Biomolecules & biomedicine最新文献

{"title":"Indole-3-carbinol attenuates DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in mice by reducing inflammation and IL-4/IL-13 expression.","authors":"Rabbia Kalim, Arham Shabbir, Hafsa Nasr, Aisha Mobashar, Abdulelah Alhazza, Hamoud Alotaibi, Mona Al Hamod, Saleh Alfuraih, Ali F Almutairy, Sulaiman M Alnasser, Waad Alrohily, Ashfaq Ahmad","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14424","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14424","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Atopic dermatitis (AD), commonly known as atopic eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a phytochemical naturally occurring in Brassica vegetables, has been traditionally used in folk medicine for inflammatory and metabolic disorders. This study investigated the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of I3C in a mouse model of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis was induced by DNCB sensitization on days 0 and 3. Following disease confirmation on day 7, mice received daily oral or topical administrations of I3C or prednisolone from day 7 to day 19. Macroscopic evaluations included dorsal skin and ear thickness measurements. Histopathological changes were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and hematological parameters were also analyzed. Gene expression of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 in ear tissue was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Computational molecular docking was performed to determine I3C's affinity for both cytokines. The data indicated that I3C attenuated DNCB-induced AD-like symptoms following both oral and topical administration. Treatment with I3C also resulted in reduced ear thickness. Hematological analysis revealed significantly decreased total leukocyte counts (TLC) and a general downward numerical trend in differential leukocyte count (DLC) parameters in I3C-treated groups. Histopathological evaluation confirmed that I3C ameliorated skin thickening and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. Furthermore, IL-4 and IL-13 expression levels were decreased in I3C-treated groups. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated moderate binding affinities of -5.1 kcal/mol and -5.3 kcal/mol with IL-4 and IL-13, respectively. In conclusion, findings from this exploratory study suggest that I3C treatment ameliorated DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in mice, evidenced by reductions in ear thickness and IL-4/IL-13 mRNA expression. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated moderate binding affinities of I3C toward IL-4 and IL-13, providing supportive evidence of potential ligand-protein interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2393-2406"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667953/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148371062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Triglyceride-glucose index is independently associated with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.","authors":"Tolga Kunak, Özkan Kayhan, Ayşegül Ülgen Kunak","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14428","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insulin resistance and metabolic dysregulation are increasingly recognized as contributors to myocardial remodeling and phenotypic heterogeneity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). While the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index offers a simple surrogate marker of insulin resistance, its relationship with left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction in HCM patients remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the association between the TyG index and LVOT obstruction in a retrospective observational cohort of 124 adult HCM patients. LVOT obstruction was defined as a resting or provoked gradient of ≥30 mmHg. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic data were systematically evaluated. The TyG index was computed from fasting triglyceride and glucose levels. Multivariable logistic regression analysis, with the TyG index scaled per 0.1-unit increment, was used to assess independent associations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined discriminatory performance. Patients with obstructive HCM exhibited significantly higher TyG index values compared to those without obstruction (9.07 ± 0.25 vs. 8.76 ± 0.21, p<0.001). The TyG index maintained an independent association with LVOT obstruction after adjusting for relevant clinical and echocardiographic covariates (per 0.1-unit increase: OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.40-2.42, p<0.001). Furthermore, the TyG index demonstrated moderate correlations with both resting (r=0.519, p<0.001) and provoked (r=0.557, p<0.001) LVOT gradients. ROC analysis indicated good discriminatory performance (AUC: 0.826, 95% CI: 0.752-0.901), with a cut-off value of 8.75 yielding 87.9% sensitivity and 47.0% specificity. In conclusion, the TyG index was independently associated with LVOT obstruction in HCM patients, with higher values observed in those with the obstructive phenotype. This suggests a potential link between metabolic status and disease manifestation in HCM. Given its cost-effectiveness and accessibility, the TyG index may offer valuable complementary clinical insights. However, this association requires cautious interpretation, and prospective studies are essential to establish its clinical and prognostic utility.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2372-2380"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667989/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Survival after breast-conserving surgery versus mastectomy in mammary Paget disease: A propensity-matched SEER population-based analysis.","authors":"İsmail Zİhnİ, Mehmet Zafer Sabuncuoğlu","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17305/bb.2026.14512","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mastectomy has traditionally been the dominant surgical approach for mammary Paget disease, but its survival advantage over breast-conserving surgery (BCS) remains uncertain. We compared breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) after mastectomy versus BCS in a population-based SEER cohort. Female patients with mammary Paget disease diagnosed between 2000 and 2022 were identified; after exclusions, 641 surgically treated patients were included, of whom 323 underwent BCS and 318 underwent mastectomy. The primary treatment-strategy effect was estimated using inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting, with radiotherapy excluded from the propensity model as a mediator on the BCS pathway. A 1:1 propensity-matched cohort served as a sensitivity analysis. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, multivariable Cox regression, Aalen-Johansen competing-risk estimation, Fine-Gray modelling, and additional robustness analyses. After matching, 228 pairs were analyzed. Five-year BCSS was 95.8% after BCS and 94.1% after mastectomy; corresponding ten-year estimates were 93.4% and 92.2% (log-rank p = 0.72). Ten-year cumulative incidence of breast cancer-specific death was 6.3% versus 7.4%, respectively, after accounting for competing non-cancer mortality. OS did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.46). Mastectomy was not associated with improved BCSS in the primary weighted analysis (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% confidence interval 0.66-2.14, p = 0.56) or the matched sensitivity analysis (hazard ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 0.58-2.88, p = 0.52). Findings were concordant across competing-risk, overlap-weighted, parsimonious, penalized, and age-stratified models. In this SEER-based, propensity-adjusted analysis, mastectomy was not associated with a detectable survival advantage over BCS in women with mammary Paget disease. These findings support BCS as a reasonable option in selected patients, while prospective studies incorporating margin status, receptor biology, local recurrence, and patient-reported outcomes are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantitative <i>T</i>₂ mapping MRI links dental caries severity to histological pulp degeneration in human teeth.","authors":"Ana Tenyi, Aleksandra Milutinović, Ksenija Cankar","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14331","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14331","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Advancing carious lesions may induce structural and degenerative changes within the dental pulp that are not directly captured by conventional diagnostic methods. This study aimed to evaluate the association between caries severity, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 mapping, and histological pulp degeneration (PD). Fifty-two permanent premolars scheduled for orthodontic extraction were clinically assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and classified as ICDAS 0-3. Before extraction, participants underwent 3-tesla (3T) MRI using a multi-echo spin-echo T2 mapping protocol. Mean T2 relaxation times and T2 variability, defined as the standard deviation of T2 values, were calculated within manually delineated coronal pulp regions of interest (ROIs). After extraction, pulp tissues were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining, and PD was graded on a 0-3 scale and quantified morphometrically as the proportion of affected pulp area. Histological PD was identified in 12 of 52 teeth and was observed only in carious teeth with ICDAS 2-3 lesions. Teeth with PD showed lower mean T2 relaxation times than teeth without PD (114.236 ± 28.020 ms vs. 131.740 ± 23.562 ms; p = 0.049) and lower T2 variability (33.226 ± 7.080 ms vs. 41.463 ± 8.366 ms; p = 0.006). PD grade correlated positively with ICDAS score (ρ = 0.481; p = 0.00035) and negatively with mean T2 relaxation time (ρ = -0.367; p = 0.00896) and T2 variability (ρ = -0.381; p = 0.00708). Greater morphometric PD area was also associated with lower mean T2 relaxation time and T2 variability. These findings suggest that caries severity is associated with histological pulp degeneration and reduced MRI-derived T2 parameters, supporting quantitative T2 mapping as a noninvasive approach for investigating caries-related pulpal tissue changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2381-2392"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667987/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progressive resistance exercise for preventing breast cancer-related lymphedema after breast cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Shufang Chen, Sijing Wu, Yanzhi Chen, Wenting Tan","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17305/bb.2026.14006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a prevalent and debilitating complication following breast cancer surgery. Progressive resistance exercise (PRE) has been proposed as a preventive strategy, yet evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of PRE on the incidence of postoperative BCRL. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science for RCTs comparing PRE with non-PRE interventions in adults undergoing breast cancer surgery without baseline lymphedema. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were aggregated using a random-effects model to address potential heterogeneity. A total of eleven RCTs involving 1,450 women were included in the analysis. The findings indicated that PRE significantly reduced the risk of BCRL compared to control groups (RR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53-0.88; p = 0.003), with no significant heterogeneity observed (I² = 0%). The results were consistent in leave-one-out sensitivity analyses and remained robust after excluding two high-risk studies (RR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). Furthermore, subgroup analyses revealed no significant modifications in results based on age, baseline body mass index, axillary lymph node dissection status, timing of PRE initiation, intervention duration, follow-up length, or diagnostic criteria (all p for subgroup difference > 0.05). Egger's test showed no significant risk of publication bias (p = 0.68). The certainty of evidence was rated as moderate, primarily downgraded due to the risk of bias associated with the open-label design of the included RCTs. In conclusion, PRE may be linked to a reduced incidence of BCRL following breast cancer surgery, supported by moderate-certainty evidence. Therefore, PRE should be considered as a component of postoperative rehabilitation and a potential strategy for lymphedema prevention, although further high-quality studies are necessary to validate these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148341286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural products modulate social behavior and gut microbiota in a valproic acid-induced zebrafish model of autism spectrum disorder.","authors":"Oana-Georgiana Oprea, Ioana-Miruna Balmus, Tudor Ilie, Gabriel Plavan, Mircea Nicusor Nicoara, Lucian Gorgan, Anca Trifan, Bogdan Stoica, Bogdan-Ionel Tamba, Alin Ciobica, Mitica Ciorpac","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14302","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14302","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural products rich in honey- and plant-derived bioactive compounds are increasingly investigated as modulators of the gut-brain-microbiome axis, a pathway implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related behavioral and gastrointestinal alterations. This study evaluated whether two novel formulations, a honey-based product (API) and a plant extract-based product (MOD), modulate exploratory, anxiety-like, and social behavior and intestinal microbiota composition in an adult valproic acid (VPA)-induced zebrafish model of ASD. Adult wild-type zebrafish were assigned to control, VPA (300 μM), API (500 mg/L), MOD (500 mg/L), VPA+API, and VPA+MOD groups. Behavioral outcomes were assessed using the novel tank test and a T-maze social behavior test, while intestinal microbiota was profiled by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using an Oxford Nanopore platform. VPA exposure induced mild locomotor and anxiety-like behavioral alterations, whereas API and MOD further modified exploratory and social behavioral readouts in both healthy and VPA-treated zebrafish. Both formulations increased the time spent near the social stimulus; however, this finding should be interpreted cautiously because treatment-associated hypolocomotion and altered exploratory activity may influence T-maze performance. Microbiota profiling revealed a Pseudomonadota-dominated community across all groups, with descriptive treatment-associated shifts in secondary phyla and diversity patterns, particularly in combined VPA+API and VPA+MOD groups. However, no significant differences in alpha diversity, beta diversity, or genus-level abundance remained after multiple-testing correction. These findings suggest that API and MOD may modulate behavioral outcomes in adult zebrafish exposed to VPA, while their effects on gut microbiota remain exploratory and require validation in larger, adequately powered studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2419-2432"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148341272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leukocyte cell population data predict 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia: A multicenter prospective study.","authors":"Ane Uranga, Eloísa Urrechaga, Urko Aguirre, Amaia Artaraz, Leire Davila, Maider Intxausti, Cristina Sancho, Carlos Ruiz-Martinez, Javier Ugedo, Cristina Ponga, Jose María Quintana, Pedro Pablo España","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14362","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14362","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Early identification of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at increased risk of death remains essential, but rapid and low-cost prognostic biomarkers are still needed. Cell population data (CPD), automatically generated during routine complete blood count (CBC) testing, reflect leukocyte morphology and functional activation. This study aimed to assess whether CPD parameters predict 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients with CAP. This multicenter, observational, prospective study included consecutive adults admitted with CAP to three teaching hospitals in northern Spain between November 2019 and November 2021. A Sysmex XN-20 analyzer was used to measure leukocyte CPD parameters at baseline and at Day 3-5. Prediction models for 30-day all-cause mortality were developed using baseline CPD values and, in the follow-up cohort, early changes in CPD values. A total of 1,782 patients were included, of whom 1,480 had Day 3-5 follow-up data; 98 patients died within 30 days. In the baseline cohort, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) status, male sex, age ≥65 years, neutrophil fluorescence distribution width (NE-WY) ≥617.4, and monocyte fluorescence intensity (MO-Y) ≥130 predicted 30-day mortality, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.81 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.76-0.85]. In the follow-up cohort, COVID-19 status, age ≥65 years, male sex, baseline neutrophil fluorescence intensity (NE-Y) ≥51.63, MO-Y ≥130, NE-Y increase ≥3.76, and MO-Y decrease ≤-12.49 predicted mortality, with an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76-0.88). CPD-based leukocyte parameters may provide a rapid, accessible, and cost-effective tool for identifying hospitalized patients with CAP at increased risk of 30-day mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2317-2327"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667983/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148310642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"LODDS-based nomogram for breast cancer-specific survival in surgically treated breast cancer in young patients.","authors":"Ziqiang Wang, Zhenlin Yang, Haojie Zhang","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14254","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14254","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional tumor staging relies on absolute lymph node counts, making it susceptible to stage migration, particularly in young breast cancer (YBC) patients with aggressive disease. This study assessed the prognostic value of the continuous log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and developed a predictive nomogram utilizing data from 9,989 surgically treated YBC patients (aged 20-39) sourced from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2010-2015). A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted to account for non-proportional hazards, established continuous LODDS as an independent risk factor for poorer BCSS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45-1.77, p < 0.001), without relying on data-driven dichotomization. We constructed a nomogram that integrates continuous LODDS with clinicopathological features selected via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Under a 1,000-resample bootstrap optimism-correction, the nomogram exhibited strong discriminatory power (corrected concordance index [C-index] = 0.777), surpassing the traditional tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging model (C-index = 0.736). Moreover, the continuous LODDS-integrated model improved 5-year mortality risk reclassification (continuous net reclassification improvement [NRI] = 0.278, integrated discrimination improvement [IDI] = 0.034; both p < 0.001). The model also demonstrated high calibration accuracy (5-year Brier score = 0.0757) and presented a greater estimated net benefit in Decision Curve Analysis (DCA). In conclusion, continuous LODDS offers critical incremental prognostic information beyond traditional staging. The proposed nomogram serves as an internally validated prediction model for risk stratification in YBC patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2335-2346"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667997/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148310656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Pre-treatment NLR, PLR, LMR, and SII do not predict pathological complete response or residual cancer burden.","authors":"İsmail Zihni, Mehmet Zafer Sabuncuoğlu, Burcu Zihni, Ebru Özan Sanhal, Veli Vural, Cumhur Arıcı","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14417","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14417","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inflammation-based indices, derived from routine complete blood count parameters such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), have garnered considerable attention as potential prognostic markers for treatment response in breast cancer. Nevertheless, their predictive utility in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) remains equivocal. This study aimed to investigate the association between pre-treatment inflammatory indices and pathological complete response (pCR) and residual cancer burden (RCB) in breast cancer patients receiving NACT. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 110 consecutive patients with invasive breast carcinoma who received NACT followed by curative surgery at a single institution. Pre-treatment values for NLR, PLR, LMR, and SII were calculated from routine laboratory data. Given the non-normal distribution of inflammatory indices, as determined by Shapiro-Wilk testing, non-parametric analyses were employed. Group comparisons utilized the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Predictive performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with 500-iteration bootstrap resampling. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to identify independent predictors of pCR. The findings revealed no significant associations between any of the inflammatory indices and pCR or RCB class distribution. ROC analyses indicated poor discriminatory performance for all indices, with area under the curve (AUC) values consistently approximating 0.50. In the multivariable analysis, only Ki-67 ≥14% independently predicted pCR (OR 7.077, 95% CI 2.210-22.662; p=0.001). In conclusion, pre-treatment NLR, PLR, LMR, and SII did not exhibit clinically meaningful predictive value for pathological response to NACT within this cohort. Tumor proliferative activity, as reflected by Ki-67, remained the most robust independent predictor of treatment response.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2347-2359"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13668013/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148310714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advanced glycation end product accumulation and AGEs-RAGE axis biomarkers in plasma and synovial fluid are associated with osteoarthritis severity.","authors":"Anja Šoštarič, Iza Oblak, Dušan Šuput, Irina Milisav, Blaž Mavčič","doi":"10.17305/bb.2026.14274","DOIUrl":"10.17305/bb.2026.14274","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common whole-joint degenerative disease characterized by cartilage degradation, subchondral bone remodeling, synovial inflammation, and incompletely understood molecular mechanisms. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may contribute to OA pathophysiology by altering extracellular matrix properties and activating inflammatory signaling through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). This study investigated the association between AGE accumulation and OA severity and evaluated AGE-related biomarkers in plasma and synovial fluid. In this cross-sectional observational study with prospective recruitment and retrospective clinical and radiographic assessment, skin AGE accumulation was measured by skin autofluorescence (SAF) in 404 outpatients aged 55-75 years. Lower-limb OA burden was assessed using clinical and available radiographic data for hip and knee OA, while hand osteoarthritis (HOA) was evaluated clinically. In a surgical subgroup of 42 participants, plasma AGEs, assessed as Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), and soluble RAGE (sRAGE) concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Paired plasma and synovial fluid analyses were performed in 21 OA patients with available synovial fluid samples. Higher SAF was independently associated with greater lower-limb OA severity after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status [odds ratio (OR) 4.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.54-6.46; p < 0.001]. SAF was also strongly associated with HOA (OR 15.0, 95% CI 7.29-30.91; p < 0.001). In the biochemical subgroup, SAF inversely correlated with synovial sRAGE (ρ = -0.571; p = 0.007), and plasma AGEs inversely correlated with plasma sRAGE (ρ = -0.481; p = 0.027). Both AGEs and sRAGE concentrations were lower in synovial fluid than in plasma. These findings support an association between systemic AGE accumulation and OA burden and suggest that altered AGEs-RAGE axis activity may contribute to OA pathophysiology. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify whether SAF may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of OA burden.</p>","PeriodicalId":72398,"journal":{"name":"Biomolecules & biomedicine","volume":" ","pages":"2306-2316"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13667984/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148303938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}