European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2022
Sex steroids and sex steroid-binding globulin levels among middle-aged and elderly men and women from general population.
Availability of age- and sex-specific reference values for sex steroids and sex steroid-binding globulin (SHBG) levels allows for appropriate interpretation of research findings and their clinical applications. We report the sex-specific distribution and reference levels of sex steroids, including total estradiol, total testosterone and (calculated) free androgen index (cFAI), SHBG and other androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and androstenedione across age. ⋯ Our study underlines sex-specific trends in sex steroids and SHBG levels with ageing. This warrants taking into account sex- and age-specific reference values for sex steroids and SHBG when investigating their impact on health outcomes to prevent controversial results and allow for their appropriate clinical application.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2022
The Fibrosis-4 score is associated with long-term mortality in different phenotypes of acute heart failure.
Fibrosis-4 score (FIB4) was a non-invasive surrogate to estimate the amount of liver scarring in chronic hepatitis. Considering the presence of increased central venous pressure and congestive hepatopathy in patients with decompensated heart failure, we therefore investigated the prognostic values of FIB4 in acute heart failure (AHF) patients. ⋯ FIB4 was an independent predictor of survival in AHF patients, irrespective of the phenotypes of HF. The higher predictive value of mortality of FIB4 was observed in the subjects with HFpEF, HFmrEF or CAD.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2022
Exercise restores endogenous H2 S synthesis and mitochondrial function in the heart of old rats.
Ageing is accompanied by a decrease in endogenous hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) synthesis and the development of mitochondrial dysfunction. The aim of our work was to study the possible participation of exercise training-induced regulation of endogenous H2 S production in the restoration of mitochondrial function in old rats. ⋯ Thus, exercise training restores endogenous H2 S production, and significantly reduces oxidative stress in cardiac mitochondria of old rats that are associated with the inhibition of calcium-induced mPTP opening as an indicator of mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2022
Review Meta AnalysisSalivary non-coding RNA in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most deadly malignancies, primarily because of its diagnostic challenges. We performed a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of noncoding salivary RNAs in pancreatic cancer diagnosis. ⋯ The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that noncoding RNA biomarkers in the stimulated saliva could be a promising approach for accurate pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the early stages.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2022
Post COVID-19 Syndrome with Impairment of Flow-Mediated Epicardial Vasodilation and Flow Reserve.
The aim of this study is to evaluate whether post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 cardiovascular syndrome (PASC-CVS) is associated with alterations in coronary circulatory function. ⋯ Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 cardiovascular syndrome may be associated with an impairment of flow-mediated epicardial vasodilation, while reductions in coronary vasodilator capacity appear predominantly related to increases in resting flow in women deserving further investigations.