Bratisl Med J
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Advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a disease with a dismal prognosis, significantly limited therapeutic options, and few innovative drugs. Inflammation plays a significant role in the development and progression of PDAC. Systemic inflammatory indexes reflect the anti-tumor inflammatory capacity of and are of prognostic and predictive value in the treatment of patients with PDAC. ⋯ In our cohort of patients with advanced PDAC, PS, NLR and PNI were confirmed as independent prognostic factors for OS (Tab. 9, Fig. 2, Ref. 82). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: pancreatic cancer, inflammatory markers, tumor microenvironment, chemotherapy.
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To predict the possibility of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) with mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) measurement, which is a cheap, reproducible echocardiographic method and to monitor these patients more closely and to evaluate them more effectively postoperatively. ⋯ We showed that MAPSE could play a role in determining postoperative atrial fibrillation development after coronary artery bypass surgery (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 28).
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True aneurysm of the radial artery is very rare. Aneurysmal expansion of arteries due to degenerative changes, possibly infections, primarily affects the abdominal and thoracic aorta, intra and extracranial sections of cerebral arteries, popliteal artery, and visceral arteries. Published literature does not address the aneurysm on the distal sections of the arteries of upper or lower limb. ⋯ The histological examination of the resected tissue confirmed the presence of all three layers of the vascular wall, confirming the true aneurysm of the radial artery. No complications developed in the patient in the postoperative period and all problems related to the aneurysm subsided (Fig. 4, Ref. 23). Keywords: aneurysm, arteria radialis, surgical reconstruction.
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Vitamin D is a neuroactive steroid that carries out its biological functions through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The VDR gene interacts with certain long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). The present study is aimed at evaluating the expression levels of the VDR gene as well as those of HOTAIR, H19, MALAT1, and P21 lncRNAs in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). ⋯ The findings of this study suggest that lncRNA H19 could serve as a potential biomarker for MS diagnosis (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 34).
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Long-COVID refers to a variety of symptoms that continue for at least 4 weeks following the onset of acute COVID-19 infection. "Microclots/microvasculopathy" is a potential cutting-edge theory. Nailfold capillaroscopy is a non-invasive method used to assess microvascularity. In this study, we aimed to compare baseline characteristics and capillaroscopic findings of patients with and without long-COVID syndrome. ⋯ Microvasculopathy and microthrombotic vascular damage are among the strongest hypotheses discussed in this regard. Our results may suggest that factors, rather than baseline microvasculopathy, may drive pathophysiological mechanism underlying the poorly understood long-COVID syndrome (Tab. 2, Ref. 35).