CMV and HIV Coinfection in Women from a Region in Eastern Europe.

(1) Background: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most frequent opportunistic infections in immunosuppressed patients. Romania has one of the highest incidences of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which determines an immunosuppressive state. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of CMV infection among women living with HIV in Southeastern Romania and also to evaluate and correlate antiretroviral therapy (ART) with CD4 level and CMV disease evolution. (2) Methods: Seventy women living with HIV from Southeastern Romania were screened for CMV infection using antigen quantification. Of these, 50 were included in the study. First, the patients filled out a questionnaire regarding social conditions and other associated diseases. Then, we explored the statistical correlations between the data and HIV status, CD4+ cell counts, viral load, and antiretroviral therapy (ART). (3) Results: Median age of the patients was 33 years. Twenty-nine cases were diagnosed with HIV after sexual life beginning and 21 before. Most of the patients had a CD4 level over 200 cells/µL. ART duration in the CD4 under 200 cells/µL group was a bit longer than that in the CD4 over 200 cells/µL group. Forty-one patients had undetectable viremia. CD4 average value in the lot of patients with undetectable viremia was 704.71 cells/µL and in the lot with detectable viremia was 452.44 cells/µL. Viremia values correlated negatively with CD4 level. A positive correlation between IgG CMV values and ART therapy length was identified. A negative significant correlation between values of IgG CMV and values of CD4 was identified. CD4 value correlated negatively with IgG CMV values and with CMV avidity. (4) Conclusions: IgG CMV values had a weak positive correlation with ART therapy length, and a negative statistically significant correlation with values of CD4. CMV avidity has a negative correlation with CD4 value.

Tissue and Circulating MicroRNA-31, MicroRNA-200b, and MicroRNA-200c Reflects Disease Activity in Crohn's Disease Patients: Results from the BIOMIR Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: MicroRNAs (miR) have altered expression in multiple autoimmune disorders including inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of the study was to assess the tissue and circulating miR-31, miR-200b, and miR-200c expression levels as potential biomarkers for intestinal disease activity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: The study included 45 patients with histopathological confirmed CD and active disease (defined as fecal calprotectin >50 µg/g and Simple Endoscopic Score (SES) of CD >3), and 21 subjects as controls for the validation cohort. Demographic and clinical data, biomarkers (fecal calprotectin), endoscopy data, the expression levels of miR-31, miR-200b, and miR-200c in tissue and serum were assessed (by RT-PCR). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to assess the miR-31, miR-200b, and miR-200c expression levels as potential biomarkers for active CD. RESULTS: Mean fecal calprotectin was 1540±890 µg/g. Mean SES-CD was 8.9±4.2. Tissue and circulating miR- 31 were significantly correlated with fecal calprotectin (r=0.81, r=0.83, p<0.01) and with SES-CD (r=0.82, r=0.79, p<0.01). The expression level of miR-31 was significantly upregulated in CD tissue cases compared to the control tissue samples (6.24±1.57 vs. 3.70±1.44; p <0.01). Similarly, serum miR-31 expression levels in CD patients were significantly upregulated compared to the control serum samples (0.78±0.42 vs. -2.07±1.00; p<0.01). The expression levels of tissue miR-200b and miR-200c were significantly upregulated in CD tissue cases compared to the control tissue samples (-5.25±0.93 vs. -4.69±0.80, p=0.03 for miR-200b, and -0.86±0.96 vs. 0.39±0.66, p<0.01 for miR-200c). Similarly, serum miR-200b and miR-200c expression levels in CD patients were significantly upregulated compared to the control serum samples (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the expression levels of the selected miRNAs could help to discriminate active CD patients from healthy controls with very good specificity and sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue and circulating miR-31, miR-200b, and miR-200c reflect disease activity in CD patients and can be used as biomarkers for active disease.

Intestinal Permeability and Depression in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Depression is a global health problem that requires an early and accurate diagnosis to ensure quick access to appropriate treatment. Among multiple psychopathological paths, recent attention has focused on analysing the brain-gut-microbiota axis. The intestinal barrier plays a key role, and dysfunctions occurring at this level have implications for mental health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of intestinal permeability biomarkers, i.e., calprotectin, zonulin, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FAB), in relation to depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This is the first study of this kind taking place in Romania, Eastern Europe, with an emphasis on patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The correlations identified between depression and calprotectin and depression and LBP have the potential to shed light on the process of rapid diagnosis of depression with the help of biomarkers. Since depression is correlated with a decrease in the quality of life in patients with IBD, the need for access to appropriate treatments must be urgent.

Changes in Platelet Function in Preterm Newborns with Prematurity Related Morbidities.

Platelet indices represent useful biomarkers to express the thromboembolic status, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in preterm newborns. Our study presented platelet count and function changes in prematurity-related morbidities such as respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular bleeding, and anemia of prematurity in preterm newborn cases reported to healthy full-term newborns by flow cytometry and hematological methods. The platelet volume represents the average size of platelets in the blood samples, showing the significantly increased values in preterm newborns compared with healthy full-term newborns due to increasing activated platelet production. Flow cytometric analysis of immature platelet fractions (IPF) made using thiazole orange staining to detect their mRNA content and a glycoprotein (anti-GPIIIa) antibody for platelet gating. CD61-TO expression from premature newborns was significantly lower compared to healthy full-term neonates. Preterm newborn cases with respiratory distress syndrome and a need for respiratory support (RDS+) were characterized by a significantly increased platelet volume and a decreased immature platelet fraction reported in RDS- cases. Evaluating the platelet function in the newborn is difficult because the laboratory methodologies work with small quantities of newborn blood samples. The immature platelet fractions and platelet volume promise to be diagnostic biomarkers for diseases.

HPV and HIV Coinfection in Women from a Southeast Region of Romania-PICOPIV Study.

Background and Objectives: Romania faces one of the highest cervical cancer burdens in Europe though it is a preventable cancer through population screening by cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) detection. Also, it has one of the highest incidences of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HPV and HIV coinfection are frequently encountered. The aim of study was to establish the prevalence of HPV infection among HIV-positive women in Southeast Region of Romania, to genotype high risk HPV types -and to correlate the results with clinical data and cytological cervical lesions. Materials and Methods: 40 HIV-positive women were screened for HPV types and for cytological cervical lesions. The findings were evaluated in correlation with CD4 cell counts, HIV viral load, age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, vaginal candidiasis, and Gardnerella using statistical methods. Results: 19/40 (47.5%) women were positive for HPV types, 63.15% infected with single HPV type and 36.85% with multiple HPV types. The most frequent types were type: 31 (42.1%), 56 (31.57%), 53 (15.78%). On cytology, 34 (85%) women were found with NILM of which 38.23% were HPV-positive. Fifteen percent of women had abnormal cytology (three ASC-US, three LSIL), and all of them were HPV-positive. Through analyzing the value of CD4 count, women with CD4 count ≤ 200 cells/µL were found to be significantly more likely to be infected with HPV; meanwhile there was no correlation between the detection of HPV types and HIV viral load. Candida or Gardnerella were more often associated with HIV-positive women with HPV, than in women without HPV. Conclusions: Infection with HPV types is common among HIV-positive women in the Southeast Region of Romania and it is associated with age at the beginning of sexual life, number of sexual partners, CD4 value, vaginal candidiasis, and Gardnerella infection.

Thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry approach for characterization of the volatile fraction from amber specimens: a possibility of tracking geological origins.

Research on the chemical composition of fossil resins has evolved during the last decades as a multidisciplinary field and is strongly oriented toward the correlation with their geological and botanical origin. Various extraction procedures and chromatographic techniques have been used together for identifying the volatile compounds contained in the fossil resin matrix. Hyphenation between thermal desorption (TD), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry detection (MS) has been chosen to investigate the volatile compounds fraction from ambers with a focus on Romanite (Romanian amber) and Baltic amber species. A data analysis procedure was developed for the main purpose of fingerprinting ambers based on the MS identity of the peaks generated by the volatile fraction, together with their relative percentual area within the chromatogram. Chromatographic data analysis was based entirely on Automated Mass Spectral Deconvolution &Identification System (AMDIS) software to produce deconvoluted mass spectra which were used to build-up a mixed mass spectra and relative retention scale library. Multivariate data analysis was further applied on AMDIS results with successful discrimination between Romanite and Baltic ambers. A special trial was conducted to generate pyrolysis "like" macromolecular structure breakdown to volatile compounds by gamma irradiation with a high absorbed dose of 500 kGy. Contrary to our expectations the volatile fraction fingerprints were not modified after irradiation experiments. A complementary non-destructive new approach by ESR spectroscopy was also proposed for discriminating between Romanite and Baltic ambers.