Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)最新文献

{"title":"Vitamin D Status in Children: Romania's National Vitamin D Screening Programme in Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Mădălin-Marius Margan, Alexandru Alexandru, Cristiana-Smaranda Ivan, Estera Boeriu, Sonia Tanasescu, Ada Maria Cârstea, Norberth-Istvan Varga, Roxana Margan, Alexandru Cristian Cindrea, Rodica Anamaria Negrean","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030193","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030193","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Vitamin D deficiency affects bone health and immune function, especially in children. While universal screening is not cost-effective, targeted screening and supplementation strategies have proven effective. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Romania's National Vitamin D Screening Programme in detecting vitamin D deficiency in paediatric patients, while also accounting for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This retrospective observational study assessed the effectiveness of Romania's National Vitamin D Screening Initiative in detecting vitamin D deficiency among children admitted to the Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children \"Louis Țurcanu\", Timișoara, from January 2018 to December 2024. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were analysed in 3596 tested patients out of 22,353 total admitted patients, to evaluate trends from before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients aged 0-18 with at least one admission were included, regardless of diagnosis. Patients in ICU, surgical departments, non-Romanian citizens, and those with life-threatening conditions were excluded. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess programme impact and risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study population had a mean age of 5.36 years, with 53.57% male patients. Patient admissions dropped significantly during pandemic years (mean of 2057 annually in 2020-2022 vs. 4045.5 in pre-/post-pandemic years). Vitamin D insufficiency (<20 ng/mL) peaked at 33.3% in 2020 and 32.5% in 2023, with lowest rates in 2019 (17.2%) and 2021 (16.5%). The National Screening Programme implementation resulted in 57.1% higher odds of vitamin D testing in 2023-2024 compared with 2018-2019 (adjusted OR = 1.571, 95% CI: 1.429-1.726, <i>p</i> < 0.001), with testing rates increasing from 12.6% to 17.5%. Age emerged as the strongest predictor of vitamin D insufficiency, with each additional year associated with 8-9% increased odds of deficiency.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The National Vitamin D Screening Programme significantly enhanced detection of vitamin D insufficiency in paediatric populations, despite pandemic-related disruptions. An optimal testing rate of approximately 17% was identified for balancing detection efficiency with resource utilisation. These findings underscore the need for sustained risk-based screening programmes and public health education initiatives to address vitamin D insufficiency in children, particularly in developing countries with limited healthcare resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452506/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115276","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":"Mast Cell Association with the Microenvironment of a Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumour Secreting Fibroblast Growth Factor 23.","authors":"Andrey Kostin, Alexei Lyundup, Alexander Alekhnovich, Aleksandra Prikhodko, Olga Patsap, Sofia Gronskaia, Zhanna Belaya, Olga Lesnyak, Galina Melnichenko, Natalia Mokrysheva, Igor Buchwalow, Markus Tiemann, Dmitrii Atiakshin","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030195","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030195","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumours secreting fibroblast growth factor 23 (hereinafter referred to as FGF23+ PMT) are rare neoplasms that can cause hypophosphataemic osteomalacia, owing to excessive FGF23 production. Mast cells (MCs) play a key role in tumour biology by modulating proliferative activity of atypical cells, resistance to innate and acquired immunity, angiogenesis, and metastatic behaviour. However, MCs associated with FGF23+ PMT have not previously been investigated. This study, to our knowledge, is the first to characterise features of the tumour microenvironment through spatial phenotyping of the immune and stromal landscape, together with histotopographic mapping of intercellular MC interactions with other subcellular populations in FGF23+ PMT. &lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; Histochemical staining (haematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue, Giemsa solution, picro-Mallory protocol, silver impregnation), as well as monoplex and multiplex immunohistochemical staining with spatial phenotyping, were performed to detect atypical FGF23-secreting cells, immune cells (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD20, CD38, CD68, or CD163), stromal components (CD31, α-SMA, or vimentin), and specific MC proteases (tryptase, chymase, or carboxypeptidase A3). Bioinformatics analysis using artificial intelligence technologies was applied for spatial profiling of MC interactions with tumour, immunocompetent, and stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Bioinformatic analysis of the entire tumour histological section, comprising over 70,000 cells stained using monoplex and multiplex immunohistochemical protocols, enabled identification of more than half of the cell population. The most abundant were CD14+ (30.7%), CD163+ (23.2%), and CD31+ (17.9%) cells. Tumour-associated MCs accounted for 0.7% of the total pool of immunopositive cells and included both mucosal and connective tissue subpopulations, predominantly of the tryptase + chymase-CPA3-specific protease phenotype. This pattern reflected combined multidirectional morphogenetic processes in the patient's FGF23+ PMT. More than 50% of MCs were colocalized with neighbouring cells of the tumour microenvironment within 20 μm, most frequently with monocytes (CD14+CD68+), M2 macrophages (CD68+CD163+), and endothelial cells (CD31+). In contrast, colocalization with atypical FGF23-secreting cells was rare, indicating minimal direct effects on tumour cell activity. Interaction with T lymphocytes, including CD8+, was also infrequent, excluding their activation and the development of antitumour effects. Mapping of MC histotopography validated the hypothesis of their inductive role in monocyte differentiation into M2 macrophages and probable polarisation of macrophages from M1 into M2, thereby contributing to slow tumour growth. MCs were further involved in extracellular matrix remodelling and participated in the formation of pro-osteogenic niches within the FGF23+ PMT microenvironment, leading to pa","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452509/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145114849","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":"Computational Identification of RNF114 nsSNPs with Potential Roles in Psoriasis and Immune Dysregulation.","authors":"Ghalia Mahfod Aldoseri, Arwa Ibrahim Alwabran, Ghanem Mahfod Aldoseri, Mobarak Mahfod Aldoseri, Ebtihal Kamal","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030194","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030194","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>RNF114 gene encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in immune signaling and regulation of inflammation. Genetic variants, particularly nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs), may interfere with protein function and cause immune diseases such as psoriasis. Although significant, the structural and functional impact of RNF114 nsSNPs is not well understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used comprehensive bioinformatics analyses to predict the functional impact of RNF114 nsSNPs. Deleterious variants were predicted by SIFT, PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN, META-SNP, ESNP&GO, PANTHER, and Alpha-Missense. Protein stability was examined by I-Mutant2.0, and MUpro further contextualized variant effects. Structural modeling was performed by AlphaFold and visualized using UCSF ChimeraX 1.10.1. Additionally, we studied the Conservation using ConSurf and protein-protein interaction by STRING tools.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 252 available nsSNPs, three mutations-C49R (rs1600868749), R68C (rs745318334), and R68H (rs758000156)-were predicted to have a deleterious and destabilizing effects on the protein structure by all the tools. All three variants were located in extremely conserved residues and were predicted to significantly destabilize the protein structure. Structural modeling demonstrated disruptions in the RNF114 domain structure. STRING analysis revealed interactions of RNF114 with key immune regulators, and pathway enrichment pointed to roles in NF-κB signaling, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and autoimmune disease pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the current study, we predicted three novel, potentially pathogenic RNF114 variants with protein-destabilizing effect that could lead to immune dysregulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452777/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115237","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":"Mapping Cognitive Oncology: A Decade of Trends and Research Fronts.","authors":"Anna Tsiakiri, Akyllina Despoti, Panagiota Koutsimani, Kalliopi Megari, Spyridon Plakias, Angeliki Tsapanou","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030191","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cognitive and neuropsychological effects of cancer and its treatments have gained increasing attention over the past decade, with growing evidence of persistent deficits across multiple cancer types. While numerous studies have examined these effects, the literature remains fragmented, and no comprehensive bibliometric synthesis has been conducted to map the field's intellectual structure and emerging trends.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A bibliometric and science mapping analysis was performed using the Scopus database to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025 on neuropsychological or cognitive outcomes in adult cancer populations. Data from 179 eligible publications were analyzed with VOSviewer and Microsoft Power BI, applying performance metrics and network mapping techniques, including co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Publication output increased steadily over the decade, with leading contributions from the Journal of Neuro-Oncology, Psycho-Oncology, and Brain Imaging and Behavior. Co-citation analysis identified three core intellectual pillars: (i) clinical characterization of cancer-related cognitive impairment, (ii) mechanistic and neuroimaging-based investigations, and (iii) neurosurgical and neuropathological research in brain tumors. Keyword mapping revealed emerging themes in sleep and circadian rhythm research, biological contributors to cognitive decline, and scalable rehabilitation strategies such as web-based cognitive training. Collaborative networks, while showing dense local clusters, remained moderately fragmented across disciplines.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This review provides the first quantitative, decade-spanning map of cognitive oncology research, highlighting both consolidated knowledge areas and underexplored domains. Future efforts should prioritize methodological standardization, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and integration of cognitive endpoints into survivorship care, with the ultimate aim of improving functional outcomes and quality of life for cancer survivors.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452770/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145114866","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":"Advances in Adoptive Cell Therapies in Cancer: From Mechanistic Breakthroughs to Clinical Frontiers and Overcoming Barriers.","authors":"Syed Arman Rabbani, Mohamed El-Tanani, Yahia El-Tanani, Rakesh Kumar, Shrestha Sharma, Mohammad Ahmed Khan, Suhel Parvez, Alaa A A Aljabali, Mohammad I Matalka, Manfredi Rizzo","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030190","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030190","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adoptive cell therapies (ACTs) have revolutionized cancer treatment by harnessing the specificity and potency of T lymphocytes. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have achieved landmark successes in B-cell malignancies and multiple myeloma. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells offer complementary strategies to target solid tumors and intracellular antigens. Despite these advances, ACTs face challenges including cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, on-target/off-tumor effects, manufacturing scalability, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. Innovative strategies, such as dual-antigen targeting, localized delivery, checkpoint blockade combinations, gene-editing, and machine-learning-guided antigen discovery, are being used to mitigate toxicity, enhance efficacy, and streamline production. As CAR-T, TIL, and TCR modalities converge with advances in manufacturing and computational biology, the next generation of \"living drugs\" promises broader applicability across hematologic and solid tumors, improved safety profiles, and better treatment outcomes for patients. This review details the evolution of ACTs from first-generation CAR constructs to next-generation \"armored\" designs. It also focuses on the development and clinical deployment of TIL and TCR therapies. Furthermore, it synthesizes mechanisms, pivotal clinical trial outcomes, and ongoing challenges of ACTs. It also highlights strategies that will drive broader, safer, and more durable applications of these therapies across hematologic and solid tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115188","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":"A Novel Method to Determine the Respiratory Compensation Point from Percutaneous Oxygen Saturation of Healthy Adults During a Ramp-Incremental Test: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Masatsugu Abe, Kai Ushio, Masaya Tsubokawa, Koki Fukuhara, Yoshitaka Iwamoto, Daisuke Iwaki, Yuki Nakashima, Takeshi Nakamura, Yukio Mikami","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030192","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> In exercise testing, the ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1) and ventilatory threshold 2 (VT2) are used in lifestyle-related diseases, cardiac rehabilitation, and athletic training. We investigated a VT2 measuring method using a pulse oximeter. <b>Methods:</b> Thirty-four adults (men: 15; women: 19) performed a bicycle ergometer Ramp Test. VT1 values were determined using expiratory gas data. The bifurcation of the curve obtained by designating the pulse rate (PR) as an independent variable and SpO₂/PR as a dependent variable was calculated using the residual sum of squares and defined as the SpO₂ threshold (ST) (SpO₂-Slope method). A second bifurcation with ST as the origin was further defined (ST2). ST2 validity was assessed by comparing and analyzing the differences and correlations with each VT2 obtained by expiratory gas analysis. <b>Results:</b> The correlation between ST2 determined by the SpO₂-Slope method using PR as an index and VT2 obtained from respiratory gas analysis was significant, showing a positive correlation (r = 0.74~0.92; <i>p</i> < 0.01), with most data points falling within the 1.96 ± SD in the Bland-Altman analysis. <b>Conclusions:</b> ST2 values derived from SpO₂ and pulse rate measurements by pulse oximeter may be a valuable VT2 measuring method.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115147","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":"Outcomes of Kidney Transplantation from Deceased Donors with Severe Acute Kidney Injury (AKIN Stage 3): A Preliminary Single-Centre Analysis.","authors":"Juan A Encarnación, Elisabeth Coll, Clara Manso, Santiago Llorente, Francisco Morales, Isabel Saura, Pedro López-Cubillana, Pablo Luis Guzman Martínez-Valls, Gloria Martínez, Isabel De la Fuente, Enrique Cárdenas, Jose L Alonso-Romero, Paula Ruiz, José Moya, Beatriz Domínguez-Gil, Mario Royo-Villanova","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030188","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The shortage of donor kidneys has prompted interest in using organs from donors with severe acute kidney injury (AKI), but robust data on outcomes from donors with AKIN stage 3 remain limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-centre, retrospective cohort study compared outcomes of kidney transplants from deceased donors with AKIN stage 3 AKI to matched non-AKI donors (<i>n</i> = 57 per group; matched by donor age ±5 years, year of transplant, and major cardiovascular risk factors). Primary outcomes were delayed graft function (DGF), death-censored graft survival, and patient survival. Secondary outcomes included renal function at follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>DGF occurred in 54.4% (31/57) of AKIN 3 recipients vs. 33.3% (19/57) of non-AKI recipients (risk difference 21.1%, 95% CI 3.1-39.2; <i>p</i> = 0.037). Five-year death-censored graft survival was 94.7% vs. 96.4% (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.25-6.52; <i>p</i> = 0.645). Five-year patient survival was 84.8% vs. 84.0% (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.30-3.05; <i>p</i> = 0.979). Median follow-up was 32 months.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this preliminary, selected kidneys from AKIN stage 3 donors yielded similar medium-term graft and patient survival to non-AKI donors, despite higher DGF incidence. Findings should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed in adequately powered, multicentre studies with extended follow-up.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115078","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":"Bone Mineral Density and Serum Levels of Bone Remodeling Markers in Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated with Anti TNF-α Agents.","authors":"Efren Gerardo Alvarez-Ayala, Jorge Ivan Gamez-Nava, Ana Miriam Saldaña-Cruz, Fabiola Gonzalez-Ponce, Betsabe Contreras-Haro, Melissa Ramirez-Villafaña, Edsaul Emilio Perez-Guerrero, Miriam Fabiola Alcaraz-Lopez, Eli Efrain Gomez-Ramirez, Juan Manuel Ponce-Guarneros, Norma Alejandra Rodriguez-Jimenez, Sylvia Elena Totsuka-Sutto, Alberto Daniel Rocha-Muñoz, Luis Alfonso Muñoz-Miranda, Laura Gonzalez-Lopez, Cesar Arturo Nava-Valdivia","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030189","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoinflammatory rheumatic disease mainly affecting the sacroiliac joints and spine, causing altered bone remodeling. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-17 contribute to bone loss by modulating pathways including Wnt/β-catenin, which is inhibited by proteins like Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and sclerostin (SOST). Bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) promotes osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. This study evaluated the association between serum levels of DKK-1, SOST, BMP-6, and bone mineral density (BMD) in AS patients treated with anti-TNF agents and conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs). <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study included 76 AS patients diagnosed by modified New York criteria and 30 healthy donors matched by age and sex. BMD at the lumbar spine and hips was assessed by DXA in all participants. Disease activity (BASDAI) and functional index (BASFI) were measured in AS patients. Serum levels of DKK-1, SOST, BMP-6, TNF-α, and IL-17 were quantified by ELISA in both groups. AS patients were divided into two treatment groups: combined anti-TNFα and csDMARD therapy (<i>n</i> = 38), and only csDMARDs (<i>n</i> = 38). <b>Results:</b> Bone mineral density showed no significant statistical differences between the spine (<i>p</i> = 0.930) and hips (<i>p</i> = 0.876) in AS patients compared to healthy controls. The activity (BASDAI) and functionality (BASFI) scores were similar in both treatment groups (<i>p</i> = 0.161 and <i>p</i> = 0.271, respectively). No significant differences were found in serum levels of DKK-1 (<i>p</i> = 0.815), SOST (<i>p</i> = 0.771), BMP-6 (<i>p</i> = 0.451), or IL-17 (<i>p</i> = 0.335) between combined anti-TNFα and csDMARD therapy versus monotherapy with csDMARD. <b>Conclusions:</b> The combination of anti-TNF bDMARD therapy and csDMARD therapy is not significantly associated with serum levels of DKK-1, SOST, BMP-6, and BMD compared to those treated with csDMARD monotherapy in patients with AS. This study provides novel and clinically relevant evidence on how anti-TNF bDMARDs and csDMARDs differentially affect bone turnover biomarkers and bone health in patients with AS, contributing to a better understanding of therapeutic strategies and guiding future research and clinical decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452767/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115287","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":"Transcriptomic and Metagenomic Biomarkers in Peri-Implantitis: A Systematic Review, Diagnostic Meta-Analysis, and Functional Meta-Synthesis.","authors":"Carlos M Ardila, Eliana Pineda-Vélez, Anny M Vivares-Builes","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030187","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Evidence from transcriptomic and histopathologic studies has revealed that peri-implantitis lesions are characterized by deeper inflammatory infiltration, increased immune cell accumulation, and distinctive molecular signatures. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and pathophysiological potential of transcriptomic, metagenomic, and bioinformatic biomarkers in peri-implantitis by integrating findings from bioinformatics and machine learning-based studies. The dual objective was to identify biologically relevant markers and assess the accuracy of predictive models, addressing diagnostic gaps in peri-implant disease management. <b>Methods:</b> Eligible designs included cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. Literature searches were conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Scielo, and Scopus, with independent screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. Functional meta-synthesis was used to thematically organize biomarkers and pathways, while diagnostic meta-analysis pooled ROC-AUC values to assess model performance. <b>Results:</b> Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Functional synthesis revealed five recurring biomarker themes: innate and adaptive immune responses, immune cell infiltration, fibroblast activation, and ceRNA regulation. A meta-analysis of six studies reported a pooled AUC of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88-0.93) with I² = 0%, indicating no heterogeneity, supporting the reliability of ML-based models in distinguishing peri-implantitis from healthy conditions. Sources of variation included differences in validation strategies and data preprocessing. <b>Conclusions:</b> Integrating transcriptomic, metagenomic, and bioinformatic biomarkers with machine learning may enable earlier and more accurate diagnosis of peri-implantitis. The identified biomarkers highlight molecular and microbial pathways linked to inflammation and tissue remodeling, underscoring their potential as diagnostic indicators and therapeutic targets with translational relevance.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452457/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115164","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":"Clinical Evaluation of a Pollen-Extract-Based Phytotherapy Compared to Conventional Therapies in Chronic Prostatitis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome.","authors":"Marius Ivănuță, Dragoș Puia, Alin Adrian Cumpănaș, Ana-Maria Ivănuță, Veaceslav Groza, Cătălin Pricop","doi":"10.3390/medsci13030186","DOIUrl":"10.3390/medsci13030186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a prevalent condition characterized by pelvic pain and urinary symptoms with multifactorial aetiology. Standard treatments, including alpha-blockers, often have limited long-term effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a standardized pollen extract (Deprox^® 500), alone or in combination with alpha-blockers, in reducing CP/CPPS symptoms and the need for rescue medication.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective, multicentre study included 207 male patients with CP/CPPS treated at two Romanian urology centres between January 2023 and January 2025. Patients were divided into three groups: Group A-alpha-blocker monotherapy; Group B-standardized pollen extract monotherapy; and Group C-combination therapy with standardized pollen extract and alpha-blocker. Symptom severity and treatment response were evaluated using the validated English versions of the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), all of which were translated into Romanian for use in this study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Groups B and C both demonstrated significantly greater reductions in pelvic pain and urinary symptoms compared to Group A (<i>p</i> = 0.01), with marked improvements in NIH-CPSI and IPSS.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A standardized pollen extract used alone or in combination with an alpha-blocker significantly improved CP/CPPS symptoms and reduced the need for NSAID rescue medication. These findings support its potential as a safe and effective therapeutic option.</p>","PeriodicalId":74152,"journal":{"name":"Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452326/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115242","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}