Serum lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes as predictors of clinical outcomes in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective analysis of a hospitalized cohort.

We aimed to test the association between serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and its isoenzymes and treatment outcomes during hospitalization for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Thirty-eight AECOPD patients were recruited from a tertiary hospital from December 2017 to June 2018. Serum LDH and LDH isoenzymes were measured on venous blood collected at admission. Treatment outcomes included duration of hospital stay, initiation of non-invasive (NIV) or mechanical ventilation, initiation of antipseudomonal antibiotics, change in empirical antibiotic treatment, need for intravenous corticosteroids or methylxanthines, and percentage of change in C-reactive protein from admission to the third day. Multivariate linear and binary logistic regression analyses were used to test the study's objectives. We found that, after adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, COPD severity, level of hypoxemia, and inflammation markers, each 10 U/L increase in serum LDH was associated with prolongation of the hospital stay by 0.25 (0.03, 0.46) days, 42% higher odds (odds ratio [OR] 1.42 [1.00, 2.03]) for need of NIV, and 25% higher odds (OR 1.25 [1.04, 1.49]) for initiation of antipseudomonal treatment. LDH1 and LDH2 were the LDH isoenzymes that mainly drove these relationships. LDH release in the context of an AECOPD could originate from lung, muscle, or heart tissue damage due to airway inflammation, respiratory muscle recruitment, and myocardial stress. Myocardial injury and aerobic adaptation in respiratory muscles may explain the predominance of LDH1 and LDH2 isoenzymes in these associations.

Development of food grade 3D printable ink based on pectin containing cannabidiol/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes.

In the current study a 3D-printable system was developed, based on natural, food-grade and nontoxic materials that may be used as a platform technology to host cannabinoids, and more specifically CBD for medicinal purposes. Pectin and honey were combined toward the fabrication of 3D printable inks that form solid structures upon drying. This model food-grade 3D-printed system was evaluated as a host matrix for the incorporation of CBD, in the form of inclusion complexes with ß-cyclodextrins. The prepared solid inclusion complexes were characterized by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) complemented with phase solubility studies and in vitro release of the ß-CD/CBD complex. The release behavior of CBD from the 3D printed formulations was assessed in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and simulated colonic fluid (SCF). The results shown that that the highest release rates of CBD were obtained in SCF medium, with minor release in SGF and SIF media.

Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

We aimed to evaluate differences in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes between patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Based on self-reported COPD diagnosis, 71 participants were divided into AECOPD (n = 38, 29 males, mean age 70.5 years) and LRTI (n = 33, 12 males, mean age 70.4 years) groups. Information on demographics, comorbidities, and COPD severity markers, as well as arterial blood gases and laboratory data were collected, while serum LDH electrophoresis was performed to examine the LDH isoenzymes. Adjusting for sex, age, comorbidities, degree of hypoxemia, inflammation markers, muscle and myocardial enzymes, and total serum LDH, the mean differences (95 % confidence intervals) in the ratios of serum LDH isoenzymes to total serum LDH between groups (LDHxAECOPD - LDHxLRTI) were statistically significant for LDH1 [4.9 (1.4 to 8.3)], LDH2 [3.0 (0.1 to 5.8)], LDH3 [-4.3 (-6.3 to -2.3)], and LDH4 [-3.2 (-4.9 to -1.5)]. A sum of LDH3 and LDH4 ratios below 29 % had the highest discriminative ability to classify a subject in the AECOPD group (AUC 0.841, sensitivity 76 %, specificity 87 %). Aerobic metabolic adaptive mechanisms in respiratory muscles during AECOPD could explain the above differences.

Nutritional characterization of carobs and traditional carob products.

Twenty traditional carob products were measured for their nutritional composition, and their results were compared with the pulp of Cypriot carob cultivars. Moisture, ash, fat, proteins, sugars, dietary fibers, minerals, caffeine-theobromine, carbohydrates, and energy value were determined. Fluctuations of the nutritional composition values based on the ingredients' chemical synthesis and product manufacturing process were noted. Only 60% of the products had a label indicating their nutritional value, and the majority of them (75%) were consistent with that of labeling. Chemometric analyses distinguished the carob products according to their type and the discriminator components highlighted their particular nutritional value. Carobs can be characterized as functional foods with low-fat content, high content in dietary fibers, and high content and/or source of minerals; however, carob products partially satisfied those health and nutritional claims as expected. This pilot research contributes to the nutritional estimation of carob and highlights the traditional carob products.