Search Results (6)

Background: it has been suggested that chronic low-grade inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). According to previous studies, it remains unclear which cytokines influence the development of this syndrome and whether their increase is associated with the presence of excess weight/obesity or is an independent factor. The aim of our research was to determine the parameters of chronic inflammation in women with PCOS in comparison with healthy women in the normal weight and the overweight subgroups. Methods: This case-control study included 44 patients with PCOS (19 women with a body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m² and 25 women with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) and 45 women without symptoms of PCOS (22 women with a BMI < 25 kg/m² and 23 women with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²). Thirty-two cytokines were analyzed in the plasma of the participants using Immunology multiplex assay HCYTA-60K-PX48 (Merck Life Science, LLC, Germany). Results: Cytokines: interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 RA), IL-2, IL-6, IL-17 E, IL-17 A, IL-18, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 α) were increased in women with PCOS compared to controls, both in lean and overweight/obese subgroups (p < 0.05). Moreover, only lean women with PCOS had higher levels of IL-1 alpha, IL-4, IL-9, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, tumor necrosis factor (TNF- α) alpha and beta, soluble CD40 and its ligand (SCD40L), fractalkine (FKN), monocyte-chemotactic protein 3 (MCP-3), and MIP-1 β compared to the control group (p < 0.05). IL-22 was increased in the combined group of women with PCOS (lean and overweight/obese) compared to the control group (p = 0.012). Conclusion: Chronic low-grade inflammation is an independent factor affecting the occurrence of PCOS and does not depend on the presence of excess weight/obesity. For the first time, we obtained data on the increase in such inflammatory parameters as IL-9, MCP-3, and MIP-1α in women with PCOS. Full article

The aims of this study were to analyze cytokine profiles in patients with COVID-19, gain insights into the immune response during acute infection, identify cytokines associated with disease severity and post-COVID complications, and explore potential biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic targets. Using a multiplex analysis, we studied the cytokine pattern in 294 acute COVID-19 and post-COVID patients with varying severities of infection. Our findings revealed that disease severity was associated with elevated levels of IL-15, IL-8, and fractalkine. Severe/extremely severe forms in comparison with mild/moderate disease were associated with MCP-1, IFNa2, IL-7, IL-15, EGF, IP-10, IL-8, Eotaxin, FGF-2, GROa, sCD40L, and IL-10. The key cytokines of post-COVID are FGF-2, VEGF-A, EGF, IL-12(p70), IL-13, and IL-6. By the sixth month after recovering from a coronavirus infection, regardless of disease severity, some patients may develop complications such as arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance, thyrotoxicosis, atherosclerosis, and rapid progression of previously diagnosed conditions. Each complication is characterized by distinct cytokine profiles. Importantly, these complications can also be predicted during the acute phase of the coronavirus infection. Understanding cytokine patterns can aid in predicting disease progression, identifying high-risk patients, and developing targeted interventions to improve the outcomes of COVID-19. Full article

In order to provide a sufficient number of cells for clinical use, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) must be cultured for long-term expansion, which inevitably triggers cellular senescence. Although the small size of MSCs is known as a critical determinant of their fate, the main regulators of stem cell senescence and the underlying signaling have not been addressed. Umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (UCB-MSCs) were obtained using size-isolation methods and then cultured with control or small cells to investigate the major factors that modulate MSC senescence. Cytokine array data suggested that the secretion of interukin-8 (IL-8) or growth-regulated oncogene-alpha (GROa) by senescent cells was markedly inhibited during incubation of small cells along with suppression of cognate receptor (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor2, CXCR2) via blockade of the autocrine/paracrine positive loop. Moreover, signaling via toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR5, both pattern recognition receptors, drove cellular senescence of MSCs, but was inhibited in small cells. The activation of TLRs (2 and 5) through ligand treatment induced a senescent phenotype in small cells. Collectively, our data suggest that small cell from UCB-MSCs exhibit delayed cellular senescence by inhibiting the process of TLR signaling-mediated senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) activation. Full article

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds, has been shown to possess various antioxidant, anticoagulant, antiviral, and anticancer functions. In this study, we focused on low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF) which was extracted from New Zealand Undaria pinnatifida, and investigated its anti-proliferative effects, combined with a quadruplex-forming oligonucleotide aptamer (GroA, AS1411), a powerful cell surface Nucleolin inhibitor, in prostate cancer cells. We examined LMWF (<10 kDa) and compared it with laboratory grade Fucoidan purchased from Sigma (FS), all extracted from the same seaweed species U. pinnatifida. We found that LMWF significantly improved the anti-proliferative effect of GroA, as it decreased cancer cell growth and viability and increased cell death. This research may provide the foundation for LMWF to be used against prostate cancers as a supplement therapy in combination with other therapeutic agents. Full article

A constrained least-squares (CLS) 3D source localization method is presented for acoustic sensor networks with sensor position errors. The proposed approach uses angles of arrivals (AOAs) and gain ratios of arrival (GROAs) measured simultaneously at each node to estimate the source position jointly. Compared to AOA-only localization methods, the GROAs can be used in conjunction with AOA measurements so as to get more accurate results by exploiting the geometrical relationship between these two measurements. Compared to time difference of arrival localization methods, the proposed algorithm does not require accurate time synchronization over different nodes. The theoretical mean-square error matrices of the proposed approach are derived and they are exactly equal to the Cramér–Rao bound for Gaussian noise under the small error condition. Simulations validate the performance of the proposed estimator. Full article

Models of benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced ocular disruption have been created and are widely used in various animals. This study aimed to compare the effects of BAC on the ocular surfaces of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were treated separately with BAC eye-drops at different concentrations. Eyes were evaluated by scoring epithelial disruption, corneal opacity and neovascularization in vivo, and by histological assays with hematoxylin/eosin (H/E) and periodic acid-Schiff stainings and by determining the expression of inflammatory factors in vitro on Days 7 and 14. The in vivo corneal epithelial disruption, corneal edema/opacity and neovascularization, which were in accordance with the results of the H/E staining and peaked at Day 7, were observed in a dose-dependent manner in the BAC-treated mice, with more severe signs in the C57BL/6 mice than the BALB/c mice. The loss of conjunctival goblet cells in the conjunctivas and the increasing expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), growth-regulated protein alpha (GROa) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1a) in the corneas were found in a dose-dependent manner in both strains of mice. Topical application of BAC can dramatically disrupt the ocular surfaces of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, and the disruptions were much more severe in the C57BL/6 mice that received high doses of BAC. Full article