Biomarkers最新文献

Background: Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP) has been proposed as a sepsis biomarker, but its role in severity stratification in pediatric intensive care and its relation to infectious source have not been explored.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 97 pediatric patients admitted to the PICU with new-onset sepsis (within 24h from diagnosis). Blood samples were collected within 24h to measure PSP levels and compared with microbiological culture results.

Results: Among 97 patients, PSP levels were significantly higher in those with positive blood cultures (n = 24; median 108 ng/mL) compared with negatives (n = 73; 82 ng/mL, p = 0.008). When combining blood molecular testing with cultures, PSP remained higher in positives (n = 31; 111 ng/mL) than negatives (n = 66; 85 ng/mL, p = 0.026). PSP levels also correlated with sepsis severity: Non-septic (n = 55, median 72 ng/mL), sepsis (n = 22, median 238 ng/mL), septic shock (n = 20, 375 ng/mL) (p = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that PSP had superior accuracy in predicting sepsis severity (AUC 0.75, 95% CI 0.64-0.87) compared with C-reactive protein (C-RP, AUC 0.54, 95% 0.37-0.64) and procalcitonin (PCT, AUC 0.60, 95% CI 0.35-0.67).

Conclusions: PSP is a promising biomarker for sepsis detection and severity prediction in critically ill pediatric patients. Further studies are required to validate its integration into diagnostic protocols.

Objective: This retrospective immunohistochemical study evaluated the expression of 4-hydroxy-nonenal (4-HNE), a marker of lipid peroxidation (LP), in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and compared staining intensities across different histopathological grades.

Materials and methods: Archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks from 55 primary OSCC patients were analysed. Normal oral mucosa samples (n = 10) served as controls. Immuno-histochemical staining intensity for 4-HNE was semi-quantitatively assessed. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The Chi-square test compared 4-HNE expression between normal and OSCC tissues, while the Kruskal-Wallis H test assessed differences among OSCC grades. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: In normal tissues, 90% showed no staining, and 10% exhibited mild staining (median score = 0). OSCC samples displayed moderate staining in 34.5% and intense staining in 65.5% (median score = 3). Among histological grades, well-differentiated (WD) tumours showed 40% moderate and 60% intense staining; moderately differentiated (MD), 30% moderate and 70% intense; poorly differentiated (PD), 33.3% moderate and 66.7% intense staining. Expression of 4-HNE was significantly higher in OSCC compared to controls (p < 0.001) but did not differ significantly among OSCC grades.

Conclusion: Elevated 4-HNE levels in OSCC suggest enhanced oxidative stress (OS) and LP, supporting its potential as a biomarker in carcinogenesis.

Background: Aflatoxin exposure studies in Kenya have focused mainly on risk-prone regions and food-based risk estimates, which may under- or overestimate internal dose.

Objective: This study estimated the chronic health risks associated with AFB₁ exposure among smallholder farmers in Baringo County using urinary biomarker.

Methods: Urinary AFM₁ (n = 72) was quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and probable daily intake of AFB₁ derived, incorporating participant-specific urine volumes and AFM₁ excretion factors (1-2%). Deterministic and Monte Carlo modelling were used to assess risk.

Results: AFM₁ was detected in 61.1% of urine samples (LOD: 0.10 ng/mL), indicating recent AFB₁ exposure. The deterministic PDI range (86.236-260.976 ng/kg bw/day) yielded Margin of Exposure values (1.381-4.297), well below the European Food Safety Authority threshold (10,000), suggesting high public health concern. Monte Carlo simulation mean PDI was 149.349 ng/kg bw/day. Annual liver cancer risk exceeded the 1 case/100,000 person-years reference under national (HBV prevalence 3.0%; mean: 2.793; 95th percentile: 6.648) and county-level (HBV prevalence 11.9%; mean: 3.885; 95th percentile: 9.248) estimates.

Conclusions: These results indicate ongoing aflatoxin exposure and elevated health risk among the smallholder farmers in Baringo County. There is an urgent need for targeted dietary, storage and community education interventions and biomarker-integrated surveillance.

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide, emphasizing the urgent need for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This review comprehensively explores the emerging landscape of breast cancer biomarkers, integrating insights from molecular mechanisms, clinical validation, and future translational applications. It highlights the evolution from classical receptor-based classification (ER, PR, HER2) to next-generation multi omics and AI-assisted biomarker discovery. Particular emphasis is placed on genetic, epigenetic, proteomic, and metabolomic markers, as well as liquid biopsy derived components such as ctDNA methylation, exosomal RNA, and extracellular vesicle biomarkers. The review critically analyses the reliability, reproducibility, and regulatory challenges of biomarker validation in clinical trials, including assay standardization and patient heterogeneity. Additionally, the discussion underscores the growing role of artificial intelligence in computational pathology and data harmonization across omics platforms. Limitations of current approaches and future research directions such as integrative modelling, personalized diagnostics, and real-world clinical translation are outlined to guide ongoing advancements in precision oncology. Overall, this article provides a mechanistic, evidence-based, and forward-looking overview of how emerging biomarkers are reshaping breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic decision-making.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) typically shows no symptoms in its initial stages. A quick diagnosis (stages 1-3) can change the course of CKD and lessen its effects. Significant kidney damage becomes apparent during stages 4 and 5, which typically leads to end-stage renal failure. Although blood urea and serum creatinine (sCr) values are mainly used to diagnose CKD, sCr has shown low predictive ability.

Methods: We searched Pubmed, google scholar, and various databases to see the role of various biomarkers in CKD. The advent of new methods will enable the discovery of new biomarkers in renal disorders due to advancements in transcriptomics, genomes, epigenetics, proteomics, and metabolomics.

Results: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), Galectin-3, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), Interleukin 18 (IL-18), Immunoglobulin G, Liver Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (L-FABP), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), miRNA biomarker, uromodulin, Nephrin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), proteomic and metabolomic biomarkers, as well as podocalyxin are few novel potential biomarkers for CKD detection as well as forecasting outcomes presented in this review.

Conclusion: It appears that novel markers could replace traditional ones in future and evaluation of their effectiveness, sensitivity, specificity etc. are also necessary.

Objectives: The current study explores the synthesis, characterization and toxicity of copper oxides (CuO-NPs) in albino mice.

Methods: NPs were synthesized and albino mice were exposed to these nps orally for 30 days.

Results: The nanoparticles exhibited a porous, rough-surfaced, spherical morphology; XRD confirmed their crystallinity, while FTIR revealed key functional groups. H1 (5 mg/kg) and H2 (15 mg/kg) of CuO-NPs exposure induced significant alterations in haematological parameters, including elevated WBCs counts, platelets and a significant decrease in haemoglobin and platelets distribution width. Biochemical analyses revealed changes in lipid profile, kidney, and liver biomarkers, indicating potential toxicity. Histological studies of the liver indicated sinusoidal lumen, necrosis, opening of the central vein, lymphocytic infiltration, irregular nucleus, degeneration of hepatocytes, and antinucleosis. In the kidney, glomerular destruction, necrosis, tubular degeneration, vascular degeneration, anisokaryosis, and expansion of the central vein were recorded. The heart tissues showed congestion, fatty degeneration, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and necrosis in the treated group. Molecular interactions revealed CuO NPs interacted with albumin, AST, bilirubin, and fibrinogen showing potential toxicity.

Conclusion: This study highlights the link between nanomaterial properties, physiological changes, and molecular interactions underlying CuO NP toxicity, emphasizing the need for further research on their safe use and biomedical applications.

Objective: The aim of this study is to see the association of P-selectin, E-selectin, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) with Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) in sickle cell disease patients.

Methods: In this longitudinal study, a total of 140 SCD patients admitted into a Government Medical College, Jabalpur, were recruited. Plasma levels of soluble P-selectin, E-Selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were measured at three different time points, that is, (i) at the time of admission (n = 140), (ii) at discharge (n = 139), and (iii) during steady state (n = 118).

Results: The most common presenting symptoms at the time of VOC were severe joint pain (65.7%) and back pain (49.3%). All the cell adhesion molecule levels were similar in males and females except sVCAM-1. The plasma P-selectin, E-Selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels were significantly higher during crisis than at the discharge and steady state. No statistically significant association of any of the CAM levels with the severity of pain was observed. High plasma VCAM-1 levels (≥1676 ng/mL) were associated with longer duration of hospital stay.

Conclusions: Significant association of soluble CAMs with VOC in SCD suggests that soluble CAMs play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of the VOC.

Early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) diagnosis is a clinical challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are identified as candidate biomarkers due to their regulatory role in cancer development. In this study, we performed a systematic analysis according to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in LUAD. This was followed by network construction. We created a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network by identifying differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes using information from TCGA, miR-TV database, and miRNET tool. miR-142-3p was identified as a candidate biomarker associated with LUAD development and patient survival. Our ceRNA network analysis identified four lncRNAs-LINC00689, MAGI2-AS3, DUBR, and LINC01719-as potential sponges of miR-142-3p in LUAD. RT-qPCR validation in paired tumors and adjacent normal tissues exhibited significantly higher expression of miR-142-3p in LUAD tissues. miR-142-3p also showed diagnostic potential through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis (AUC = 0.8481). All the results implied that miR-142-3p can be a candidate biomarker for the early detection and diagnosis of LUAD.

Introduction: High serum creatinine to total bilirubin ratio has been associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension. We evaluated the effect of biological agents on serum creatinine to total bilirubin ratio in patients with psoriasis.

Methods: Serum creatinine and total bilirubin levels of patients were reviewed between June 2018 and October 2023.

Results: This study included 302 patients, 143 (47.4%) females and 159 (52.6%) males with a mean age of 49.46 ± 13.82 years. The creatinine to total bilirubin ratio was higher in males than in females (p = 0.028), and in patients with comorbidities compared to those without (p = 0.031). Six months after biological agent treatment, serum total bilirubin levels increased (p = 0.010), while the creatinine to total bilirubin ratio significantly decreased (p = 0.038) in all patients. Serum creatinine to total bilirubin ratio decreased (p = 0.031) in patients who received IL-17 inhibitors after 6 months. Among them, patients treated with ixekizumab showed a statistically significantly decrease in creatinine to total bilirubin ratio (p = 0.015).

Conclusion: The decrease in creatinine to total bilirubin ratio after 6 months of treatment was statistically significant only in patients treated with IL-17 inhibitors, particularly ixekizumab. Therefore, we suggest that IL-17 inhibitors may have a protective role against hypertension in patients with psoriasis.

Introduction: PERK, ATF6, and IRE1α signalling pathways are unfolded protein response (UPR) signalling pathways. In this study, we evaluated the effect of PERK and ATF6 signalling pathways, in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients.

Methods: ELISA was performed on peripheral blood plasma samples from the CLL group and the control group for the markers eIF2AK3, GRP78, ATF6, CHOP, HIF-1α and caspase 3.

Results: In this study, the levels of eIF2AK3, GRP78, ATF6 and CHOP were higher in the CLL group than in the control group (p = <0.001, p = <0.001, p = <0.001, p = <0.001, respectively). While no difference was observed between the CLL group and the control group in terms of HIF-1α level, caspase 3 level was higher in the CLL group (p = <0.001). There was a positive relationship between the level of HIF-1α and the levels of ATF6 and CHOP (r = 0.648, p = <0.001; r = 0.727, p = <0.001, respectively). Also, a positive correlation was observed between caspase 3 level and ATF6 level (r = 0.301, p = 0.030).

Discussion: In this study, markers associated with PERK and ATF6 signalling pathways were higher in CLL patients.