Predicting accelerated fetal growth in pregnancy: beyond maternal hyperglycemia - The role of prothymosin-α, inflammatory cytokines, and angiogenic factors.

: This study investigates prothymosin-α (ProT-α), an immunomodulatory protein, as a potential biomarker for insulin resistance in gestational diabetes (GDM), and as a predictor of fetal growth by 20 weeks of gestation (wg). : Forty-six women with singleton pregnancies were classified into GDM (n = 8) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 38) groups based on 75 g OGTT results. Maternal glucose, insulin, cytokines, and ProT-α levels were measured, and fetal growth was assessed by ultrasound at 20 wg, focusing on abdominal circumference (AC) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) percentiles.

Short-term therapeutic effectiveness of tezepelumab in patients with severe asthma: A real-world study.

Background: Tezepelumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), thus effectively inhibiting its pleiotropic pathogenic actions. Tezepelumab has been licensed for add-on biologic therapy of severe asthma, regardless of biomarker levels or phenotype expression.

Objective: The aim of this real-life, retrospective, single-centre investigation has been to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of tezepelumab in different phenotypes of severe asthma.

Circulating Thrombospondin-1 and Endothelin-1 Levels Tend to Decline with Increasing Obesity Severity in Women: Evidence from a Pilot, Cross-Sectional Study.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) is a multimeric glycoprotein that is increasingly recognized as a mediator of metabolic, thrombotic, and inflammatory processes. Although TSP1 expression has been associated with adipose tissue dysfunction and insulin resistance, the precise relationship with obesity severity remains unclear. Endothelin-1 (ET1), another important regulator of vascular homeostasis, may also contribute to obesity-related cardiometabolic risk, with evidence suggesting sex-specific differences, including delayed onset in women.

MOTS-c Levels and Sarcopenia Risk in Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Pilot Study.

Sarcopenia is exceedingly frequent in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on dialysis, including those undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), and is of multifactorial origin. MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that promotes muscle growth whose levels are unbalanced in ESKD. In this study, we evaluated MOTS-c balance and its relationship with sarcopenia risk in an ESKD-PD cohort.

Circulating Autoantibodies in Adults with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: New Insights from a Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune thyroid disorder characterized by elevated anti-thyroid peroxidase (A-TPO) antibodies. HT frequently coexists with other autoimmune conditions, which are marked by organ-specific and non-organ-specific autoantibodies, reflecting a deregulated immune response. However, the burden and clinical significance of these circulating autoantibodies in adult patients with HT remains unclear.

Urinary Post-Translationally Modified Fetuin-A (uPTM-FetA) in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with and without Diabetic Kidney Disease.

A novel post-translational modification (PTM) fragment derived from the cleavage of Fetuin-A (PTM-FetA) has recently emerged as a sensitive biomarker for kidney damage in diabetic patients, but evidence in other chronic renal diseases is lacking. In this pilot study, we aimed at evaluating the clinical significance of urinary PTM-FetA (uPTM-FetA) in a mixed cohort of patients with non-advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to diabetic kidney disease (DKD) or other causes. We enrolled 47 adult patients with CKD (mean CKD-Epi 40.

Marinobufagenin, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Residual Renal Function in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which is a pervasive complication of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), persists in some uremic individuals even after kidney transplantation (Ktx), contributing to worsening CV outcomes. Marinobufagenin (MBG), an endogenous steroid cardiotonic hormone endowed with natriuretic and vasoconstrictive properties, is an acknowledged trigger of uremic cardiomyopathy. However, its clinical significance in the setting of Ktx remains undefined.

Circulating Omentin-1, Sustained Inflammation and Hyperphosphatemia at the Interface of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Chronic Renal Replacement Therapy.

: Subclinical atherosclerosis, reflected by abnormal carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), is pervasive among chronic kidney disease patients on chronic renal replacement therapy (RRT), being mostly influenced by uremia-related rather than traditional risk factors. : In this pilot study, we measured circulating levels of Omentin-1, a recently discovered adipokine with strong anti-atherogenic properties, in a heterogeneous cohort of 77 asymptomatic RRT individuals (40 chronic kidney transplant recipients, Ktx; and 37 chronic hemodialysis patients, HD) and in 30 age-matched controls. : Omentin-1 was increased in RRT individuals as compared with controls ( = 0.

Marinobufagenin, left ventricular geometry and cardiac dysfunction in end-stage kidney disease patients.

Purpose: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is remarkably prevalent among end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on chronic dialysis and has a strong prognostic value for adverse outcomes. In experimental models, the endogenous cardiotonic steroid Marinobufagenin (MBG) promotes cardiac hypertrophy and accelerates uremic cardiomyopathy. In this study, we investigated the possible relationships between MBG, LV geometry and cardiac dysfunction in a clinical setting of ESKD.

Circulating Omentin-1 levels and altered iron balance in chronic haemodialysis patients.

Background: Iron deficiency is highly prevalent among patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis (HD) but its correct identification is often problematic as common biomarkers of iron status, such as transferrin saturation (TSAT) and ferritin, can be altered by inflammation or malnutrition.

Methods: In this pilot multicentre study, we aimed at evaluating circulating levels of Omentin-1, a novel fat depot-specific adipokine that is also involved in iron regulation, in a cohort of 85 chronic HD patients with relation to their iron status.

Results: Omentin-1 levels in HD were statistically higher than in healthy controls (P = 0.

Altered circulating marinobufagenin levels and recurrent intradialytic hypotensive episodes in chronic hemodialysis patients: a pilot, prospective study.

Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a sudden and often serious complication of chronic hemodialysis (HD). In this prospective study, we aimed at evaluating the clinical predictors of IDH in a homogeneous cohort of chronic HD patients, with a particular focus on marinobufagenin (MBG), an endogenous cardiotonic steroid which alterations have previously been involved in various cardiovascular disorders. MBG levels in HD patients were significantly higher than in controls ( = 0.