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Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory granulomatous disease most commonly found in the lungs, and less frequently in other organs such as the lymph nodes or the heart. Materials and methods: In this observational study, 62 adult patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis were enrolled. Their preexisting pulmonary diagnostics, including imaging and functional tests, were analyzed. Additionally, non-invasive cardiological diagnostics: electrocardiography (ECG), Holter electrocardiography (Holter ECG), transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and laboratory tests were performed. Results: The most common findings were numerous ventricular arrhythmias (20.34%), pericardial effusion (40.32%), and left ventricular relaxation disorders (29.03%). A positive correlation was found between the duration of sarcoidosis and wall motion score index (WMSI; p = 0.026), as well as between the stage of sarcoidosis in chest X-ray/computed tomography (CXR/CT) and tricuspid regurgitation peak gradient – TRPG (p = 0.001). An inverse correlation was found between diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and the stage of sarcoidosis (p = 0.037), forced vital capacity (FVC) and ventricular systolic asynchrony (p = 0.044), both forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and FVC, and the width of the pulmonary trunk (p = 0.046 and p = 0.045), both FEV1 and FVC, and the width of the right ventricle (p = 0.036 and p = 0.04), and total lung capacity (TLC) and the width of the left atrium (p = 0.007). Conclusions: A longer duration of the disease was associated with more advanced heart involvement. Higher stages of sarcoidosis were associated with more frequent cardiac changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We performed gene therapy for critical limb ischemia in thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) by the intramuscular administration of plasmids of the vascular endothelial growth factor gene (VEGF 165) with or without bone marrow-derived stem cells. Methods: The 21 patients were randomly assigned to three groups: A—with dual therapy, cells and plasmid; B—plasmid only; and C—control group, where patients received intramuscular injections of saline. Serum VEGF levels, the ankle–brachial index (ABI), transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2), and the rest pain measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) were determined sequentially before treatment, and then 1 and 3 months after treatment. Results: In the treatment groups, serum VEGF levels increased by 4 weeks and returned to baseline values after 3 months. ABI after 12 weeks increased by an average of 0.18 in group A, and 0.09 in group B and group C. TcPO2 increased by an average of 17.3 mmHg in group A, 14.1 mmHg in group B, and 10.7 mmHg in group C. The largest pain decrease was observed in group A and averaged 5.43 less pain intensity. Conclusions: Gene therapy using the VEGF plasmid along with or without bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells administered intramuscularly into an ischemic limb in TAO is a safe and effective therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to a wide range of clinical presentations, with respiratory symptoms being common. However, emerging evidence suggests that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is also affected, with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a key receptor for SARS-CoV-2, abundantly expressed in the ileum and colon. The virus has been detected in GI tissues and fecal samples, even in cases with negative results of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in the respiratory tract. GI symptoms have been associated with an increased risk of ICU admission and mortality. The gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem of around 40 trillion bacteria, plays a crucial role in immunological and metabolic pathways. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, characterized by a loss of beneficial microbes and decreased microbial diversity, has been observed in COVID-19 patients, potentially contributing to disease severity. We conducted a comprehensive gut microbiome study in 204 hospitalized COVID-19 patients using both shallow and deep shotgun sequencing methods. We aimed to track microbiota composition changes induced by hospitalization, link these alterations to clinical procedures (antibiotics administration) and outcomes (ICU referral, survival), and assess the predictive potential of the gut microbiome for COVID-19 prognosis. Shallow shotgun sequencing was evaluated as a cost-effective diagnostic alternative for clinical settings. Our study demonstrated the diverse effects of various combinations of clinical parameters, microbiome profiles, and patient metadata on the precision of outcome prognostication in patients. It indicates that microbiological data possesses greater reliability in forecasting patient outcomes when contrasted with clinical data or metadata. Furthermore, we established that shallow shotgun sequencing presents a viable and costeffective diagnostic alternative to deep sequencing within clinical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics in recent years demands innovative strategies for the detection and combating of biofilms, which are notoriously resilient. Biofilms, particularly those on contact lenses, can lead to biofilm-related infections (e.g., conjunctivitis and keratitis), posing a significant risk to patients. Non-destructive and non-contact sensing techniques are essential in addressing this threat. Digital holographic tomography emerges as a promising solution. This allows for the 3D reconstruction of the refractive index distribution in biological samples, enabling label-free visualization and the quantitative analysis of biofilms. This tool provides insight into the dynamics of biofilm formation and maturation on the surface of transparent materials. Applying digital holographic tomography for biofilm examination has the potential to advance our ability to combat the antibiotic bacterial resistance crisis. A recent study focused on characterizing biofilm formation and maturation on six soft contact lens materials (three silicone hydrogels, three hydrogels), with a particular emphasis on Staphylococcus epidermis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both common culprits in ocular infections. The results revealed species- and time-dependent variations in the refractive indexes and volumes of biofilms, shedding light on cell dynamics, cell death, and contact lens material-related factors. The use of digital holographic tomography enables the quantitative analysis of biofilm dynamics, providing us with a better understanding and characterization of bacterial biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple pathogens are competing against the human immune response, leading to outbreaks that are increasingly difficult to control. For example, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continually evolves, giving rise to new variants. The ability to evade the immune system is a crucial factor contributing to the spread of these variants within the human population. With the continuous emergence of new variants, it is challenging to comprehend all the possible combinations of previous infections, various vaccination types, and potential exposure to new variants in an individual patient. Rather than conducting variant-to-variant comparisons, an efficient approach could involve identifying key protein regions associated with the immune evasion of existing immunity against the virus. In this study, we propose a new biotechnological application of bacteriophages, the phage display platform for experimental identification of regions (linear epitopes) that may function as cross-reacting IgG hotspots in SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins. A total of 34,949 epitopes derived from genomes of all SARS-CoV-2 variants deposited prior to our library design were tested in a single assay. Cross-reacting IgG hotspots are protein regions frequently recognized by cross-reacting antibodies in many variants. The assay facilitated the one-step identification of immunogenic regions of proteins that effectively induced specific IgG in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We identified four regions demonstrating both significant immunogenicity and the activity of a cross-reacting IgG hotspot in protein S (located at NTD, RBD, HR1, and HR2/TM domains) and two such regions in protein N (at 197–280 and 358–419 aa positions). This novel method for identifying cross-reacting IgG hotspots holds promise for informing vaccine design and serological diagnostics for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite notable progress made in the past decade in research and clinical practice in the treatment of diabetic kidneydisease, the diagnostic and prognostic significance of proteinuria in patients with diabetes has imposed constant challenges to nephrologists and diabetologists. The main goal of the study was to assess the prevalence of nondiabetic kidney disease among proteinuric patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: We evaluated kidney l biopsy findings obtained from 82 diabetic patients to assess the etiology of proteinuria. Results: A review of histopathological results indicated features of diabetic nephropathy in 29 of these persons (36.7%). In 21 diabetic nephropathy patients (71.4%), proteinuria was within the nephrotic range. Nondiabetic kidney disease was discovered in 51 persons (62.2%), whereas in 2 cases, the exact type of glomerular disease has not been established. Conclusion: We conclude from these results that diagnostic kidney biopsy is justified in type 2 diabetes patients with proteinuria since the prevalence of nondiabetic kidney disease is high in these subjects and adequate histopathological assessment could improve the management of their kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing environment and modified lifestyles have meant that many vitamins and minerals are deficient in a significant portion of the human population. Therefore, supplementation is a viable nutritional approach, which helps to maintain health and well-being. The supplementation efficiency of a highly hydrophobic compound such as cholecalciferol (logP > 7) depends predominantly on the formulation. To overcome difficulties associated with the evaluation of pharmacokinetics of cholecalciferol, a method based on the short time absorption data in the clinical study and physiologically based mathematical modeling is proposed. The method was used to compare pharmacokinetics of liposomal and oily formulations of vitamin D3. The liposomal formulation was more effective in elevating calcidiol concentration in serum. The determined AUC value for liposomal vitamin D3 formulation was four times bigger than that for the oily formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]