In this study to identify prognostic biomarkers for ischemic stroke (IS) outcome, we monitored monocyte number and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) concentration in peripheral blood of 44 patients with IS during the week following IS. According to the severity of IS, patients were allocated to three groups: patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA), patients with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤ 12, and patients with NIHSS > 12. In patients with NIHSS > 12 statistically significant increased number of monocytes was observed on day 7. MCP-1 plasma concentration initially increased, decreased at day 3 in patients with NIHSS > 12 and increased and restored on day 7. A negative correlation between the number of monocytes and MCP-1 concentration was observed on day 3 after IS. Higher day-7 MCP-1 level was associated with higher modified Rankin Scale (mRS) value (indicating worse outcome) at 90 days post-IS in patients with NIHSS > 12. Our findings suggest that number of monocytes and plasma MCP-1 level could be clinical prognostic biomarkers as early predictors of disease outcome in patients with IS.

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Changes in immune and inflammatory responses may play a crucial role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, as an autoimmune, chronic and progressive inflammatory disease. Immunological activity and vascular inflammation during atherosclerosis can be modulated by autoimmune responses against self-antigens, according to changeable risk factors (cholesterol, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in the vascular wall, fatty acids, etc.), and accompanied by accumulation of leucocytes and proinflammatory cytokines, which stimulate the transcription of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), whose concentration are increased in foam cell-rich regions. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a unique subpopulation of T cells specialized in the regulation of immune response and in the suppression of proatherogenic T cells. The aim of our study was to examine the interactions between the concentration of enzyme matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and 9) in urine and the percentage of Tregs in peripheral blood of two groups of patients: with carotid artery stenosis (CAS), undergoing surgery and with mild atherosclerosis (A) from general practice. The method of enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) was used to determine enzyme MMP expression, and Tregs was examined by flow cytometric analysis. Our data have showed a large increase in the enzyme MMP-2 and 9 in the urine of CAS and A patients in comparison with healthy controls and indicated this method as an easy marker for the monitoring of the development of atherosclerosis. Simultaneously, the diminished number of Tregs in the same patients pointed the importance of these regulatory mechanisms in the etiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis and possible Tregs-mediated therapy.

The correlation between body mass index, routine clinical and laboratory parameters and in-hospital survival in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure Extended Abstract Acute and Chronic Heart Failure

Cilj: Cilj rada je predstaviti rezultate ispitivanja studentskih stavova o fizici i njihove povezanosti s usvajanjem koncepata u fizici. Ispitanici i metode: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 89 studenata prve godine Preddiplomskog stručnog studija Fizioterapija, Fakulteta zdravstvenih studija Sveučilišta u Rijeci. Ovom istraživanju, prethodilo je ispitivanje učenika sedmih i osmih razreda jedne riječke osnovne škole (N = 92). Upitnik je sadržavao tvrdnje kojima su izražavani stavovi ispitanika studenata o fizici. Drugi dio upitnika činile su tvrdnje među kojima su bile i česte miskoncepcije u fizici. Miskoncepcije smo podijelili na one koje nastaju zbog jezičnog miješanja pojmova iz svakodnevnog života i znanosti, one koje proizlaze iz korištenja neispravnih pretpostavki za objašnjenje svakodnevnog iskustva te one koje se temelje na nerazumijevanju znanstvenih pojmova i koncepata. Rezultati: Studenti u najvećoj mjeri imaju neutralan stav prema fizici. Postoji statistički značajna razlika u zastupljenosti miskoncepcija prema uzroku njihova nastanaka (Hi-kvadrat; P < 0,001). Najzastupljenijima su se pokazale miskoncepcije nastale poistovjećivanjem izraza iz svakodnevnog života i znanosti, tzv. žargonske miskoncepcije (58 % slučajeva). Utjecaj studentskih stavova na učestalost miskoncepcija pokazao se statistički značajnim za stavove koji ukazuju na to da su ispitanici više usmjereni na memoriranje gradiva i kvantitativne manipulacije nego na uspješno usvajanje znanstvenih pojmova i koncepata. Zaključci: Primjena napredne tehnologije u terapiji i dijagnostici u okviru medicinske skrbi ukazuje na sve veću potrebu za znanjem iz fizike kod studenata zdravstvenih i medicinskih studija. Studenti shvaćaju važnost fizike u svojem obrazovanju i većinom ne iskazuju negativan stav prema fizici. Određene vrste miskoncepcija zadržavaju se tijekom čitavog obrazovnog procesa. Zato treba sprječavati nastanak neznanstvenih koncepata, odnosno ako oni već postoje, treba ih što ranije detektirati i aktivno raditi na njihovom uklanjanju.

Abstract. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of microaggregates of macrophages (CD-68 positive cells) in macroscopically normal buccal mucosa in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fifty two patients with clinically and pathohistologically diagnosed IBD, thirty patients with Crohn's disease (CD), twenty two patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and twenty five controls, matched for sex and age, were involved. The occurrence of CD-68 positive cells microaggregates was more frequent in CD patients comparing with UC patients (P = 0.0093), and the controls (P = 0.0001) respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in occurrence of CD-68 positive microaggregates in patients with positive microbiological findings (P = 0.8258). The results suggest that microaggregates of macrophages are more frequently present in apparently normal buccal mucosa in patients with CD than in patients with UC independently of microbiological findings. Therefore, it could be a potential marker for differentiating patients with Crohn's disease from UC patients, when standard tools failed. (doi: 10.5562/cca1779)

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