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Topic Review
Diagnostic Histological Pitfall of Dedifferentiated Melanoma
Dedifferentiated melanoma is a particular form of malignant melanoma with a progressive worsening of the patient’s clinical outcome.
  • 928
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Primary Sjogren Syndrome
Primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS) is a complex autoimmune disease mainly affecting salivary and lacrimal glands. Several factors contribute to pSS pathogenesis; in particular, innate immunity seems to play a key role in disease etiology. Invariant natural killer (NK) T cells (iNKT) are a T-cell subset able to recognize glycolipid antigens.
  • 927
  • 18 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Evidence-Based Mechanical Ventilatory Strategies in ARDS
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute, severe lung injury that is characterized by inflammatory cascades, hypoxemia, and diffuse lung involvement. Acute respiratory distress syndrome remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients despite advancements in the field. Mechanical ventilatory strategies are a vital component of ARDS management to prevent secondary lung injury and improve patient outcomes. 
  • 923
  • 12 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Hypersensitivity Reactions to Food Additives
Food additives (FAs) are commonly used in prosscessed foods, but hypersensitivity reactions to food additives (HFA) appears to be a rare phenomenon. Identification of the FA responsible for hypersensitivity and its treatment is difficult. Diagnosis is a challenge for the clinician and for the patient. A food diary is a helpful diagnostic tool. It allows diet therapy to be monitored based on the partial or complete elimination of products containing a harmful additive. An elimination diet must not be deficient, and symptomatic pharmacotherapy may be necessary if its application is ineffective.
  • 923
  • 21 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Matrix Metalloproteinase-10
Matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10) is a zinc-dependent endopeptidase with the ability to degrade a broad spectrum of extracellular matrices and other protein substrates. The expression of MMP-10 is induced in acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). During the different stages of kidney injury, MMP-10 may exert distinct functions by cleaving various bioactive substrates including heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and pro-MMP-1, -7, -8, -9, -10, -13. Functionally, MMP-10 is reno-protective in AKI by promoting HB-EGF-mediated tubular repair and regeneration, whereas it aggravates podocyte dysfunction and proteinuria by disrupting glomerular filtration integrity via degrading ZO-1. 
  • 919
  • 04 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Technologies to Assess COVID-19 Specific Antigens
In diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection, the most widely used test is the molecular testing. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most well-known and extensively used molecular analysis. The test relies on nucleic acid amplification and detects unique sequences of SARS-CoV-2. The other type of test, the antigen tests, can detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 without amplifying viral components, but these tests are less sensitive than the molecular ones. Commonly, any negative antigen test is confirmed with a molecular test so that the patient can be declared negative for COVID-19. Both molecular and antigen tests would detect patients in the acute phase of infection.
  • 912
  • 21 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Parasite Druggable Targets of Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is a prevalent disease affecting a wide range of hosts including approximately one-third of the human population. It is caused by the sporozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which instigates a range of symptoms, manifesting as acute and chronic forms and varying from ocular to deleterious congenital or neuro-toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis may cause serious health problems in fetuses, newborns, and immunocompromised patients. Recently, associations between toxoplasmosis and various neuropathies and different types of cancer were documented. In the veterinary sector, toxoplasmosis results in recurring abortions, leading to significant economic losses. Treatment of toxoplasmosis remains intricate and encompasses general antiparasitic and antibacterial drugs. The efficacy of these drugs is hindered by intolerance, side effects, and emergence of parasite resistance. Furthermore, all currently used drugs in the clinic target acute toxoplasmosis, with no or little effect on the chronic form.
  • 912
  • 21 Dec 2021
Topic Review
COVID-19 and Pediatric Asthma
A more robust innate immunity and lower ACE-2 receptors expression underlies a lower severity of COVID-19 in children. Moreover, diverse studies suggest that children with asthma do not appear to be disproportionately more affected by COVID-19. This review address the lower severity of COVID-19 in children and the relationships with asthma, atopy and obesity.
  • 906
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a viral infection transmitted by tick bites. It is often prevalent during spring to summer and is characterized by fever, thrombocytopenia, hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • 905
  • 14 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Omicron
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a great threat to global public health. The original wild-type strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has genetically evolved, and several variants of concern (VOC) have emerged. On 26 November 2021, a new variant named Omicron (B.1.1.529) was designated as the fifth VOC, revealing that SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to go beyond the available therapies. The high number of mutations harboured on the spike protein make Omicron highly transmissible, less responsive to several of the currently used drugs, as well as potentially able to escape immune protection elicited by both vaccines and previous infection. 
  • 902
  • 14 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Diagnosis of Alternaria alternata Allergy and Its Immunotherapy
Fungal allergy is the third most frequent cause of respiratory pathologies and the most related to a poor prognosis of asthma. The genera Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most frequently associated with allergic respiratory diseases, with Alternaria being the one with the highest prevalence of sensitization. Alternaria alternata is an outdoor fungus whose spores disseminate in warm and dry air, reaching peak levels in temperate summers. Alternaria can also be found in damp and insufficiently ventilated houses, causing what is known as sick building syndrome. Thus, exposure to fungal allergens can occur outdoors and indoors. However, not only spores but also fungal fragments contain detectable amounts of allergens and may function as aeroallergenic sources. Allergenic extracts of Alternaria hyphae and spores are still in use for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases but are variable and insufficiently standardised, as they are often a random mixture of allergenic ingredients and casual impurities. Thus, diagnosis of fungal allergy has been difficult, and knowledge about new fungal allergens is stuck. 
  • 901
  • 26 May 2023
Topic Review
Cytomegalovirus Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a double-stranded DNA virus, is an important member of the Herpesviridae family. CMV infection can manifest as asymptomatic, constitutional symptoms or tissue-invasive diseases. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the most commonly involved systems and associated with 30% of tissue-invasive diseases among immunocompetent patients. CMV GI disease is defined on the basis of upper and/or lower GI symptoms, macroscopic mucosal lesions, and CMV documented in tissue by histopathology, virus isolation, rapid culture, immunohistochemistry (IHC), or DNA hybridization techniques. However, IHC staining has a higher sensitivity and specificity than routine HE staining.
  • 900
  • 01 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Rare Disease
The definition of rare disease (RD) varies across the world. There are about 296 definitions from 1109 organizations, most of which are explicitly or implicitly derived from prevalence thresholds. Such definitions are expressed as a fraction, a percentage, or the number of cases per population (whether that be from 10,000 or 100,000 people). Only a few countries consider a broader set of dimensions that are relevant from a healthcare policy perspective, capturing aspects of vulnerability and socioeconomic impact. This is, for example, the case in Thailand, where the RD definition used by the Universal Coverage Scheme is derived from a combination of a number of cases per population and a broader set of qualitative descriptors that include severity (defined by high morbidity and premature death); difficulties accessing adequate diagnosis, screening, treatment, and lifelong treatment; and high economic burdens on the family and society.
  • 900
  • 04 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Phytochemical Content and Pharmacological Potential of M. oleifera
M. oleifera contains several bioactive phytochemicals including flavonoids and isothiocyanates; polyphenols, carotenoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids; and triterpenoids, moringyne, monopalmitic, di-oleic triglyceride, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, avenasterol, and vitamin A. These bioactive phytochemicals are found in M. oleifera roots, fruits, and seeds. These phytochemicals have medicinal properties which have been shown to be effective antioxidant, antimicrobial, inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic agents. More studies are required to explore the role of bioactive phytochemicals specially in kidney diseases. M. oleifera also possesses a variety of pharmacological properties, which are closely associated with the presence of its bioactive compounds. Therefore, in the following section we highlighted the pharmacological potential of M. oleifera. M. oleifera showed pharmacological potential against some plausible factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, and other pathologies responsible for kidney diseases. 
  • 897
  • 04 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions
Drug hypersensitivity reactions are a serious concern in clinical practice because they can be severe and result in lifelong sequelae. An accurate diagnosis and identification of the culprit drug is essential to prevent future reactions as well as for the identification of safe treatment alternatives. 
  • 895
  • 30 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Levodopa/Receptor Ligands in Parkinson’s Disease
Levodopa (LD) is the most effective drug in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, although it represents the “gold standard” of PD therapy, LD can cause side effects, including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms as well as transient elevated liver enzyme levels. Moreover, LD therapy leads to LD-induced dyskinesia (LID), a disabling motor complication that represents a major challenge for the clinical neurologist. Due to the many limitations associated with LD therapeutic use, other dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic receptor drugs, including serotoninergic, gluamatergic and noradrenergic receptor ligands, are being developed to optimize the treatment response.
  • 893
  • 01 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Calcipotriol/Betamethasone Dipropionate in Psoriasis
Preparations containing calcipotriol combined with betamethasone dipropionate (in the forms of ointment, gel, and foam) are available for the topical treatment of psoriasis. It has been documented that foams provide higher bioavailability, resulting in increased efficacy in plaque psoriasis compared to ointments and gels. Gels or foams are preferred by patients for their different practical qualities (e.g., gels for “easy application”, and foams for “immediate relief”). The available data indicate that ointments may be the most effective formulation in nail psoriasis, and gels are preferred by patients with scalp psoriasis because of their cosmetic features. Treatment with a foam formulation is associated with a lower number of medical appointments compared to treatment with an ointment and with a lower probability of developing indications for systemic treatment. The safety profiles of foams, ointments, and gels are comparable, with the most common adverse effect being pruritus at the application site (in 5.8% of the patients). A long-term proactive maintenance therapy markedly reduces the number of relapses and is likely to close the gap between topical and systemic treatment in psoriasis.
  • 892
  • 14 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Zinc Supplementation in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases
Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, and those receiving long-term proton pump inhibitor treatments are particularly susceptible to zinc deficiency (ZD). ZD in children with celiac disease and IBD is attributed to insufficient intake, reduced absorption, and increased intestinal loss as a result of the inflammatory process. Zinc plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the gastric mucosa and exerts a gastroprotective action against gastric lesions. 
  • 889
  • 26 Sep 2023
Topic Review Video
Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Adverse Effects
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is currently the primary treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, and some studies have shown that the use of anti-androgen drugs is related to a reduction in cognitive function, mood changes, diminished quality of life, dementia, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease. ADT has potential physiological effects such as a reduction in white matter integrity and a negative impact on hypothalamic functions due to the lowering of testosterone levels or the blockade of downstream androgen receptor signaling by first- and second-generation anti-androgen drugs.
  • 887
  • 09 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Cell Adhesion and Migration in Regenerative Medicine
Cell adhesion and migration is essential for cell survival, communication, and regulation, and it is of fundamental importance in the development and maintenance of tissues. Cell adhesion has been widely explored due to its many important roles in the fields of tissue regenerative engineering and cell biology. With this in mind, researchers are employing novel strategies to harness the utility of cell adhesion—including the use of small molecules to promote adhesion and migration for improved tissue regeneration.
  • 884
  • 05 Oct 2023
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