-
British Journal of Hospital Medicine... Jan 2023Achalasia, characterised by the absence of peristalsis and failure of relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter, is an uncommon degenerative condition that results... (Review)
Review
Achalasia, characterised by the absence of peristalsis and failure of relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter, is an uncommon degenerative condition that results in dysphagia. If left untreated it can lead to aspiration, oesophageal perforation, oesophagitis and malnutrition. It has a range of immune, allergic, viral and genetic aetiological causes. Successful diagnosis relies on the use of oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, barium swallow and oesophageal manometry to characterise the severity of the disease and to rule out underlying malignancy. Although no treatment can reverse the degenerative process, therapeutic strategies including lifestyle modification, medication, endoscopic and operative intervention can help to reduce symptoms. This article reviews the latest methods used to investigate and manage achalasia.
Topics: Humans; Esophageal Achalasia; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower; Deglutition Disorders; Manometry; Esophagoscopy
PubMed: 36708337
DOI: 10.12968/hmed.2022.0437 -
Cells Mar 2023Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common degenerative disorder in the elderly in developed countries. Currently, growing evidence is pointing at endothelial... (Review)
Review
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common degenerative disorder in the elderly in developed countries. Currently, growing evidence is pointing at endothelial dysfunction as a key player in the cognitive decline course of AD. As a main component of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the dysfunction of endothelial cells driven by vascular risk factors associated with AD allows the passage of toxic substances to the cerebral parenchyma, producing chronic hypoperfusion that eventually causes an inflammatory and neurotoxic response. In this process, the levels of several biomarkers are disrupted, such as an increase in adhesion molecules that allow the passage of leukocytes to the cerebral parenchyma, increasing the permeability of the BBB; moreover, other vascular players, including endothelin-1, also mediate artery inflammation. As a consequence of the disruption of the BBB, a progressive neuroinflammatory response is produced that, added to the astrogliosis, eventually triggers neuronal degeneration (possibly responsible for cognitive deterioration). Recently, new molecules have been proposed as early biomarkers for endothelial dysfunction that can constitute new therapeutic targets as well as early diagnostic and prognostic markers for AD.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Endothelial Cells; Blood-Brain Barrier; Cognition Disorders; Vascular Diseases; Biomarkers
PubMed: 36980302
DOI: 10.3390/cells12060962 -
Connective Tissue Research May 2023The formyl peptide receptor (FPR) participates in the immune response, with roles in infection and inflammation. In this review article, we summarize the current... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE/AIM OF THE STUDY
The formyl peptide receptor (FPR) participates in the immune response, with roles in infection and inflammation. In this review article, we summarize the current literature on these roles before discussing the function of FPRs in the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis (OA), degenerative disc disease (DDD), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Additionally, we discuss the potential diagnostic and therapeutic roles of FPRs in these domains.
METHODS
PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE searches were performed from 1965 through March 2022. Keywords included "FPR, tissue expression, inflammation, infection, musculoskeletal disorder, bone, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, mitochondria."
RESULTS
Sixty-nine studies were included in this review article. FPRs appear to be ubiquitous in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of common musculoskeletal disorders. They can potentially be utilized for the earlier diagnosis of OA and DDD. They may be employed with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to reverse OA and DDD pathologies. With anti-inflammatory, anti-osteolytic, and pro-angiogenic functions, they may broaden treatment options in RA.
CONCLUSIONS
FPRs appear to be heavily involved in the pathogenesis of common musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, they demonstrate much promise in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Their roles should continue to be explored.
Topics: Humans; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Receptors, Formyl Peptide; Inflammation; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Osteoarthritis; Musculoskeletal Diseases
PubMed: 36440821
DOI: 10.1080/03008207.2022.2149397 -
Endokrynologia Polska 2021Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is a neurological and endocrinological degenerative disorder, also known as DIDMOAD (Diabetes Insipidus, early-onset Diabetes Mellitus,...
INTRODUCTION
Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is a neurological and endocrinological degenerative disorder, also known as DIDMOAD (Diabetes Insipidus, early-onset Diabetes Mellitus, progressive Optic Atrophy, and Deafness) syndrome. It is an autosomal recessive disorder, mostly involving the Wolfram syndrome 1 gene (WFS1). The phenotypic pleiomorphism, rarity, and molecular complexity complicate the follow-up of these patients.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and the follow-up of 11 patients with this disorder. We retrospectively analysed all WFS patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2020 in the Centro Hospitalar São João, a tertiary hospital in Northern Portugal.
RESULTS
Eleven patients were included. Four patients had all 4 components of DIDMOAD. The presentation was diabetes mellitus (DM) in 9 patients, optic atrophy (OA) in another patient, and diabetes insipidus (DI) in another one. The median age of DM and OA diagnosis was 6 and 14 years, respectively. Nine patients had diabetes mellitus, and the other 2 patients had impaired glucose tolerance. All patients had OA. Four patients presented DI, all of them diagnosed in adolescence. Four patients had hearing impairment, 5 had urological abnormalities, 5 had neurological disorders, and 8 had psychiatry disorders. Eight patients had a broad spectrum of recessive mutations in WFS1.
CONCLUSION
The information obtained in this study can facilitate further research in an attempt to improve prevention strategies for this devastating disease.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Diabetes Insipidus; Humans; Membrane Proteins; Optic Atrophy; Portugal; Retrospective Studies; Wolfram Syndrome
PubMed: 34010437
DOI: 10.5603/EP.a2021.0038 -
Ageing Research Reviews May 2022Spinal stenosis is a common degenerative spine disorder in the aged population and the spinal ligament aging is a main contributor to this chronic disease. However, the... (Review)
Review
Spinal stenosis is a common degenerative spine disorder in the aged population and the spinal ligament aging is a main contributor to this chronic disease. However, the underlying mechanisms of spinal ligament aging remain unclear. Epigenetics is the study of heritable and reversible changes in the function of a gene or genome that occur without any alteration in the primary DNA sequence. Epigenetic alterations have been demonstrated to play crucial roles in age-related diseases and conditions, and they are recently studied as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the field of cancer research. The main epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation alteration, histone modifications as well as dysregulated noncoding RNA modulation, have all been implicated in spinal ligament aging diseases. DNA methylation modulates the expression of critical genes including WNT5A, GDNF, ACSM5, miR-497 and miR-195 during spinal ligament degeneration. Histone modifications widely affect gene expression and obvious histone modification abnormalities have been found in spinal ligament aging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert crucial regulating effects on spinal ligament aging conditions via targeting various osteogenic or fibrogenic differentiation related genes. To our knowledge, there is no systematic review yet to summarize the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms of spinal ligament aging in degenerative spinal diseases. In this study, we systematically discussed the different epigenetic modifications and their potential functions in spinal ligament aging process.
Topics: Aged; Aging; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Humans; Ligaments; MicroRNAs; Spine
PubMed: 35218968
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101598 -
European Review For Medical and... Oct 2022The purpose of this review is to present the latest innovations and current topics in musculoskeletal diagnosis and interventional imaging, with a focus on degenerative... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review is to present the latest innovations and current topics in musculoskeletal diagnosis and interventional imaging, with a focus on degenerative and inflammatory diseases.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this study, the search was conducted through the online databases PubMed and Google Scholar, including articles published in English in the past 15 years, in order to find existing studies, clinical cases, and reviews on the latest innovations and current topics in degenerative and inflammatory musculoskeletal pathologies.
RESULTS
Imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of MSK degenerative and inflammatory disease. In the last few years continuous innovations and technological advances have allowed new clinical applications in the management of MSK disorder. Advanced magnetic resonance techniques, the introduction of fusion imaging techniques and new approaches to infiltrative medicine are revolutionizing the clinical and therapeutic approach to degenerative and inflammatory pathologies. Artificial intelligence also increasingly seeks to be applied in all fields of medicine and radiology with increasingly promising results.
CONCLUSIONS
Imaging modalities undergo continuous innovations and revolutions due to technological advances, with direct repercussions on clinical applications and new therapeutic potential through interventional radiology techniques. In recent years, there have been particular innovations in the context of musculoskeletal imaging of degenerative and inflammatory diseases, both for diagnosis and intervention.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Radiology; Radiography; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 36263576
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202210_29877 -
Journal of Preventive Medicine and... Jun 2022Environmental pollution, inadequate eating habits and unhealthy lifestyles have led to a tremendous increase in ocular diseases worldwide. Given the costly treatments... (Review)
Review
Environmental pollution, inadequate eating habits and unhealthy lifestyles have led to a tremendous increase in ocular diseases worldwide. Given the costly treatments that are currently available for the most common and threatening eye diseases (such as cataract, dry eye disorder, or diabetic retinopathy), curing these diseases or preventing refractive errors by taking nutraceuticals and natural compounds that are present in our daily diet is a very valuable intervention. The eyes are the most important part of our visual system and require micronutrients such as vitamins, carotenoids, trace metals, and omega-3 fatty acids in order to function properly and to protect themselves against light-induced and age-mediated degenerative disorders. The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) has been in the limelight since the 1980s because of the several health benefits it provides, including eye health. MedDiet is characterized by the consumption of small amounts of red meat, while emphasizing the intake of fish, eggs, nuts, legumes, citrus fruits, green vegetables, olives and their derivatives, especially olive oil, and dairy products in a proportionate manner, in order to achieve the maximum health benefits. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties of these foods - both when used as an ingredient in the dietary regime or as a source of nutritional supplements - have shown promising results in the management of chronic degenerative ocular diseases, both in animal models and in human subjects. In this chapter, we will focus on the importance of MedDiet and natural compounds for the visual system and its role in slowing down age-related ocular degeneration.
Topics: Humans; Glaucoma; Retinal Diseases; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 36479474
DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2760 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Oct 2023Lipid metabolism is a complex process that maintains the normal physiological function of the human body. The disorder of lipid metabolism has been implicated in various... (Review)
Review
Lipid metabolism is a complex process that maintains the normal physiological function of the human body. The disorder of lipid metabolism has been implicated in various human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and bone diseases. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), an age-related degenerative disease in the musculoskeletal system, is characterized by high morbidity, high treatment cost, and chronic recurrence. Lipid metabolism disorder may promote the pathogenesis of IDD, and the potential mechanisms are complex. Leptin, resistin, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), fatty acids, and cholesterol may promote the pathogenesis of IDD, while lipocalin, adiponectin, and progranulin (PGRN) exhibit protective activity against IDD development. Lipid metabolism disorder contributes to extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, cell apoptosis, and cartilage calcification in the intervertebral discs (IVDs) by activating inflammatory responses, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and oxidative stress and inhibiting autophagy. Several lines of agents have been developed to target lipid metabolism disorder. Inhibition of lipid metabolism disorder may be an effective strategy for the therapeutic management of IDD. However, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of lipid metabolism disorder in promoting IDD development is still needed.
Topics: Humans; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Lipid Metabolism; Lipid Metabolism Disorders; Adiponectin; Apoptosis
PubMed: 37651799
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115401 -
Cells Jul 2021Although ubiquitously present, the relevance of cilia for vertebrate development and health has long been underrated. However, the aberration or dysfunction of ciliary... (Review)
Review
Although ubiquitously present, the relevance of cilia for vertebrate development and health has long been underrated. However, the aberration or dysfunction of ciliary structures or components results in a large heterogeneous group of disorders in mammals, termed ciliopathies. The majority of human ciliopathy cases are caused by malfunction of the ciliary dynein motor activity, powering retrograde intraflagellar transport (enabled by the cytoplasmic dynein-2 complex) or axonemal movement (axonemal dynein complexes). Despite a partially shared evolutionary developmental path and shared ciliary localization, the cytoplasmic dynein-2 and axonemal dynein functions are markedly different: while cytoplasmic dynein-2 complex dysfunction results in an ultra-rare syndromal skeleto-renal phenotype with a high lethality, axonemal dynein dysfunction is associated with a motile cilia dysfunction disorder, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) or Kartagener syndrome, causing recurrent airway infection, degenerative lung disease, laterality defects, and infertility. In this review, we provide an overview of ciliary dynein complex compositions, their functions, clinical disease hallmarks of ciliary dynein disorders, presumed underlying pathomechanisms, and novel developments in the field.
Topics: Animals; Axonemal Dyneins; Cilia; Ciliopathies; Cytoplasmic Dyneins; Humans; Kartagener Syndrome; Polymorphism, Genetic; Short Rib-Polydactyly Syndrome
PubMed: 34440654
DOI: 10.3390/cells10081885