Circulating MicroRNAs and Extracellular Vesicle-Derived MicroRNAs as Predictors of Functional Recovery in Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Stroke accounts for the second leading cause of death and a major cause of disability, with limited therapeutic strategy in both the acute and chronic phases. Blood-based biomarkers are intensively researched and widely recognized as useful tools to predict the prognoses of patients confronted with therapeutically limited diseases. We performed a systematic review of the circulating biomarkers in IS patients with prognostic value, with a focus on microRNAs and exosomes as predictive biomarkers of motor and cognitive recovery. We identified 63 studies, totalizing 72 circulating biomarkers with prognostic value in stroke recovery, as follows: 68 miRNAs and exosomal-miRNAs being identified as predictive for motor recovery after stroke, and seven biomarkers being predictive for cognitive recovery. Twelve meta-analyses were performed using effect sizes (random-effects and fixed-effects model). The most significant correlation findings obtained after pooling were with miR-21, miR-29b, miR-125b-5p, miR-126, and miR-335. We identified several miRNAs that were correlated with clinical outcomes of stroke severity and recovery after ischemic stroke, providing predictive information on motor and cognitive recovery. Based on the current state of research, we identified serum miR-9 and neutrophil miR-29b as the most promising biomarkers for in-depth follow-up studies, followed by serum miR-124 and plasma miR-125b.

Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects in a Cohort of Colorectal Cancer Patients.

We conducted a retrospective, observational study, based on 91 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC), hospitalized and evaluated within the Surgical and the 2nd Internal Medicine Clinic, the Clinical Emergency County Hospital Craiova, between October 2020 and October 2022. We aimed in this study to analyze the epidemiological aspects and clinical characteristics of patients with CRC. In our study group, the patients' ages were between 30-89 years, with mean a of 68.06 (±9.39) years. The incidence of CRC cases in young patients was relatively low. 56.04% of all patients lived in urban areas. In 57.14% of cases, tumors were found on the left colon. The histopathological (HP) examination revealed the net predominance of adenocarcinoma. Depending on the HP grade, the tumor formations were represented predominantly by moderate and poorly differentiated tumors, having G2 and G3 grades. The T3 tumors predominated the total tumors identified. We observed that obstructions have the highest percentages on the left colon, while haemorrhages and perforations have higher percentages on the right side of the colon. The results obtained in our study largely validated the hypothesis proposed at the beginning of the study, according to which, using the clinical, paraclinical, and HP data, we can create a typology of the patient with CRC, from the Craiova Reference Center, to guide us in identifying some measures to decrease the percentage of CRC, as well as to improve the efficiency of the surgical treatment for these cases.

ROAD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES AMONG DRIVERS.

Introduction: Road traffic injuries are a significant issue for society in the twenty-first century, but public health experts frequently ignore them despite the fact that massive and coor-dinated efforts are required for their effective and long-term prevention. Human factors and poor driving performance are the most significant contributors to car accidents globally, as shown by a series of studies exploring the causes of traffic road accidents. Since road safety is a key concern in developing countries, our research focuses on the car driver behavioral risk factors in the Republic of Moldova. Material and methods: A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive using a questionnaire was applied online via a Google form document among car drivers, between January-March 2022. Microsoft Excel was used for the statistical analyses. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 257 respondents above 18 years, of which 61.9% were female and 38.1% were male, mostly with a category B license (73.5%) and majority from urban area (87.5%). More than half (55.6%) mention that drove a car daily and 30% of them have a drive experience of more than ten years. Respondents express great concern (71.2%) about the issue of traffic accidents, and 76.3% think that unsafe roads are a key contributing factor. At least once being involved as a driver in road accidents where medical care was needed was mentioned by 2.7% of respondents. Conclusions: Educational programs and awareness campaigns about road safety among drivers and other vulnerable road users should be systematically organized.

BUNE PRACTICI INTERNAȚIONALE ÎN SIGURANȚA RUTIERA.

Best international practices for road safetyRoad transportation is not only a vital component of how cities grow and how society functions, but it is also a significant factor that can affect the frequency of serious accidents and traumas. Human failure is not omitted, addressing it at the system level, involving the prevention of fatal and severe accidents, reducing mortality, and the cost itself. With the aim of outlining the best ways to improve road traffic, and prevent road trauma we have observed the experience of different countries in this regard. As materials and methods, we used Pubmed and Google Academic databases to identify and analyze in detail each strategy or plan with the period included in the study 2010- 2022, in 10 countries. The results show that each of the countries researched followed the example of the Global Plan and implemented respective strategies. Each country focused on particular errors in the country and formed different methods of improvement. As a suggestion for developing the updated strategy, it would be effective to establish the current gaps in their own system more clearly. In conclusion, road safety is a shared responsibility, recognizing the role of policymakers as well as planners and public health professionals, all parts of the system need to be strengthened to multiply their effects so that if one part fails, people are still protected.

Immunoexpression of Mismatch Repair Proteins in a Cohort of Colorectal Cancer Patients.

One of the molecular routes of colorectal carcinogenesis is the lack of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, which may have substantial clinical consequences in predicting therapy success. This study aimed to analyze the expression of the MutL homolog 1 (MLH1), MutS homolog 2 (MSH2), and MutS homolog 6 (MSH6) in a cohort of 91 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and to evaluate the relationship between patient clinicopathological characteristics and immunoexpression of these biomarkers. In this study, we obtained the highest scores of the MLH1 immunoexpression in non-mucinous tumors, moderately differentiated lesions, and in stage IV. The highest values of the MSH2 and MSH6 scores were observed in mucinous tumors, and poorly differentiated lesions, in stages II-III, and stages III-IV, respectively. To improve the stratification criteria for targeted oncological therapy and to predict patient outcomes, markers used may help evaluate the aggressiveness of lesions.

Molecular prognostic factors in colorectal cancer: 5-year follow-up.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequently diagnosed and lethal disease. The risk of developing CRC is determined by environmental and genetic factors. Surgical treatment is the main curative modality for patients with CRC up to stage III. In recent years, a special place has been given to biological agents used as targeted therapy following the genetic analysis of the tumor: Bevacizumab (Avastin), Cetuximab (Erbitux), Ziv-aflibercept (Zaltrap). We present a study based on 46 colorectal tumor resection specimens from patients operated for CRC in the Surgery Departments of the Emergency County Clinical Hospital of Craiova, Romania. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry staining of tissue sections were performed to determine the degree of aggressiveness. Using the Kaplan-Meier test, we calculated the correlation coefficient between survival time and immunohistochemical prognostic factors. The patients were followed for 60 months postoperatively.

An unusual cause of acute surgical abdomen: benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma associated with adenomatous tumor.

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) is a rare disease that primarily affects fertile women with previous abdominal surgery. BMPM associated with adenomatous tumor is a single case report, according to our opinion. The patient had a history of abdominal surgery nine years ago for ovarian cysts. Upon admission, the diagnosis was acute surgical abdomen with acute peritonitis signs. The treatment applied consisted in the removal of peritoneal cysts and partial omentectomy. Only immunohistochemical examination established the diagnosis. The aim is to discuss diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties, underlining that there is no consensus on the use of chemotherapeutics. In conclusion, establishing a preoperative diagnosis is difficult if not impossible. One of the causes of acute surgical abdomen may be BMPM. The malignant transformation of this disease is rare, but the disease recurrence rate is over 50%, and it is often recommended to be monitored through abdominal computed tomography.

Pyoderma vegetans of the posterior area of the neck: case presentation.

Pyoderma vegetans is a rare disease characterized by the presence of vegetant exudative, pustular and erythematous vesiculobullous plaque usually located in the inguinal area and axillary fold. Etiology of pyoderma vegetans is unknown but it is often associated with bacterial infections in immunocompromised patients. Main histopathological characteristics of pyoderma crops are pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia and subepidermal, intraepidermal neutrophilic or eosinophilic microabscesses. It is well known that these lesions are commonly associated with colonic inflammatory disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Not available standard treatment for pyoderma vegetans, although the use of antibiotic therapy was often used with variable results. Standard first-line therapy is the systemic steroids yet. We perform excision of the lesion of the posterior area of the neck with application of the free split-thickness skin graft after 48 hours postoperatively. In this paper, we present a case of pyoderma vegetans with unusual location without associating colonic lesions and a review of literature related to therapeutic and diagnostic problems of this disease.

Comparative study of clinical-morphological profiles of different types of gastric carcinoma.

AIM: Gastric carcinoma shows considerable variation in the histological pattern and degree of differentiation. The aim of the study was to assess especially the morphological differences between gastric carcinomas revealing one morphological feature and those including two morphological features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of patients were selected: Group 1, including 43 patients with tumors revealing only one architectural pattern, and Group 2, including 16 patients with two architectural patterns within the tumor. In addition to gender and age, the main morphological parameters were: lesion location and macroscopic appearance on the surgical excision sample and microscopic appearance of the surgical excision sample, assessed for architectural pattern, secretory properties and prognosis based on histological features, degree of tumor extension and the degree of tumor aggressiveness, using a wide range of histological and immunohistochemical stainings. All data were compared between the two groups using statistical tests. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Significant differences were observed between the values and distributions of morphological parameters in the two groups and were discussed comparatively. CONCLUSIONS: Tumors with two dominant histological aspects present simultaneously are a reality that cannot be argued but whose morphological and biological profile needs to be completed and validated.

Retroperitoneal ancient schwannoma - case presentation.

Retroperitoneal ancient schwannomas are rare tumors, more usually found in the head, neck and flexor surfaces of the extremities. Ancient schwannomas are a subtype of classic schwannomas with a predominance of degenerative changes, calcifications, hemosiderin deposition, interstitial fibrosis and vascular hyaline degeneration. A 33-year-old male was referred on our hospital with a painful mass in left iliac fossa. The patient underwent surgery and intra-operatively the cystic encapsulated mass was found to be retroperitoneal, between the left psoas major muscle and left iliac muscle. On microscopic examination, we found the presence of Schwann cells in regions with high and low cellularity (Antoni A and B areas) and S100 protein immunohistochemical examination was intensely positive, being consistent with the diagnosis of schwannoma. Complete excision is the only method of the surgical treatment; schwannomas are not sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Some authors consider that a complete excision of the tumor, while others believe that enucleated or partial excision of the tumor is sufficient. The prognosis is good, and the most common complication is recurrence, possibly by incomplete excision of it being reported in 5-10% of cases. In conclusion, retroperitoneal schwannomas is usually identified incidentally on tomographic images. Diagnosis is based on histopathological examination after surgery and immunohistochemical examination.

A pilot study on the role of fractal analysis in the microscopic evaluation of colorectal cancers.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents one of the most common cancers worldwide; its growing incidence and prevalence quickly transforming it into a major health burden. Globally, survival varies from one country to another and constantly remains significantly low, despite increasing diagnostic efforts and tools. Fractal geometry and, specifically, fractal dimension (FD) are interesting tools to quantify cellular elements. In this paper, we aimed to identify and quantify by fractal analysis the elements obtained from medical images from pathological and immunohistochemical investigations of colonic biopsy fragments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively selected the study group between September 2014 and January 2015, from patients who underwent surgery for previously diagnosed CRC at the Emergency County Hospital, Craiova, Romania. We performed the histological and immunohistochemical studies by following standardized protocols. Anti-Ki67, anti-p53 and anti-VEGF-C antibodies were used for immunostaining. We performed the fractal analysis with an in-house tool and we performed statistical tests on the results. RESULTS: We have included 41 (29 males) consecutive patients with different characteristics; after analyzing the FDs we found significant differences between adenocarcinomas and the other types of colonic cancers (p<0.001). However, we found no significant differences between most types of CRCs. We found significant statistical differences when compared well-differentiated tumors with all other stages (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Fractal analysis with the calculation of FDs is a novel, interesting tool, for determining the pathologic diagnosis of CRCs and may further improve diagnostic and prognostic rates, thus improving patient care.

Disseminated tuberculosis presenting as febrile seizures with fatal evolution in an infant.

Disseminated tuberculosis with the involvement of brain, liver and gut is a rare disease in immunocompetent infant. Early diagnostic and instauration of anti-tuberculosis therapy is capital because the outcome is poor. Here, we report the case of an 11-month-old boy with disseminated tuberculosis of brain, liver abdominal lymph nodes, small bowel and lung, which presented with fever, generalized tonic-clonic seizure, hemodynamic instability and a history of recurrent respiratory tract infections. His father was diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis six month ago and family members completed an anti-tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis regimen.

The role of immunohistochemistry in diagnosing a synchronous colon tumor.

Simultaneous presence of an epithelial and lymphoid tumor of the digestive tract is quite rarely met in literature. In this paper, we describe a case which presented such an association. Diagnosis was established by histological study, followed by immunohistochemistry. It is a synchronous colon tumor, associating a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to a colon adenocarcinoma. The 57-year-old male patient has been clinically diagnosed with a tumor of the left abdominal quadrant and paraclinically (imaging and endoscopic) with colon neoplasm. Exploratory laparotomy revealed two tumors: one tumor of five centimeters in the sigmoid, with firm consistency, mobile on lower plans and the second tumor in the ceco-ascending colon, measuring about 7 cm, irregular, with firm consistency, mobile on lower plans, with lymph nodes extending to retroperitoneal space. The urinary bladder, kidneys, liver and stomach were of normal aspect. Subtotal colectomy was performed with latero-lateral ileo-sigmoid anastomosis. Microscopic examination revealed sigmoid tumor as G1 adenocarcinoma and cecal tumor as B-cell type lymphoma. Immunohistochemistry established the final diagnosis of cecal localization being a diffuse immunoblastic large B-cell non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma. The final diagnosis of this patient was actually a synchronous manifestation of a colon adenocarcinoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This association puts into question synchronous tumors etiopathogeny matter.

Collision tumor of recto-sigmoidian junction - case presentation.

Collision tumors of the colon are rare. A 64-year-old man was referred on Emergency County Hospital, Craiova, Romania for the evaluation of intestinal obstruction. Colonoscopy demonstrates the presence of about 9/5 cm sized mass in the rectosigmoid junction. After surgical resection, the rectosigmoid lesion was histopathologically composed of two distinct lesions: mucoid adenocarcinoma in the superficial layer and poorly differentiated neuroendocrin carcinoma in the deeper layer. A rectosigmoid tumor showed two distinct tumors with no admixture or transposition of two neoplastic components. A lymph node metastatic deposit contained both tumors. Immunohistochemical stainings were consistent with mucinous adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma of the two neoplasms. We report this case of colonic collision tumor (mucoid adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma) and review of the literature.