Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders) - Volume 21, Issue 11, 2021

COVID-19 (Virus named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-- CoV-2)) is a pandemic disease characterized by respiratory infection caused by a coronavirus. It has spread worldwide after an outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 15 million people globally. The disease severity and mortality increased in patients with heart-related comorbidities. Cardiova Read More

Background: Thyroid disease and obesity are widespread clinical conditions in the population. They can occur together in the same subject, but their relationship does not seem exclusively stochastic. Aim: Literature was critically reviewed to explain the association between thyroid disease and obesity and to understand the possible benefits of levothyroxine therapy in euthyroid obese patients. Results: A low energy expendit Read More

Background: Plants have been regarded as essential source of food for human beings, as confirmed by archeological studies that have revealed the presence of proteins from cereals and legumes on old pottery. Specific Aims: In this review, major health effects derived from the consumption of plant fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and polyphenols, respectively, will be described with special emphasis on their mech Read More

Medicinal plants have been used in the indigenous system of medicine for the treatment of numerous human health complications. Medicinal plants were used for the separation and isolation of pure phytochemical and some of the best examples are tubocurarine, aspirin, morphine, digoxin, atropine, quinine and reserpine. Phytoconstituents are pure, plant-derived, natural chemicals found to be present in medicinal plants an Read More

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) (COVID-19) infection provokes serious clinical consequences, which in many situations need hospitalization of the patient in Intensive Care Unit. Additionally, SARS-COV-2 infection can indirectly cause deaths in aged individuals as well as in patients with co-morbidities. Objective: To evaluate the effects of nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic in both Read More

Background: Antinuclear antibody (ANA) and Antineutrophil autoantibodies (ANCA) are often used as markers for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. In clinical practice, we have found that ANA and ANCA often occur in sera of patients with hyperthyroidism. Objective: The study aimed to discover the positive features of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in hyperthyroidism. Ma Read More

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent endocrine disorder affecting 6–7% of premenopausal women. Recent studies revealed that the immune system, especially CD4+ T helper cells are important in the context PCOS. Proteome analysis of CD4+ T lymphocytes can provide valuable information regarding the biology of these cells in the context of PCOS. Objective: To investigate immune dysregula Read More

Background: Type 1-diabetes (T1D) is characterized by autoimmune destruction of β-cells and loss of endogenous insulin. A lifelong dependency on exogenous supply of insulin presents a great challenge in the pharmacotherapy of T1D that elicits a quest for alternative therapies, which can protect β-cells and revive their insulinogenic functions. GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) has immunoprotective and β-cell regenerative capab Read More

Objective: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important complication of diabetes. This study was attempted to discover the effects of long noncoding RNA OIP5-AS1 (OIP5-AS1) on the viability and oxidative stress of cardiomyocyte in DCM. Methods: The expression of OIP5-AS1 and microRNA-34a (miR-34a) in DCM was detected by qRT-PCR. In vitro, DCM was simulated by high glucose (HG, 30 mM) treatment in H9c2 Read More

Background: The existence of a link between Graves’ Disease (GD) and Thyroid Cancer (TC) has long been investigated, however a clear pathogenic correlation is yet to be found. Objective: We verified the presence of TC in patients submitted to surgery for GD, both with and without thyroid nodules (TN). Methods: In this study we analyzed retrospectively a cohort of 151 patients treated at our clinic with total thyroidectomy b Read More

Objective: Achillea fragrantissima L. (Asteraceae) is a traditionally used medicinal herb in the rural communities of Jordan. Methods: The present study evaluated the efficacy of the ethanol extract of this species on angiogenesis in both, ex vivo using a rat aortic ring assay and in vivo using a rat excision wound model. Results: In concentrations of 50 and 100 μg/ml, the ethanol extract showed angiogenic stimulatory effect and Read More

Background: Atorvastatin (ATOR) is widely used for the treatment and prevention of hypercholesterolemia and various diseases, such as cardiovascular complications, with little data about the histopathological and ultrastructural renal alterations that might be induced by this drug. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to investigate the potential toxicity of therapeutic doses of atorvastatin on the microanat Read More

Background: Interleukin (IL)-6, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and uric acid (UA) increase after exercise in able-bodied individuals. Wheelchair Basketball Athletes (WBA), having low muscle mass, could be at risk of post-exercise ketosis. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the post-exercise ketosis, IL-6, and antioxidant response, in WBA of the Italian National team, after a simulated match. Methods: Dietary intakes, Read More

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the diabetic microvascular complications, which is also one of the important causes of blindness in adults. Objective: To investigate the association between proliferative retinopathy and serum bile acid level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Three hundred and thirty-six patients with T2DM were included, of which, 229 had a history of more than 10 years wit Read More

Background: Neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) is a novel adipocytokine that has been proposed to play a role in modulating energy metabolism and pathogeneses of atherosclerosis. However, no published research is available about the mechanisms underlying the anti-atherosclerotic effect of Nrg4. Regarding the close link between adipocytokines and the immune system, we wonder whether there is a relation between Nrg4 a Read More

Background: With the increasing prevalence of diabetes in recent years, diabetic nephropathy (DN) has also become a dangerous disease that greatly endangers human health. The study was designed to determine the mechanism and effect of Electro-acupuncture (EA) in alleviating DN-induced inflammation. Methods: Mice were intraperitoneally injected with STZ (streptozotocin, 50 mg/kg, S0130, Sigma, St. Louis, MO, U Read More

Objective: Schizophrenia (Sch) is a complex, multifactorial psychiatric disorder. Growing evidence shows that oxidative damage and immunological dysfunction exist in the Sch physiopathology. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether the Uncoupling protein 2 and Complement factor H gene variants play any role in susceptibility to Sch. Methods: This study was carried out on 200 individuals (100 Sch patients and 100 h Read More

Background: Curcumin has demonstrated many pharmacological effects including antioxidants, anti-inflammation, eliminating free radicals, anti-tumor, lipid regulation, and anti-coagulation. Objective: This study aimed to assess and compare the effects of curcumin and nano-curcumin on lipid profile, oxidative stress, and inflammatory factors related to patient’s heart. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-contr Read More

Kabuki syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delay, short stature, facial dysmorphic features including ectropion of the lateral third of the lower eyelids, long palpebral fissures, and prominent finger pads. Pathogenic variants of KMT2D (MLL2) and KDM6A are found to be the major causes of Kabuki syndrome. Here, we report the first Irania Read More

Objective: The first edition of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology/American College of Endocrinology/Associazione Medici Endocrinologi Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Thyroid Nodules was published in 2006 and updated in 2010 and 2016. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology/American College of Endocrinology/Associazione Medici Endocrinologi multidisciplinary th Read More