Skip to Content
You are currently on the new version of our website. Access the old version .

Medical Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 2

2021 June - 27 articles

Cover Story: Polyamines are present in all organisms and are essential for mammalian cell growth and survival, and for development. Several studies have shown both beneficial and detrimental effects of polyamines on human health. Polyamine levels are normally maintained within narrow physiological ranges, and an altered polyamine metabolism is sufficient to provoke various pathologies, including cancer, neurological defects, and aging. While supplementation with the polyamine spermidine can delay aging via the activation of autophagy, increased polyamines can also promote progression of different cancer types by driving cell proliferation. Accordingly, a detailed understanding of mechanisms that control polyamine homeostasis in human health and disease is needed to develop safe and effective strategies for polyamine-targeted therapy. View this paper.
  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list .
  • You may sign up for email alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.

Articles (27)

  • Article
  • Open Access
18 Citations
4,668 Views
12 Pages

Depression, Anxiety, and Social Environmental Adversity as Potential Modulators of the Immune Tumor Microenvironment in Breast Cancer Patients

  • Eida M. Castro-Figueroa,
  • Karina I. Acevedo,
  • Cristina I. Peña-Vargas,
  • Normarie Torres-Blasco and ,
  • Idhaliz Flores,
  • Claudia B. Colón-Echevarria,
  • Lizette Maldonado,
  • Zindie Rodríguez,
  • Alexandra N. Aquino-Acevedo and
  • Guillermo N. Armaiz-Peña
  • + 7 authors+ 2 authors

Background: Mounting data suggest that exposure to chronic stress is associated with worse breast cancer outcomes. This study aimed to explore the impact of social environmental adversity (SEA, e.g., child abuse, crime, sexual, and physical violence)...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Research)
  • Review
  • Open Access
38 Citations
7,696 Views
14 Pages

Surgical Strategies to Promote Cutaneous Healing

  • Ines Maria Niederstätter,
  • Jennifer Lynn Schiefer and
  • Paul Christian Fuchs

Usually, cutaneous wound healing does not get impeded and processes uneventfully, reaching wound closure easily. The goal of this repair process is to restore the integrity of the body surface by creating a resilient and stable scar. Surgical practic...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skin Wound Healing)
  • Review
  • Open Access
221 Citations
15,382 Views
21 Pages

Polyamines: Functions, Metabolism, and Role in Human Disease Management

  • Narashans Alok Sagar,
  • Swarnava Tarafdar,
  • Surbhi Agarwal,
  • Ayon Tarafdar and
  • Sunil Sharma

Putrescine, spermine, and spermidine are the important polyamines (PAs), found in all living organisms. PAs are formed by the decarboxylation of amino acids, and they facilitate cell growth and development via different cellular responses. PAs are th...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyamine Metabolism in Health and Disease: Potential for Polyamine-Targeted Therapies and Prevention)
  • Article
  • Open Access
22 Citations
12,557 Views
7 Pages

Misleading HbA1c Measurement in Diabetic Patients with Hemoglobin Variants

  • Manthana Mitchai,
  • Nattakarn Suwansaksri,
  • Suphakdee Seanseeha,
  • Jindamanee Saenboonsiri and ,
  • Putthichai Kraitree,
  • Jirasak Piyapromdee and
  • Atit Silsirivanit
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

Background and Objectives: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is widely used for the monitoring and management of diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of hemoglobin (Hb) variants on the measurement of HbA1c. Materials and Meth...

(This article belongs to the Section Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
4,055 Views
10 Pages

CDK4/6 Inhibitors and Arthralgia: A Single Institution Experience

  • Angeliki Andrikopoulou,
  • Oraianthi Fiste,
  • Kleoniki Apostolidou,
  • Efthymia Skafida and ,
  • Christos Markellos,
  • Michalis Liontos,
  • Anastasios Kyriazoglou,
  • Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos and
  • Flora Zagouri
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are associated with musculoskeletal pain in one third (20–47%) of breast cancer patients. Recently, CDK4/6 inhibitors have emerged as a new therapeutic approach in hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. W...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Research)
  • Review
  • Open Access
8 Citations
4,327 Views
11 Pages

The direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC) has become an alternative to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for treatment and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients. The clinicians are, however, faced with difficult decisions...

  • Article
  • Open Access
42 Citations
6,104 Views
11 Pages

The Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Variant(s) and Its Impact on the Prevalence of COVID-19 Cases in the Nabatieh Region, Lebanon

  • Fatima Y. Noureddine,
  • Mohamed Chakkour,
  • Ali El Roz,
  • Jana Reda and ,
  • Reem Al Sahily,
  • Ali Assi,
  • Mohamed Joma,
  • Hassan Salami,
  • Sadek J. Hashem and
  • Ghassan Ghssein
  • + 7 authors+ 2 authors

Background: An outbreak of an unknown respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, emerged in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 and was referred to as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Soon after, it wa...

(This article belongs to the Section Immunology and Infectious Diseases)
  • Review
  • Open Access
11 Citations
5,750 Views
16 Pages

Hepatocrinology

  • Sanjay Kalra,
  • Saptarshi Bhattacharya and
  • Pawan Rawal

Hepatocrinology is defined as a bidirectional, complex relationship between hepatic physiology and endocrine function, hepatic disease and endocrine dysfunction, hepatotropic drugs and endocrine function, and endocrine drugs and hepatic health. The s...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Endocrinology)
  • Review
  • Open Access
7 Citations
6,385 Views
23 Pages

Expert Group Recommendations on the Effective Use of Bolus Insulin in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

  • Rajeev Chawla,
  • Jagat Jyoti Mukherjee,
  • Manoj Chawla,
  • Alok Kanungo and ,
  • Meenakshi Sundaram Shunmugavelu and
  • Ashok Kumar Das
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

Evidence suggests a major contribution of postprandial glucose (PPG) excursions to the increased risk of micro- and macro-vascular complications in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Administration of bolus insulin remains a very effec...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Endocrinology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
3,788 Views
11 Pages

Reduced Serum Circulation of Cell-Free DNA Following Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients

  • Evelyn Adusei,
  • John Ahenkorah,
  • Nii Armah Adu-Aryee,
  • Kevin Kofi Adutwum-Ofosu and ,
  • Emmanuel Ayitey Tagoe,
  • Nii Koney-Kwaku Koney,
  • Emmanuel Nkansah,
  • Nii Ayite Aryee,
  • Richard Michael Blay and
  • Benjamin Arko-Boham
  • + 7 authors+ 2 authors

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, with alarming mortalities. Neoadjuvant treatments employ chemotherapy to shrink tumours to a well-defined size for a better surgical outcome. The current means of assessing effectiveness of chemot...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Research)
  • Review
  • Open Access
14 Citations
6,341 Views
21 Pages

SARS-CoV-2 infection has generated the biggest pandemic since the influenza outbreak of 1918–1919. One clear difference between these pandemics has been the ability to test for the presence of the virus or for evidence of infection. This review exami...

(This article belongs to the Section Immunology and Infectious Diseases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
13 Citations
3,844 Views
13 Pages

Low serum high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and high blood pressure are linked to each other and are recognized as independent risk factors of cardiovascular disease and dementia. HDL can cross the blood–brain barrier to remove amy...

  • Review
  • Open Access
7,632 Views
11 Pages

Community-acquired pneumonia is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since the inflammatory response induced by the immune system is often a major contributor to the lung injury, it becomes reasonable to assess the potential bene...

(This article belongs to the Section Pneumology and Respiratory Diseases)
  • Review
  • Open Access
12 Citations
4,969 Views
15 Pages

The Mechanisms for the Association of Cancer and Esophageal Dysmotility Disorders

  • Francisco Tustumi,
  • Jorge Henrique Bento de Sousa,
  • Nicolas Medeiros Dornelas,
  • Guilherme Maganha Rosa and ,
  • Milton Steinman and
  • Edno Tales Bianchi
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

Background: Achalasia and other esophageal dysmotility disorders mimicking achalasia can be associated with cancer. This study aimed to review the main mechanisms for which cancer may develop in esophageal dysmotility disorder patients. Methods: A na...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Research)
  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
4,738 Views
7 Pages

Background: Mindfulness Meditation (MM) is known to improve glycemic control and enhance the quality of life (QoL) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Unfortunately, the role of meditation in type 1 diabetes (T1D) has not been studied extensively. The...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Endocrinology)
  • Review
  • Open Access
59 Citations
25,787 Views
23 Pages

Sleep complaints can be both common and complex in the older patient. Their consideration is an important aspect of holistic care, and may have an impact on quality of life, mortality, falls and disease risk. Sleep assessment should form part of the...

(This article belongs to the Section Nursing Research)
  • Communication
  • Open Access
6 Citations
2,892 Views
7 Pages

Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 Protein Response on PI3K-Mediated IL-8 Release

  • Christina Borchers,
  • Anita Thyagarajan,
  • Christine M. Rapp,
  • Jeffrey B. Travers and
  • Ravi P. Sahu

A novel coronavirus related to a condition known as a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was termed as SARS Coronavirus-19 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19), which has caused an unprecedented global pandemic. Extensive efforts have been dedicated worldw...

(This article belongs to the Section Pneumology and Respiratory Diseases)
  • Review
  • Open Access
25 Citations
5,522 Views
12 Pages

Biomarkers Associated with Mortality in Aortic Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Madeline White,
  • Ranu Baral,
  • Alisdair Ryding,
  • Vasiliki Tsampasian and ,
  • Thuwarahan Ravindrarajah,
  • Pankaj Garg,
  • Konstantinos C. Koskinas,
  • Allan Clark and
  • Vassilios S. Vassiliou
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

The optimal timing of aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains controversial. Several biomarkers reflect the underlying pathophysiological processes in aortic stenosis (AS) and may be of use as mortality predictors. The aim of this systematic review an...

(This article belongs to the Section Cardiovascular Disease)
  • Review
  • Open Access
65 Citations
7,281 Views
17 Pages

Polyamine Homeostasis in Development and Disease

  • Shima Nakanishi and
  • John L. Cleveland

Polycationic polyamines are present in nearly all living organisms and are essential for mammalian cell growth and survival, and for development. These positively charged molecules are involved in a variety of essential biological processes, yet thei...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyamine Metabolism in Health and Disease: Potential for Polyamine-Targeted Therapies and Prevention)
  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
4,408 Views
9 Pages

The Role of Spermidine Synthase (SpdS) and Spermine Synthase (Sms) in Regulating Triglyceride Storage in Drosophila

  • Tahj S. Morales,
  • Erik C. Avis,
  • Elise K. Paskowski,
  • Hamza Shabar and ,
  • Shannon L. Nowotarski and
  • Justin R. DiAngelo
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

Polyamines are small organic cations that are important for several biological processes such as cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. The dysregulation of intracellular polyamines is often associated with diseases such as cancer...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyamine Metabolism in Health and Disease: Potential for Polyamine-Targeted Therapies and Prevention)
  • Article
  • Open Access
18 Citations
8,868 Views
12 Pages

Antidepressants and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Network Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

  • Narut Prasitlumkum,
  • Wisit Cheungpasitporn,
  • Nithi Tokavanich,
  • Kimberly R. Ding and ,
  • Jakrin Kewcharoen,
  • Charat Thongprayoon,
  • Wisit Kaewput,
  • Tarun Bathini,
  • Saraschandra Vallabhajosyula and
  • Ronpichai Chokesuwattanaskul
  • + 5 authors+ 0 author

23 April 2021

Background: Antidepressants are one of the most prescribed medications, particularly for patients with mental disorders. Nevertheless, there are still limited data regarding the risk of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) assoc...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
3,111 Views
11 Pages

21 April 2021

The nasal cavity lined by nasal mucosa, is a significant part of respiratory system of human. However, there are no studies aimed to detect a molecular phenotype of healthy and normal functioning nasal mucosa, obtained after rhinoseptoplasty procedur...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,353 Views
10 Pages

Neoadjuvant Chemohormonal Therapy before Radical Prostatectomy for Japanese Patients with High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer

  • Takeshi Sasaki,
  • Kouhei Nishikawa,
  • Manabu Kato,
  • Satoru Masui and ,
  • Yuko Yoshio,
  • Yoshiki Sugimura and
  • Takahiro Inoue
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

Background: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is the standard treatment in patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). However, there is a high rate of recurrence, and new approaches are required to improve surgical efficacy. Here, we evaluated the feasi...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Research)
  • Article
  • Open Access
53 Citations
12,978 Views
16 Pages

31 March 2021

Background: Globally, the application of medicinal plants in the management of acute and chronic wounds can be considered a common occurrence in most traditional medicine practices. In view of this, many plants in the tropical and subtropical regions...

(This article belongs to the Section Immunology and Infectious Diseases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,402 Views
8 Pages

29 March 2021

Introduction: This study was designed to compare the Datex neuromuscular transmission (NMT) kinemyography (NMTK) device with the TOFscan (TS) accelerometer during the onset and recovery of neuromuscular blockade. Patients and methods: This prospectiv...

  • Article
  • Open Access
49 Citations
11,321 Views
14 Pages

Polyamine-Rich Diet Elevates Blood Spermine Levels and Inhibits Pro-Inflammatory Status: An Interventional Study

  • Kuniyasu Soda,
  • Takeshi Uemura,
  • Hidenori Sanayama,
  • Kazuei Igarashi and
  • Taro Fukui

29 March 2021

The Japanese diet and the Mediterranean diet are rich in polyamines (spermidine and spermine). Increased polyamine intake elevated blood spermine levels, inhibited aging-associated pro-inflammatory status (increases in lymphocyte function-associated...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyamine Metabolism in Health and Disease: Potential for Polyamine-Targeted Therapies and Prevention)
  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
4,568 Views
30 Pages

Symptom-Dependent Changes in MEG-Derived Neuroelectric Brain Activity in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients with Chronic Symptoms

  • Don Krieger,
  • Paul Shepard,
  • Ryan Soose,
  • Ava M. Puccio and ,
  • Sue Beers,
  • Walter Schneider,
  • Anthony P. Kontos,
  • Michael W. Collins and
  • David O. Okonkwo
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

25 March 2021

Neuroelectric measures derived from human magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings hold promise as aides to diagnosis and treatment monitoring and targeting for chronic sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study tests novel MEG-derived regi...

(This article belongs to the Section Neurosciences)
XFacebookLinkedIn
Med. Sci. - ISSN 2076-3271