An Intramyocardial Mass Mimicking ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarct at Presentation.

ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram typically indicates acute myocardial infarction but can mimic ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in various conditions. We present a case of a patient with an intramyocardial mass and anterior ST-segment elevation without significant myocardial biomarker elevation. Multimodality imaging was crucial in revealing cardiac metastasis as the attributable cause.

"A Double Twist" Presentation - A Case Report of Purulent Cardiac Tamponade following a Rare Complication of Small-Cell Lung Cancer Radiotherapy.

Background: Small cell lung cancer is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis that requires prompt treatment. While radiotherapy may enhance survival when superior vena cava syndrome is present, radiation therapy-induced pericardial disease can be a potential complication. Case Report: A 55-year-old man, who recently underwent radiotherapy for stage IV small-cell lung cancer complicated by superior vena cava syndrome, presented with chest pain and dyspnea. In the emergency room, he was dyspneic, hypotensive, and tachycardic. Pulmonary auscultation revealed the absence of lung sounds on the right. The initial electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation in lateral leads and in lead DII, with reciprocal changes in lead DIII. A bedside transthoracic echocardiogram revealed cardiac tamponade and emergent pericardiocentesis was performed, removing 500 ml of purulent fluid, resulting in an immediate clinical improvement. Thoracentesis was also performed, showing no empyema. Large spectrum empirical antibiotic therapy was started. Cultures from the pericardial fluid and peripheral blood grew multi-sensitive Streptococcus pneumoniae. Cytological analysis of the pericardial fluid was consistent with infection. The patient improved after 2 weeks of targeted antibiotic therapy and underwent the first cycle of chemotherapy. He was discharged with an early scheduled pulmonology appointment. Conclusions: Although the most common causes of pericardial effusion in lung cancer are malignant, non-malignant etiologies should also be considered. This patient had an infectious pericardial effusion most probably due to a pericardial-mediastinal mass fistula caused by radiotherapy. This was a diagnostic challenge, both in the emergency room as well in the inpatient setting. LEARNING POINTS: Small cell lung cancer is a fast-growing cancer that exhibits aggressive behavior.In patients with lung cancer, malignant pericardial effusions are more common than non-malignant ones.Purulent pericardial effusions, especially those due to lung cancer, are rare in developed countries with very few reports in the literature.

Examining provider anticipatory guidance for adolescents' preventive health: A latent class approach.

BACKGROUND: Low rates of anticipatory guidance (AG) are reported across studies with adolescents, and little is known about how these conversations differ across early versus middle adolescence. This study explored adolescent-provider AG conversations for preventive health skills; the study objectives were to (1) identify patterns of provider-adolescent AG conversations across early and middle adolescence and (2) determine socio-demographic characteristics associated with these AG conversations. DESIGN AND METHOD: Data from the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health were used to identify patterns of provider-adolescent AG conversations. The sample included 5500 early and 6730 middle adolescents (Mage = 14.67 years old, SD = 1.71, 51.7% boys, 79% White). Multiple group latent class analysis and multinomial regressions were estimated using four indicators of AG conversations (i.e., skills to manage health and healthcare, changes in healthcare that happen at 18, making positive choices about health, and receiving a medical history summary). RESULTS: Three types of AG conversations were identified: high AG, low AG, and parent unaware. Among early and middle adolescents, adolescents that were older, girls, had private health insurance, and a personal provider were less likely to receive high AG compared to other types of AG. CONCLUSIONS: Policies and strategies to engage adolescents in AG conversations during and outside of the medical appointment are needed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Tools, such as brief screeners, can be used to ensure all adolescents are receiving high AG. School-based health centers, community centers and organizations, and telehealth appointments with medical professionals may be additional opportunities for adolescents to receive AG.

Effects of natural antimicrobial compounds propolis and copaiba on periodontal ligament fibroblasts, molecular docking, and in vivo study in Galleria mellonella.

Root canal treatment addresses infectious processes that require control. Occasionally, the radicular pulp is vital and inflamed, presenting a superficial infection. To preserve pulpal remnants, conservative procedures have gained favor, employing anti-inflammatory medications. This study investigated the effects of propolis (PRO), and copaiba oil-resin (COR) associated with hydrocortisone (H) and compared their impact to that of Otosporin® concerning cytotoxic and genotoxic activity, cytokine detection, and toxicity in the Galleria mellonella model. Human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) were exposed to drug concentrations and evaluated by the MTT assay. Associations were tested from concentrations that did not compromise cell density. Genotoxicity was evaluated through micronucleus counting, while cytokines IL-6 and TGF-ß1 were detected in the cell supernatant using ELISA. Molecular docking simulations were conducted, considering the major compounds identified in PRO, COR, and H. Increasing concentrations of PRO and COR were assessed for acute toxicity in Galleria mellonella model. Cellular assays were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey tests, while larval survivals were evaluated using the Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test (α = 0.05). PRO and COR promoted PDLFs proliferation, even in conjunction with H. No changes in cell metabolism were observed concerning cytokine levels. The tested materials induce the release of AT1R, proliferating the PDFLs through interactions. PRO and COR had low toxicity in larvae, suggesting safety at tested levels. These findings endorse the potential of PRO and COR in endodontics and present promising applications across medical domains, such as preventive strategies in inflammation, shedding light on their potential development into commercially available drugs.

A Case of Optic Chiasm Stroke, A Condition Rarely Described in the Literature.

Acute bilateral blindness is an emergent condition that may signal life-threatening disease. The approach focuses on identification of life-threatening disease processes, while differentiating between ocular, psychogenic and neurologic aetiologies. We present the case of an 88-year-old man with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and bilateral chronic glaucoma and cataracts. He presented to the emergency department with sudden onset bilateral loss of visual acuity with no other relevant changes on physical examination, including other neurologic deficits. Ophthalmologic observation showed no sign of acute disease. Contrast orbit and cranioencephalic CT was unremarkable, so the patient underwent an orbit and cranioencephalic MRI that showed changes in fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences and diffusion restriction involving the optic chiasm and the initial segment of the optic radiations bilaterally. Optic chiasm strokes are rare, owing to the rich supply of collateral circulation. The most frequent presentation is bitemporal hemianopsia but rarer presentations are described. Bilateral loss of visual acuity is very rare and infarction of the whole optic chiasm is unusual. LEARNING POINTS: Acute bilateral blindness has an extensive differential diagnosis but chiasmopathy of ischaemic aetiology is rare.Optic chiasm stroke is rarely described in the literature and can pose a diagnostic challenge as its presentation can vary greatly.

Correction: Fleary et al. Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries' Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6598.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Psychosocial correlates in patterns of adolescent emotional eating and dietary consumption.

Unhealthy eating behaviors, such as consumption of unhealthy diet and emotional eating, are common in adolescence and tend to co-occur. However, how these behaviors are patterned may vary among adolescents. This study identified patterns of dietary consumption and emotional eating behaviors in adolescents and examined the sociodemographic and psychosocial (e.g., self-efficacy beliefs and motivation) covariates associated with these eating patterns. Data were from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health and Eating study. Latent class analysis was used to estimate adolescent dietary patterns from dietary consumption (i.e., fruits, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, junk food, etc.) and emotional eating variables (i.e., eating when feeling sad or anxious). The sample included 1,568 adolescents (Mean age = 14.48-years-old, 49% girls, 55% White). A four-class solution best fit the data (e.g., Bayesian Information Criteria [BIC] = 12263.568, three-class model BIC = 12271.622). Four unhealthy eating behavior patterns were identified: poor diet/high emotional eating, mixed diet/high emotional eating, poor diet/low emotional eating, and mixed diet/low emotional eating. Compared to the poor diet/high emotional eating group, the other groups were less likely to include older adolescents, girls, and adolescents who experienced food insecurity, and more likely to have higher self-efficacy for eating fruits and vegetables and limiting junk foods as well as motivation for consuming fruits and vegetables and limiting junk foods. Our findings highlight adolescents' complex dietary patterns that include dietary consumption and emotional eating behaviors. Future studies should examine other potential dietary patterns that include emotional eating. Efforts to address unhealthy patterns of adolescents' dietary consumption and emotional eating behaviors should be expanded.

Reproducible and scalable differentiation of highly pure cortical neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Human-induced-pluripotent-stem-cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons are valuable for investigating brain physiology and disease. Here, we present a protocol to differentiate hiPSCs into cortical neurons with high yield and purity. We describe neural induction via dual-SMAD inhibition, followed by spot-based differentiation to provide high quantities of neural precursors. We detail their enrichment, expansion, and purification to avoid unwanted cell fates and provide optimal conditions for neural rosette proliferation. These differentiated neurons are suitable for drug testing and co-culture studies. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Paquet et al.1 and Weisheit et al..2.

Mob4 is required for neurodevelopment in zebrafish.

Mob4 is an essential evolutionary conserved protein shown to play roles in cell division and neural development. Mob4 is a core component of the macromolecular STRIPAK complex involved in various critical cellular processes, from cell division to signal transduction pathways. However, Mob4 remains relatively poorly understood. Although the consequences of eliminating Mob4 function in Drosophila are described, its function in vertebrate development remains largely unknown. Here we show that knockdown and knockout of Mob4 during zebrafish embryogenesis limits neuronal cell divisions but has little effect on apoptosis, thus arguing a role for mob4 in neurodevelopment.

The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Mental Health Attitudes and Beliefs.

BACKGROUND: Mental health first aid programs show promise in reducing stigma and increasing help-seeking. However, the success of these and other mental health interventions are likely affected by health literacy. Yet, health literacy is understudied in the mental health literature and rarely considered in mental health interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationship between health literacy and mental health stigma, aversion to mental health help-seeking, and willingness to interact with individuals with mental illnesses. METHODS: Adults (N = 601, mean age = 45.64) completed online surveys of their health literacy and mental health attitudes and beliefs. Hierarchal linear regression models were estimated to examine the relationship between health literacy and mental health attitudes and beliefs. Path models were estimated to determine if stigma mediated the relationship between health literacy and (1) aversion to help-seeking and (2) willingness to interact with individuals with mental illnesses. KEY RESULTS: Adults with higher functional and communicative health literacy had lower mental health stigma and aversion to mental health help-seeking. Adults with higher communicative health literacy and empowerment were more willing to interact with individuals with mental illnesses. Mental health stigma partially mediated the relationships between communicative health literacy and aversion to mental health help-seeking and willingness to interact with individuals with mental illnesses. Mental health stigma fully mediated the relationships between functional health literacy and aversion to mental health help-seeking and willingness to interact with individuals with mental illnesses. CONCLUSIONS: Results support including health literacy in mental health interventions and reiterate addressing stigma in community and clinical settings. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2022;6(4):e270-e279.] Plain Language Summary: Many adults with mental health problems do not get help because of negative beliefs about mental health. We found that adults with more skills for accessing, understanding, and using health information had fewer negative opinions and were more willing to interact with others with mental health problems. Improving those skills may reduce negative opinions about mental health and seeking help.

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome in a Previously Healthy Child: A Case Report.

Objectives: We describe the case of a healthy boy diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Methods: He was identified after presenting in the emergency department (ED). A review of the 5 previous cases of RCVS complicated with PRES reported in the literature was performed. Results: A 9-year-old boy was brought to the ED for intense, throbbing headache and vomiting. Physical and neurologic examinations were normal. Brain CT and CSF examination were unremarkable, and he was discharged after symptomatic relief. Five days later, he returned to the ED for generalized tonic-clonic seizures that ceased with levetiracetam. MRI with angiography showed PRES. Systolic hypertension refractory to therapy was documented. New-onset fluctuating right-sided paresis and paresthesia appeared, so MRI was repeated, showing diffuse cerebral vasoconstriction suggesting RCVS. Nimodipine was started with complete resolution of symptoms and normalization of blood pressure. Four weeks after discharge, TD and MRI showed total vasospasm resolution. There was no recurrence in 12-month follow-up. Discussion: This case emphasizes the interconnection between RCVS and PRES, highlighting the need to include both as differential diagnoses for severe headache and the essential role of MR angiography in the investigation.

Molecular Dereplication and In Vitro and In Silico Pharmacological Evaluation of Coriandrum sativum against Neuroblastoma Cells.

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic activity of the Coriandrum sativum (C. sativum) ethanolic extract (CSEE) in neuroblastoma cells, chemically characterize the compounds present in the CSEE, and predict the molecular interactions and properties of ADME. Thus, after obtaining the CSEE and performing its chemical characterization through dereplication methods using UPLC/DAD-ESI/HRMS/MS, PM6 methods and the SwissADME drug design platform were used in order to predict molecular interactions and ADME properties. The CSEE was tested for 24 h in neuroblastoma cells to the establishment of the IC50 dose. Then, the cell death was evaluated, using annexin-PI, as well as the activity of the effector caspase 3, and the protein and mRNA levels of Bax and Bcl-2 were analyzed by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. By UHPLC/DAD/HRMS-MS/MS analysis, the CSEE showed a high content of isocoumarins-dihydrocoriandrin, coriandrin, and coriandrones A and B, as well as nitrogenated compounds (adenine, adenosine, and tryptophan). Flavonoids (apigenin, hyperoside, and rutin), phospholipids (PAF C-16 and LysoPC (16:0)), and acylglicerol were also identified in lower amount as important compounds with antioxidant activity. The in silico approach results showed that the compounds 1 to 6, which are found mostly in the C. sativum extract, obey the "Five Rules" of Lipinski, suggesting a good pharmacokinetic activity of these compounds when administered orally. The IC50 dose of CSEE (20 µg/mL) inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell death by the accumulation of cleaved caspase-3 and the externalization of phosphatidylserine. Furthermore, CSEE decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bax, both protein and mRNA levels, suggesting an apoptotic mechanism. CSEE presents cytotoxic effects, promoting cell death. In addition to the promising results predicted through the in silico approach for all compounds, the compound 6 showed the best results in relation to stability due to its GAP value.

Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries' Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming.

Background: Public libraries can contribute to reducing economic, social, and health inequities through their programming and practices. However, the extent to which libraries regularly provide programming that improve the social determinants of health (SDH) in underserved communities is unclear. Objective: This study explored the relationship between census tract demographic characteristics and library programming implicated in the SDH for underserved groups at risk for health disparities. Method: A stratified random sample of libraries (n = 235) who completed the 2017 Public Libraries Survey were recruited. Librarians completed surveys about their libraries' economic, social, and health-related programming. Libraries' census tract demographic characteristics were taken from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey. Linear regressions were estimated to determine the relationship between relevant census tract demographic characteristics and programming offered at libraries in the census tracts. Results: Higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities were associated with more frequent economic and social programs, but results were mixed for health-related programs. Lower proportions of populations with no more than a high school diploma or GED were related to more frequent economic, social, and health-related programs. Conclusions: The inequitable distribution of SDH-related library programming highlights gaps in libraries' responsiveness to community needs. Libraries' programming likely perpetuate systemic inequities.

Does Prior Night's Sleep Impact Next Day's Executive Functioning? It Depends on an Individual's Average Sleep Quality.

Executive functioning (EF) is a series of fundamental goal-directed cognitive abilities that enable effective learning. Differences in daily sleep quality may covary with fluctuations in EF among youth. Most studies linking sleep to EF rely on between-person differences and average effects for the sample. This study employed an intensive longitudinal design and examined the within-person relations between self-reported prior night's sleep quality and next day's EF. Students from Grades 4 to 12 (M age= 14.60, SD = 2.53) completed three behavioral EF tasks repeatedly across approximately one semester. The final analytic sample included 2898 observations embedded in 73 participants. Although, on average, sleep did not significantly covary with EF, there was heterogeneity in within-person sleep-EF relations. Moreover, individuals' average sleep quality moderated within-person effects. For individuals with low mean sleep quality, a better-than-usual sleep quality was linked to better EF performance. However, for individuals with high mean sleep quality, better-than-usual sleep quality was linked to worse EF performance. Understanding person-specific relations between sleep and EF can help educators optimize EF and learning on a daily basis and produce positive academic outcomes across longer time periods.

Dihydropyrimidinones Against Multiresistant Bacteria.

The increase in bacterial resistance to antimicrobials has led to high morbidity and mortality rates, posing a major public health problem, requiring the discovery of novel antimicrobial substances. The biological samples were identified as the Gram-negative bacilli Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Morganella morgannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens and the Gram-positive cocci Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus aureus, all of them resistant to at least three classes of antimicrobials. The antibacterial activity of the compounds was checked in vitro by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) by the broth microdilution method and plating in brain heart infusion (BHI) agar, respectively. The chemical characterization of the compounds was performed by measuring the melting point and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on a Shimadzu GC-MS-QP system 2010SE. Synthetic compounds showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive cocci at MIC concentrations 0.16-80 µg/ml and Gram-negative bacilli at MIC concentrations 23.2-80 µg/ml. Enterococcus faecium and S. aureus had the best MIC values. The results of the cytotoxicity test indicated that the synthetic compounds showed no significant difference in three concentrations tested (5, 20, and 80 µg/ml), allowing cell viability not different from that assigned to the control, without the tested compounds. In this context, the development of DHPM derivatives brings an alternative and perspective on effectiveness of drugs as potential future antimicrobial agents.

Do We Have a Culprit? An Association of Giant Cell Arteritis with Pulmonary Embolism.

Giant cell arteritis is the most common type of systemic vasculitis. An increased risk of venous thromboembolism has been described in these patients. We report the case of a 79-year-old woman with a history of polymyalgia rheumatica, who presented with left thoracic pain radiating to the neck and scapula plus temporal headache. She had no changes on physical examination, but work-up tests showed increased D-dimer levels and computed tomography pulmonary angiography revealed signs of a chronic/subacute embolism in the right inferior lobe. Anticoagulation with edoxaban was started after 5-day bridging with enoxaparin. Three weeks after the initial diagnosis the headache still persisted and she developed scalp tenderness. Giant cell arteritis was diagnosed and treated with prednisolone, with complete resolution of symptoms. Extensive diagnostic work-up was performed to identify an alternative cause of pulmonary thromboembolism; however, the investigations were negative. This case supports the hypothesis that this type of vasculitis could be related to the occurrence of pulmonary embolism. LEARNING POINTS: An increased risk of thromboembolism has been associated with giant cell arteritis.Early diagnosis is crucial; however, the role of antiplatelets or anticoagulants is not yet established.

Distribution of genetically characterized yeasts and its antifungals susceptibility in the hospital environment.

Candida spp. is one of the main pathogens associated with nosocomial infection in Brazil and worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of Candida yeasts in the ICU and their susceptibility to the antifungal agents terbinafine and fluconazole. The samples were collected by swabbing nine surfaces in the ICU of a hospital located in Pelotas, RS. These isolates were genetically characterized by sequencing the internal transcript spacer (ITS) using the primers ITS1 and ITS4. The test against antifungals was performed by Microdilution in Broth (CLSI-M27-A4). 64 yeasts identified as Candida parapsilosis (45.31%; n = 29), Meyerozyma (Pichia) guilliermondii (28.12%; n = 18), Claviceps lusitaneae (25%; n = 16) and Candida tropicalis (1, 56%; n = 1) mostly at the counter used for handling medicines and food distribution (68.75%; n = 44). Susceptibility to antifungals varied between species. These results describe potentially pathogenic Candida species as contaminants in the ICU environment. The study environment is a potential source of exogenous infection for hospitalized patients.

Real-world treatment patterns and disease control over one year in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with a remission-relapsing presentation and symptomatic exacerbations that have detrimental impacts on patient quality of life and are associated with a high cost burden, especially in patients with moderate-to-severe disease. The Real-world Data of Moderate-to-Severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Brazil (RISE BR) study was a noninterventional study designed to evaluate disease control, treatment patterns, disease burden and health-related quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe active IBD. We report findings from the prospective follow-up phase of the RISE BR study in patients with active UC or CD. AIM: To describe the 12-mo disease evolution and treatment patterns among patients with active moderate-to-severe IBD in Brazil. METHODS: This was a prospective, noninterventional study of adult patients with active Crohn's disease (CD: Harvey-Bradshaw Index ≥ 8, CD Activity Index ≥ 220), inadequate CD control (i.e., calprotectin > 200 µg/g or colonoscopy previous results), or active ulcerative colitis (UC: Partial Mayo score ≥ 5). Enrollment occurred in 14 centers from October 2016 to February 2017. The proportion of active IBD patients after 9-12 mo of follow-up, Kaplan-Meier estimates of the time to mild or no activity and a summary of treatment initiation, discontinuation and dose changes were examined. RESULTS: The study included 118 CD and 36 UC patients, with mean ± SD ages of 43.3 ± 12.6 and 44.9 ± 16.5 years, respectively. The most frequent drug classes at index were biologics for CD (62.7%) and 5-aminosalicylate derivates for UC patients (91.7%). During follow-up, 65.3% of CD and 86.1% of UC patients initiated a new treatment at least once. Discontinuations/dose changes occurred in 68.1% of CD patients [median 2.0 (IQR: 2-5)] and 94.3% of UC patients [median 4.0 (IQR: 3-7)]. On average, CD and UC patients had 4.4 ± 2.6 and 5.0 ± 3.3 outpatient visits, respectively. The median time to first mild or no activity was 319 (IQR: 239-358) d for CD and 320 (IQR: 288-358) d for UC patients. At 9-12 mo, 22.0% of CD and 20.0% of UC patients had active disease. CONCLUSION: Although a marked proportion of active IBD patients achieved disease control within one year, the considerable time to achieve this outcome represents an unmet medical need of the current standard of care in a Brazilian real-world setting.

Atherosclerosis and Bone Loss in Humans-Results From Deceased Donors and From Patients Submitted to Carotid Endarterectomy.

Background and Aims: Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis share common risk factors, as well as inflammatory mechanisms. Our aim was to understand how atherosclerotic lesions are related with disturbances in bone. Methods: Gene expression of pro-inflammatory and bone metabolism related proteins (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17A, TNF, RANKL, OPG, COL1, CTSK, OCL, TRAP, CBFA1, DKK1, SOST, ADIPOQ, and ADIPOR1) were analyzed in arteries and bones from 45 deceased donors and adipose tissue was used as control. Additionally, in 139 patients with advanced atherosclerosis submitted to carotid endarterectomy we compared calcium content (Alizarin red) and plaque inflammatory scores (CD3+, CD68+, and adiponectin) of patients with normal bone mineral density (BMD) with those with low BMD and explored the associations between gene expression in atherosclerotic plaques and BMD. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory and bone related proteins were measured both in donors and patients. Associations were investigated by the Pearson or Spearman correlation tests, and multivariate regression analyzes were performed when justified. Results: Gene expression of bone remodeling and pro-inflammatory proteins correlated positively in bone and aorta, independently of age and sex of donors, but not in adipose tissue. The expression of bone formation genes was significantly higher in atheroma plaques from endarterectomized patients with normal vs. low BMD as well as inflammatory CD68+ scores, regardless of patients' age and sex, but not of body mass index. No relationship was observed between serum levels and gene expression levels of pro-inflammatory or bone remodeling proteins. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the relationship between bones and vessels in the context of atherosclerotic disease and osteoporosis may rely on the intrinsic connection between the tissues involved, independently of disease stage. Serum measurements of pro-inflammatory and bone-remodeling proteins do not accurately translate tissue pathologic processes.