Arch Med Sci
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Aging is a natural process involving dysfunction of multiple organs and is characterized by increased susceptibility to infections, cancer and autoimmune diseases. The functionality of the immune system depends on the capacity of lymphocytes to proliferate in response to antigenic challenges, and telomere length has an important role regulating the number of cell divisions. The aim of this study was to determine the possible relationship between telomere length, interleukin 2 (IL-2) production, CD25 expression and proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in aged men. ⋯ In aged men the telomere length shortening and the reduced T cell proliferation are not related to the capacity of IL-2 production and CD25 expression on T lymphocytes.
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Vascular malformations are present in a great variety of congenital syndromes, either as the predominant or additional feature. They pose a major challenge to the clinician: due to significant phenotype overlap, a precise diagnosis is often difficult to obtain, some of the malformations carry a risk of life threatening complications and, for many entities, treatment is not well established. To facilitate their recognition and aid in differentiation, we present a selection of notable congenital disorders of vascular system development, distinguishing between the heritable germinal and sporadic somatic mutations as their causes. Clinical features, genetic background and comprehensible description of molecular mechanisms is provided for each entity.
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The main treatment regimen for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) involves platinum-based chemotherapy (cisplatin or carboplatin) and etoposide. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TOP2A and ERCC1 genes were tested as prognostic and predictive factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There are limited data about the clinical relevance of these genetic alterations in SCLC. We undertook this retrospective study to determine the influence of SNPs in TOP2A (rs34300454; rs13695; rs11540720) and ERCC1 (rs11615; rs3212986) genes on the efficiency and toxicity of chemotherapy with platinum and etoposide in SCLC Caucasian patients. ⋯ SNPs in ERCC1 and TOP2 genes may be associated with the toxicities and survival of SCLC patients treated with cisplatin and etoposide.
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Previous studies have reported that miR-520b exhibited inhibitory effects on various human tumors, whereas the effects of miR-520b on gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) have remained unclear. To investigate the effects of miR-520b on GBC progression and reveal the underlying mechanisms, this study was performed. ⋯ MiR-520b had suppressive effects on GBC via targeting RAB22A in vitro.
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To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transition from premixed and intensive insulin to twice-daily insulin degludec/aspart (IDegAsp) co-formulation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. ⋯ The current analysis indicates that IDegAsp treatment improves outcomes, with the most notable differences observed in daily total insulin requirement, body mass, and hypoglycaemia.