{"title":"Analysis of pharmacological interventions among hospitalised patients with COVID‑19: A focus on severe cases.","authors":"Yasutaka Shinoda, Kengo Ohashi, Tomoko Matsuoka, Tomoaki Yoshimura","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1593","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1593","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Existing recommendations regarding pharmaceutical interventions for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) focus on outpatient, inpatient and post-discharge care. However, there are no studies examining the actual activities of pharmacists in relation to hospitalised patients. The present study aimed to identify pharmacists' roles by analysing cases of pharmaceutical interventions, particularly for patients admitted to high-care units. Pharmacological interventions were provided to patients with severe COVID-19 or patients at high risk of severe disease in 2021. These pharmaceutical interventions were analysed and evaluated. Pharmacists also developed a COVID-19 drug compatibility chart for use by care team members. In the present study, 54 patients were included, of which 33 were severe cases. A total of 28 patients (52%) received pharmacological interventions and 25 of them were severe cases. Out of 68 pharmacological interventions, interventions for antimicrobial agents were the most common (28 interventions), followed by nutrition and anti-COVID-19 drug-related interventions. In addition, the need for interventions relating to drug compatibility was reduced by ~43% after the drug compatibility chart was implemented. In conclusion, pharmacists have a responsibility to improve the quality of pharmacotherapy for patients with COVID-19. They should focus on creating specific pharmacotherapy tools for patients with COVID-19 and supporting appropriate antimicrobial use for secondary bacterial infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 2","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9764043/pdf/br-18-02-01593.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10437338","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}
Sardar Ali Khan, Waqas Shafiq, Umal Azmat, Ahmed Imran Siddiqi, Asim Munir Alvi, Sara Ashfaq, Hira Irfan, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Kashif Asghar
{"title":"Radiation therapy outcomes of patients with pituitary macroadenoma.","authors":"Sardar Ali Khan, Waqas Shafiq, Umal Azmat, Ahmed Imran Siddiqi, Asim Munir Alvi, Sara Ashfaq, Hira Irfan, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Kashif Asghar","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1594","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1594","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pituitary adenomas are one of the most common benign intracranial tumors, which are normally treated with surgery along with radiation therapy and medication such as dopamine agonist in prolactinoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with pituitary macroadenoma who underwent radiation therapy. For the present retrospective study, a total of 75 patients with pituitary macroadenoma who received radiation therapy were included. Data was acquired from the electronic medical record system of the hospital. Mean ± standard deviation of the quantitative variables, such as age and sizes of the tumors, were reported. In addition, frequencies and percentages were presented for all categorical variables. To compare the frequency distribution in radiation therapy characteristics between functional and non-functional tumors, the χ<sup>2</sup> test or Fisher's exact test was applied, where appropriate. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn to assess the progression free survival proportion. P≤0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. In the present study, all patients (n=75) with pituitary macroadenoma were treated with radiation therapy (RT). The mean age was 38.55±1.36 years and the majority of the patients were male (43; 57.3%). The mean tumor size was 3.84±1.43 cm. In total, 66.7% were non-functional tumors whereas 33.3% were functional tumors that produce hormones in excess [growth hormone (72%), prolactin (16%), both growth hormone and prolactin (8%) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (4%)]. The overall outcome was revealed to be 92% achieving local tumor control and 28% achieving biochemical control. Hypopituitarism (38.7%) and visual acuity deterioration (9.3%) were the most common complications observed following RT. The overall progression-free survival at 2 years was 92%. In conclusion, the data of the present study suggested that local tumor control in non-functional and functional pituitary macroadenoma can be well managed with RT. However, biochemical control to normalize hormones overproduction in functional pituitary macroadenoma was not as effective as local tumor control.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 2","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/53/f3/br-18-02-01594.PMC9764322.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10435831","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}
Canhong Wang, Bao Gong, Yangyang Liu, Deli Chen, Yulan Wu, Jianhe Wei
{"title":"Agarwood essential oil inhalation exerts antianxiety and antidepressant effects via the regulation of Glu/GABA system homeostasis.","authors":"Canhong Wang, Bao Gong, Yangyang Liu, Deli Chen, Yulan Wu, Jianhe Wei","doi":"10.3892/br.2023.1598","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2023.1598","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Depression and anxiety are common diseases that endanger the physical and mental health of individuals. Agarwood incense inhalation has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for relaxation and to improve sleep for centuries. In a previous study by the authors it was demonstrated that agarwood essential oil (AEO) injection exerted anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. Therefore the present study further investigated the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of AEO inhalation on anxiolytic mice induced by M-chlorophenylpiperazine and depressive mice induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress. The results demonstrated that AEO exerted a significant anxiolytic effect, whereby autonomous movements were inhibited during the light dark exploration test and open field test. Furthermore, the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test demonstrated that AEO also exerted an antidepressant effect, whereby the immobility times were decreased. Moreover, AEO was determined to increase the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor (GABA<sub>A</sub>) and glutamate (Glu) in anxiolytic mice and inhibit the levels of GABA<sub>A</sub> and Glu in depressive mice. Further investigations into how AEO affected the Glu/GABA system demonstrated that AEO markedly increased the protein expression levels of GABA transaminase (GABAT), glutamate metabotropic receptor 5 (GRM5), glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 1 (GluR1) and vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGluT1). Furthermore, AEO reduced the expression levels of GABAT, glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2B and GRM5, and enhanced the expression levels of GluR1 and VGluT1. These results demonstrated that AEO potentially possesses antianxiety and antidepressant properties. The present study determined that the mechanism was related to the regulation of Glu/GABA neurotransmitter system homeostasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 2","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/75/6b/br-18-02-01598.PMC9892967.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10707847","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}
Jorge Emmanuel Carrizales-Luna, Aldo Arturo Reséndiz-Albor, Ivonne Maciel Arciniega-Martínez, Modesto Gómez-López, Rafael Campos-Rodríguez, Judith Pacheco-Yépez, Maria Elisa Drago-Serrano
{"title":"Outcomes of nicotinic modulation on markers of intestinal IgA antibody response.","authors":"Jorge Emmanuel Carrizales-Luna, Aldo Arturo Reséndiz-Albor, Ivonne Maciel Arciniega-Martínez, Modesto Gómez-López, Rafael Campos-Rodríguez, Judith Pacheco-Yépez, Maria Elisa Drago-Serrano","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1595","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1595","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acetylcholine (ACh), as a ligand of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), plays a key role in the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway; however, its role in the immunoglobulin A (IgA) response remains unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of ACh in the intestinal biomarkers involved in IgA synthesis and the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) involved in IgA transcytosis. Groups of mice were administered GTS-21 (an α7nAChR agonist) or mecamylamine (a non-selective nAChR antagonist) intraperitoneally for 7 days. Intestinal fluids were used for antibody concentration assessment by ELISA, cell suspensions from Peyer's patches and the lamina propria were obtained for flow cytometric analysis of plasma cells, and CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cells expressing intracellular transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and IgA-producing interleukin (IL)-4, -5, -6 and -10, and isolated epithelial cells to determine the levels of pIgR mRNA using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Regarding to the untreated control group, the concentration of IgA was reduced in the mecamylamine group and unaltered in the GTS-21 group while IgM levels exhibited no differences; the percentage of IgA<sup>+</sup> plasma cells from Peyer's patches and the lamina propria, and the percentage of TGF-β<sup>+</sup>/CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cells from Peyer's patches were greater in the GTS-21-group. In both treatment groups, the percentages of IgM<sup>+</sup> plasma cells and IL-6<sup>+</sup>/IL-10<sup>+</sup> CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells were greater in both compartments; pIgR mRNA expression levels decreased in epithelial cells. The percentage of IL-4 CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cells were greater in Peyer's patches and lower in the lamina propria in the mecamylamine group, and the percentage of IL-5 CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cells in the lamina propria were decreased in both treatment groups. These findings require further examination to address the impact of cholinergic modulation on IgA-transcytosis via pIgR. The present study may be an experimental reference for clinical trials that address the role of nicotinic system in intestinal dysfunctions as postoperative ileus.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 2","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/60/eb/br-18-02-01595.PMC9813800.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10526878","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":"Biological effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in tendons: A systematic review.","authors":"Daniela Poenaru, Miruna Ioana Sandulescu, Delia Cinteza","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1597","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extracorporeal shockwave therapy was initially used for kidney stone disintegration and its application was then extended to calcific tendinitis. The therapeutic field expanded and included numerous types of tendinopathies, from shoulder to plantar fascia. The clinical benefits were documented in trials and the effects and mechanisms were studied on models including animal and human tendons. The present systematic review outlines a large spectrum of biological effects. First, an optimal dose is adapted for each species and each tendon; exceeding the optimal dose may lead to structural injury. Furthermore, the biological effects may be grouped into neovascularization induction, cellularity and extracellular matrix changes, metalloprotease and cytokine modulation, as well as lubricin production. As a result, the remodeled tendon displays improved biomechanical properties to resist stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 2","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/ec/42/br-18-02-01597.PMC9845689.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10572324","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":"Bioinformatics analysis of key biomarkers for bladder cancer.","authors":"Wentao Liu, Yuxin Xu, Shengbin Bai, Libin Liao","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1596","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent genitourinary cancers. Despite the growing research interest in BC, the molecular mechanisms underlying its carcinogenesis remain poorly understood. The microarray datasets GSE38264 and GSE61615 obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analyzed and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, which were then verified using a dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). By taking the intersection of the two microarray datasets, the common DEGs were identified and these were selected as candidate genes associated with BC. The DEGs were further subjected to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, and the protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Further module analysis was performed using STRING and Cytoscape. A total of 362 DEGs were identified, including 13 hub genes, and the GO analysis revealed that these genes were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix organization, positive regulation of cell proliferation, angiogenesis and peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation. The expression changes of PTPRC, PDGFRA, CASQ2, TGFBI, KLRD1 and MT1X in the different datasets indicated that these genes were involved in the development of BC. Next, the differential expression of these genes was verified in the TCGA dataset, and ultimately, these 13 genes were determined to be related to the occurrence and development of BC. Finally, the cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of patients with BC were collected and subjected to reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, the results of which were consistent with the bioinformatics prediction. The present findings provide several vital genes for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of BC.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 2","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f0/56/br-18-02-01596.PMC9813473.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10535889","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":"Two weeks of high glucose intake is enough to induce intestinal mucosal damage and disturb the balance of the gut microbiota of rats.","authors":"Cunyun Min, Tingting Fu, Wei Tan, Tingting Wang, Yu Du, Xuhui Huang","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1591","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1591","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High glucose plays a critical role in diabetes. However, the point when high glucose induces diabetes and the organ that triggers the initiation of diabetes remain to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to clarify the damage induced on different organs of rats, when administered a 2-week infusion of dietary glucose. SD rats (12 weeks old) were randomly divided into normal diet, high glucose infusion (IHG) and oral high glucose (OHG) groups. The levels of fasting blood sugar, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were assessed. Intestine, kidney and liver samples were collected for pathological examination. Feces were collected from the rats for gut microbiota assessment. The results indicated that short-term high glucose induced hyperglycemia that lasted for at least 2 weeks after cessation of high glucose intake. Short-term high glucose also clearly increased the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, led to jejunum mucosa injury and obvious steatosis in hepatocytes, and disturbed the balance of the gut microbiota. OHG led to swelling and necrosis of individual intestinal villi. IHG led to the necrosis and disappearance of cells in the upper layer of the intestinal mucosa. The lesions were confined to the mucosa. A degree of glomerular cell swelling and apoptosis were also observed. Short-term high glucose intake induced lesions in the liver, kidney and intestine, disturbed the balance of the gut microbiota and may consequently induce diabetes complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/6e/61/br-18-01-01591.PMC9764048.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10497604","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}
Ramona L Păunescu, Ioana V Miclu Ia, Olivia Roşu Verişezan, Bianca D Crecan-Suciu
{"title":"Acute and long‑term psychiatric symptoms associated with COVID‑19 (Review).","authors":"Ramona L Păunescu, Ioana V Miclu Ia, Olivia Roşu Verişezan, Bianca D Crecan-Suciu","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1586","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1586","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started spreading at the end of 2019 and despite the immediate actions of various governments with strict control, more and more individuals became infected daily. Due to the uncertainty and insecurity that still exists around this pandemic, there is an acute need for information and knowledge of what severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection entails. Respiratory and other physical symptoms received most of the medical attention, however, infected patients were also at risk for developing psychiatric and mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Available research reports a so-called 'post-COVID-19 syndrome', which refers to new and/or persistent signs and symptoms for over 12 weeks, following SARS. The aim of the present review was to provide a general overview of the psychiatric symptoms developed during SARS-CoV-2 infection and their long-term outcome, highlighting that, through follow-up with surviving patients it was revealed that some of the psychiatric symptoms of COVID-19 persisted for a long time after discharge and were also associated with negative effects on global functioning and lower quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9756282/pdf/br-18-01-01586.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10419823","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":"Risk factors of left ventricular hypertrophy in obstructive sleep apnea.","authors":"Sittichai Khamsai, Thanachai Sanlung, Panita Limpawattana, Jarin Chindaprasirt, Watchara Boonsawat, Songkwan Silaruks, Kittisak Sawanyawisuth","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are both related to major cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies have indicated that, compared with non-OSA, OSA is related to LVH with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.70 (95% CI: 1.44-2.00), particularly in patients with coronary artery disease. Meta-analysis has revealed that the severity of OSA is significantly associated with left ventricular mass compared with non-OSA controls. There is, however, limited data on the risk factors of LVH in patients with OSA. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and clinical factors that are predictive of LVH in patients with OSA. A retrospective analysis of adult patients diagnosed with OSA who had undergone echocardiography was performed. LVH defined by echocardiography indicated an enlarged LV mass index. Clinical factors predictive of LVH were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. An unadjusted OR and an adjusted OR with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined. During the study period, 130 patients met the study criteria, with an LVH prevalence of 27.69% (36 patients). The final predictive model of LVH comprised six factors: Age, sex, unrefreshed sleep, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and apnea-hypopnea index. Only age was independently associated with LVH, with an adjusted OR of 1.048 (95% CI: 1.002-1.096). The prevalence rate of LVH in patients with OSA was 27.69%. Older age was independently related to LVH in patients with OSA.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9755921/pdf/br-18-01-01588.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10785838","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}
Anastasia Marina Palaiogeorgou, Eleni Papakonstantinou, Rebecca Golfinopoulou, Markezina Sigala, Thanasis Mitsis, Louis Papageorgiou, Io Diakou, Katerina Pierouli, Konstantina Dragoumani, Demetrios A Spandidos, Flora Bacopoulou, George P Chrousos, Elias Eliopoulos, Dimitrios Vlachakis
{"title":"Recent approaches on Huntington's disease (Review).","authors":"Anastasia Marina Palaiogeorgou, Eleni Papakonstantinou, Rebecca Golfinopoulou, Markezina Sigala, Thanasis Mitsis, Louis Papageorgiou, Io Diakou, Katerina Pierouli, Konstantina Dragoumani, Demetrios A Spandidos, Flora Bacopoulou, George P Chrousos, Elias Eliopoulos, Dimitrios Vlachakis","doi":"10.3892/br.2022.1587","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Patients of all ages can present with a dysfunction of the nervous system, which leads to the progressive loss of movement control and disabilities in speech, swallowing, communications, etc. The molecular basis of the disease is well-known, as HD is related to a mutated gene, a trinucleotide expansion, which encodes to the huntingtin protein. This protein is linked to neurogenesis and the loss of its function leads to neurodegenerative disorders. Although the genetic cause of the disorder has been known for decades, no effective treatment is yet available to prevent onset or to eliminate the progression of symptoms. Thus, the present review focused on the development of novel methods for the timely and accurate diagnosis of HD in an aim to aid the development of therapies which may reduce the severity of the symptoms and control their progression. The majority of the therapies include gene-silencing mechanisms of the mutated huntingtin gene aiming to suppress its expression, and the use of various substances as drugs with highly promising results. In the present review, the latest approaches on the diagnosis of HD are discussed along with the need for genetic counseling and an up-to-date presentation of the applied treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":8863,"journal":{"name":"Biomedical reports","volume":"18 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/e2/24/br-18-01-01587.PMC9756286.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10419822","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}