Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Withania somnifera and Trigonella foenum-graecum as ingredients of testosterone-boosting supplements: Possible clinical implications.","authors":"Monika Skrzypiec-Spring, Andrzej Pokrywka, Justyna Kuliczkowska-Płaksej, Adam Szeląg, Marek Bolanowski","doi":"10.17219/acem/185743","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/185743","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This narrative review provides an overview of scientific studies on dietary supplements that may affect circulating testosterone (T) levels to explore which substances are scientifically proven to increase T concentration. We also review the scientific literature for their potential mechanisms and laboratory test changes triggered by their use. Based on the analysis of existing data on substances used to increase endogenous T levels, especially double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials, we selected 2 herbal extracts with the best documented positive effects on T levels, Withania somnifera root and root extracts/leaves and seed extracts of Trigonella foenum-graecum. Although these substances have different postulated mechanisms of action, both significantly increase T levels in men. Withania somnifera may inhibit the effects of cortisol and prolactin on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and directly affect the hypothalamus. Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds contain the active substance diosgenin, which is a precursor for sex hormone synthesis in gonads.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"295-303"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140846824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence-based healthcare: Bridging the gap between research and practice.","authors":"Aleksandra Królikowska, Robert Prill, Miloslav Klugar","doi":"10.17219/acem/201184","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/201184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The establishment of the first JBI Affiliated group in Poland at Wroclaw Medical University marks a significant advancement in evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) nationally. This editorial explores the evolution of EBHC and the critical role of JBI in driving its progress. Founded in 1996 as a research institute at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia and now based at the University of Adelaide, JBI has emerged as an international leader in evidence synthesis, transfer and implementation. Its Feasibility, Appropriateness, Meaningfulness, and Effectiveness (FAME) framework highlights the feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness, and effectiveness of healthcare practices, ensuring that decisions are patient-centered and contextually relevant. JBI's global collaboration network encompasses over 85 entities, with 23 located in Europe, emphasizing the importance of cultural inclusivity and international partnerships. Recent initiatives include translating the JBI Model of into Polish, German and Czech, linking global knowledge to local contexts, and enhancing understanding for professionals and students alike. This editorial also underscores the collaborative achievements of JBI entities in Wroclaw, Brandenburg an der Havel, Prague, and Olomouc. These partnerships have propelled regional implementation, research and education, fostering a shared vision for elevating healthcare quality. Launching a new EBHC section in the Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine journal is a significant step forward, inviting global contributions and stimulating innovation and knowledge sharing in EBHC. The presence of a JBI Affiliated group at Wroclaw Medical University symbolizes a transformative commitment to excellence and collaboration. It sets new benchmarks for healthcare in Poland and beyond while reinforcing the global mission of evidence-based practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"139-147"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143405342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An update on cardiovascular disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus.","authors":"Ewa Pędzich, Adrian Bednarek, Julita Młynarska, Emilia Włoszek, Dominika Klimczak-Tomaniak, Karolina Gumiężna, Adam Piasecki, Adam Rdzanek, Grażyna Sygitowicz, Marcin Grabowski, Mariusz Tomaniak","doi":"10.17219/acem/184868","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/184868","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a complex multifactorial etiology that develops as a result of autoimmune processes, leading to widespread inflammation and malfunction of multiple tissues and organs, and, as a consequence, triggers arterial hypertension, conduction disorders, valvular heart disease, pulmonary hypertension (PH), and venous thromboembolism events (VTE), contributing to increased mortality. Moreover, autoimmune abnormalities can accelerate atherogenesis and lead to many SLE manifestations, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebrovascular events. The current review aimed to systematize existing data from the latest works and summarize published guidelines and recommendations. In particular, the prevalence of cardiovascular disorders in SLE patients, advances in diagnostics (including imaging methods and biomarker laboratory testing), the possible future direction of therapy, and the latest European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) guidelines for optimal management of cardiovascular risk in SLE were overviewed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"269-281"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140100768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Serum fibroblast growth factor 19 level correlates inversely with clinical and endoscopic activity of inflammatory bowel disease.","authors":"Agata Łukawska, Agata Mulak","doi":"10.17219/acem/184132","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/184132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), is a chronic condition with relapsing-remitting course. Diarrhea and abdominal pain are the most common IBD symptoms. Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) is an endocrine factor that inhibits hepatic bile acid production and may be used as a diagnostic marker for bile acid malabsorption.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To assess serum FGF19 levels in active and inactive phases of IBD and find a potential correlation between FGF19 and disease activity.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Fasting serum FGF19 levels were measured in 105 IBD patients (47 UC patients, 41 CD patients without previous ileocecal resection (NR-CD), 17 CD patients after ileocecal resection (IR-CD), and 17 control subjects). The disease activity was assessed using clinical, laboratory and endoscopic criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Inverse correlations were found between FGF19 level and intensity of diarrhea (in UC), abdominal pain intensity (in UC and IR-CD) and inflammatory markers (in UC and IR-CD). Moreover, FGF19 concentration was inversely correlated with clinical and endoscopic activity indices in UC and CD.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Fluctuations in FGF19 level related to clinical and endoscopic activity of UC and CD revealed a clear pattern of higher values in remission than in active disease phases. Fibroblast growth factor 19 may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker and constitute a new therapeutic target in IBD.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"187-198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140287974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An artificial intelligence model for Lhermitte's sign in patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis: A follow-up study.","authors":"Hasan A Uysal, Turan Poyraz, Halil Gulluoglu, Fethi Idiman, Egemen Idiman","doi":"10.17219/acem/196466","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/196466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lhermitte's sign (LS) is an important clinical marker for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Research on pediatric-onset MS (POMS) and LS is limited. To date, there has been no research conducted on the clinical and artificial intelligence (AI)-based radiological correlation of LS.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This follow-up study aims to investigate the relationship between LS and clinical findings according to AI-based radiological characteristics of patients with POMS.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Basic descriptive statistics of patients with POMS according to sociodemographic, clinical and radiological findings were collected. Variables were evaluated at a 95% confidence level (95% CI), and a value of p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. The LS in patients with MS was classified according to its presence in the past and at the time of the study screening: group A: absent; group B: positive in the past but absent at screening; group C: present both in the past and at the screening; group D: absent in the past but present at the screening. In addition, patients were grouped according to the duration of their MS, with the following classifications: <10 years and at least 10 years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,298 records were identified in the database search. Ninety-two patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The frequency of upper cervical lesions (C1-4 vertebral segmental levels) was higher in group B and C than in group A (p = 0.017). Among patients with an MS duration of 10-years, C1-4 lesions were least frequent in group A.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Spinal imaging with AI-based programs can be used at least as much as brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response. We have for the first time investigated LS in a large sample of patients with POMS. It is, however, recommended to conduct further multicenter studies to more specifically identify LS in patients with POMS.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"165-177"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143405261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic pain in the elderly: A constant challenge.","authors":"Małgorzata I Sobieszczańska","doi":"10.17219/acem/200647","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/200647","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic pain is a common, long-standing and bitter experience affecting a huge percentage of the still increasing elderly population. Owing to the multifactorial etiopathology and complex clinical presentation with a lot of severe consequences, management of the permanent pain should be varied and tailored to the particular patient. This approach comprises multimodal pharmacotherapy, including all analgesics and adjuvants, likewise selected interventions, physical therapy and rehabilitation, as well psychological counselling.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"149-151"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143405333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of serum cystatin C levels and acute ischemic stroke outcomes.","authors":"Chenguang Hao, Shibao Chen","doi":"10.17219/acem/184641","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/184641","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has a high rate of death and causes long-term disability, leading to a global economic burden annually. Therefore, discovering biomarkers to improve AIS patient prognosis is critical. Previous studies reported an association between serum cystatin C (CysC) levels and outcomes in AIS patients, but the results remain controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between serum CysC and AIS patient outcomes using currently available studies. The literature search included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wan Fang databases. Outcomes included poor functional recovery, cognitive dysfunction and death. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used as an effect index for measurement data. Results demonstrated that serum CysC was significantly higher in AIS patients with poor functional recovery (WMD = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08-0.28), cognitive dysfunction (WMD = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.09-0.23) and death (WMD = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.02-0.62) than in the control groups when follow-up time was <1 month. These findings show that high serum CysC levels were associated with poor AIS patient outcomes. Further studies are needed to examine whether reducing serum CysC can prevent poor outcomes in AIS patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"153-163"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140183489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diagnostic and prediction value of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging in acute ischemic stroke patients.","authors":"Ronghui Huang, Lin Zhang, Limeng Deng, Jian-Ou Fang","doi":"10.17219/acem/185496","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/185496","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Current knowledge regarding synthetic magnetic resonance imaging in ischemic stroke (MAGiC) is inadequate.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic prediction value of MAGiC in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>This prospective observational study enrolled 197 AIS patients between January 2022 and May 2023. All patients underwent routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans, doppler ultrasound, MAGiC, and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-ch), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-ch), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were also measured, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to evaluate stroke severity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>T2 and proton density (PD) values were markedly lower in severe patients than in mild-to-moderate patients, and the DCE-MRI Ktrans value was substantially higher in severe patients compared to mild-to-moderate patients. Furthermore, T2 and PD correlated negatively, while Ktrans correlated positively with CRP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) showed T2 and Ktrans to have the best diagnostic potential as MAGiC and DCE-MRI parameters, respectively. As such, combining T2 and Ktrans could improve severe stroke diagnosis accuracy. Moreover, TG, LDL-ch, CRP, T2, and Ktrans were independent risk factors for severe stroke.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>T2 and PD MAGiC parameters and the DCE-MRI Ktrans parameter could be used as indices to predict severe stroke, while combining T2 and Ktrans might provide better diagnostic accuracy.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"179-186"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140856042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethoxyquin mediates lung fibrosis and cellular immunity in BLM-CIA mice by inhibiting HSP90.","authors":"Jie-Rou Huang, Liang Chen, Chao-Qian Li","doi":"10.17219/acem/186365","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/186365","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) are characterized by severe pulmonary fibrosis and immune dysregulation. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is involved in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and the immune response.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to explore whether HSP90 regulates the development of RA-ILD and its underlying mechanism.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>In vivo, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA)-mice were treated with bleomycin (BLM) to establish an arthritic mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. In vitro, human lung fibroblast 1 (HLF1) was exposed to transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) to simulate an RA-ILD model. The RA-ILD models were treated with the HSP90 inhibitor ethoxyquin (EQ) to explore the potential mechanism of HSP90 in RA-ILD. Histopathological analysis was performed, and pulmonary fibrosis was evaluated. The differentiation of M1/M2 macrophages and Th1/Th17/Treg cells was assessed. The role of the TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway in EQ-mediated RA-ILD progression was also explored.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HSP90α and HSP90β were upregulated in the RA-ILD models. Ethoxyquin mitigated arthritis in BLM-CIA mice, and reduced the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I (Col-1) and fibronectin (FN), as well as hydroxyproline content, thereby relieving pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, EQ increased M1 macrophages and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels; conversely, EQ decreased M2 macrophages and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and TGF-β1 contents. It also decreased Th17 (interleukin (IL)-17) while increasing Th1 (interferon gamma (IFN-γ)) and Treg (Foxp3), and restricted the expression of transforming growth factor beta type receptor I and II (TGF-βRI and TGF-βRII) and the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study revealed that EQ regulated pulmonary fibrosis and cellular immunity by inhibiting HSP90, appearing to act through the TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway. These findings suggest that EQ holds potential as a therapeutic agent for treating RA-ILD.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"211-225"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142278811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibiting circ_0000673 blocks the progression of colorectal cancer through downregulating CPSF6 via targeting miR-548b-3p.","authors":"Shuang Li, Tuoyun Yang, Lu Liu, Baorong Hu, Xi Chen, Wenting Zhao, Xin Hai","doi":"10.17219/acem/186500","DOIUrl":"10.17219/acem/186500","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers, and its progression is regulated by several factors, including circular RNA (circRNA).</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objective of this study was to determine the role, or roles, of circ_0000673 in CRC.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect the expression of circ_0000673, miR-548b-3p and cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 6 (CPSF6) in DLD-1 and RKO cells. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays were used to determine circ_0000673 roles in proliferation. Wound healing and transwell assays were used to detect cell migration and invasion abilities. Expression of CPSF6 protein and stem cell-associated proteins were examined using western blot. The putative relationship between miR-548b-3p and circ_0000673 or CPSF6 was verified with dual-luciferase reporter assay. The role of circ_0000673 in CRC was also investigated in a tumor xenograft assay in nude mice.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Circ_0000673 expression was increased in CRC tissues and cancer cells. Silencing circ_0000673 reduced tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while also decreasing cell stemness. MiR-548b-3p was found to be a target of circ_0000673, while CPSF6 was a downstream target of miR-548b-3p. The tumor-regulatory effects of si-circ_0000673, anti-miR-548b-3p and oe-CPSF6 were partially reversed by anti-miR-548b-3p, si-CPSF6 and si-circ_0000673, respectively, in rescue assays. Downregulation of circ_0000673 reduced solid tumor growth in vivo.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Circ_0000673 inhibition reduced CPSF6 expression by targeting miR-548b-3p, thereby blocking proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC tumor cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"243-255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142118762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}