Technology is being used by individuals of all ages; young children show a high tendency of problematic use of devices such as smartphones. This study aimed to identify different profiles that vary ...in conflicts related to problematic mobile phone use and maladaptive communication and emotional patterns. Therefore, we examined whether there are significant differences in bullying and cyberbullying among teenagers who have a problem utilizing mobile phones. The study participants were 810 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (
M
= 13.99,
SD
= 1.32), with 52.2% being girls. Questionnaires on school violence and experiences related to mobile phones were administered. The latent profile analysis identified three different types of problematic mobile phone use: (a) low levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and low levels of communication and emotional use; (b) moderate levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and moderate levels of communication and emotional use; and (c) high levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and high levels of communication and emotional use. The study results highlight significant differences in the manifestations of school violence between the profiles. Finally, this study’s findings form the basis for the development of education programs to prevent mobile phone abuse and school violence and therefore academic adjustment.
Worsening heart failure (HF) is a vulnerable period in which the patient has a markedly high risk of death or HF hospitalization (up to 10% and 30%, respectively, within the first weeks after ...episode). The prognosis of HF patients can be improved through a comprehensive approach that considers the different neurohormonal systems, with the early introduction and optimization of the quadruple therapy with sacubitril–valsartan, beta‐blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and inhibitors. Despite that, there is a residual risk that is not targeted with these therapies. Currently, it is recognized that the cyclic guanosine monophosphate deficiency has a negative direct impact on the pathogenesis of HF, and vericiguat, an oral stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase, can restore this pathway. The effect of vericiguat has been explored in the VICTORIA study, the largest chronic HF clinical trial that has mainly focused on patients with recent worsening HF, evidencing a significant 10% risk reduction of the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization (number needed to treat 24), after adding vericiguat to standard therapy. This benefit was independent of background HF therapy. Therefore, optimization of treatment should be performed as earlier as possible, particularly within vulnerable periods, considering also the use of vericiguat.
Abstract
To determine the proportion of patients with COVID-19 who were readmitted to the hospital and the most common causes and the factors associated with readmission. Multicenter nationwide ...cohort study in Spain. Patients included in the study were admitted to 147 hospitals from March 1 to April 30, 2020. Readmission was defined as a new hospital admission during the 30 days after discharge. Emergency department visits after discharge were not considered readmission. During the study period 8392 patients were admitted to hospitals participating in the SEMI-COVID-19 network. 298 patients (4.2%) out of 7137 patients were readmitted after being discharged. 1541 (17.7%) died during the index admission and 35 died during hospital readmission (11.7%, p = 0.007). The median time from discharge to readmission was 7 days (IQR 3–15 days). The most frequent causes of hospital readmission were worsening of previous pneumonia (54%), bacterial infection (13%), venous thromboembolism (5%), and heart failure (5%). Age odds ratio (OR): 1.02; 95% confident interval (95% CI): 1.01–1.03, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index score (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.06–1.21), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.26–2.69), asthma (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.04–2.22), hemoglobin level at admission (OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.86–0.99), ground-glass opacification at admission (OR: 0.86; 95% CI:0.76–0.98) and glucocorticoid treatment (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.00–1.66) were independently associated with hospital readmission. The rate of readmission after hospital discharge for COVID-19 was low. Advanced age and comorbidity were associated with increased risk of readmission.
New aspects in cardiorenal syndrome and HFpEF Mendez, Ana Belen; Azancot, Maria Antonieta; Olivella, Aleix ...
Clinical kidney journal,
10/2022, Letnik:
15, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
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ABSTRACT
Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a complex disease in which the heart and kidneys are simultaneously affected, and subsequently, the malfunction of one organ promotes the deterioration of the ...other. Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the most common form of HF. The pathophysiology of CRS is not well known and several mechanisms have been proposed. An elevation of central venous pressure seems to be one of the key points to consider, among others such as an increase in intraabdominal pressure. Several diagnostic tools have been identified to establish the diagnosis of CRS in patients with HFpEF. Currently, the availability of biomarkers of renal and cardiac injury, the use of pulmonary ultrasound, the monitoring of the size of the inferior vena cava and the study of the renal venous pattern offer a new dimension in accurately diagnosing and quantifying organ damage in CRS. Beyond the symptomatic treatment of congestion, until recently specific therapeutic tools for patients with CRS and HFpEF were not available. Interestingly, the development of new drugs such as the angiotensin/neprilysin inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors offer new therapeutic strategies with potential benefits in reduction of cardiorenal adverse outcomes in this population. Randomized clinical trials that focus on patients with HFpEF are currently ongoing to delineate optimal new treatments that may be able to modify their prognosis. In addition, multidisciplinary teamwork (nephrologist, cardiologist and nurse) is expected to decrease the number of visits and the rate of hospitalizations, with a subsequent patient benefit.
Altered microRNA profiles have been observed not only in tumour tissues but also in biofluids, where they circulate in a stable form thus representing interesting biomarker candidates. This study ...aimed to identify a microRNA signature as a non-invasive biomarker and to investigate its impact on glioma biology.
MicroRNAs were selected using a global expression profile in preoperative serum samples from 37 glioma patients. Comparison between serum samples from age and gender-matched controls was performed by using the droplet digital PCR. The ROC curve and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic/prognostic values. The functional role of the identified signature was assessed by gain/loss of function strategies in glioma cells.
A three-microRNA signature (miR-1-3p/-26a-1-3p/-487b-3p) was differentially expressed in the serum of patients according to the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes mutation status and correlated with both patient Overall and Progression Free Survival. The identified signature was also downregulated in the serum of patients compared to controls. Consistent with these results, the signature expression and release in the conditioned medium of glioma cells was lower in IDH-wild type cells compared to the mutated counterpart. Furthermore, in silico analysis of glioma datasets showed a consistent deregulation of the signature according to the IDH mutation status in glioma tumour tissues. Ectopic expression of the signature negatively affects several glioma functions. Notably, it impacts the glioma invasive phenotype by directly targeting the invadopodia-related proteins TKS4, TKS5 and EFHD2.
We identified a three microRNA signature as a promising complementary or even an independent non-invasive diagnostic/prognostic biomarker. The signature displays oncosuppressive functions in glioma cells and impacts on proteins crucial for migration and invasion, providing potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
The new world of RNA diagnostics and therapeutics Blandino, Giovanni; Dinami, Roberto; Marcia, Marco ...
Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research,
07/2023, Letnik:
42, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
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The 5th Workshop IRE on Translational Oncology was held in Rome (Italy) on 27-28 March at the IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute. This meeting entitled "The New World of RNA diagnostics and ...therapeutics" highlightes the significant progress in the RNA field made over the last years. Research moved from pure discovery towards the development of diagnostic biomarkers or RNA-base targeted therapies seeking validation in several clinical trials. Non-coding RNAs in particular have been the focus of this workshop due to their unique properties that make them attractive tools for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer.This report collected the presentations of many scientists from different institutions that discussed recent oncology research providing an excellent overview and representative examples for each possible application of RNA as biomarker, for therapy or to increase the number of patients that can benefit from precision oncology treatment.In particular, the meeting specifically emphasized two key features of RNA applications: RNA diagnostic (Blandino, Palcau, Sestito, Díaz Méndez, Cappelletto, Pulito, Monteonofrio, Calin, Sozzi, Cheong) and RNA therapeutics (Dinami, Marcia, Anastasiadou, Ryan, Fattore, Regazzo, Loria, Aharonov).
Gliomas are diffusely growing tumours arising from progenitors within the central nervous system. They encompass a range of different molecular types and subtypes, many of which have a well‐defined ...profile of driver mutations, copy number changes and DNA methylation patterns. A majority of gliomas will require surgical intervention to relieve raised intracranial pressure and reduce tumour burden. A proportion of tumours, however, are located in neurologically sensitive areas and a biopsy poses a significant risk of a deficit. A majority of gliomas recur after surgery, and monitoring tumour burden of the recurrence is currently achieved by imaging. However, most imaging modalities have limitations in assessing tumour burden and infiltration into adjacent brain, and sometimes imaging is unable to discriminate between tumour recurrence and pseudo‐progression. Liquid biopsies, obtained from body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid or blood, contain circulating nucleic acids or extracellular vesicles containing tumour‐derived components. The studies for this systematic review were selected according to PRISMA criteria, and suggest that the detection of circulating tumour‐derived nucleic acids holds great promises as biomarker to aid diagnosis and prognostication by monitoring tumour progression, and thus can be considered a pathway towards personalized medicine.
This systematic review, performed according to PRISMA criteria, discusses the increasing role and the potential of circulating nucleic acids (cfNAs) as glioma markers that can be obtained with minimal invasiveness. The studies here reviewed suggest that the detection of tumour‐derived cfNAs holds great promises as biomarker to aid diagnosis and prognostication by monitoring tumour progression, and thus can be considered a pathway towards personalized medicine.
High grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (HG-NMIBC) is a heterogeneous disease with variable risk of progression. Urinary microRNAs are promising biomarkers for BC detection and surveillance. ...Let-7c-5p miRNA, clustered with miR-99a-5p and -125b-5p, is deregulated in cancer, including BC. The aim of this study is to evaluate urinary let-7c cluster expression in Ta/T1 HG-NMIBC patients and its impact on progression-free survival (PFS).
Quantitative Real-Time-Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the let-7c cluster expression in 57 urine and 49 neoplastic paired tissue samples prospectively collected from transurethral resection (TUR) HG-NMIBC patients. Twenty urine and 10 bladder tissue samples were collected and analyzed as normal controls. QRT-PCR was also used to detect intra-/extra-cellular let-7c cluster in BC cells. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify urinary miRNAs cut-off values predicting T-stage and PFS. Uni/multivariable Cox regression was performed to identify predictors of PFS. A nomogram predicting progression risk and a decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed.
Urinary let-7c was significantly up-regulated in patients compared with controls, while the whole cluster was down-regulated in tumor tissues. Supporting these findings, in vitro comparison of extra-/intra-cellular ratios of cluster levels between BC cells, showed a higher ratio for let-7c in HG-NMIBC versus low-grade cells. Urinary let-7c cluster expression was increased in higher T-stage and was an independent predictor of progression. Lower EORTC-score and downregulation of urinary cluster were predictors of higher PFS on univariable Cox regression, while on multivariable analysis only cluster expression was an independent progression predictor. On DCA, a benefit was evident for patients with a PFS probability > 20%.
Urinary let-7c cluster evaluation may improve prognosis, identifying patients at risk of progression and addressing early radical treatment.
Artery wall remodeling, a major feature of diseases such as hypertension, restenosis, atherosclerosis, and aneurysm, involves changes in the tunica media mass that reduce or increase the vessel ...lumen. The identification of molecules involved in vessel remodeling could aid the development of improved treatments for these pathologies. Angiotensin II (AngII) is a key effector of aortic wall remodeling that contributes to aneurysm formation and restenosis through incompletely defined signaling pathways. We show that AngII induces vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and vessel remodeling in mouse models of restenosis and aneurysm. These effects were prevented by pharmacological inhibition of calcineurin (CN) or lentiviral delivery of CN-inhibitory peptides. Whole-genome analysis revealed >1,500 AngII-regulated genes in VSMCs, with just 11 of them requiring CN activation. Of these, the most sensitive to CN activation was regulator of CN 1 (Rcan1). Rcan1 was strongly activated by AngII in vitro and in vivo and was required for AngII-induced VSMC migration. Remarkably, Rcan1(-/-) mice were resistant to AngII-induced aneurysm and restenosis. Our results indicate that aneurysm formation and restenosis share mechanistic elements and identify Rcan1 as a potential therapeutic target for prevention of aneurysm and restenosis progression.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous neoplasm with diverse genetic abnormalities and outcomes. To date, DLBCL is invasively diagnosed by tissue biopsy and few biomarkers are ...available to predict patient outcome, treatment response and progression. The identification of patient-specific biomarkers would allow a “personalized medicine” approach for DLBCL patients. In this regard, “liquid biopsies” hold great promise, capturing the entire genetic landscape of the tumour and allowing a rapid and dynamic management of cancer. Liquid biopsy studies particularly focus on cell-free nucleic acids, such as cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and microRNAs, which are easy to collect and analyse.
In accordance with the PRISMA criteria, we performed a systematic review on circulating nucleic acids as potential biomarkers for DLBCL management. The results suggest that combining information from the genetic (cfDNA) and epigenetic (microRNAs) landscape of the disease could lead to developing an integrated network of non-invasive biomarkers for the better management of DLBCL.
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