Nuclear Transcription Factor Kappa B (NF-кB) and Molecular Damage Mechanisms in Acute Cardiovascular Diseases. A Review

Casting Light on Early Heart Failure: Unveiling the Prognostic Potential of the E/(e' × s') Index

It has been shown that patients with NYHA class I and II have a high morbidity and mortality burden. We investigated the value of a new tissue Doppler index, E/(e' × s'), to predict cardiac events in the long-term follow-up of patients at an early stage of heart failure (HF). Sequential echocardiography was conducted on a consecutive cohort of 212 hospitalized HF patients, pre-discharged and with three-month follow-up. The primary end point consisted of cardiac death or readmission due to HF worsening. During follow-up, cardiac events occurred in 99 patients (46.7%). The first cardiac event was represented by cardiac death in 8 patients (3.8%) and readmission for HF in 91 patients (42.9%). A Kaplan-Meier analysis did not show a significantly different event-free survival rate between patients with NYHA class I and II. The composite end point was significantly higher in patients with an E/(e' × s') >1.6. The E/(e' × s') at discharge was the best independent predictor of cardiac events. Those exhibiting an E/(e' × s') > 1.6 at discharge, with a subsequent deterioration after three months, displayed the poorest prognosis concerning cardiac events, HF-related rehospitalization, and cardiac mortality (all p < 0.05). In early-stage HF patients, an E/(e' × s') > 1.6 emerged as a robust predictor of clinical outcomes, especially when coupled with a deterioration in condition.

Postmenopausal Breast Cancer in Women, Clinical and Epidemiological Factors Related to the Molecular Subtype: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Single Institution for 13 Years. Follow-Up Data

This study focused on the characteristics of postmenopausal breast cancer in the population of southeastern Europe. This retrospective study explored the clinical, epidemiological, and molecular characteristics of women with postmenopausal breast cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed on 721 postmenopausal breast cancer patients selected from the database of our institution. The data collected consisted of age, living environment, location of the breast tumor, stage of the disease, and molecular sub-type. Patient characteristics were collected based on a systematic chart audit from medical records. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and Pearson analysis.

RESULTS

The most frequent age range for breast cancer diagnosis was 51 to 70 years old. Most of the patients (80.7%) came from an urban environment. The vast majority of patients were initially diagnosed in stage II (40.3%) and III (30.3%). The most frequent molecular sub-types were luminal B (39%) and luminal A (35.4%). Almost half of the breast tumors were located in the upper outer quadrant (48.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study describe the profile of patients in southeastern Europe within our institution diagnosed with postmenopausal breast cancer. In our study, patients were first diagnosed with more advanced stages of breast cancer compared with other European countries.

Epigallocatechin gallate suppresses inflammation in human coronary artery endothelial cells by inhibiting NF-κB

The endothelium is a critical regulator of vascular homeostasis, controlling vascular tone and permeability as well as interactions of leukocytes and platelets with blood vessel walls. Consequently, endothelial dysfunction featuring inflammation and reduced vasodilation are considered central to cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathogenesis and have become a therapeutic area of focus. Type II endothelial cell (EC) activation by stress-related stimuli such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) initiates the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, a master regulator of inflammatory responses. Because dysregulated NF-κB signaling has been tightly linked to several CVDs, EC-specific inhibition of NF-κB represents an attractive pharmacological strategy. As accumulating evidence highlights the clinical benefits of tea catechin for multiple diseases including CVDs, we sought to determine whether the tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that displays antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, anti-thrombogenic, and anti-hypertensive properties offers protection against CVDs by suppressing the canonical NF-κB pathway. Our findings indicate that EGCG downregulates multiple components of the TNF-α-induced NF-κB signaling pathway and thereby reduces the consequent increase in inflammatory gene transcription and protein expression. Furthermore, EGCG blocked type II EC activation, evidenced by diminished EC leakage and monocyte adhesion in EGCG-treated cells. In summary, our study advances knowledge of EGCG's anti-inflammatory effects on the NF-κB pathway and hence its benefits on endothelial health, supporting its therapeutic potential for CVDs.

Modern Concepts in Regenerative Therapy for Ischemic Stroke: From Stem Cells for Promoting Angiogenesis to 3D-Bioprinted Scaffolds Customized via Carotid Shear Stress Analysis

Ischemic stroke is associated with a tremendous economic and societal burden, and only a few therapies are currently available for the treatment of this devastating disease. The main therapeutic approaches used nowadays for the treatment of ischemic brain injury aim to achieve reperfusion, neuroprotection and neurorecovery. Therapeutic angiogenesis also seems to represent a promising tool to improve the prognosis of cerebral ischemia. This review aims to present the modern concepts and the current status of regenerative therapy for ischemic stroke and discuss the main results of major clinical trials addressing the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for achieving neuroregeneration in ischemic stroke. At the same time, as a glimpse into the future, this article describes modern concepts for stroke prevention, such as the implantation of bioprinted scaffolds seeded with stem cells, whose 3D geometry is customized according to carotid shear stress.