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This document discusses the evaluation of a new automated method for measuring a bone turnover marker called β-CTX. The study compares the results obtained from two different analyzers, one using electrochemiluminescence and the other using chemiluminescence. The results show that the two methods demonstrate good correlation and concordance, providing comparable results for evaluating bone metabolism and monitoring bone diseases. The document emphasizes the importance of standardization and consistency in measuring bone turnover markers and suggests informing physicians about assay changes. It also highlights the opportunities and challenges presented by new biochemical assays in monitoring bone health. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Over recent decades, chronic stress at an early age has become a worrying health problem in children. We seek to evaluate an intervention involving mindfulness‐based practices and prosocial activities in 7‐ to 8‐year‐old children. Methods: Stress levels were determined using hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and social integration was measured by means of a sociogram. The program had previously proven to be effective in decreasing salivary cortisol levels and in favouring social integration in children. A total of 35 children participated in the study: 18 constituted the intervention group and 17 the wait‐list group. In both groups, HCC and social integration were evaluated before and after the intervention conducted throughout an entire school year. Results: The experimental group showed a significant reduction in HCC, as well as significant enhancement of social integration levels, whereas no changes were observed in the wait‐list group. Conclusions: This is the first research to show that HCC, a reliable neuroendocrine indicator, decreased as a result of a mindfulness‐based program. This successful outcome adds new evidence to previous findings regarding the reduction of chronic stress in children following participation in this program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess sex hormones, leptin and insulin-resistance in men with prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to study associations between androgens and histologic score of prostate tissue in PCa.Subjects and Methods: Two hundred ten men older than 45 years selected from 2906 participants of a population screening for PCa were studied: 70 with PCa, 70 with BPH and 70 controls (CG), matched by body mass index and age. Insulin, IGF-1, PSA, leptin, total, free (fT) and bioavailable testosterone (bT) and estradiol were measured. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups considering the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS); androgens and leptin levels were analyzed in the subgroups.Results: Prostate cancer and BPH patients presented higher total, fT and bT levels than CG. IGF-1, insulin and HOMA index were higher in BPH than in the other two groups. PCa presented higher leptin [median (range) 6.5 (1.3-28.0) versus 4.8 (1.1-12.3) ng/ml; p < 0.01] and estradiol [median (range) 37.0 (20-90) versus 29.0 (20-118) pg/ml; p = 0.025] levels than CG. After dividing men considering the presence of MS, leptin was higher and total testosterone was lower in MS patients in all the groups.Conclusions: It was observed a coexistence of an altered hormone profile with increased sex hormones and leptin in PCa patients, in accordance with the new perspective of PCa pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. The decreasing frequencies of terminal effector (TTE) CD8+T cells may increase reactivation risk in persons latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We have previously shown that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increases the protective antitubercular immune responses in HIV-TB patients. Here, we aimed to study Mtb-specific cytotoxicity, IFN-γ secretion, memory status of CD8+T cells, and their modulation by DHEA during HIV-TB coinfection. CD8+T cells from HIV-TB patients showed a more differentiated phenotype with diminished naïve and higher effector memory and TTE T-cell frequencies compared to healthy donors both in total and Mtb-specific CD8+T cells. Notably, CD8+T cells from HIV-TB patients displayed higher Terminal Effector (TTE) CD45RAdim proportions with lower CD45RA expression levels, suggesting a not fully differentiated phenotype. Also, PD-1 expression levels on CD8+T cells from HIV-TB patients increased although restricted to the CD27+ population. Interestingly, DHEA plasma levels positively correlated with TTE in CD8+T cells and in vitro DHEA treatment enhanced Mtb-specific cytotoxic responses and terminal differentiation in CD8+T cells from HIV-TB patients. Our data suggest that HIV-TB coinfection promotes a deficient CD8+ T-cell differentiation, whereas DHEA may contribute to improving antitubercular immunity by enhancing CD8+T-cell functions during HIV-TB coinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Psychological factors and stressful life events (LE) are considered to play a role in the onset of the metabolic syndrome (MS). We tested the association between LE and cortisol, a marker of chronic stress, with the risk of developing MS and their interaction. From a total number of 2906 men who completed a screening for the early detection of prostate cancer, 149 healthy men (mean ± SD age, 58.6 ± 7.7 years) were included in this study. Participants were assessed by the Holmes and Rahe questionnaire about their experience of LE during the previous 1-5 years. MS was diagnosed according to National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Serum cortisol was measured at 08:00-09:00 h. Participants with MS (IDF criteria) reported significantly more past LE ( p = 0.009) and greater summed weight of LE ( p = 0.049) than those without MS. Furthermore, LE interacted with cortisol in relation to MS: in men with increased serum cortisol levels ( ≥ 13.7 μg/dl), number of LE significantly predicted MS-status (relative risk (RR) = 1.16, p = 0.03), whereas in men with low cortisol, LE were unrelated to MS ( p = 0.52). We conclude that LE were significantly more prevalent in men with the MS than without the MS, according to IDF criteria, independent of the effects of age and body mass index, especially in men with increased serum cortisol levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]