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BACKGROUND Autologous blood-derived products can target specific inflammatory molecular pathways and have potentially beneficial therapeutic effects on inflammatory pathologies. The purpose of this study was to assess in vitro the anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic potential of an autologous blood product as a possible treatment for COVID-19-induced cytokine storm. MATERIAL AND METHODS Blood samples from healthy donors and donors who had recovered from COVID-19 were incubated using different techniques and analyzed for the presence of anti-inflammatory, anti-catabolic, regenerative, pro-inflammatory, and procatabolic molecules. RESULTS The highest concentrations of therapeutic molecules for targeting inflammatory pathways were found in the blood that had been incubated for 24 h at 37°C, whereas a significant increase was observed after 6 h of incubation in blood from COVID-19-recovered donors. Beneficially, the 6-h incubation process did not downregulate anti-COVID-19 immunoglobulin G concentrations. Unfortunately, increases in matrix metalloproteinase 9, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-1 were detected in the product after incubation; however, these increases could be blocked by adding citric acid, with no effect on the concentration of the target therapeutic molecules. Our data allow for safer and more effective future treatments. CONCLUSIONS An autologous blood-derived product containing anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic molecules, which we term Cytorich, has a promising therapeutic role in the treatment of a virus-induced cytokine storm, including that associated with COVID-19.

Despite gastric cancer being rare nowadays in Western countries, it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. The course of the disease varies, so the individual gastric cancer patient’s prognosis is difficult to determine. The need for new biomarkers is crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of serum matrix metalloproteinase-8, serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and tissue matrix metalloproteinase-8 in patients with gastric cancer. Preoperative serum samples from 233 patients with gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8 were analyzed with immunofluorometric assay, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also determined the tissue expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 in 276 gastric cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. Survival data and death causes came from patient records, the Population Register Center of Finland, and Statistics Finland. Patients with a low (131 ng/mL) serum matrix metalloproteinase-8 level had a considerably unfavorable prognosis (p = 0.002). Those patients with a high (≥170 ng/mL) serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 level also had a poor prognosis (p 0.30) molar ratios predicted a worse prognosis (p = 0.020). Tissue matrix metalloproteinase-8 did not influence prognosis. These results suggest that serum matrix metalloproteinase-8, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and the ratio of matrix metalloproteinase-8/ tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 may prove useful biomarkers for prediction of prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.

Aim The molecular mechanism of epileptogenesis in temporal lobe epilepsy is still unclear. Experimental studies have suggested that matrix metalloproteinases have important roles in this process, but human studies are limited. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of MMP-9, MMP-2 and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS). Material and methods The tissue samples from temporal neocortex and hippocampus were obtained from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis who had undergone anterior temporal lobectomy for recurrent medically resistant seizures. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the expression of MMP-9, MMP-2 and their tissue inhibitors. Tissue samples were also analyzed with transmission electron microscopy. Results The immunoreactivity for MMP-9 both in hippocampal and temporal neocortical neurons was stronger than that of MMP-2. Additionally, there was a mild reaction for its tissue inhibitor TIMP-1 as with TIMP-2. The TEM analysis of the hippocampus revealed that there was apparent ultra-structural damage on the pericarya and neuropil of some neurons. There was obvious damage in the mitochondria and the nuclear membrane. Conclusion The preliminary results of this study revealed that MMP-9 may have a role in patients with drug resistant TLE-HS.