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Biomarkers 2020 Jul 12:1-8. Epub 2020 Jul 12.

Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Purpose: Prevalence of skin cancer is rapidly increasing. There is a need for non-invasive biomarkers to assess efficacy of prevention strategies aiming at reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Recently, stratum corneum (SC) biomarkers were applied in various inflammatory skin diseases. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 10:1-18. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Purpose: To validate the IABP-SHOCK II risk score in a Danish cohort and assess the association between the risk score and admission concentration of biomarkers reflecting neurohormonal- (Copeptin, Pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP), Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MRproADM)) and inflammatory (ST2) activation in patients with CS complicating ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: A total of 137 consecutive patients admitted with STEMI and CS at two tertiary heart centres were stratified according to the IABP-SHOCK II risk score (0-2;3/4;5-9), and had blood sampled upon admission. Plasma concentrations of Copeptin (median (pmol/L) score 0-2: 313; score 3/4: 682; score 5-9: 632 p < 0. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 9:1-22. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib-140406, Punjab, India.

Pesticide-induced DNA damage is primarily repaired by base excision repair (BER) pathway. However, polymorphism in DNA repair genes may modulate individual's DNA repair capacity (DRC) leading to increased genotoxicity and adverse health effects. Our first study in North-West Indian population aimed to evaluate the impact of rs1052133 (Ser326Cys; C1245G), rs1799782 (Arg194Trp; C26304T) and rs25487 (Arg399Gln; G28152A) polymorphisms on the modulation of pesticide-induced DNA damage in a total of 450 subjects (225 pesticide-exposed agricultural workers and 225 age- and sex-matched controls). Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 12:1-7. Epub 2020 Jul 12.

Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Purpose: To evaluate the genotoxic effects of gold jewellery fumes and its association with GSTM1 and GSTT1 genetic polymorphisms.

Materials And Methods: We examined 94 subjects including 54 gold jewellery workers and 40 controls. The DNA damage was evaluated by alkaline comet assay and genotyping by PCR. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 4:1-11. Epub 2020 Jul 4.

Department of Intensive Care, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Objective: Despite wide interest in glycocalyx biomarkers, their values in healthy individuals, patients after abdominal surgery, and septic patients have been poorly understood.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL and EMBASE for papers measured glycocalyx biomarkers in healthy individuals, patients after abdominal surgery and septic patients.

Results: We extracted 3948 titles and identified 58 eligible papers. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 28:1-6. Epub 2020 Jun 28.

Zietchick Research Institute (ZRI), Plymouth, MI, USA.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially serious eye disorder affecting very preterm infants. Non-proliferative ROP (NP-ROP), also known as Early Stage ROP, is characterized by deficient retinal angiogenesis. Proliferative ROP (P-ROP), also known as Late Stage ROP, is characterized by pathologic angiogenesis. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 18;25(5):402-409. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Department of Cardiology, Joan XXIII University Hospital, Tarragona, Spain.

The aim of our study was to analyse the long-term prognostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We included 340 patients with an ACS who underwent coronary angiography and plasma suPAR concentration was measured. Patients were classified into low suPAR concentrations (<2. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 28:1-9. Epub 2020 Jun 28.

Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.

The aim was to investigate the systemic levels of cytokines and the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR2 in circulating neutrophils in patients with non-neoplastic ovarian lesions, benign neoplasia or malignant neoplasia. Controls and patients with ovarian tumours were pre-operatively compared for the production of cytokines (IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α) by ELISA, and for the expression of the chemokine receptor, CXCR2, in neutrophils, by flow cytometry. Randomly selected patients within the malignant group were re-evaluated for the inflammatory parameters at 30 days after surgery. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 12;25(5):397-401. Epub 2020 Jun 12.

Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

Neovascularization in the retina and hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress are implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). In this study, we hypothesized that the plasma angiogenic and oxidative stress markers associated with these derangements could aid in the screening of diabetic patients who are at an increased risk of developing retinopathy. This study included normal ( = 148), type2 diabetes without retinopathy (DNR;  = 148), proliferative DR (PDR;  = 74) and non-PDR (NPDR;  = 148) subjects. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 20;25(5):417-424. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

Laboratório de Biomarcadores, Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

This study investigated the effects of polar fruit extract on metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters in rats submitted to a hyperlipidaemia condition induced by tyloxapol. Animals were divided into 3 groups: saline, saline plus tyloxapol, and extract plus tyloxapol. Animals were treated for 15 days with a saline solution or fruit extract and after hyperlipidaemia was induced by tyloxapol. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 24;25(5):410-416. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Department of Pediatrics, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.

This study investigated the systemic response of serum bone alkaline phosphatase (SBAP) and urinary N-telopeptide (UNTX) to tobacco exposure and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and the possible effect modification (and variability) of this response by racial/ethnic origin. Data (n=5411) were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with data analysis done on adults aged ≥ 20years. Outcome variables were SBAP and UNTX. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 19;25(5):375-383. Epub 2020 Jun 19.

Medical Research, California Institute of Behavioural Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, CA, USA.

Acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery is a dreaded complication contributing to early mortality. Diagnosing AKI using serum creatinine usually results in a delay. To combat this, certain kidney damage specific biomarkers were investigated to identify if they can serve as early predictors of cardiac surgery-associated AKI (CSA-AKI). Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 1;25(5):384-390. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the methylation status of TNF-α and SOCS3 promoters in patients with BD and compare them with a healthy group. This was a case-control study, in which 47 subjects with BD and 61 individuals as the control participated. Blood samples were collected from all the participants. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 20;25(5):367-374. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

Department of Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China.

Folate receptor alpha (FOLR1), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked protein, is a well characterized folate transporter. However, the prognostic power of FOLR1 in cancer remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic roles of FOLR1 on different cancers. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jul 1;25(5):391-396. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.

We previously demonstrated that plasma levels of F-actin and Thymosin Beta 4 differs among patients with septic shock, non-infectious systemic inflammatory syndrome and healthy controls and may serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of sepsis. The current study aims to determine if these proteins are associated with or predictive of illness severity in patients at risk for sepsis in the Emergency Department (ED). Prospective, biomarker study enrolling patients (>18 years) who met the Shock Precautions on Triage Sepsis rule placing them at-risk for sepsis. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 4;25(4):341-348. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.

Population means of conventional cardiovascular biomarkers are known to differ between ethnic groups. In this study we performed detailed comparisons in the temporal pattern of these biomarkers between Caucasian and Chinese diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We studied differences in temporal changes of established cardiovascular biomarkers, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, cardiac Troponin T (TnT), NT-proBNP and C-reactive protein (CRP), in 48 Chinese and 48 clinically matched Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were admitted for ACS. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 14;25(4):360-366. Epub 2020 May 14.

Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

To assess the role of ascitic endocan levels in the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in decompensated cirrhosis. Ascites samples, as well as demographic and laboratory data, were collected at admission from patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Ascitic endocan, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured by ELISA. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 14;25(4):322-330. Epub 2020 May 14.

Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University and Uppsala Clinical Research Center, Uppsala University, Sweden.

The Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) has highlighted the different pathophysiological mechanisms that may lead to ischaemic and non-ischaemic myocardial injury and has emphasised that the diagnosis of myocardial infarction requires the presence of acute myocardial ischaemia in the setting of acute myocardial injury. This case based review intends to illustrate basic principles on how to apply this new, revised definition in clinical practice. The distinction between different types of MIs (type 1 or type 2) and the delineation of MI from acute non-ischaemic myocardial injury may be challenging in individual patients, which is illustrated by presenting and discussing real-life routine cases. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 7;25(4):349-359. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Therapeutic Chemistry, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

Stomach ulcer is one of the most prevalent disorders worldwide. The study was aimed to isolate and characterize the major polymethoxylated flavonoids in peels petroleum ether extract and investigate its protective and curative effect on gastric ulcer. Some spectral analyses were used for identification of the isolated compounds from the petroleum ether extract of peels. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 17;25(3):296-304. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Anesthesia, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.

For many biomarkers in cardiac surgery, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the normal dynamics of plasma levels during the perioperative course. The aim of this study was to investigate the perioperative dynamics of MR-proADM, MR-proANP, hs-CRP and sP-selectin in cardiac surgery. A prospective observational pilot study with 20 patients scheduled for open cardiac surgery procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 14;25(3):305-313. Epub 2020 Apr 14.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is associated with future stroke. Although pathological alteration in small vessels of patients with CSVD can be detected by neuroimaging, diagnosis of CSVD is delayed because it is an asymptomatic disease. The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP) show similar pathological features to human CSVD and develop stroke-related symptoms with advancing age. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 30;25(4):331-340. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Biomedical Oncology Laboratory, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico.

Ifosfamide (IFA) is an effective antineoplastic for solid tumours in children, although it is associated with high levels of systemic toxicity and causes death in some cases. The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of certain allelic variants of genes , , and increases the risk of toxicity in children with solid tumours treated with ifosfamide. A total of 131 DNA samples were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using TaqMan probes. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Jun 16;25(4):315-321. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

Hellenic Society of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Athens, Greece.

Prognostication after cardiac arrest (CA) represents a challenging issue, and several biomarkers have been proposed in the attempt to predict outcome. Among these, F2-isoprostanes stand out as potential biomarkers for early prognostication, providing information on the magnitude of global oxidative injury after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). We performed a topical review searching PubMed and Scopus databases to identify studies evaluating the modifications of F2-isoprostanes in the early period after CA, and a meta-analysis of studies providing curves of F2-isoprostanes plasma levels seeking to describe the biomarker's kinetics after CA. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 04 10. Epub 2020 Apr 10.

Biomarkers 2020 04 7. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Biomarkers 2020 04 7. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Biomarkers 2020 May 5;25(3):290-295. Epub 2020 Apr 5.

Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

This study assessed the utility of SPARC-like protein 1 (SPARCL1) as a biomarker of maladaptive right ventricular (RV) function in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). In this prospective study, we examined SPARCL1 levels in 105 patients with adaptive ( = 34) and maladaptive RV ( = 32) pressure overload caused by PH, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM,  = 18) with LVEF < 35% and preserved RV function and controls without LV or RV abnormalities ( = 21). The median SPARCL1 concentration in patients with maladaptive RV function was higher than in those with adaptive RV function ( < 0. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 6;25(3):260-267. Epub 2020 Mar 6.

Clinical Medical College of Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.

The number of patients suffering from coronary heart disease with cancer is rising. There is scarce evidence concerning the biomarkers related to prognosis among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with cancer. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and prognosis in this population. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 4;25(3):248-259. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.

Amino-terminal-pro-B-type-natriuretic-peptide (NT-proBNP) is a diagnostic biomarker for heart failure (HF), but plasma concentrations are influenced by numerous factors. Mid-regional-pro-atrial-natriuretic-peptide (MR-proANP) have comparable diagnostic value in acute HF. However, data are lacking in the non-acute setting. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 12;25(3):281-289. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

The kidney plays a central role in detoxification and excretion of toxic metabolites, and therefore, is susceptible to toxicity by xenobiotics. To investigate the protective effect of (rosemary) powder and its essential (volatile) oil against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced renal injury in rats. Phenolic and flavonoid components were characterised in rosemary powder using HPLC-UV instrument while rosemary essential oil (E. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 11;25(3):228-234. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Department of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.

This study aims to review the alteration of plasma nesfatin-1 levels in patients with depression. Under the guidance of the latest PRISMA checklist, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching English database (PubMed, Web of Science, EMDASE) and Chinese database for relevant studies up to August, 2019. Pooled standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated with the random effects model. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 12;25(3):213-227. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia.

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) are prevalent and can result in significant debilitation. Current diagnostic methods have implicit limitations, with clinical assessment tools reliant on subjective self-reported symptoms or non-specific clinical observations, and commonly available imaging techniques lacking sufficient sensitivity to detect mTBI. A blood biomarker would provide a readily accessible detector of mTBI to meet the current measurement gap. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 2;25(3):268-273. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

To assess the prognostic significance of the nuclear receptor binding SET protein 2 (NSD2), a co-activator of the NFkB-pathway, on tumour progression in patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). We retrospectively assessed NSD2 expression in 53 patients with metastatic and castration-resistant PCa. Immunohistochemical staining for NSD2 was carried out on specimen obtained from palliative resection of the prostate. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 2;25(3):274-280. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Department of Biochemistry, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.

To examine thiol-disulphide homeostasis auto painters. A total of 115 male workers, including 60 auto painters workers and 55 reference group, of the painting and assembly line units respectively, were included in the study. Thiol-disulphide parameters and ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) of groups were determined. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 27;25(3):235-240. Epub 2020 Feb 27.

Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Centre (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The aim of this study was to study temporal changes in metabolite profiles in patients with post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in particular prior to the development of recurrent ACS (reACS). BIOMArCS (BIOMarker study to identify the Acute risk of a Coronary Syndrome) is a prospective study including patients admitted for ACS, who underwent high-frequency blood sampling during 1-year follow-up. Within BIOMArCS, we performed a nested case-cohort analysis of 158 patients (28 cases of reACS). Read More

Biomarkers 2020 May 27;25(3):241-247. Epub 2020 Feb 27.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.

In recent years, increasing studies found that pre-treatment red blood cell distribution width (RDW) could predict clinical outcomes in various cancers. However, the prognostic value of pre-treatment RDW in lung cancer was inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to determine prognostic value of pre-treatment RDW in lung cancer. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 16;25(2):201-211. Epub 2020 Feb 16.

CHRU de Nancy, F-CRIN INI-CRCT (Cardiovascular and Renal Clinical Trialists), INSERM U1116, Centre d'Investigation Clinique et Plurithématique 1433, INSERM, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome for which clear evidence of effective therapies is lacking. Understanding which factors determine this heterogeneity may be helped by better phenotyping. An unsupervised statistical approach applied to a large set of biomarkers may identify distinct HFpEF phenotypes. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 13;25(2):194-200. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Department of Nephrology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.

We examined the relationship between autoantibodies to erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) and renal outcome in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). Sixty-three Japanese patients with AAV were enrolled and followed for a median of 31.4 months. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 10;25(2):112-125. Epub 2020 Feb 10.

Intensive Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.

In medical intensive care units, acute intoxications contribute to a large proportion of all patients. Epidemiology and a basic overview on this topic were presented in part one. The purpose of this second part regarding toxicological biomarkers in the ICU setting focuses on specific poisons and toxins. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 13;25(2):186-193. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

It is suggested that tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) could be used to predict the stage of pancreatic cancer. However, optimal cut-off values for CEA and CA19-9 are disputable. This study aimed to assess the value of CEA and CA19-9 serum levels at diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as predictors for the advanced stage of PDAC in patients discussed at pancreatic multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 6;25(2):179-185. Epub 2020 Feb 6.

Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

The aim of the study was to assess the exposure to Cobalt (Co) and Tungsten (W) in a group of hard metal tool sharpeners through a combined approach of air and biological monitoring, and to evaluate the effectiveness of a control and improvement intervention carried out in collaboration with the medical officers of the local Health Protection Agency, by biomonitoring. We enrolled 132 workers from 17 companies of the province of Brescia, northern Italy. The study was performed in two phases: (1) an environmental and biomonitoring survey to assess the workers' exposure to Co and W at their usual working conditions; (2) a further biomonitoring survey 3 months after the enforcement of a control and improvement intervention, to assess its effectiveness. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 29;25(2):101-111. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité - Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany.

Metabolomic analysis aids in the identification of novel biomarkers by revealing the metabolic dysregulations underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) aetiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate which metabolic biomarkers could add value for the prognosis of CVD events using meta-analysis. The PRISMA guideline was followed for the systematic review. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 27;25(2):149-156. Epub 2020 Jan 27.

Chengdu Cancer Bioengineering Research Institute, Chengdu, PR China.

We previously reported a novel tumour associated antigen (TTA) with molecular weight around 48 kDa and identified the novel TTA as a fragment derived from human DNA-topoiomerase I (TOP1). We termed the novel TAA as TOPO48 and termed autoantibody against the TAA as anti-TOPO48 autoantibody. To explore the clinical significance of anti-TOPO48 autoantibody in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 24;25(2):164-170. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between elevated cardiac troponin pre-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and long-term all-cause mortality. Prospective studies with the endpoint of all-cause mortality were included. We primarily used the fixed-effect model weighted by inverse variance. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 24;25(2):171-178. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Given the challenge in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis (BM), we assessed different cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of antibiotics pre-treated patients. Laboratory tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed for 480 CSF samples from children (2 m to 14 y), suspicious to meningitis and pre-treated with antibiotics, to detect bacterial and viral aetiologies. Sixty-one CSF were included and the levels of 13 cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured using flow-cytometry. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 20;25(2):144-148. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Few studies have investigated haem oxygenase-1 gene (HMOX1) promoter polymorphism in microvascular angina (MVA). HMOX1 promoter (GT) repeats were examined in healthy controls ( = 220) and MVA subjects ( = 181). The distribution of genotype of SS, SL and LL were significantly different in MVA (17%, 51%, 33%) vs. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 21;25(2):157-163. Epub 2020 Jan 21.

Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratory, 96601 Army Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Huangshan, China.

Previous studies have demonstrated the diagnostic value of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) to distinguish malignant mesothelioma (MM) from reactive mesothelial cells (RMC), but the results are inconsistent. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of GLUT-1 in distinguishing MM from RMC. A systematical search was conducted until May 2019 in PubMed, Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 9;25(2):131-136. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.

: Transpulmonary biomarkers may provide insight into pulmonary hypertension (PH) pathophysiology, but require cardiac catheterization. We investigated whether the peripheral arterial-venous ratio (PR) could substitute for the transpulmonary ratio (TPR). Blood from the pulmonary artery (PA), pulmonary arterial wedge (PAW), peripheral venous, and peripheral arterial positions was analysed for ET-1, NT-pro-BNP and cAMP levels in subjects with no PH ( = 18) and PH due to left heart disease (PH-LHD), which included combined pre- and post-capillary PH (Cpc-PH;  = 7) and isolated post-capillary PH (Ipc-PH;  = 9). Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 8;25(2):137-143. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

The Heart Centre, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a syndrome of acute non-coronary heart failure with similar symptoms and electrocardiograms to acute anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Little is known about the pathophysiology of TTC. We assessed admission plasma concentrations of biomarkers reflecting neuroendocrine response (copeptin, mid-regional-pro-adrenomedullin, pro-atrial-natriuretic-peptide, soluble thrombomodulin (sTM), syndecan-1) and inflammation (suppression-of-tumorigenicity 2 (ST2), high-sensitive C-reactive-protein) in TTC patients and compared to patients with acute anterior STEMI. Read More

Biomarkers 2020 Mar 26;25(2):126-130. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Department of Health Services Management and Policy, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.

This study aimed to examine the association of smoking status with homocysteine levels and to determine whether the association is modified by oestradiol or cholesterol. Data ( = 4580) were obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 with analysis done in 2018 on adults aged ≥20 years. The outcome was homocysteine; smoking status was the exposure variable and categorized as current, former or never smoker. Read More