle tissue. The types of muscle damage in crush syndrome consist in partial torn of muscle, stretches or even transects of the affected muscles. The screening of biochemical markers in crush syndrome and their monitoring in dynamics provide an overview of the overall prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The carotene lutein is found in ocular layers and has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. Posterior subcapsular cataract develops after prolonged glucocorticoid use. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs) is one of the most successfully developed biodegradable polymer used as antioxidant delivery system. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the ocular protective effects of PLGA -NPs loaded with lutein, in Wistar rats, on fat diet, treated with systemic glucocorticoids. Materials and methods. Healty Wistar male rats (n= 25, 12 months aged) were divided in 5 equal groups. the control group (S) with standard diet and no treatment and groups with Prednison treatment (1 mg/kg body weight), with and without PLGA-NPs loaded with lutein (1 mg/kg body weight), fed either with standard or fat diet. The duration of treatment was 6 weeks and it was done by gavaje. The eye examination was done by two ophtalmologists as a blind test and photos of the eyes were made. Serum metabolic parameters were measured. The rats treated with Prednison developed cataract and uveitis and the most severe injured eye was observed in the group with high caloric fat diet and no lutein as a supplement. Also, Prednison treatment produced dysglycaemia and dyslipidemia. The co-administration of lutein as PLGA-NPs with Prednison prevented the lens, retina and choroidal injuries, reduced the increased levels of glycaemia, triglyceridemia and increased the serum total antioxidant capacity. Conclusion. The PLGA lutein nanoparticles assured global eye protection, reducing the ocular side effects of prednison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy trauma has become a part of everyday life, therefore the thorough study of the biochemical impact of polytrauma on the human body is also a priority. In the initial post-traumatic phase, tissue trauma produces a local and general inflammatory response (SIRS). Pelvic ring fractures are relatively rare lesions, with a reported incidence of about 2-8% of all fractures, but in polytrauma patients, the incidence may increase to over 25%. The hemorrhagic risk makes the fractures of the pelvic ring one of the most serious injuries of the musculoskeletal system with a reported mortality between 5 and 50%. The priority of the initial treatment is identification and treatment of lesions that endanger the patient's life, the objective of definitive stabilization being the correction of the deformity, function restoration and decrease of the complication rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a series of four cases of multiple trauma patients that associated pelvic ring fractures. The objective was to show the complexity of this pathology, the therapeutical efforts needed to treat such patients and the very different end results such case may have. Polytrauma is still a serious public health issue because of the increased mortality and morbidity in the young population, which leads to a significant socio-economic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a major health problem in adult population worldwide. Together with conventional risk factors, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is involved in the pathogenesis of CVD. The purpose of this review is to provide informations about GGT synthesis, physiological roles and the involvement in the atherosclerotic plaque formation. The results of the most recent clinical studies performed to find an association between GGT serum activity and patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular mechanisms of cancer involve mutations of several genes triggering various pathway alterations. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents approximately 10% of the head and neck cancers and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Central and Eastern Europe. The main aim of this review article is to present an overview of one of the major actors in cellular processes' regulation that are key features of cancer molecular events - the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. The altered molecular signalling pathways in OSCC have been discussed, emphasizing the frequent disruption of the PI3K/AKT pathway in cancer. Thus, the aspects presented in this article highlight this pathway as an important target for new therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRP (platelet rich plasma) is a natural source of growth factors obtained from the patient's blood which are involved in the wound healing process. PRP therapy is successfully applied in the medical field, being used nowadays in diabetic patients who develop as complication the diabetic foot. The purpose of this review is to present the composition of PRP growth factors, PRP preparation stages and the results obtained in patients diagnosed with diabetic foot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose tissue consists primarily of adipocytes, being responsible for storing the body's energy reserves. Adipokines secreted by adipose tissue play important roles in the human body. The purpose of this review is to present the most important adipokines and their involvement in the physiological processes but also in the pathogenesis of numerous systemic diseases commonly associated with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]