Acute kidney injury (AKI) following platinum-based chemotherapeutics is a frequently reported serious side-effect. However, there are no approved biomarkers that can properly identify proximal tubular injury while routine assessments such as serum creatinine lack sensitivity. Kidney-injury-molecule 1 (KIM-1) is showing promise in identifying cisplatin-induced renal injury both in vitro and in vivo studies. In this review, we focus on describing the mechanisms of renal tubular cells cisplatin-induced apoptosis, the associated inflammatory response and oxidative stress and the role of KIM-1 as a possible biomarker used to predict cisplatin associated AKI.

Aim. To determine pregnancy and delivery outcomes among teenagers. Materials and Methods. An 8-year retrospective comparative hospital-based cohort study is analysing singleton pregnancy comorbidities and delivery parameters of a teenage group under the age of 20 compared with a young adult group 20–24 years of age in a university hospital. Results. Teenage is a risk factor for preterm birth <37 weeks (1.21 [1.08–1.35]), foetal growth restriction (1.34 [1.21–1.48]), episiotomy (1.27 [1.21–1.34]), uterine revision (1.15 [1.06–1.25]), APGAR <7 at 1 min (2.42 [1.21–1.67]), cephalopelvic disproportion (1.26 [1.07–1.48]), and postpartum haemorrhage (1.42 [1.25–1.62]); however, caesarean delivery occurs less frequently in teenagers than in adults (0.75 [0.70–0.80]). The following comorbidities are risk factors for teenage pregnancy (risk ratio [CI 95%]): anaemia (1.13 [1.10–1.17]), low urinary tract infection (1.10 [1.03–1.18]), pediculosis (2.42 [1.90–3.00]), anogenital condyloma (1.50 [1.04–2.17]), and trichomoniasis (1.74 [1.12–2.68]). The risks for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, premature rupture of membranes, and placenta praevia were lower compared with those in the young adult group, respectively, 0.43 (0.26–0.71), 0.90 (0.85–0.96), and 0.29 (0.20–0.41), while the risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia were the same in both groups. Conclusion. Considering the high risks for teenage pregnancy, this information should be provided to pregnant adolescent women and their caregivers.

In 2020 a new pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is affecting the lives of millions of patients and healthcare workers worldwide. The clinical picture of this infection is in a dynamic process of discovery, and more symptoms emerge as the clinicians observe and diagnose manifestations that affect multiple organs. Anosmia (loss of smell), and ageusia (loss of taste) become more frequently cited as independent symptoms or in association with the most common manifestations of the disease, such as fever, cough and dyspnea. A thorough screening program will prevent most nosocomial and community-acquired infections by promoting efficient triage and specific measures such as isolation of the patients. Therefore, it is important to include frequent symptoms in the anamnesis and questionnaires to select those patients who might benefit from testing, isolation, and treatment. This study summarizes the existing data regarding the association of anosmia and ageusia with the SARS-CoV-2 infection. It also aims to describe manifestations of these, particularly in the clinical picture of all symptomatic patients. Health Organisation (WHO) (1). SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the coronaviridae family alongside with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and it has a single-stranded RNA genome (2). The coronavirus invasion of the target cells is mediated by a transmembrane spike glycoprotein (S). It has two subunits: S1, for binding to the host cell receptors, and S2, for the fusion process with the host cell membrane. These subunits will remain in a prefusion conformation after specific protease cleavage, with the distal S1 subunit comprising the receptor-binding domains (RBD), specifically involved in recognition of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) (3,4). The S protein will be further cleaved by host proteases and activated for the membrane fusion. Due to the peripheral location of S proteins, they are the main target for neutralizing antibodies and for new developing therapies (3,5). The ACE2 is a functional receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 and has a ubiquitous distribution into the human body, but its expression is higher in the nasal mucosa, lung parenchyma, and gastrointestinal tract (6). Some studies suggest a possible link between smoking and enhanced expression of ACE2 receptors (7), thus, smoking could be a risk factor that increases the susceptibility of the patient to contact the new coronavirus. SARS-Cov-2 is a highly transmissible virus with an incubation period of approximately 14 days, with a median time of 4-5 days from exposure to symptoms onset (8-10). It has been stipulated that the viral transmission is through the droplets, direct contact, contact with an infected individual, fecal, oral, and body fluid routes (11-13). The most typical symptoms experienced by the patients were fever (83-99%), cough (59-82%), fatigue (44-70%), anorexia (40-84%), shortness of breath (31-40%), sputum production (28-33%) and myalgias (11-35%) (14-16). Less common symptoms reported include headache, confusion, rhinorrhea, sore throat, hem...

Background Fetal nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) from maternal circulation are rare events but can be enriched and used to evaluate the genetics of the fetus. We compared two simplified selection methods of the fetal cells from the maternal blood. Methods We isolated fetal cells from maternal blood through double‐density gradient centrifugation followed either by magnetic cell selection, based on the paramagnetic proprieties of the NRBC hemoglobin, converted to methemoglobin, or by a positive magnetic‐activated cell sorting (MACS) enrichment, using anti‐CD71 monoclonal antibodies. Finally, the cells were identified through fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with specific chromosome X and Y probes. Results We processed 10 mL of peripheral blood samples from 27 pregnant women with singleton normal male fetuses. Hemoglobin‐based enrichment isolated significantly more NRBCs: 29.7 × 104 cells than anti‐CD71 MACS: 10.1 × 104 cells (P < .001). The FISH analysis found at least one XY cell in 81.5% and 61.5% of cases, respectively, for paramagnetic and anti‐CD71 selection. Also, the average number of XY cells identified through paramagnetic selection was 5.09 ± 2.5, significantly higher than those observed through CD71 sorting: 3.38 ± 1.7 cells (average ± SE) (P = .03). Conclusion The combination of density gradient centrifugation with paramagnetic selection has the advantage of simplicity and achieves a minimal manipulation and treatment of cells. It yields an increased number of NRBCs and FISH confirmed fetal cells, compared to the anti‐CD71 sorting.

The use of nuchal translucency (NT) in 1992 by Nicolaides et al was a major breakthrough in screening for chromosomal aneuploidies at the end of the first trimester. However, pathological conditions other than chromosomal aneuploidies are also associated with increased NT, which can also be detected in normal fetuses. This study sought to evaluate the causes of this ultrasound sign in a group of patients from Iasi, Romania.During the decade-long study period, there were 71 certified cases involving increased NT; the patients in these cases underwent diagnostic amniocentesis and karyotyping.In most of the examined cases (55 cases, 78%), there was no aneuploidy. The remaining cases involved trisomy 21 (T21) (18%), trisomy 18 (T18) (2%), or triploidy (2%). In most cases, the indication for amniocentesis was increased NT alone (81%), whereas the remaining cases also involved advanced maternal age (5.5%), abnormal serologic markers (10%), or other ultrasound signs (3.5%) (2 cases—cardiac anomalies and fetal hydrops). A favorable pregnancy outcome at term was achieved in 40 cases (56% from total, 72% from euploid pregnancies); kidney anomalies or nonlethal cardiac conditions were observed in 12 cases (17%), 6 of which involved complications associated with premature onset of labor, and miscarriages occurred in 6 cases. Three cases were lost at follow-up.Although it is common practice to assume that increased NT is an indication for amniocentesis, both literature results and our study findings indicate that the majority of cases with increased NT involve no aneuploidy and result in a favorable outcome if no other anomaly is present. Better evidence-based management of such cases could be promoted by conducting larger, multicenter studies, and following cases for longer periods.

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Background: During viral outbreaks, pregnancy poses an increased risk of infection for women. Methods: In a prospective study, all patients admitted for delivery at term to Elena Doamna Obstetrics and Gynecology University Hospital in Iasi, Romania, between 1 April 2020 and 31 December 2020 were included. There were 457 patients, divided into two groups: group 1, SARS-CoV-2-positive patients (n = 46) and group 2, SARS-CoV-2-negative patients (n = 411). Among other tests, complete blood count was determined upon admittance, and the following values were studied: white blood cell count, lymphocytes, neutrophils, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, red blood cell distribution width, hematocrit, platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, plateletcrit, and platelet large cell ratio. Results: in pregnant SARS-CoV-2-infected patients at term, there was a significant decrease in white blood cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte count, and an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, compared to healthy pregnant women at term, although all still within normal limits. None of the other components of the complete blood count or fetal outcomes studied was significantly influenced by SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant patients at term.

Even if meningiomas are the most common radio-induced tumors that occur in the adult population, the epidemiology of these types of tumors after Chernobyl nuclear accident, is still unclear. This paper aims to determine the tumoral behavior of intracranial meningiomas in North-Eastern Romania, affected by the radioactive cloud from Chernobyl nuclear accident , over a period of 25 years, namely between 1990 and 2015. Our research consists of an analytical, observational, cohort-based and retrospective study, conducted in Prof. Dr. N. Oblu Clinical Emergency Hospital of Iasi, Romania, on a group of 1287 patients diagnosed with intracranial meningiomas and operated between 1990 and 2015. In these period there was an increased number of intracranial meningiomas, with first peak between 1993-1996 and the second peak between 2007-2015, corresponding to 7-10 years and 21-30 years, after the Chernobyl accident. Regarding the annual frequency of histopathologic grading, for grade I meningiomas there were no trend or cyclicity of the cases diagnosed each year, but for grade II and III meningiomas there were an ascending trend in the period 1996-2000, that corresponds to the 10-14 years from the Chernobyl accident.