Correlations Between Different Angiogenic and Inflammatory Factors in Vitreous Fluid of Eyes With Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose: To investigate the expression of various angiogenesis and inflammation mediators in the vitreous fluid of eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).Methods: A total of 38 eyes with PDR and 37 control eyes were included. Vitreous fluid was collected during vitrectomy. Vitreous levels of colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R), syndecan-1, placental growth factor (PIGF), and angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL-4) were measured by multiplex immunoassay. Vitreous levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were measured by cytometric beads array. Levels of these mediators were compared between the PDR and control eyes. Correlations between levels of different mediators and between these mediators and kidney function metrics in the PDR group were also analyzed.Results: Vitreous levels of syndecan-1, PIGF, ANGPTL-4, VEGF, and IL-8 were significantly higher in the PDR group compared to the control group (all p < 0.05). Levels of VEGF were significantly correlated with levels of syndecan-1, PIGF, and ANGPTL-4 (r = 0.370 to 0.497, all p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were detected between levels of any two of the following mediators including syndecan-1, PIGF, ANGPTL-4, and IL-8 (r = 0.370 to 0.906, all p < 0.05). Apart from VEGF, levels of these mediators were positively correlated with serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (r = 0.328 to 0.638, all p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose and estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = −0.325 to −0.603, all p < 0.05).Conclusions: Correlations between different angiogenesis and inflammation mediators were observed in eyes with PDR, suggesting cross-talks of different angiogenesis and inflammation pathways in the pathogenesis of PDR. The levels of angiogenesis and inflammation in PDR are correlated with kidney damage, indicating possible common pathways in diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy.

Efeitos da laserterapia de baixa intensidade nos mecanismos celulares e moleculares em procedimentos odontológicos: revisão integrativa

Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão integrativa sobre os efeitos celulares e moleculares da laserterapia de baixa intensidade (LBI) em procedimentos odontológicos. Métodos: Os descritores “Inflammation Mediators”, “Low-Level Light Therapy”, “Dentistry”, “Biomarkers”, “Clinical Trial”, “Drug Evaluation” e “Preclinical” foram aplicados no Sistema Online de Busca e Análise de Literatura Médica (MEDLINE) via National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Science Direct e Google Scholar, interligados através de “AND/OR”. O período de 10 anos (2011 a 2021) foi utilizado sendo encontrados um total de 130 estudos que após análise apenas 15 foram incluídos. Resultados: A literatura evidencia essa terapia como promissora para diversos problemas que afetam a cavidade oral, proporcionando efeitos regenerativos no processo de cicatrização, efeitos anti-inflamatórios, reduções de quadros álgicos, desempenhando ainda um papel de suma importância na modulação de citocinas e fatores de crescimento celular em procedimentos odontológicos. Os níveis de interleucina 1 (IL-1β) foram variáveis em associação a LBI, os níveis de substancias P e matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) foram reduzidos nos grupos avaliados. Considerações finais: A LBI pode promover respostas clínicas positivas na odontologia visto a ação dos mediadores envolvidos nestes processos regenerativos, contudo, devido à escassez de estudos em alguns campos da odontologia, faz-se necessário mais pesquisas na área.

Zika-exposed microcephalic neonates exhibit higher degree of inflammatory imbalance in cerebrospinal fluid

Not every neonate with congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection (CZI) is born with microcephaly. We compared inflammation mediators in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid obtained from lumbar puncture) between ZIKV-exposed neonates with/without microcephaly (cases) and controls. In Brazil, in the same laboratory, we identified 14 ZIKV-exposed neonates during the ZIKV epidemic (2015–2016), 7(50%) with and 7(50%) without microcephaly, without any other congenital infection, and 14 neonates (2017–2018) eligible to be controls and to match cases. 29 inflammation mediators were measured using Luminex immunoassay and multidimensional analyses were employed. Neonates with ZIKV-associated microcephaly presented substantially higher degree of inflammatory perturbation, associated with uncoupled inflammatory response and decreased correlations between concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers. The groups of microcephalic and non-microcephalic ZIKV-exposed neonates were distinguished from the control group (area under curve [AUC] = 1; P < 0.0001). Between controls and those non-microcephalic exposed to ZIKV, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-4, IL-7 and EOTAXIN were the top CSF markers. By comparing the microcephalic cases with controls, the top discriminant scores were for IL-1β, IL-3, EOTAXIN and IL-12p70. The degree of inflammatory imbalance may be associated with microcephaly in CZI and it may aid additional investigations in experimental pre-clinical models testing immune modulators in preventing extensive damage of the Central Nervous System.

Role of Immunity and Inflammation Mediators in Early COVID-19 Management: Genetic Results Interpretations Versus Real-life Practice.

Pairo-Castineira et al. have recently demonstrated that altered expression of certain genes related to the immune and inflammatory systems reduced the odds of severe COVID-19 and protected against it; we agree with their results from a clinical perspective. However, they have suggested some drugs, including barictinib, to be of priority to be tested basing on their results. We present a concise analysis of these results according to our real-life and academic experience that disagree with some of their recommendations from a clinical and pharmacovigilant point of view. Further, we confirm that the important results released Pairo-Castineira et al. confirm the validity to our recommended real-life used protocol using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nitazoxanide and azithromycin to manage COVID-19 patients.

CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 AS „IN SILICO“ TARGET OF PHENOLIC HYDRAZONE- TYPE DERIVATIVES

In the present work, a series of phenolic hydrazone analogs were investigated in silico for their potential inhibitory activity toward COX-2. These examinations were based on the capability of hydrazone-based compounds to interact with numerous enzymes, as well as on their versatile biological features and therapeutical applications. COX-2 was selected due to its involvement in the inflammation and carcinogenesis processes. Regarding this, COX-2 represents a valid target for the development of compounds that could block the formation of harmful inflammation mediators.

Malabsorption syndrome and changes in concentration of endogenous antimicrobial peptids and cytokines in hepatic echinococcosis

Objective. To study the levels of some cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and endogenous antimicrobial peptides (zonulin, calprotectin and lactoferrin) in patients, suffering hepatic echinococcosis, and to follow-up their changes in dynamics of postoperative treatment. Materials and methods. There were examined 29 patients, ageing 35 - 65 yrs old, operated for hepatic echinococcosis. In accordance to scheme of the treatment conducted after laparoscopic echinococcectomy the patients were distributed into two Groups: the first one - 13 patients, who obtained the standard treatment, and the second - 16 patients, to whom, besides the standard treatment, preparation for immunocorrection was prescribed. Antibodies towards the echinococcus IgG, concentration of endogenous antimicrobal peptides and cytokines in the blood serum were studied, using immuno-enzymal analysis in dynamics. Results. There was established, that in preoperative period in patients, suffering hepatic echinococcosis, high levels of the studied inflammation mediators are revealed, comparing with the indices in healthy persons. Conduction of postoperative treatment promotes a staged lowering of the antimicrobal peptides and cytokines concentrations. Standard treatment is less effective in lowering of the inflammation mediators levels, than combination of conventional treatment with immunocorrection. Conclusion. In the patients, suffering hepatic echinococcosis, the levels of cytokines and antimicrobal peptides are raised. Combined treatment with immunocorrection after echinococcusectomy leads to significant lowering of the inflammation mediators levels.