RESUMEN
Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a widespread autoimmune disease affecting millions of people worldwide. The current markers include anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF), which are nonspecific and elevated in various conditions and do not have a prognostic value. They are also elevated in the later stages of the disease. Anti-carbamylated protein (anti-CarP) antibodies have been reported to be associated with joint damage in RA. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of anti-CarP antibodies in individuals with RA and their relationship with inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Methods This was a cross-sectional case-control study conducted from April 2020 to March 2021 at the Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, India. The age makeup of the three groups was evaluated: Group 1 comprised anti-CCP and RF-positive patients; Group 2 comprised anti-CCP and RF-negative patients; and Group 3 was the control group, which comprised healthy volunteers. Patient samples, including blood and serum, have been utilized to conduct various assessments aimed at evaluating biomarkers such as CRP, ESR, RF, and autoantibodies like anti-CCP and anti-CarP. Results This study examined the role of various autoantibodies and biomarkers in RA across three distinct groups. Group 1 predominantly consisted of middle-aged individuals, and women constituted the majority in both Group 1 and Group 2, consistent with higher RA prevalence among females. In Group 1, 65.7% of patients tested positive for anti-CarP, while in Group 2, 48.6% tested positive even when RF and anti-CCP antibodies were absent. This suggests a potential diagnostic role for anti-CarP antibodies in identifying RA patients early. CRP and ESR levels were significantly elevated in RA patients (Groups 1 and 2) compared to healthy controls (Group 3), indicating higher inflammatory activity in affected individuals. We also observed that anti-CarP antibodies had a specificity of 69.1% and a sensitivity of 78.2%. Positive correlations between the diagnosis of RA and anti-CarP antibody positivity were observed across the groups and correlated well with the inflammatory markers and signs such as joint damage. The data were found to be statistically significant. Conclusions Our study showed a significant correlation between joint damage and CRP levels and a positive correlation between anti-CarP antibodies and ESR and CRP values. These findings suggest that anti-CarP antibodies can offer certain advantages over RF and anti-CCP antibodies in RA diagnosis due to their early detection potential, higher specificity, complementary diagnostic role, and predictive value for disease severity.
RESUMEN
Juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSSc) is a rare autoimmune disorder that primarily affects children and adolescents. It is thought to be caused by a confluence of immunological, environmental, and genetic variables. The disease is characterized by excessive collagen production. It can result in symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, high blood pressure, and kidney problems. Although calcinosis cutis is common in systemic sclerosis, it is very rare in JSSc. We report the case of a 14-year-old female who presented with complaints of breathlessness for four days and multiple lesions in the sacral region for two months. She underwent surgical excision for calcinosis cutis in dependent regions. Early diagnosis and treatment of the condition are of immense importance in preventing mortality.
RESUMEN
Background Acute ischemic stroke, a clinical disorder caused by nontraumatic cerebrovascular disease, has an acute onset, frequently causes neurological deficit, and may persist for >24 hours or can be fatal in <24 hours. This study aimed to assess the red cell width distribution (RDW) and the mean platelet volume (MPV) in predicting 30-day mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients. In general, patients with acute ischemic stroke have a rather high mortality rate in the first 30 days due to various complications, but post the 30-day mark, the prognosis is comparatively better. Material and methods The present study was conducted on patients with a confirmed diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke based on history, physical examination, CT scan, and/or diffusion-weighted MRI scan performed during the first 24 hours. It was a prospective and cross-sectional study done at Saveetha Medical College over a period of two years. The data was collected by using the intra-hospital network and was analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results In the present study, among 100 patients, the mean age was 57.4 ± 13.36 years. About 55% of our subjects were males in our study. The RDW on the 1stday was 14.17 ± 0.708, and it reduced drastically on the 30thday to1st 13.55 ± 1.11, and it was statically significant (p = 0.000). The MPV on day 1 was 11.11 ± 0.969 and, on day 30, was 10.82 ± 0.90; the MPV was reduced considerably on day 30, which was statistically significant (p = 0.000). RDW on the 1st day was significantly correlated with the MPV and the volume of stroke. The correlation was significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). On the 30th day of acute ischemic stroke patients, the red blood cell (RBC) width was significantly correlated with the MPV. The correlation was significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). At the end of 30 days, 10% mortality was observed in the present study. Day 30 saw a significant decrease in the MPV and RDW, particularly in the moderate to severe and severe categories. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and the volume of stroke were significantly associated with the 30-day outcome. Conclusion The RDW and the MPV are well correlated in predicting the 30-day mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients. This could potentially be used as a significant marker for predicting mortality in stroke patients in the future, but to increase the generalization, further studies need to be carried out at other demographically distinct medical centers.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most aggressive types of cancers worldwide, with metastasis being the major cause of death. Recent research suggests that changes in the expression of MRC2 (mannose receptor, C-type 2) may play a role in the development and progression of various cancers; however, its expression pattern in HNSCC/ OSCC is unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological significance and prognostic role of MRC2 expression in HNSCC, including OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, we assessed the potential roles of MRC2 in expression, prognostic value, immune infiltration and functional enrichment analysis in HNSCC patients by using different bioinformatics databases. We then validated MRC2 gene expression in 30 OSCC and adjacent normal tissue samples using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: MRC2 mRNA and protein expression were significantly upregulated in OSCC and HNSCC patients compared to that in adjacent normal tissues. Upregulated MRC2 expression was associated with poor overall survival. Increased MRC2 expression has also been linked to an aggressive clinicopathological features including advanced stages, grade, metastasis and HPV status. Interestingly, our in silico results strongly suggest that the MRC2 gene and protein interaction networks are associated with HNSCC development. Moreover, the tumor infiltration level was significantly correlated with HPV-negative HNSCC patients. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that MRC2 could be used as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HNSCC.