Healthy lifestyles, systemic inflammation and breast cancer risk: a mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the known association between healthy lifestyles and reduced risk of breast cancer, it remains unclear whether systemic inflammation, as a consequence of unhealthy lifestyles, may mediate the association. METHODS: A cohort study of 259,435 female participants in the UK Biobank was conducted to estimate hazard ratio (HR) for breast cancer according to 9 inflammation markers using Cox regression models. We further estimated the percentage of total association between healthy lifestyle index (HLI) and breast cancer that is mediated by these inflammation markers. RESULTS: During 2,738,705 person-years of follow-up, 8,889 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed among 259,435 women in the UK Biobank cohort. Higher level of C-reactive protein (CRP), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), CRP-to-albumin Ratio (CAR), CRP-to-lymphocyte Ratio (CLR), monocyte-to-HDL-c ratio (MHR), and neutrophil-to-HDL-c ratio (NHR) were associated with increased breast cancer risk, while a higher lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was associated with a lower risk. The inverse association between HLI and breast cancer was weakly mediated by CRP (8.5%), SII (1.71%), CAR (8.66%), CLR (6.91%), MHR (6.27%), and NHR (7.33%). When considering individual lifestyle factors, CRP and CAR each mediated 16.58% and 17.20%, respectively, of the associations between diet score and breast cancer risk, while the proportion mediated for physical activity and breast cancer were 12.13% and 11.48%, respectively. Furthermore, MHR was found to mediate 13.84% and 12.01% of the associations between BMI, waist circumference, and breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The association of HLI and breast cancer is weakly mediated by the level of inflammation, particularly by CRP and CAR. Systemic inflammatory status may be an intermediate in the biological pathway of breast cancer development.

Coagulation and Inflammation in COVID-19: Reciprocal Relationship between Inflammatory and Coagulation Markers.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), formerly known as 2019-nCoV. Numerous cellular and biochemical issues arise after COVID-19 infection. The severe inflammation that is caused by a number of cytokines appears to be one of the key hallmarks of COVID-19. Additionally, people with severe COVID-19 have coagulopathy and fulminant thrombotic events. We briefly reviewed the COVID-19 disease at the beginning of this paper. The inflammation and coagulation markers and their alterations in COVID-19 illness are briefly discussed in the parts that follow. Next, we talked about NETosis, which is a crucial relationship between coagulation and inflammation. In the end, we mentioned the two-way relationship between inflammation and coagulation, as well as the factors involved in it. We suggest that inflammation and coagulation are integrated systems in COVID-19 that act on each other in such a way that not only inflammation can activate coagulation but also coagulation can activate inflammation.

Inflammation indices in association with periodontitis and cancer.

Inflammation is a complex physiological process that plays a pivotal role in many if not all pathological conditions, including infectious as well as inflammatory diseases, like periodontitis and autoimmune disorders. Inflammatory response to periodontal biofilms and tissue destruction in periodontitis is associated with the release of inflammatory mediators. Chronic inflammation can promote the development of cancer. Persistence of inflammatory mediators plays a crucial role in this process. Quantification and monitoring of the severity of inflammation in relation to cancer is essential. Periodontitis is mainly quantified based on the severity and extent of attachment loss and/or pocket probing depth, in addition with bleeding on probing. In recent years, studies started to investigate inflammation indices in association with periodontal diseases. To date, only few reviews have been published focusing on the relationship between blood cell count, inflammation indices, and periodontitis. This review presents a comprehensive overview of different systemic inflammation indices, their methods of measurement, and the clinical applications in relation to periodontitis and cancer. This review outlines the physiological basis of inflammation and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of the parameters described. Key inflammation indices are commonly utilized in periodontology such as the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. Inflammation indices like the platelet to lymphocyte ratio, platelet distribution width, plateletcrit, red blood cell distribution width, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio, delta neutrophil index, and the systemic immune inflammation index are also used in hospital settings and will be discussed. The clinical roles and limitations, relationship to systemic diseases as well as their association to periodontitis and treatment response are described.

The association between systemic inflammation markers and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation markers have recently been identified as being associated with cardiac disorders. However, limited research has been conducted to estimate the pre-diagnostic associations between these markers and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Our aim is to identify potential biomarkers for early detection of PAF. METHODS: 91 participants in the PAF group and 97 participants in the non-PAF group were included in this study. We investigated the correlations between three systemic inflammation markers, namely the systemic immune inflammation index (SII), system inflammation response index (SIRI), and aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI), and PAF. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with PAF gradually increased with increasing logSII, logSIRI, and logAISI tertiles. Compared to those in the lowest tertiles, the PAF risks in the highest logSII and logSIRI tertiles were 3.2-fold and 2.9-fold, respectively. Conversely, there was no significant correlation observed between logAISI and PAF risk within the highest tertile of logAISI. The restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis revealed a non-linear relationship between the elevation of systemic inflammation markers and PAF risk. Specifically, the incidence of PAF is respectively increased by 56%, 95%, and 150% for each standard deviation increase in these variables. The ROC curve analysis of logSII, logSIRI and logAISI showed that they had AUC of 0.6, 0.7 and 0.6, respectively. It also demonstrated favorable sensitivity and specificity of these systemic inflammation markers in detecting the presence of PAF. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study reveals significant positive correlations between SII, SIRI, and AISI with the incidence of PAF.

Alterations in regulators of the renal-bone axis, inflammation and iron status in older people with early renal impairment and the effect of vitamin D supplementation.

CONTEXT: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to alterations in fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and the renal-bone axis. This may be partly driven by altered inflammation and iron status. Vitamin D supplementation may reduce inflammation. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: Older adults with early CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 30-60 ml/min/1.73 m2; CKDG3a/b; n = 35) or normal renal function (eGFR >90 ml/min/1.73 m2; CKDG1; n = 35) received 12,000, 24,000 or 48,000 IU D3/month for 1 year. Markers of the renal-bone axis, inflammation and iron status were investigated pre- and post-supplementation. Predictors of c-terminal and intact FGF23 (cFGF23; iFGF23) were identified by univariate and multivariate regression. RESULTS: Pre-supplementation, comparing CKDG3a/b to CKDG1, plasma cFGF23, iFGF23, PTH, sclerostin and TNFα were significantly higher and Klotho, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and iron were lower. Post-supplementation, only cFGF23, 25(OH)D and IL6 differed between groups. The response to supplementation differed between eGFR groups. Only in the CKDG1 group, phosphate decreased, cFGF23, iFGF23 and procollagen type I N-propeptide increased. In the CKDG3a/b group, TNFα significantly decreased, and iron increased. Plasma 25(OH)D and IL10 increased, and carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks decreased in both groups. In univariate models cFGF23 and iFGF23 were predicted by eGFR and regulators of calcium and phosphate metabolism at both time points; IL6 predicted cFGF23 (post-supplementation) and iFGF23 (pre-supplementation) in univariate models. Hepcidin predicted post-supplementation cFGF23 in multivariate models with eGFR. CONCLUSION: Alterations in regulators of the renal-bone axis, inflammation and iron status were found in early CKD. The response to vitamin D3 supplementation differed between eGFR groups. Plasma IL6 predicted both cFGF23 and iFGF23 and hepcidin predicted cFGF23.

Eosinophilic bronchiectasis increases length and cost of hospitalization: a retrospective analysis in a hospital of southern China from 2012 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: The concept of eosinophilic bronchiectasis has received clinical attention recently, but the association between blood eosinophil count (BEC) and hospital characteristics has rarely been reported yet. We aim to investigate the clinical impact of BEC on patients with acute bronchiectasis exacerbation. METHODS: A total of 1332 adult patients diagnosed with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis from January 2012 to December 2020 were included in this retrospective study. A propensity-matched analysis was performed by matching age, sex and comorbidities in patients with high eosinophil count (≥ 300 cell/µL) and low eosinophil count (< 300 cell/µL). Clinical characteristics, length of hospital stay (LOS), hospitalization cost and inflammatory markers were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Eosinophilic bronchiectasis occurred in approximately 11.7% of all patients. 156 propensity score-matched pairs were identified with and without high eosinophil count. Eosinophilic bronchiectasis presented with a longer LOS [9.0 (6.0-12.5) vs. 5.0 (4.0-6.0) days, p < 0.0001] and more hospitalization cost [15,011(9,753-27,404) vs. 9,109(6,402-12,287) RMB, p < 0.0001] compared to those in non-eosinophilic bronchiectasis. The median white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte, platelet (PLT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in eosinophilic bronchiectasis were significantly increased. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that the high levels of eosinophil count (OR = 13.95, p < 0.0001), worse FEV1% predicted (OR = 7.80, p = 0.0003) and PLT (OR = 1.01, p = 0.035) were independent prognostic factors for length of hospital (LOS) greater than 7 days. CONCLUSION: Eosinophilic bronchiectasis patients had longer length of hospital stay and more hospitalization cost compared to those in non-eosinophilic bronchiectasis group, which might be associated with the stronger inflammatory reaction.

Association between systemic inflammatory markers and all-cause mortality in patients with stroke: a prospective study using data from the UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are novel inflammatory biomarkers used to determine various disease prognoses. However, the effects of these systemic inflammatory markers on all-cause mortality in patients with stroke remain unclear. METHODS: We used data from the UK Biobank for this prospective analysis. Overall, 6,020 eligible individuals were included. Over a median follow-up of 13.4 years, 1,233 participants died. we examined the effects of systemic inflammatory markers on all-cause mortality using random survival forest (RSF) and Cox proportional hazards models. Covariate adjustments in the Cox model, selected by RSF, included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), Townsend deprivation index, smoking status, alcohol intake frequency, sleep duration, diabetes, and malignant neoplasms. RESULTS: In the marginal effect plots and restricted cubic spline analysis for systemic inflammatory markers, LMR exhibited a linear negative correlation, NLR showed a linear positive correlation, and SII and PLR demonstrated a U-shaped association. After covariates were adjusted, the all-cause mortality risk increased by 14% for LMR <4 (hazards ratio [HR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.29; p = 0.03), by 26% for NLR ≥2 (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.11-1.43; p < 0.001),by 26% for PLR ≥175 (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.07-1.47; p < 0.001), and by 31% for SII ≥526 (HR: 1.31; 95% CI, 1.16-1.47; p = 0.014). In addition, sensitivity analyses, excluding participants who had been followed-up for <2 years and those with malignant neoplasms, yielded results consistent with those of previous research. CONCLUSION: SII, NLR, PLR, and LMR significantly correlate with all-cause mortality in stroke patients. Thresholds established by the RSF model could potentially refine prognostic decision-making in stroke care.

Microbiological Profiles and Inflammatory Biomarkers of Bacteremia in Children in a Teaching Hospital in Kuwait: An 8-Year Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the bacterial profiles and prevalence of antibiotic resistance patterns of bacteria causing bacteremia in febrile children and to compare levels of inflammatory markers between children with and without bacteremia in Kuwait from 2015 to 2022. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolates from all episodes of significant bacteremia (n = 96) during the study period were recorded and evaluated. Microorganisms were identified using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the VITEK2 system and Etest method. Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) production by Enterobacterales was detected by the double-disk diffusion method and VITEK2 system. Patient age, gender, and inflammatory markers were collected at admission and compared between patients with and without bacteremia. RESULTS: A majority of the patients were infants (37, 40%) and newborns (13, 14%). The main ports of entry were the lower respiratory tract, the genitourinary tract, and the gastrointestinal tract. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common pathogen (16, 16.7%) followed by Escherichia coli (12, 12.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (10, 10.4%), and Streptococcus agalactiae (9, 9.4%). High rates of resistance to ampicillin, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were observed among the Enterobacterales. The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae were 45% and 29%, respectively. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus was 30%. Patients with bacteremia had significantly higher white blood cell (WBC) counts, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). CONCLUSION: Continuous surveillance of the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of blood isolates is imperative for the formulation of antibiotic policy. WBC, ANC, CRP, and NLR could be valuable indicators of bacteremia in febrile children.

Relationships between inflammation markers and the risk of hypertension in primary Sjögren's syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The association of inflammation markers with hypertension (HTN) in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) remains controversial. We aimed to investigate whether inflammation markers are at increased risk of developing HTN in pSS patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study included pSS patients (n = 380) between May 2011 and May 2020 from the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of the potential inflammation markers for pSS-HTN. Subsequently, the dose-response relationships were also used. RESULTS: Out of 380 pSS patients, 171 (45%) developed HTN, and the median follow-up period was 4.16 years. Univariable Cox regression analysis showed that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and neutrophils were significantly associated with the incident HTN (P < 0.05). After adjustment for covariates, this association between ESR (adjusted HR 1.017, 95%CI: 1.005-1.027, P = .003), neutrophils (adjusted HR 1.356, 95%CI: 1.113-1.653, P = .003), and HTN remained significant. The dose-effect relationship was also found between ESR, neutrophils, and HTN (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation markers may play an important role in the incident HTN in pSS.

Systemic inflammation indicators and risk of incident arrhythmias in 478,524 individuals: evidence from the UK Biobank cohort.

BACKGROUND: The role of systemic inflammation in promoting cardiovascular diseases has attracted attention, but its correlation with various arrhythmias remains to be clarified. We aimed to comprehensively assess the association between various indicators of systemic inflammation and atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF), ventricular arrhythmia (VA), and bradyarrhythmia in the UK Biobank cohort. METHODS: After excluding ineligible participants, a total of 478,524 eligible individuals (46.75% male, aged 40-69 years) were enrolled in the study to assess the association between systemic inflammatory indicators and each type of arrhythmia. RESULTS: After covariates were fully adjusted, CRP levels were found to have an essentially linear positive correlation with the risk of various arrhythmias; neutrophil count, monocyte count, and NLR showed a non-linear positive correlation; and lymphocyte count, SII, PLR, and LMR showed a U-shaped association. VA showed the strongest association with systemic inflammation indicators, and it was followed sequentially by AF and bradyarrhythmia. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple systemic inflammatory indicators showed strong associations with the onset of AF, VA, and bradyarrhythmia, of which the latter two have been rarely studied. Active systemic inflammation management might have favorable effects in reducing the arrhythmia burden and further randomized controlled studies are needed.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin/turmeric supplementation in adults: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Turmeric and its prominent bioactive compound, curcumin, have been the subject of many investigations with regard to their impact on inflammatory and oxidative balance in the body. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we summarized the existing literature on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which examined this hypothesis. Major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar) were searched from inception up to October 2022. Relevant studies meeting our eligibility criteria were obtained. Main outcomes included inflammatory markers (i.e. C-reactive protein(CRP), tumour necrosis factorα(TNF-α), interleukin-6(IL-6), and interleukin 1 beta(IL-1ß)) and markers of oxidative stress (i.e. total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde(MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity). Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were reported. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Sixty-six RCTs were included in the final analysis. We observed that turmeric/curcumin supplementation significantly reduces levels of inflammatory markers, including CRP (WMD: -0.58 mg/l, 95 % CI: -0.74, -0.41), TNF-α (WMD: -3.48 pg/ml, 95 % CI: -4.38, -2.58), and IL-6 (WMD: -1.31 pg/ml, 95 % CI: -1.58, -0.67); except for IL-1ß (WMD: -0.46 pg/ml, 95 % CI: -1.18, 0.27) for which no significant change was found. Also, turmeric/curcumin supplementation significantly improved anti-oxidant activity through enhancing TAC (WMD = 0.21 mmol/l; 95 % CI: 0.08, 0.33), reducing MDA levels (WMD = -0.33 µmol /l; 95 % CI: -0.53, -0.12), and SOD activity (WMD = 20.51 u/l; 95 % CI: 7.35, 33.67). It seems that turmeric/curcumin supplementation might be used as a viable intervention for improving inflammatory/oxidative status of individuals.

Avocado consumption and markers of inflammation: results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

PURPOSE: Since avocado consumption has been linked to a possible reduction in inflammation, we investigated associations between avocado consumption and markers of inflammation in a population-based multi-ethnic cohort [Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)]. METHODS: We used a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at MESA exam 1 to capture avocado/guacamole consumption. To calculate daily servings of avocado/guacamole, we used both frequency and serving size data from the FFQ. We classified participants into three consumer groups: rare or never (daily serving ≤ 0.03), medium (0.03 < daily serving < 0.1), and heavy (0.1 ≤ daily serving). Inflammation was estimated by natural log-transformed inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-2, IL-6, homocysteine, fibrinogen, TNF-a soluble receptors). We used multivariate general linear regression models to assess associations accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level, income, energy intake, smoking status, physical activity, diet quality, body mass index, and diabetes type. RESULTS: Among 5794 MESA participants, the average age and BMI were 62.25 y ± 10.26 and 28.28 ± 5.41 kg/m2, respectively, and 48% of the sample were men. Participants self-reported as Hispanic (22.30%), Caucasian (39.92%), African-American (25.39%), and Chinese (12.39%). Over 60% had higher than a high school education and 40% made $50,000 or more a year. Regarding avocado/guacamole consumption, 79% were categorized as rare or never, 12% as medium, and 9% as heavy. When adjusted for relevant confounders, there were no significant differences among the three consumer groups for any inflammatory marker. CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, we did not find that consumption of avocado/guacamole was associated with levels of inflammatory markers.

The association between systemic inflammation markers and the prevalence of hypertension.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a large-scale epidemiological analysis to investigate the associations between systemic inflammation markers and hypertension prevalence. Our aim is to identify potential biomarkers for early detection of hypertension. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 119664 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was performed. We investigated the associations between three systemic inflammation markers, namely the systemic immune inflammation index (SII), system inflammation response index (SIRI), and aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI), and the prevalence of hypertension. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of hypertension gradually increased with increasing logSII, logSIRI, and logAISI quartiles. In continuous analyses, each unit increase in logSII, logSIRI, and logAISI was associated with a 20.3%, 20.1%, and 23.7% increased risk of hypertension. Compared to those in the lowest quartiles, the hypertension risks for subjects in the highest logSII, logSIRI, and logAISI quartiles were 1.114-fold,1.143-fold, and 1.186-fold. The restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis revealed a non-linear relationship between the elevation of systemic inflammation markers and hypertension prevalence. Specifically, a per standard deviation increase in any of these variables is associated with a respective 9%, 16%, and 11% increase in hypertension prevalence. CONCLUSION: Our cross-sectional study reveals significant positive correlations between SII, SIRI, and AISI with the prevalence of hypertension.

Associations between dietary patterns and an array of inflammation biomarkers and plasma lipid profile in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, evaluation of the association between four dietary patterns, nutrients and food intakes and an array of systemic inflammation biomarkers and lipid profile among 80 New Zealand postmenopausal women were conducted. MATERIALS: Eighty postmenopausal women participated in the study. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to collect nutrients and food intake. Four dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis (PCA) and plasma samples collected for inflammatory biomarkers and lipid profile measures. RESULTS: There were negative correlations between intake of dietary fibre, soluble and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), vitamin C and niacin and with almost all the inflammatory markers for the whole group. Vegetables, tea/coffee and especially fruit intake were negatively correlated with the inflammatory biomarkers in the whole group. A high intake of Pattern 1 (potato, bread, and fruit pattern) was associated with a low risk of high interferon (IFN)-α2, IFN-λ, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels while a high intake of Pattern 3 (fast-food pattern) was associated high risk of IFN-α2 levels. Multiple linear regression showed a negative correlation between Pattern 2 (soups and vegetables pattern) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as ferritin. A positive association was observed between Pattern 3 (fast-food pattern) and CRP levels. Positive correlation was also observed between Pattern 2 and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and total cholesterol (TC) levels, Pattern 4 (meat and vegetables pattern) was however negatively correlated with TC, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and TC/HDL ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The result of this study reinforces the contribution and role of diet in modifying inflammation in postmenopausal women.

Fucoidan's Molecular Targets: A Comprehensive Review of Its Unique and Multiple Targets Accounting for Promising Bioactivities Supported by In Silico Studies.

Fucoidan is a class of multifunctional polysaccharides derived from marine organisms. Its unique and diversified physicochemical and chemical properties have qualified them for potential and promising pharmacological uses in human diseases, including inflammation, tumors, immunity disorders, kidney diseases, and diabetes. Physicochemical and chemical properties are the main contributors to these bioactivities. The previous literature has attributed such activities to its ability to target key enzymes and receptors involved in potential disease pathways, either directly or indirectly, where the anionic sulfate ester groups are mainly involved in these interactions. These findings also confirm the advantageous pharmacological uses of sulfated versus non-sulfated polysaccharides. The current review shall highlight the molecular targets of fucoidans, especially enzymes, and the subsequent responses via either the upregulation or downregulation of mediators' expression in various tissue abnormalities. In addition, in silico studies will be applied to support the previous findings and show the significant contributors. The current review may help in understanding the molecular mechanisms of fucoidan. Also, the findings of this review may be utilized in the design of specific oligomers inspired by fucoidan with the purpose of treating life-threatening human diseases effectively.

Inflammatory and Prothrombotic Biomarkers Contribute to the Persistence of Sequelae in Recovered COVID-19 Patients.

The presence of long COVID (LC) following SARS-CoV-2 infection is a common condition that affects the quality of life of patients and represents a diagnostic challenge due to the diversity of symptoms that may coexist. We still do not have accurate information regarding the pathophysiological pathways that generate the presence of LC, and so it is important to know the inflammatory and immunothrombotic biomarker profiles and their implications in order to characterize risk subgroups and establish early therapeutic strategies. We performed the determination of inflammatory and immunothrombotic biomarkers in volunteers with previous diagnoses of SARS-CoV-2. The inflammatory biomarkers were analyzed in plasma by flow cytometry, and we analyzed the von Willebrand factor (vWF) in the plasma samples using ELISA. The clinical variables and the presence or absence of long COVID symptoms were then analyzed. IL-6, sCD40L, p-Selectin, PSGL-1, PAI-1, tPA, D-Dimer, TF, and Factor IX levels were elevated in the groups with LC, especially in the subgroup of patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). VWF levels were found to be increased in patients with sequelae and MetS. Our results confirmed the persistence of an active immunothrombotic state, and so it is important to identify the population at risk in order to provide adequate clinical follow-up.

The role of the systemic inflammatory index in determining the length of hospital stay in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of peripheral blood parameters and the systemic inflammatory index (SII) in the diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and whether they have a predictive value in determining the length of hospital stay and the risk of rehospitalization in HG cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the retrospective study, pregnant women who were hospitalized due to HG (n = 112) and pregnant women who were completely healthy (n = 112) were matched for gestational age. Peripheral blood inflammation parameters of the entire study group were evaluated. The length of hospital stay and rehospitalization rate for HG cases were recorded. A total of 224 patients, 112 (50%) in the control group and 112 (50%) in the HG group were included in the study. There was a positive correlation between increased ketonuria and length of hospitalization, peripheric blood parameters, and SII. The degree of ketonuria was found to be statistically insignificant in determining the risk of rehospitalization (p = 0.927). About 28.57% (n = 32) of all HG cases were readmitted to the hospital. When the length of hospital stay was considered, SII was found to be statistically significant in hospitalizations lasting more than 2 days (p = 0.001), but not in rehospitalizations (p = 0.3). CONCLUSION: SII is significant in diagnosing and determining hospitalization of HG. It is sufficient to determine the length of hospital stay but not rehospitalization risk, which is an indicator of disease severity.

Fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA) and its subclasses in systemic lupus erythematosus patients are nuclear antigen reactive and this feature correlates with gut permeability marker levels.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the production of anti-nuclear autoantibodies. Here, for the first time, we show that the abundances of gut permeability marker Zonulin and IgA1- and IgA2- subclasses are significantly higher in the fecal samples of SLE patients compared to HCs. Importantly, IgA-total, and IgA1- and IgA2-subclasses from SLE patients showed higher nAg reactivity titers. Notably, we found that not only the nuclear antigen (nAg) reactive fecal IgA1:IgA2 ratio is higher in SLE patients, but also the abundance and nAg reactivity of fecal IgA and subclasses, IgA1 particularly, correlate with the fecal levels of Zonulin, which is produced primarily in the small intestine. These observations that higher amounts of nAg-reactive IgA and gut permeability marker are produced, particularly, in the proximal gut suggest a compromised epithelial barrier function and pro-inflammatory characteristics of small intestine in SLE patients.

Serum diamine oxidase activity derived from response to chemotherapy affects adverse events and serum amino acid levels.

PURPOSE: The relationship between activity of the small intestinal villi and the effectiveness of chemotherapy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate how serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity affects antitumor effects, adverse events, and amino acid absorption. METHODS: We performed a single-center prospective cohort study that enrolled 50 patients with esophageal cancer (EC) receiving docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil therapy. We determined the cut-off value of serum DAO activity contributing to a response to chemotherapy using a generalized additive model. Additionally, we compared adverse events, inflammatory markers, blood amino acid levels, and quality of life between the high and low DAO activity groups during chemotherapy. RESULTS: The cut-off value of serum DAO activity at the first visit that contributed to a chemotherapy response was 6.5 units/L. Leukopenia and neutropenia of grade ≥ 3 were significantly higher in the DAO low (< 6.5 units/L) group (p = 0.044, 0.017, respectively). Interleukin-6 was significantly lower in the DAO high (≥ 6.5 units/L) group at the first visit and at 4 weeks after the end of chemotherapy (p = 0.039, 0.011, respectively). Glutamine was higher in the DAO high group at all measurement points during chemotherapy. Fatigue was significantly lower in the DAO high group (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Serum DAO activity may be a predictor of the response to chemotherapy in patients with EC. The absorption capacity of amino acids was maintained in the group with high DAO activity, which may have contributed to the anti-inflammatory effect and provided a background for reducing adverse events.

An Evidence-Based Review of Application Devices for Nitric Oxide Concentration Determination from Exhaled Air in the Diagnosis of Inflammation and Treatment Monitoring.

The measurement of nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air is used in diagnostics and monitoring the pathologies not only in the respiratory system but also in the oral cavity. It has shown a huge increase in its level in asthma and diseases of the oral cavity. It seems reasonable to undertake research on the impact of inflammation on the level of NO in exhaled air. The aim of the study is to make an evidence-based review of the application of NO levels in exhaled air in the diagnosis of inflammation and treatment monitoring on the basis of selected measuring devices. METHODS AND RESULTS: This paper presents an example of the application of NO measurement in exhaled air in individual human systems. Selected measuring devices, their non-invasiveness, and their advantages are described. DISCUSSION: The usefulness of this diagnostic method in pathologies of the oral cavity was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Measuring the level of NO in exhaled air seems to be a useful diagnostic method.