Inflammatory biomarkers are correlated with thrombus burden in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory biomarkers play a significant role in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are related to thrombotic conditions and indicators of systemic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between inflammatory biomarkers and the extent of thrombus, determined by the CVST-Score. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with CVST (24 female subjects; 60%) and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were retrospectively evaluated. Inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), PLR, NLR, MLR, and the CVST-Score, were recorded to assess the relationship between biomarkers and thrombus burden. The patients were grouped according to symptom duration (group 1: 0-3 days; group 2: 4-7 days; and group 3: 8-30 days) to compare biomarker levels. RESULTS: The CRP, NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in the CVST group (p < 0.001; p = 0.003; p = 0.014 respectively). The NLR and PLR presented a significant positive correlation with the CVST-Score (p = 0.003, r = 0.464; p = 0.040, r = 0.326 respectively). The NLR was significantly higher in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.016 and p = 0.014 respectively). In group 1, there was a stronger positive correlation between the CVST-Score and the NLR (p = 0.026, r = 0.591) and the PLR (p = 0.012, r = 0.648). The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the NLR is a key factor in predicting the CVST-Score (p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: The NLR and PLR are associated with thrombus burden in CVST, especially in patients admitted to the hospital in the early stages. The NLR is an independent factor to predict the thrombus burden in CVST.

ANTECEDENTES: Há evidências crescentes de que biomarcadores inflamatórios desempenham um papel importante na trombose venosa cerebral (TVC). A razão neutrófilo-linfócito (NLR), a razão plaqueta-linfócito (PLR) e a razão monócito-linfócito (MLR) estão relacionadas a condições trombóticas e são indicadores de inflamação sistêmica. OBJETIVO: Analisar a correlação entre NLR, PLR, MLR e a extensão do trombo, determinada pelo escore de TVC. MéTODOS: Avaliamos retrospectivamente 40 pacientes com TVC (24 mulheres; 60%) e 40 controles pareados por idade e sexo. Biomarcadores inflamatórios, incluindo proteína C reativa (PCR), PLR, NLR, MLR e escore de TVC, foram registrados para avaliar a relação entre biomarcadores e carga trombótica. Os pacientes foram agrupados de acordo com a duração dos sintomas (grupo 1: 0­3 dias; grupo 2: 4­7 dias; e grupo 3: 8­30 dias) para a comparação dos níveis de biomarcadores. RESULTADOS: A PCR, a NLR e a PLR foram significativamente maiores no grupo com TVC (p < 0,001; p = 0,003; e p = 0,014, respectivamente). A NLR e a PLR apresentaram correlação positiva significativa com o escore de TVC (p = 0,003, r = 0,464; e p = 0,040, r = 0,326, respectivamente). A NLR foi significativamente maior no grupo 1 em comparação aos grupos 2 e 3 (p = 0,016 e p = 0,014, respectivamente). No grupo 1, houve correlação mais forte entre o escore de TVC e a NLR (p = 0,026, r = 0,591) e a PLR (p = 0,012, r = 0,648). A análise de regressão linear múltipla identificou a NLR como fator-chave na predição do escore de TVC (p = 0,019). CONCLUSãO: A NLR e a PLR estão associadas à carga trombótica na TVC, especialmente em pacientes admitidos precocemente, e a RNL é um fator independente na previsão da carga trombótica.

Investigating the diagnostic potential of IL-1ß, IL-10, and IL-36γ in gingival crevicular fluid in patients with different periodontal conditions.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to analyze cytokine levels, including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-10, and IL-36γ, to investigate the link between pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in periodontal conditions and assess their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for distinguishing between different types of periodontal conditions. METHODS: 80 systemically healthy non-smokers (25 periodontally healthy, 25 with gingivitis, 30 with periodontitis) were included. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were obtained. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to determine the diagnostic value of cytokines. RESULTS: IL-36γ had the highest sensitivity for diagnosing periodontitis, although its specificity for identifying those without periodontitis was relatively low. The combination of IL-1ß and IL-36γ was the most effective in differentiating periodontitis from periodontal health. IL-10 was found to be an acceptable discriminator for distinguishing gingivitis from healthy conditions. However, its sensitivity and specificity for identifying gingivitis were lower. The combination of the three cytokines showed the highest ability to distinguish between periodontitis and gingivitis. CONCLUSION: The levels of IL-1ß, IL-10, and IL-36γ in GCF may provide insights into periodontal health and disease status. Further studies are needed to validate these results and explore the potential of these cytokines in periodontal disease management.

All three of these cytokines exhibit exceptional diagnostic accuracy, particularly in distinguishing between chronic periodontitis and periodontal health.Moreover, the combination of IL-1ß and IL-36γ stands out as the most accurate diagnostic indicator for periodontitis. This combination could serve as a robust biomarker panel for the early detection and monitoring of periodontal disease, potentially allowing for timely interventions to prevent disease progression.

An adaptive categorical effect size method based on intuitionistic meta fuzzy functions.

There are several categorical effect size methods in the literature. It is not clear which method performs better for a given dataset and it is a challenging task to select the correct method for a given dataset. In this sense, to overcome the questions like "Which method should we choose?" and "Which categorical effect size method is more reliable for a given dataset?", an adaptive categorical effect size method based on intuitionistic meta fuzzy functions is introduced in the paper. Thus, the main motivation of the proposed method is to obtain more accurate outcomes by combining the results of better performing methods instead of relying on only one method. In the study, the intuitionistic fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm is adapted to meta fuzzy functions by incorporating not only membership degrees but also non-membership degrees to improve the clustering accuracy of meta fuzzy functions. Meta fuzzy functions are the linear combination of seven categorical effect size methods and the weights, which are calculated from membership grades from intuitionistic fuzzy c-means algorithm. Among the functions, the one with the lowest mean absolute percentage error is selected as the best. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, 2 × 3, 2 × 4, and 3 × 4 contingency tables were simulated. Additionally, the performance of the proposed method is also assessed by applying it to a real-time dataset. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms compared to the evaluated seven categorical effect size methods in terms of mean absolute percentage error. Also, the calculated effect sizes are within the range of ±10% in terms of bias. Thus, the results verified that proposed method achieves greater reliability.

A Comparison Study of Nutritional Assessment, Diet and Physical Activity Habits, Lifestyle and Socio-Demographic Characteristics in Individuals with and without Dizziness/Vertigo.

Dizziness and vertigo are growing health problems and have become responsible for increases in health expenditures. In this context, a case-control study has been conducted by nutritional assessment, including dietary and physical activity habits, lifestyle, and socio-demographic characteristics in adults with (patient group) and without (control group) dizziness or vertigo, and the outcomes were compared between these groups. The patient (n = 150) and control (n = 150) groups included 300 participants. The 24-h Dietary Recall and the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-21) were conducted in order to gain detailed information about foods and beverages consumed by the participants. Additionally, a questionnaire was completed, assessing general socio-demographic (age, gender, etc.) and lifestyle (smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity) characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and dietary and physical activity habits. The results revealed that there is an association between dizziness/vertigo and female gender and increasing age. Smoking status and alcohol consumption did not differ between the groups, whereas differences in body mass index and obesity were significantly higher in the patient group (65%; n = 98) than the control group (46%; n = 69) (p = 0.001). Skipping meals "everyday" was significantly high (p = 0.044), and lunch was the most skipped meal in the patient group. The three most preferred cooking methods were oven baking, boiling, and frying for both groups. Daily water intake in the patient group was lower than in the control group (p = 0.026). Dietary intake for carotene and vitamin K were significantly lower in the patient group than the control group, but the opposite was true for vitamin D intake (p < 0.05). Daily consumption of bread and dairy products were highest in the patient group (p < 0.05). The physical activity rate was 35% (n = 53) in the control group and 28% (n = 42) in the patient group. Regular walking was the most preferred activity in both groups (p = 0.037). Active monitoring of individual diet and hydration along with supporting professional counseling are advisable. In addition, a healthy lifestyle including weight control and regular physical activity can be helpful to reduce symptoms of dizziness/vertigo.

Comparison of Survival and Retention Rates between Infliximab and Adalimumab for Psoriasis: 10-Year Experience at a Single Tertiary Center.

BACKGROUND: Ten-year survival and retention rate data on biologics are extremely limited, and there is a need to evaluate these metrics based on real-world data as well as on the results of clinical studies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the long-term survival rates of adalimumab and infliximab in real-life practice. METHODS: This study is based on data from the Turkish Psoriasis Registry and the digital records of the Medical School of Bezmialem Vakif University. Baseline data including demographic characteristics, duration of treatment, use of combination treatments, modified regimens, and reasons for treatment termination were extracted. RESULTS: In total, 404 patients (228 on adalimumab and 176 on infliximab) treated between July 1, 2005, and December 31, 2020, were identified. The retention rate was 7.4% for infliximab and 3.5% for adalimumab after 10 years (p = 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of infliximab and adalimumab diminishes over time. There were no significant differences in the retention rate between the two drugs, but the survival time was longer for infliximab according to Kaplan-Meier analysis.