European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2024
ReviewVascular endothelial growth factor in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is linked to inflammation and angiogenesis, indicating a possible role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its main clinical manifestations, Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated studies assessing circulating VEGF concentrations in IBD patients and healthy controls, considering the effect of IBD type, sample type and geographical location. ⋯ VEGF concentrations are elevated in IBD patients, with variations by disease type, sample type and geography. However, VEGF is not a reliable marker of disease activity. Future research should standardize methods and explore regional influences to enhance VEGF's clinical utility as a biomarker of IBD.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2024
Blood CD45+/CD3+ lymphocyte-released extracellular vesicles and mortality in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019.
The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represented a major public health concern. Growing evidence shows that plasma of COVID-19 patients contains large numbers of circulating extracellular vesicles (cEVs) that correlate with disease severity and recovery. In this study, we sought to characterize the longitudinal cEV signature in critically ill COVID-19 patients during hospitalization and its relation to mortality risk. ⋯ An evolving cEV profile able to discriminate prompt risk of death during hospitalization has been defined suggesting a role for circulating and vascular cell-derived EVs in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2024
Clinical measures in chronic neuropathic pain are related to the Kennedy and endocannabinoid pathways.
Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is a debilitating condition, often refractory to currently available drugs. Understanding biochemical alterations in peripheral tissues such as blood will be useful for understanding underlying pathophysiological processes relating to CNP. ⋯ Endocannabinoid levels, expression of genes related to endocannabinoid metabolism, age, sex, depression and anxiety state together were strong predictors of CNP. The observed molecular changes indicate that lipid metabolism is altered in CNP and thus may represent a viable target for novel analgesics or biomarker development.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2024
ReviewPercutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting in left main disease according to patients' sex: A meta-analysis.
The role of sex in choosing between coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease has gained interest. ⋯ In males with ULMCA disease, CABG was associated with a lower risk of MACE compared to PCI, while no significant differences were seen in females. The lack of a significant interaction between sex and revascularization strategy suggests that these findings may not reflect true sex-based effect modification. PCI was linked to a higher risk of repeated revascularization in both sexes compared to CABG.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2024
Long-term risks and benefits of oral anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation patients with cancer: A report from the GLORIA-AF registry.
Anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and concomitant cancer can be challenging due to the significantly increased risk of both embolism and bleeding. Moreover, the benefits and risks of vitamin K antagonists (VKA, eg. warfarin) versus non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in such patients are less well understood. ⋯ Cancer is a common comorbidity in patients with AF and is associated with increased risk of composite of all-cause mortality and thromboembolism. Compared with VKA, NOACs was associated with a lower risk of composite events and showed an advantage in lower risk of thromboembolism, as well as a reduced risk of major bleeding when CAD was also present.