On-admission and dynamic trend of laboratory profiles as prognostic biomarkers in COVID-19 inpatients.

This large-scale study aimed to investigate the trend of laboratory tests of patients with COVID-19. Hospitalized confirmed and probable COVID-19 patients in three general hospitals were examined from March 20, 2020, to June 18, 2021. The confirmed and probable COVID-19 patients with known outcomes and valid laboratory results were included. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression were used to select admittance prognostic features. Parallel Pairwise Comparison of mortality versus survival was used to examine the trend of markers. In the final cohort, 11,944 patients were enrolled, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 21.8%, mean age of 59.4 ± 18.0, and a male-to-female ratio of 1.3. Abnormal admittance level of white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, mean cellular volume, urea, creatinine, bilirubin, creatine kinase-myoglobin binding, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Troponin, c-reactive protein (CRP), potassium, and creatinine phosphokinase reduced the survival of COVID-19 inpatients. Moreover, the trend analysis showed lymphocytes, platelet, urea, CRP, alanine transaminase (ALT), and LDH have a dissimilar trend in non-survivors compared to survived patients. This study proposed a novel approach to find serial laboratory markers. Serial examination of platelet count, creatinine, CRP, LDH, and ALT can guide healthcare professionals in finding patients at risk of deterioration.

A Long-term Study of NeuroAid (MLC601, MLC901) in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease; An Extension 8-year Follow-up Study.

BACKGROUND: MLC601 and MLC901 showed neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties and positive results in the treatment of dementia and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate the long-term benefits of monotherapy with MLC601 and MLC901 in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: In this study, patients with AD, diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria, were enrolled. Patients have received MLC601 for four years, and their regimen has changed to MLC901 for another four years. Recruited patients were followed to assess the efficacy and safety first of MLC601 and MLC901. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale- Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) were used to assess cognitive function. Safety was evaluated by monitoring adverse events (AEs) and abnormal findings in physical examinations or lab tests. RESULTS: At the end of the trial, the changes in the mean (±SD) MMSE and ADAS-Cog scores were 5.1 (3.09) and 12.5 (10.89), respectively. Both scores showed a significant change in repeated measure analysis, with the ADAS-Cog score indicating a higher change than the MMSE score (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: For more than eight years, we studied monotherapy with NeuroAid (MLC601, MLC901) in patients with AD. The study contributes further to the long-term safety and efficacy data of MLC in patients with AD.

Fampridine in multiple sclerosis patients with acute phase of cervical transverse myelitis: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Fampridine is a potassium channel blocker drug used to improve walking ability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated the effect of fampridine in patients with MS in the acute phase of transverse myelitis. METHODS: In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 30 patients who had their first episode of cervical myelitis with quadriparesis presentation, with the final diagnosis of MS, were randomly divided into two equal groups. The intervention group received intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) for 7 days plus fampridine. The placebo group received IVMP for 7 days plus placebo. To compare the treatment results, we compared the Barthel index (BI) scores of the groups at the start of the trial and the 21st day after the start of treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the intervention and placebo groups in terms of mean age, sex, and mean admission BI (p > 0.05). Mean (SD) admission BI in placebo and intervention groups was 27.20 (7.341) and 27.87(5.78), respectively (p = 0.784). The measured mean (SD) BI after treatment was 48.73 (15.54) in the placebo and 64.93 (11.81) in the intervention group (p = 0.003) after 3 weeks. CONCLUSION: Using fampridine plus IVMP in the acute phase of transverse myelitis in MS patients improved the disease's symptoms and increased the daily activity ability of patients.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as a Predictive and Prognostic Biomarker for Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Growing bodies of evidence suggest that angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the key factors involved in angiogenesis. Because of this importance, we investigated the serum levels of VEGF in MS patients according to their clinical phase and subtype of MS in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This case-control study was done on 47 definite MS patients with the first clinical attack and 47 randomly selected individuals without any underlying inflammatory and autoimmune disease as the control group. The total serum VEGF level was measured from the subject's peripheral blood sample by ELISA during the first and second attacks of MS and 6 months after the first attack in the remission phase as well as the control group. In addition, the correlation between these variables and the influence of gender, age, and duration of the remission phase on such associations was evaluated by using the independent t test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There was an increase in the serum level of VEGF in all phases of MS compared with non-MS individuals (p value <0.0001) and a significant correlation between the serum level of VEGF and the interval between first and second attacks (r = -720, p < 0.0001). A higher serum level of VEGF in the first attack leads to higher VEGF levels in the second and sixth mount of remission phases. CONCLUSION: Rise in the serum VEGF level may be involved in MS's relapsing phases and a shorter remission phase. Therefore, it could be used as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for MS disease.