Migraine without Aura and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Young Females: Is Gut Microbiota to Blame?

Background and Objectives: Migraine with aura (MA) could be considered a risk factor for developing atherosclerosis and cardio-vascular events. However, less is known about the relation between migraine without aura (MWA) and atherosclerosis. Our study aimed to assess whether young female migraineurs, with alterations of gut microbiota could associate early atherosclerosis. Materials and Methods: We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional, pilot study concerning 105 consecutive young females having MWA, with recent normal brain scans, that were free of cardio-vascular risk factors, non-smokers, not on oral contraception, not pregnant, and without thyroid or parathyroid diseases, chronic organ failure, cancer, or on probiotic or antibiotic treatment. Consecutive to assessment of gut microbiota, patients were assigned to two groups: dysbiosis positive (n = 45) and dysbiosis negative (n = 60). All study participants underwent clinical examinations with an assessment of migraine severity, body mass index and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), as well as laboratory workups. Statistical analysis was performed using a chi-squared test (χ2), a two-tailed t-test and a nonparametric Spearman's correlation test. Results: The dysbiosis positive migraineurs showed a significant increase in CIMT along with several anthropometrical, biological and clinical particularities. Significant positive correlations between dysbiosis and CIMT, glycosylated hemoglobin, migraine severity and duration, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and body mass index were found. Conclusions: Young female migraineurs with significant alterations of gut microbiota experienced early signs of atherosclerosis and displayed severe migraine disability, as well as multiple biological and clinical particularities.

VEGF and CD105 immunoexpression in squamous cervical carcinomas and associated precancerous lesions.

In this study, we analyzed the VEGF and CD105 immunoexpression in 24 cervical squamous cell carcinomas and CIN associated lesions with different degrees. For both lesions, MVD values were higher in patients who had associated risk factors. VEGF and MVD expression increased in both categories for high-grade lesions, respectively CIN III lesions compared with CIN I/II and poorly differentiated carcinomas compared with well-differentiated ones. Also, there was a statistically significant association between VEGF and MVD in poorly differentiated carcinoma and CIN III. The study indicated that analyzed markers were specific for both early and advanced stages of cervical angiogenesis. Maximum values of VEGF and MVD in CIN III designate this lesion as critical to the progression of neoplasia.

The utility of p16, E-cadherin and Ki67 in cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions diagnosis.

In this study, we included 26 cases diagnosed as squamous intraepithelial lesions, which were examined histopathologically, and in terms of p16, E-cadherin and Ki67 immunoexpression. In low-grade lesions, p16 expression was limited to one third below the epithelium, E-cadherin has a membranous pattern and Ki67 proliferation index had low values. In high-grade lesions, the p16 diffuse stain was present in two thirds or all epithelium layers, E-cadherin expression became aberrant, with membranous and cytoplasmic pattern and Ki67 proliferation index was high. These biomarkers have proven useful to accurately assess the extent of lesions and to identify lesions with high risk of progression.

Cytological and histopathological aspects concerning preinvasive squamous cervical lesions.

Our study was carried out on a total number of 158 patients, with a mean age of 32, all tested and identified cytologically (Pap-test) as presenting minor cellular abnormalities, respectively ASCUS (10) and LSIL (119), and major cellular abnormalities, respectively SIL-borderline (8) and HSIL (21), and who, either voluntarily or upon cytopathologists' recommendation, were colposcopically examined. Subsequently, they were subjected to cervical biopsy or excision therapy. In patients with ASCUS cytology, 6 cases were morphologically diagnosed with benign cervical lesions, 3 were diagnosed with LSIL, and one patient was diagnosed as HSIL (CIN 2). Out of 119 LSIL smears 108 were confirmed by histopathology, while 11 were diagnosed as HSIL (CIN 2). In SIL-borderline patients, 5 cases were screened as LSIL and 3 as HSIL. In patients with HSIL cytology, 18 were diagnosed histopathologically as HSIL (CIN 2 and CIN 3/CIS), while 3 were diagnosed as invasive squamous carcinoma.