Analytical Validation of a Spiral Microfluidic Chip with Hydrofoil-Shaped Pillars for the Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells.

The isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood with high efficiency remains a challenge hindering the utilization of CTC enrichment methods in clinical practice. Here, we propose a microfluidic channel design for the size-based hydrodynamic enrichment of CTCs from blood in an epitope-independent and high-throughput manner. The microfluidic channel comprises a spiral-shaped part followed by a widening part, incorporating successive streamlined pillars, that improves the enrichment efficiency. The design was tested against two benchmark designs, a spiral microfluidic channel and a spiral microfluidic channel followed by a widening channel without the hydrofoils, by processing 5 mL of healthy blood samples spiked with 100 MCF-7 cells. The results proved that the design with hydrofoil-shaped pillars perform significantly better in terms of recovery (recovery rate of 67.9% compared to 23.6% in spiral and 56.7% in spiral with widening section), at a cost of slightly lower white blood cell (WBC) depletion (depletion rate of 94.2% compared to 98.6% in spiral and 94.2% in spiral with widening section), at 1500 µL/min flow rate. For analytical validation, the design was further tested with A549, SKOV-3, and BT-474 cell lines, yielding recovery rates of 62.3 ± 8.4%, 71.0 ± 6.5%, and 82.9 ± 9.9%, respectively. The results are consistent with the size and deformability variation in the respective cell lines, where the increasing size and decreasing deformability affect the recovery rate in a positive manner. The analysis before and after the microfluidic chip process showed that the process does not affect cell viability.

The Relationship Between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Clinical Features in Essential Tremor.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of uric acid on the disease, its severity and progression in ET patients with partially co-clinical features with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Serum UA levels of 87 consecutive ET patients were measured and were matched according to age and sex with 87 healthy controls. Fahn-Tolosa-Marin scale was used for the severity of tremor. Sociodemographic characteristics, type of ET, duration of disease, and treatment modalities were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean uric acid level was calculated as 4.986±2.1458 mg/dL and 6.004±1.523 mg/dL in the patient and control groups, respectively (p≤0.005). The blood UA level of patients with sporadic (n: 61) ET was found to be lower than the familial ET (n: 26) (p≤0.005). The tremor severity of the family ET patients was lower than the sporadic ET. (n: 61) (p≤0.005). The mean blood UA level (4.429±1.216 mg/dL) in the patients with high total tremor severity scores (n: 48) was found lower than in the patients with low total tremor severity scores (n: 39) (5.673±2.106 mg/dL) (P=0.000). The serum UA level was significantly lower in the patients whose disease duration longer than 5 years than in patients whose duration of the disease was shorter than 5 years. 5.732±1.240 for ≥5 years; 6.438±0.286≤5 years) (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: We hypothesize that as a result of high antioxidant properties of high serum uric acid levels, it is a biomarker that can show disease risk and progression in patients with ET as well as PD.

Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as an indicator of secondary erythema nodosum, a retrospective observational study

Background/aim: Erythema nodosum (EN) is an inflammatory disorder of subcutaneous tissue. Although etiopathogenesis of the disease is unknown, many predisposing factors such as infections, systemic disease, and drugs have been identified. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to be a novel inflammatory marker in many dermatological diseases. The aim of our study is to investigate NLR in EN patients and evaluate its relation to the underlying cause of the disease. Materials and methods: Between 2014 and 2018, clinical and laboratory data of 395 patients diagnosed with EN and 395 controls were extracted from patient files. EN patients were grouped as idiopathic EN and secondary EN (EN with an identified underlying cause). Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the two groups were compared Results: NLR was elevated in EN patients compared to controls (median of 2.38 vs. 1.55, P < 0.001). Among EN patients, NLR was also elevated in patients with secondary EN. In multivariate logistic regression model NLR (> 2.11), RDW-CV (> 13.65), and CRP (> 5.5) were identified as risk factors for secondary EN (relative risks were 17.16, 2.69, and 2, respectively). Conclusion: Elevated NLR (> 2.11) may be used as a parameter to discriminate secondary EN from idiopathic EN.

Characterization of the Key Aroma Compounds in Yeast Dumplings by Means of the Sensomics Concept.

The key odorants in the volatile fraction isolated from a steamed yeasted wheat dough (yeast dumpling) by solvent assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) were characterized by an aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). The 29 aroma-active compounds were located within the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 8-512. Among them, the highest FD factors were found for 2- and 3-methylbutanoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, ( E, E)-2,4-decadienal, 2-phenylethanol, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2 H)-furanone, ( E)-2-nonenal, and butanoic acid. The 21 odorants were quantitated by stable isotope dilution assays (SIDA), and a subsequent calculation of odor activity values (OAV; ratio of concentration to odor threshold) revealed 3-methyl-1-butanol ( malty), 2-phenylethanol ( honey-like), trans-4,5-epoxy-( E)-2-decenal ( metallic), 2,3-butanedione ( buttery), 3-methylbutanoic acid ( sweaty), ( E)-2-nonenal ( cucumber-like), 1-octen-3-one ( mushroom-like), and 3-(methylthio)-propanal ( potato-like) as the most important contributors to the overall aroma of the dumpling. To verify the analytical results, a recombinate was prepared to show that a blend of the 21 aroma compounds in a buffered starch suspension resulted in a good replication of the overall yeast dumpling aroma.

Chemosensate-Induced Modulation of the Salivary Proteome and Metabolome Alters the Sensory Perception of Salt Taste and Odor-Active Thiols.

Oral stimulation with chemosensates was found to trigger changes in the composition of the salivary proteome and metabolome, which translate into a functional modulation of odor and taste perception. Orosensory intervention with 6-gingerol induced a significant increase in the abundance of salivary sulfhydryl oxidase 1, which was found to catalyze the oxidative decline of odor-active 2-furfurylthiol, thus resulting in a decrease in the odorant levels in exhaled breath, as shown by PTR-MS, and a reduction of the perceived sulfury after-smell. Therefore, sulfhydryl oxidase 1 may be considered as a component of a molecular network triggering oral cleansing mechanisms after food ingestion. Moreover, oral stimulation with citric acid, followed by targeted metabolomics, was found to induce a strong increase in salivary concentrations of minerals and, in particular, sodium ions, whereas the other metabolites were rather unaffected. Because of the elevated basal levels of salivary sodium after citric acid stimulation, NaCl test stimuli were perceived as significantly less salty, most likely due to the decreased sensory contrast. This indicates the modulation of the salivary proteome and metabolome to be a major perireceptor event in fine-tuning odor and taste sensitivity.

Psoriasis management in actual clinical practice: a 6-year retrospective study of 845 patients.

BACKGROUND: Over the past years, with the availability of relatively well tolerated, very effective but expensive drugs, biologics, treatment of psoriasis has dramatically shifted from inpatient modalities to outpatient ones. Relatively little is known about true life practices regarding psoriasis treatment in our country. AIMS: To assess the impact of introduction of conventional drugs and biological drugs on medical resource use of psoriasis patients. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review was performed. METHODS: Patients with the diagnosis of psoriasis who were seen in the period between 2010 and 2015 were included in the study. Data including hospital resource use (inpatient, outpatient, day ward) and treatment modalities were collected. RESULTS: The study population comprised 845 patients with 1053 different treatment modalities. There was not any significant difference between number of in-hospital days and frequency of hospitalization between biological drugs and cyclosporine. There was significant (p < .05) decline in the length of hospitalization after the year 2012 in biological treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of MSP with classical drugs requires fairly similar medical resource expenditures as biologics.