Hyperferritinemia as a factor associated with poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Worldwide, hundreds of millions of people have been infected with COVID-19 since December 2019; however, about 20% or less developed severe symptoms. The main aim of the current study was to  assess  the  relationship  between  the  severity of Covid-19 and different clinical and laboratory parameters. A total number of 466 Arabs have willingly joined this prospective cohort. Out of the total number, 297 subjects (63.7%) had negative COVID-19 tests, and thus, they were recruited as controls, while 169 subjects (36.3%) who tested positive for COVID-19 were enrolled as cases. Out of the total number of COVID-19 patients, 127 (75.15%) presented with mild symptoms, and 42 (24.85%) had severe symptoms. The age range for the participants was 20 to 82 years. Compared with controls, the severity of the disease was associated with significantly high ferritin levels (P < 0.001). The severity of the disease was also associated with a significant increase in C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), D-dimer (P < 0.001), white blood cell count (WBC) (P < 0.01), IgM (P < 0.001), and Granulocytes (P < 0.01). In addition, severe COVID-19 symptoms in the current study were associated with a significant decrease in lymphocytes (P < 0.01). There was a four-fold increase in serum ferritin levels in COVID-19 patients presented with severe symptoms upon admission. The former was associated with significantly high levels of CRP and D-dimer. Thus, hyperferritinemia, together with high CRP and D-dimer concentrations, may serve as reliable predictors for disease severity and poor prognosis in Arabs with COVID-19.

Hyperferritinemia as a factor associated with poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Worldwide, hundreds of millions of people have been infected with COVID-19 since December 2019; however, about 20% or less developed severe symptoms. The main aim of the current study was to  assess  the  relationship  between  the  severity of Covid-19 and different clinical and laboratory parameters. A total number of 466 Arabs have willingly joined this prospective cohort. Out of the total number, 297 subjects (63.7%) had negative COVID-19 tests, and thus, they were recruited as controls, while 169 subjects (36.3%) who tested positive for COVID-19 were enrolled as cases. Out of the total number of COVID-19 patients, 127 (75.15%) presented with mild symptoms, and 42 (24.85%) had severe symptoms. The age range for the participants was 20 to 82 years. Compared with controls, the severity of the disease was associated with significantly high ferritin levels (P < 0.001). The severity of the disease was also associated with a significant increase in C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), D-dimer (P < 0.001), white blood cell count (WBC) (P < 0.01), IgM (P < 0.001), and Granulocytes (P < 0.01). In addition, severe COVID-19 symptoms in the current study were associated with a significant decrease in lymphocytes (P < 0.01). There was a four-fold increase in serum ferritin levels in COVID-19 patients presented with severe symptoms upon admission. The former was associated with significantly high levels of CRP and D-dimer. Thus, hyperferritinemia, together with high CRP and D-dimer concentrations, may serve as reliable predictors for disease severity and poor prognosis in Arabs with COVID-19.

Serum Caveolin-1 Level is Inversely Associated with Serum Vaspin, Visfatin, and HbA1c in Newly Diagnosed Men with Type-2 Diabetes.

Background: The fluctuation in serum caveolin-1 (Cav-1) concentrations is an important indicator of many diseases. Irrespective of the actual cause, a significant reduction of serum Cav-1 is associated with a significant increase in insulin secretion and hyperinsulinemia. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between serum Cav-1, serum vaspin and visfatin in newly diagnosed men with T2DM. Methods: Eighty-two newly diagnosed men with T2DM were matched for age and body mass indexes (BMIs) with a similar number of non-diabetic men. Serum Cav-1, vaspin and visfatin were assessed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fasting serum glucose (FSG), glycohaemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) were both measured using automated method. In addition, waist-circumferences, waist-hip ratio, systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were also obtained. Results: Serum concentration of Cav-1(ng/mL) was significantly low in men newly diagnosed with T2DM, (2.334±0.7627) compared with non-diabetic controls (4.321±1.143), p< 0.0001. In contrast, patients with T2DM exhibited significantly higher serum concentrations of vaspin and visfatin (ng/mL), 142.4±60.53) and 2.99±1.091), than controls, 81.53±39.32) and 1.456±0.654), respectively, p< 0.0001. Expectedly, patients with T2DM have significantly higher FSG, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Conclusion: There was an inverse significant relationship between Cav-1 and vaspin, visfatin, HbA1c, FSG, and hypertension. This study suggests that serum Cav-1 can be used as a diagnostic marker to predict T2DM in individuals and families under high risk.

Novel combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and gold nanocomposite for photothermal therapy in human breast cancer model.

Despite current medical advancements, the resistance of malignant tumours to conventional medical therapies highlights the need for innovative therapeutic techniques. Numerous studies have focused on the promising application of nanomaterials in recent years. Nanoparticles (NPs) are used to treat cancer. Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a cancer-ablation technique in which photon energy is rapidly converted into heat by some radiative and non-radiative events. Gold NPs (Au-NPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are plasmonic NPs with excellent thermal conductivity and their near-infrared (NIR) absorbance has several interesting qualities. Additionally, CNTs could penetrate cells. In this study, Au-NPs were used to fabricate multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), which could boost its efficacy in cancer treatment in accordance with PPTT. Transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy and FTIR were used to examine the MWCNTs made from walnut shell. Au-NPs were explored using green chemistry and MWCNT-COOAu, MWCNT-COO and MWCNT-Au were examined by Raman, EDX and FESEM techniques. The effect of MWCNT-COOAu, MWCNT-COO and MWCNT-Au at various concentrations (3.12, 6.25, 12.5 and 25 µg/mL) and irradiation time intervals (30, 60, 90 and 120 sec) by using NIR laser under λ = 1064 nm and P = 3 W on the breast cancer cell line (MCF7) was investigated. The highest temperatures for MWCNT-COO, MWCNT-COOAu and MWCNT-Au were determined to be 44.1 °C, 46 °C and 46.9 °C, respectively, which produced 61.66 %, 72 % and 85.3 % cytotoxicity, respectively, in MCF7 cell line at a concentration of 25 µg/mL and an irradiation period of 120 sec. The treatment of MCF7 cell line by photothermal therapy was found to be in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.

Relationship Between IL-2, IL-17 Concentrations, and Serum Creatinine Levels in Men with Chronic Kidney Diseases.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a major public health challenge worldwide. It is more prevalent in developed countries compared with the rest of the world, due to the higher rates of life expectancy and unhealthy lifestyle related factors. This aim of the current study is to evaluate the relationship between interleukins IL-2 and IL-17 concentrations and kidney function markers in men with CKD. Methods: Forty-five men with CKD and seventy controls were enrolled in the current study to assess the relationship between interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and CKD parameters. Fasting blood samples were collected from patients with CKD and their controls at same time. Serum IL-2, and IL-17 were measured in patients with CKD and their controls, and then the relationship between these interleukins and serum creatinine, serum urea, serum uric acid and urine albumin were evaluated. Results: A significant relationship was detected between IL-2 (p< 0.001), IL-17 (p< 0.001) levels and serum creatinine concentrations. The significant increase of IL-2 and IL-17 levels were also paralleled with a significant increase in serum urea (p< 0.001), and urine albumin (p< 0.001) concentrations respectively. Conclusion: IL-2 and IL-17 may play a critical role in the pathophysiology of CKD. The significant increase of IL-2 and IL-17 is associated with significantly high concentrations of creatinine, serum urea and urine albumin suggesting that these interleukins may be used as targets for future biomarkers and molecular therapy. However, due to limited sample size of the current study, larger prospective cohorts are needed to confirm these observations.

In schizophrenia, immune-inflammatory pathways are strongly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, which are part of a latent trait which comprises neurocognitive impairments and schizophrenia symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The aim is to examine whether biomarkers of the immune-inflammatory response (IRS) and endogenous opioid (EOS) systems are associated with affective symptoms in schizophrenia. METHODS: We recruited 115 schizophrenia patients and 43 healthy controls and assessed the Hamilton Depression (HDRS) and Anxiety (HAM-A) rating Scale scores as well as serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, eotaxin (CCL11), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1), and mu (MOR) and kappa (KOR) opioid receptors. RESULTS: The HDRS and HAM-A scores are significantly and positively correlated with a) psychosis, hostility, excitation, mannerism, negative symptoms, psychomotor retardation, and formal thought disorders; and b) lowered scores on semantic and episodic memory, executive functions, and attention tests as measured with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Psychiatry. Both HDRS and HAM-A are significantly increased in non-responders to treatment as compared with partial responders. Both affective scores are strongly associated with a latent vector extracted from all symptoms, reflecting overall severity of schizophrenia symptoms (OSOS), and neurocognitive test scores, reflecting a generalized cognitive decline (G-CoDe). The HDRS score was strongly and positively associated with IL-6, HMGB1, KOR, and MOR levels, and the HAM-A score with IL-6, IL-10, CCL11, HMGB1, KOR, and MOR levels. A single latent trait may be extracted from OSOS, G-CoDe, and the HDRS and HAMA scores, and this latent vector score is strongly predicted by HMGB1, MOR, and DKK1. CONCLUSION: Immune-inflammatory and EOS pathways contribute to the phenome of schizophrenia, which comprises OSOS, affective, and physiosomatic symptoms, and G-CoDe.

The Endogenous Opioid System in Schizophrenia and Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia: Increased Plasma Endomorphin 2, and κ and µ Opioid Receptors Are Associated with Interleukin-6.

BACKGROUND: activation of the immune-inflammatory response system (IRS) and the compensatory immune-regulatory system (CIRS) plays a key role in schizophrenia (SCZ) and treatment resistant SCZ. There are only a few data on immune and endogenous opioid system (EOS) interactions in SCZ and treatment resistant SCZ. METHODS: we examined serum ß-endorphin, endomorphin-2 (EM2), mu-opioid (MOR) and kappa-opioid (KOR) receptors, and interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 in 60 non responders to treatment (NRTT), 55 partial RTT (PRTT) and 43 normal controls. RESULTS: serum EM2, KOR, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly increased in SCZ as compared with controls. ß-endorphin, EM2, MOR and IL-6 were significantly higher in NRTT than in PRTT. There were significant correlations between IL-6, on the one hand, and ß-endorphin, EM2, KOR, and MOR, on the other, while IL-10 was significantly correlated with MOR only. A large part of the variance in negative symptoms, psychosis, hostility, excitation, mannerism, psychomotor retardation and formal thought disorders was explained by the combined effects of EM2 and MOR with or without IL-6 while increased KOR was significantly associated with all symptom dimensions. Increased MOR, KOR, EM2 and IL-6 were also associated with neurocognitive impairments including in episodic, semantic and working memory and executive functions. CONCLUSION: the EOS contributes to SCZ symptomatology, neurocognitive impairments and a non-response to treatment. In SCZ, EOS peptides/receptors may exert CIRS functions, whereas increased KOR levels may contribute to the pathophysiology of SCZ and EM2 and KOR to a non-response to treatment.