Plaque

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of full-mouth disinfection on the sizes of the periodontal wound and periodontal inflammatory burden and whether it leads to a decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 20 systemically healthy subjects (11 women and 9 men) 30 to 68 years old with localised or generalised periodontitis (stage III, grade C). The sizes of the periodontal wound and periodontal inflammatory burden were measured with the web application "Periodontalwound", which is based on measurements of average tooth cervices, as well as probing depths and bleeding on probing assessed at six sites around each tooth present in the oral cavity...

Cryptogenic stroke refers to a stroke of undetermined etiology. It accounts for approximately one-fifth of ischemic strokes and has a higher prevalence in younger patients. Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) refers to a subgroup of patients with nonlacunar cryptogenic strokes in whom embolism is the suspected stroke mechanism. Under the classifications of cryptogenic stroke or ESUS, there is wide heterogeneity in possible stroke mechanisms. In the absence of a confirmed stroke etiology, there is no established treatment for secondary prevention of stroke in patients experiencing cryptogenic stroke or ESUS, despite several clinical trials, leaving physicians with a clinical dilemma...

Atherosclerosis remains a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) globally, with the complex interplay of inflammation and lipid metabolism at its core. Recent evidence suggests a role of B cells in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis; however, this relationship remains poorly understood, particularly in the context of HIV. We review the multifaceted functions of B cells in atherosclerosis, with a specific focus on HIV. Unique to atherosclerosis is the pivotal role of natural antibodies, particularly those targeting oxidized epitopes abundant in modified lipoproteins and cellular debris...

BACKGROUND: Advanced coronary plaque analysis by cardiac computed tomography (CT) has recently emerged as a promising technique for better prognostic stratification. However, this evaluation application in clinical practice is still uncertain. CASE SUMMARY: In the present case, we described the clinical picture of a 44-year-old tennis player with ectopic ventricular beats in which cardiac CT enabled the identification of a non-obstructive but high-risk plaque on proximal left anterior descendent artery...

INTRODUCTION: In the contemporary perspective, periodontitis is considered a complex issue triggered and perpetuated by bacteria but strongly influenced by the way the body reacts to bacterial plaque. Recent research has indicated that variations in genes might have an impact on the development of periodontitis. This study was conducted to explore a probable link between the genetic variations in intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ( ICAM-1 ) represented by rs5498 and the occurrence of periodontitis...

INTRODUCTION: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a common penile disorder characterized by the formation of fibrous noncompliant hard nodules in the tunica albuginea of the penis. Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) is an injectable drug that treats PD by enzymatically degrading plaque interstitial collagen. CCH has been used in patients with varying curvature, as well as in the acute and stable phases of the disease, through a variety of treatment regimens and combinations. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of CCH combination therapies for PD...

The association between dysfunctional microglia and amyloid-β (Aβ) is a fundamental pathological event and increases the speed of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, the pathogenesis of AD is intricate and a single drug may not be enough to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic outcome. Herein, we reported a facile and effective gene therapy strategy for the modulation of microglia function and intervention of Aβ anabolism by ROS-responsive biomimetic exosome-liposome hybrid nanovesicles (designated as TSEL)...

INTRODUCTION: Nail psoriasis is highly prevalent among patients with psoriasis yet remains one of the most challenging areas to treat. To better understand the treatment landscape for psoriatic nail disease, more studies are needed that compare the effectiveness of different biologics for patients with nail psoriasis. This study contributes to this objective by directly comparing the effectiveness of approved biologics in improving nail psoriasis for patients up to month 12 in a real-world setting...

Layered plaque, a signature of previous plaque destabilization and healing, is a known predictor for rapid plaque progression; however, the mechanism of which is unknown. The aim of the current study was to compare the level of vascular inflammation and plaque vulnerability in layered plaques to investigate possible mechanisms of rapid plaque progression. This is a retrospective, observational, single-center cohort study. Patients who underwent both coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for stable angina pectoris (SAP) were selected...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia defined by two key pathological characteristics in the brain, amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. Microglia, the primary innate immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), provide neuroprotection through Aβ and tau clearance, but may also be neurotoxic by promoting neuroinflammation to exacerbate Aβ and tau pathogenesis in AD. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of microglial utilization of nutrients and trace metals in controlling their activation and effector functions...

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are associated with amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and exhibit altered biochemical properties in human Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as in the transgenic 5XFAD mouse model of AD amyloidosis. In the brains of the 5XFAD mouse model devoid of BChE enzyme (5XFAD/BChE-KO), incubation of tissue sections with exogenous BChE purified from human plasma (pl-BChE) leads to its association with Aβ plaques and its biochemical properties are comparable to those reported for endogenous BChE associated with plaques in both human AD and in 5XFAD mouse brain tissue...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare disease caused by the expression of progerin, a mutant protein that accelerates aging and precipitates death. Given that atherosclerosis complications are the main cause of death in progeria, here, we investigated whether progerin-induced atherosclerosis is prevented in HGPSrev-Cdh5-CreERT2 and HGPSrev-SM22α-Cre mice with progerin suppression in endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), respectively. HGPSrev-Cdh5-CreERT2 mice were undistinguishable from HGPSrev mice with ubiquitous progerin expression, in contrast with the ameliorated progeroid phenotype of HGPSrev-SM22α-Cre mice...

When angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive tumor of the soft tissue, develops in the setting of chronic lymphedema, it is referred to as Stewart-Treves syndrome. It is usually seen in chronic lymphedema of the upper limbs postmastectomy. Angiosarcoma developing in the lower limb in the setting of chronic lymphedema is rare and has a poor outcome. The presentation of angiosarcoma can vary, ranging from a bleeding papule to a plaque or a subcutaneous mass, which can later progress to ulceration or necrosis. Treatment for Stewart-Treves syndrome is aggressive because of its poor prognosis and usually requires a multidisciplinary approach of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy...

Richter syndrome (RS) describes a phenomenon in which a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) develops an aggressive lymphoma, most commonly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Reports of cutaneous RS remain exceedingly rare. We report a 61-year-old woman with relapsed/refractory CLL presenting with several subcutaneous nodules on her arms and legs and a single dermal plaque on her abdomen. Skin biopsy revealed a diagnosis of DLBCL, ABC-type, and her clinical status rapidly deteriorated following diagnosis...

INTRODUCTION: Ixekizumab, a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-17A, is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Since scalp psoriasis can be burdensome and challenging to treat with non-systemic therapies, this post hoc analysis focused on scalp psoriasis in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and baseline scalp involvement. The analysis considered a holistic concept of clearance through 5 years of ixekizumab treatment...

The blood brain barrier (BBB) limits the application of most therapeutic drugs for neurological diseases (NDs). Hybrid cell membrane-coated nanoparticles derived from different cell types can mimic the surface properties and functionalities of the source cells, further enhancing their targeting precision and therapeutic efficacy. Neuroinflammation has been increasingly recognized as a critical factor in the pathogenesis of various NDs, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, a novel cell membrane coating is designed by hybridizing the membrane from platelets and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) cells are overexpressed to cross the BBB and target neuroinflammatory lesions...

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a significant contributor to cardio-cerebrovascular ischemia diseases, resulting in high mortality rates worldwide. During AS, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a crucial role in plaque formation by undergoing phenotypic and osteogenic switching. Long noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) has previously been identified as a nuclear regulator that promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis, but its role in regulating VSMCs in AS remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the biological functions and specific mechanisms of NEAT1 in regulating VSMCs in AS...

Central nervous system disorders are prevalent, profoundly debilitating, and poorly managed. Developing innovative treatments for these conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, could significantly improve patients' quality of life and reduce the future economic burden on healthcare systems. However, groundbreaking drugs for central nervous system disorders have been scarce in recent years, highlighting the pressing need for advancements in this field. One significant challenge in the realm of nanotherapeutics is ensuring the precise delivery of drugs to their intended targets due to the complex nature of Alzheimer's disease...