Teodora Hoinoiu - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Teodora Hoinoiu

Life

A thrombophilic woman is more likely to experience difficulties during pregnancy, difficulties th... more A thrombophilic woman is more likely to experience difficulties during pregnancy, difficulties that will also affect the development of the newborn. This study aims to compare maternal and newborn characteristics between healthy and thrombophilic pregnancy. The following characteristics were analysed: maternal characteristics (BMI- body mass index, haemostasis parameters, thrombophilia-specific treatment) and newborn characteristics (gestational period, birth weight, the Apgar score). This follow-up study spanning five years, from 2018 to 2022, focuses on a cohort of 500 women who underwent delivery hospitalization in the western region of Romania. The maternal characteristics influence the newborn: the greater the weight of the mother with thrombophilia, the more the chances that the fetus will have a lower birth weight; increasing the dose of LMWH (low molecular weight heparin), connected with the necessity to control the homeostasis parameters, the more likely the fetus will be b...

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

This study investigated the attitude of Romanian medical students and doctors toward business eth... more This study investigated the attitude of Romanian medical students and doctors toward business ethics by measuring the preference for a particular ethical philosophy, namely, the preference for Machiavellianism, moral objectivism, social Darwinism, ethical relativism, and legalism. At the same time, this study aimed to explore the influence of sex, age, and ethics education on the attitude toward business ethics. The data collection was performed using a voluntary self-administered online survey including the Attitudes Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) instrument. Our findings show that the values based on which Romanian medical students and doctors make business decisions belong predominantly to the moral objectivism philosophy, which is grounded on rational actions based on a set of objective moral standards.

Current Oncology

Breast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm among women and the second leading cause of death by ... more Breast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm among women and the second leading cause of death by cancer. It is the most frequent cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as breast cancer that is diagnosed during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period. Data about young women with metastatic HER2-positive cancer who desire a pregnancy are scarce. The medical attitude in these clinical situations is difficult and nonstandardized. We present the case of a 31-year-old premenopausal woman diagnosed in December 2016 with a stage IV Luminal HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (pT2 N0 M1 hep). The patient was initially treated by surgery in a conservative manner. Postoperatively, the presence of liver metastases was found by CT investigation. Consequently, line I treatment (docetaxel l75 mg/m² iv; trastuzumab 600 mg/5 mL sq) and ovarian drug suppression (Goserelin 3.6 mg sq at 28 days) was administered. After nine cycles of treatment, the patient...

Medicina

Background and objectives: Thrombophilia in pregnant women is a condition whose incidence is cons... more Background and objectives: Thrombophilia in pregnant women is a condition whose incidence is constantly increasing worldwide, and, under these conditions, the development of preventive procedures is becoming essential. In this study, we aimed to evaluate thrombophilia in pregnant women in the western part of Romania and to establish anthropometric characteristics, socioeconomic features, and genetic and risk factors. Material and Methods: 178 pregnant women were divided into three study groups, according to the type of thrombophilia, aiming to carry out the genetic profile and the acquired one. Anthropometric measures and biological tests were performed. Results: The mixed type of thrombophilia predominates. The particularities of pregnant women diagnosed with thrombophilia are higher age, living in an urban environment, with normal BMI, approximately 36 weeks of gestational period, and having at least one miscarriage. Regarding the most frequent thrombophilic genetic markers, we ob...

Applied Sciences

Background: Large recurrent phyllodes breast tumors are often malignant. Therefore, when taking t... more Background: Large recurrent phyllodes breast tumors are often malignant. Therefore, when taking the surgical decision, a simple mastectomy and immediate reconstruction must be considered. Case presentation: The patient, aged 40 years, with a benign phyllodes tumor in the left breast, having a recurrence 2 years after, with 4–7 cm conglomerate tumor masses, was subjected to skin-reducing mastectomy, breast reconstruction with a silicone mammary implant in the left breast, and symmetrization of the right breast. Discussion and conclusions: In the case of patients with breast hypertrophy and gigantomastia (cup size D–F), skin-reducing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with an implant can be the option. It is important for the resection specimen to include the skin tissue above the tumor. After 14 months of follow-up, there was no recurrence of the lesions on a clinical examination, ultrasonography, or MRI.

Medicina

Thrombophilia is a genetic predisposition to hypercoagulable states caused by acquired haemostasi... more Thrombophilia is a genetic predisposition to hypercoagulable states caused by acquired haemostasis conditions; pregnancy causes the haemostatic system to become hypercoagulable, which grows throughout the pregnancy and peaks around delivery. Genetic testing for thrombophilic gene mutations is evaluated using different methodologies of real-time polymerase chain reaction and DNA microarrays of specific genes. Adapting the general care of the pregnant woman to the particularities caused by thrombophilia is an important component, so screening is preferred to assess the degree of genetic damage that manifests itself as a risk of thrombosis. The major goal of this narrative review was to quantitatively evaluate the literature data on the specific care of pregnant women with thrombophilia that are at risk of developing unplanned miscarriages.

Applied Sciences, 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of the Multiwave Locked System (... more The purpose of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of the Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy versus the combined Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) and ultrasound therapy in the treatment of the subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). Forty-seven patients with SAPS were included in the study. Two different rehabilitation protocols were tested: Group 1 (n = 22)–MLS laser therapy and physical exercises and Group 2 (n = 25)–TENS, ultrasound and physical exercises. The analyzed outcomes were levels of pain, functionality and disability, assessed with visual analog scale (VAS), Constant Shoulder Score (CSS) and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). The post-treatment evaluations showed significantly better scores in Group 1 patients for VAS score (p = 0.03) and SPADI (p = 0.04). Significant improvement was seen in both groups for all scores. Both treatment regimens showed to be efficient in the treatment of SAPS, improving functionality and reducing pain a...

Jurnalul Pediatrului, 2020

Infantile and congenital hemangiomas still a challenge for both the pediatric surgeon and the ped... more Infantile and congenital hemangiomas still a challenge for both the pediatric surgeon and the pediatrician. The treatment of hemangiomas must be individualized according to: the type of lesion, location, size, depth, stage of growth and evolution of the lesion. To date, none of the available therapies is considered standard therapy. Currently, personalized therapy is not widely applied in Romania, not being included in the usual therapy protocols in any of the types of hemangioma. This is a starting point for the identification of new specific therapeutic targets that preserve normal endothelial cells and determine the regression of hemangioma, especially recurrent ones and those with an increased proliferation rate. Another controversial and unexplained aspect, consequently unexploited from a therapeutic point of view is represented by the expression and role of lymphatic markers in infantile and congenital hemangiomas.

Applied Sciences, 2021

Heart transplantation remains the only curative treatment for end-stage heart failure. This life-... more Heart transplantation remains the only curative treatment for end-stage heart failure. This life-saving option continues to be limited by the low number of organ donors, graft rejection and adverse effects of immunosuppressants. Engineering bioartificial hearts from acellular native-derived scaffolds and stem cells has gained attention because of its potential to overcome these limitations. In this study, rat hearts (n = 20) were decellularized by means of coronary perfusion with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in a modified Langendorff device. The electrical field behavior of the SDS molecule was studied and it was assumed that when applying an alternating current, the exposure time of the tissue to the detergent might decrease. To repopulate the decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM), human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were used, induced to differentiate into cardiomyocytes (CMs) with 5-azacytidine (5-aza). The results showed no cellular debris and an intact ECM following dec...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

This study focused on the characteristics of postmenopausal breast cancer in the population of so... more 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 (...

Applied Sciences, 2020

Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a benign aggressive bone lesion with significant recurrence rat... more Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a benign aggressive bone lesion with significant recurrence rates following surgical curettage. Historically, these tumors were approached by performing an intralesional curettage of the tumoral tissue by filling the resulting cavity using morselized iliac bone autograft. The major problems of this therapy were the high recurrence rates of up to 40–50%. Several adjuvant treatments have been proposed in order to augment resection margins, including liquid nitrogen (LN), phenol, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and bone cement (polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)). LN can be used either to preserve tissues or for controlled necrosis depending on the cycles of freezing and thawing. Usually, a quick freeze followed by a slow thaw will lead to destruction of human cells. This article reviews the results of cryosurgery with LN associated with surgical resection and the additional use of PMMA in a small group of patients with a histopathological confirmation o...

Life, 2020

Background: pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common congenital deformity of the thoracic wall. L... more Background: pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common congenital deformity of the thoracic wall. Lately, significant achievements have been made in finding new, less invasive treatment methods for PE. However, most of the experimental work was carried out without the help of an animal model. In this report we describe a method to create an animal model for PE in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: We selected 15 Sprague-Dawley rat pups and divided them into two groups: 10 for the experimental group (EG) and 5 for the control group (CG). We surgically resected the last four pairs of costal cartilages in rats from the EG. The animals were assessed by CT-scan prior to surgery and weekly for four consecutive weeks. After four weeks, the animals were euthanized and the thoracic cage was dissected from the surrounding tissue. Results: On the first postoperative CT, seven days after surgery, we observed a marked depression of the lower sternum in all animals from the EG. This deformity was presen...

Applied Sciences, 2020

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is a chain-like disaccharide that is linked to a polypeptide core to conn... more Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is a chain-like disaccharide that is linked to a polypeptide core to connect two collagen fibrils/fibers and provide the intermolecular force in a Collagen-GAG matrix which can be a valuable treatment of post-burn contractures and hypertrophic scars, which remain a challenge to reconstructive surgery. The face and neck contractures are the most difficult sites to treat. This article is meant to discuss our clinical experience in using collagen-glycosaminoglycan biodegradable matrix (Integra® Integra Lifesciences Corporation, Plainsboro, NJ, USA) to reconstruct defects created by excision of contracted areas from the neck and lower face areas. Between 2009 and 2011, we had 11 patients that underwent Integra reconstructive procedures. The mean follow-up period was 18 months. For all the patients, the intake of the Integra dermal regeneration template was 100%, even if one patient developed a minor infection treated with appropriate antibiotics. The patients are...

Diagnostics, 2019

Therapeutic neoangiogenesis (TNA) holds promise as a treatment for peripheral arterial disease. N... more Therapeutic neoangiogenesis (TNA) holds promise as a treatment for peripheral arterial disease. Nevertheless, proper tools for in vivo pre-clinical investigation of different TNA approaches and their effects are still lacking. Here we describe a chronic ischemic hindlimb model in rats using laser Doppler quantitative evaluation of tissue perfusion. Male Wistar rats (n = 20), aged between 6–8 months, with an average weight of 287 ± 26.74 g, were used. Animals were divided into two experimental groups: group A (n = 17; hindlimb chronic ischemia model) and group B (n = 3; control). Hindlimb ischemia was induced by concomitant ligation of the right femoral and popliteal artery. Evaluation of tissue perfusion was quantified in perfusion units (PU) on a scale from 0 to 500 (500 PU = maximal detectable perfusion) by laser Doppler analysis at day 0, day 15 and day 30 after induction of ischemia. Induction of chronic ischemia in the rat hindlimb by concomitant ligation of the femoral and pop...

Journal Of Cardiovascular Emergencies, 2018

Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent one of the main causes of morbidity and morta... more Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality, and acute coronary syndromes are responsible for a large number of sudden cardiac deaths. One of the main challenges that still exist in this area is represented by the early detection and targeted monitoring of the pathophysiology involved in CVDs. During the last couple of years, researchers have highlighted the importance of molecular and epigenetic mechanisms involved in the initiation and augmentation of CVDs, culminating in their most severe form represented by acute myocardial infarction. One of the most studied molecular factors involved in this type of pathology is represented by nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB), as well as the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs). It has been suggested that miRNAs can also be involved in the complex process of atheromatous plaque vulnerabilization that leads to an acute cardiac event. In this review paper, we describe the most im...

Romanian journal of internal medicine = Revue roumaine de médecine interne

Colorectal cancer represents the third cause of cancer. Since its detection in due time is import... more Colorectal cancer represents the third cause of cancer. Since its detection in due time is important resolution, appropriate monitoring is mandatory. The present study deals with the relationship between colorectal cancer and renal function, as well as other associated risk factors. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a risk factor of cancer, both in non-dialysed patients and especially in dialysed patients and in patients with renal transplant. It can get aggravated with cancer in general and particularly with colorectal cancer, partly related to the toxins that cannot be appropriately eliminated because of renal functional disturbances. At the same time, immunosuppressive therapy used for treating glomerular or secondary nephropathies represents an important risk factor of cancer. Some patients with colorectal cancer were found to present also impaired renal function, a fact whose significance is still little known. The object of the present paper is an analysis of the case re...

Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, 2012

Although the effect of chronic compression and surgical decompression of the diabetic rat sciatic... more Although the effect of chronic compression and surgical decompression of the diabetic rat sciatic nerve has been evaluated by walking track analysis, the measurement of sensory function by response to thermal nociceptive stimulation has not been investigated. Fifteen male Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes underwent sciatic nerve compression through a 10-mm silicone band. Five rats had histology done 60 days after confirming chronic nerve compression. Pain threshold was measured using hindlimb withdrawal times (HLWT) from a heat stimulus. After 60 days of compression, the silicone tube was removed. Five nondiabetic, nonbanded rats were used as controls. Control mean HLWT was 9.7 ± 1.5 sec. In the diabetes group (60 days of compression), mean HLWT was 23.6 ± 2.4 sec. (p < 0.001). Thirty days after removal of the silicone, mean HLWT to painful stimuli was 14.9 ± 1.5 sec. (p < 0.001). Chronic compression of the diabetic rat sciatic nerve increases (worsens) the threshold to heat (pain) perception. Decompression reverses this effect (improves nociception).

Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis, 2014

Objective: Infection with the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori (HP) clearly results in chro... more Objective: Infection with the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori (HP) clearly results in chronic mucosal inflammation in the stomach and duodenum, which, in turn, might lead to abnormalities in gastroduodenal motility and sensitivity and is the most frequent cause of dyspepsia and peptic disease. Some studies have shown that there was a correlation between lowgrade inflammation as C-reactive protein (CRP) and HP infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of gastritis due to HP infection and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple and reliable indicator of inflammation. Design: Fifty patients met the HP criteria and half of them have had severe symptoms and upper endoscopy showed atrophic gastritis, and fifty age-and sex-matched control subjects with gastritis without HP infection were included in this randomized controlled trial. Patients were diagnosed to have HP according to the use of urea breath testing (UBT) and multiple biopsies. NLR was calculated from complete blood count at the time of diagnosis and before initiating the treatment to all groups. Results: Patients with HP infection had significantly higher NLR compared to those without HP. Moreover, the patients with symptomatic HP and grade 4 gastritis had higher NLR than those asymptomatic with past history of peptic disease (P 0.007 and P 0.068, respectively). Although NLR increased as the severity of gastritis and HP symptoms increased (r = 0.564, P < 0.001), Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) Curve analysis was performed. The cutoff level for NLR with optimal sensitivity and specificity was calculated as 1.82 (area under curve [AUC] = 0.825 [0.753-0.884], P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study indicated, for the first time, a significant correlation between HP infection and inflammation on the basis of NLR, a simple and reliable indicator of inflammation. Furthermore, there is an increase in NLR as the severity of gastritis with HP increases. This elevated ratio gets normalized with treatment.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2011

The Journal of surgical research, 2017

Clinical and experimental evidence strongly suggest that ischemia-reperfusion injury after intest... more Clinical and experimental evidence strongly suggest that ischemia-reperfusion injury after intestinal transplantation has deleterious short- and long-term effects and finding means to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major research area. The anatomical and physiological similarities between the human and porcine digestive tract favor its use as a preclinical model for translational research. Intriguingly, no systematic appraisal of the development of the intestinal preservation injury in pigs is available. Intestinal procurement was performed in nine pigs using histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution as preservation fluid. Ileal biopsies were obtained after 8, 14, and 24 h of static cold storage (SCS), and the preservation injury was assessed morphologically (Chiu score) as well as on the molecular level. Tight junction (zonula occludens, claudin-3 and 4, tricellulin, and occludin) and adherens junctions (E-cadherin) proteins were studied using immunofluorescence and West...

Life

A thrombophilic woman is more likely to experience difficulties during pregnancy, difficulties th... more A thrombophilic woman is more likely to experience difficulties during pregnancy, difficulties that will also affect the development of the newborn. This study aims to compare maternal and newborn characteristics between healthy and thrombophilic pregnancy. The following characteristics were analysed: maternal characteristics (BMI- body mass index, haemostasis parameters, thrombophilia-specific treatment) and newborn characteristics (gestational period, birth weight, the Apgar score). This follow-up study spanning five years, from 2018 to 2022, focuses on a cohort of 500 women who underwent delivery hospitalization in the western region of Romania. The maternal characteristics influence the newborn: the greater the weight of the mother with thrombophilia, the more the chances that the fetus will have a lower birth weight; increasing the dose of LMWH (low molecular weight heparin), connected with the necessity to control the homeostasis parameters, the more likely the fetus will be b...

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

This study investigated the attitude of Romanian medical students and doctors toward business eth... more This study investigated the attitude of Romanian medical students and doctors toward business ethics by measuring the preference for a particular ethical philosophy, namely, the preference for Machiavellianism, moral objectivism, social Darwinism, ethical relativism, and legalism. At the same time, this study aimed to explore the influence of sex, age, and ethics education on the attitude toward business ethics. The data collection was performed using a voluntary self-administered online survey including the Attitudes Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) instrument. Our findings show that the values based on which Romanian medical students and doctors make business decisions belong predominantly to the moral objectivism philosophy, which is grounded on rational actions based on a set of objective moral standards.

Current Oncology

Breast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm among women and the second leading cause of death by ... more Breast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm among women and the second leading cause of death by cancer. It is the most frequent cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as breast cancer that is diagnosed during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period. Data about young women with metastatic HER2-positive cancer who desire a pregnancy are scarce. The medical attitude in these clinical situations is difficult and nonstandardized. We present the case of a 31-year-old premenopausal woman diagnosed in December 2016 with a stage IV Luminal HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (pT2 N0 M1 hep). The patient was initially treated by surgery in a conservative manner. Postoperatively, the presence of liver metastases was found by CT investigation. Consequently, line I treatment (docetaxel l75 mg/m² iv; trastuzumab 600 mg/5 mL sq) and ovarian drug suppression (Goserelin 3.6 mg sq at 28 days) was administered. After nine cycles of treatment, the patient...

Medicina

Background and objectives: Thrombophilia in pregnant women is a condition whose incidence is cons... more Background and objectives: Thrombophilia in pregnant women is a condition whose incidence is constantly increasing worldwide, and, under these conditions, the development of preventive procedures is becoming essential. In this study, we aimed to evaluate thrombophilia in pregnant women in the western part of Romania and to establish anthropometric characteristics, socioeconomic features, and genetic and risk factors. Material and Methods: 178 pregnant women were divided into three study groups, according to the type of thrombophilia, aiming to carry out the genetic profile and the acquired one. Anthropometric measures and biological tests were performed. Results: The mixed type of thrombophilia predominates. The particularities of pregnant women diagnosed with thrombophilia are higher age, living in an urban environment, with normal BMI, approximately 36 weeks of gestational period, and having at least one miscarriage. Regarding the most frequent thrombophilic genetic markers, we ob...

Applied Sciences

Background: Large recurrent phyllodes breast tumors are often malignant. Therefore, when taking t... more Background: Large recurrent phyllodes breast tumors are often malignant. Therefore, when taking the surgical decision, a simple mastectomy and immediate reconstruction must be considered. Case presentation: The patient, aged 40 years, with a benign phyllodes tumor in the left breast, having a recurrence 2 years after, with 4–7 cm conglomerate tumor masses, was subjected to skin-reducing mastectomy, breast reconstruction with a silicone mammary implant in the left breast, and symmetrization of the right breast. Discussion and conclusions: In the case of patients with breast hypertrophy and gigantomastia (cup size D–F), skin-reducing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with an implant can be the option. It is important for the resection specimen to include the skin tissue above the tumor. After 14 months of follow-up, there was no recurrence of the lesions on a clinical examination, ultrasonography, or MRI.

Medicina

Thrombophilia is a genetic predisposition to hypercoagulable states caused by acquired haemostasi... more Thrombophilia is a genetic predisposition to hypercoagulable states caused by acquired haemostasis conditions; pregnancy causes the haemostatic system to become hypercoagulable, which grows throughout the pregnancy and peaks around delivery. Genetic testing for thrombophilic gene mutations is evaluated using different methodologies of real-time polymerase chain reaction and DNA microarrays of specific genes. Adapting the general care of the pregnant woman to the particularities caused by thrombophilia is an important component, so screening is preferred to assess the degree of genetic damage that manifests itself as a risk of thrombosis. The major goal of this narrative review was to quantitatively evaluate the literature data on the specific care of pregnant women with thrombophilia that are at risk of developing unplanned miscarriages.

Applied Sciences, 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of the Multiwave Locked System (... more The purpose of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of the Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy versus the combined Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) and ultrasound therapy in the treatment of the subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). Forty-seven patients with SAPS were included in the study. Two different rehabilitation protocols were tested: Group 1 (n = 22)–MLS laser therapy and physical exercises and Group 2 (n = 25)–TENS, ultrasound and physical exercises. The analyzed outcomes were levels of pain, functionality and disability, assessed with visual analog scale (VAS), Constant Shoulder Score (CSS) and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). The post-treatment evaluations showed significantly better scores in Group 1 patients for VAS score (p = 0.03) and SPADI (p = 0.04). Significant improvement was seen in both groups for all scores. Both treatment regimens showed to be efficient in the treatment of SAPS, improving functionality and reducing pain a...

Jurnalul Pediatrului, 2020

Infantile and congenital hemangiomas still a challenge for both the pediatric surgeon and the ped... more Infantile and congenital hemangiomas still a challenge for both the pediatric surgeon and the pediatrician. The treatment of hemangiomas must be individualized according to: the type of lesion, location, size, depth, stage of growth and evolution of the lesion. To date, none of the available therapies is considered standard therapy. Currently, personalized therapy is not widely applied in Romania, not being included in the usual therapy protocols in any of the types of hemangioma. This is a starting point for the identification of new specific therapeutic targets that preserve normal endothelial cells and determine the regression of hemangioma, especially recurrent ones and those with an increased proliferation rate. Another controversial and unexplained aspect, consequently unexploited from a therapeutic point of view is represented by the expression and role of lymphatic markers in infantile and congenital hemangiomas.

Applied Sciences, 2021

Heart transplantation remains the only curative treatment for end-stage heart failure. This life-... more Heart transplantation remains the only curative treatment for end-stage heart failure. This life-saving option continues to be limited by the low number of organ donors, graft rejection and adverse effects of immunosuppressants. Engineering bioartificial hearts from acellular native-derived scaffolds and stem cells has gained attention because of its potential to overcome these limitations. In this study, rat hearts (n = 20) were decellularized by means of coronary perfusion with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in a modified Langendorff device. The electrical field behavior of the SDS molecule was studied and it was assumed that when applying an alternating current, the exposure time of the tissue to the detergent might decrease. To repopulate the decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM), human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were used, induced to differentiate into cardiomyocytes (CMs) with 5-azacytidine (5-aza). The results showed no cellular debris and an intact ECM following dec...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

This study focused on the characteristics of postmenopausal breast cancer in the population of so... more 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 (...

Applied Sciences, 2020

Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a benign aggressive bone lesion with significant recurrence rat... more Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a benign aggressive bone lesion with significant recurrence rates following surgical curettage. Historically, these tumors were approached by performing an intralesional curettage of the tumoral tissue by filling the resulting cavity using morselized iliac bone autograft. The major problems of this therapy were the high recurrence rates of up to 40–50%. Several adjuvant treatments have been proposed in order to augment resection margins, including liquid nitrogen (LN), phenol, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and bone cement (polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)). LN can be used either to preserve tissues or for controlled necrosis depending on the cycles of freezing and thawing. Usually, a quick freeze followed by a slow thaw will lead to destruction of human cells. This article reviews the results of cryosurgery with LN associated with surgical resection and the additional use of PMMA in a small group of patients with a histopathological confirmation o...

Life, 2020

Background: pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common congenital deformity of the thoracic wall. L... more Background: pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common congenital deformity of the thoracic wall. Lately, significant achievements have been made in finding new, less invasive treatment methods for PE. However, most of the experimental work was carried out without the help of an animal model. In this report we describe a method to create an animal model for PE in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: We selected 15 Sprague-Dawley rat pups and divided them into two groups: 10 for the experimental group (EG) and 5 for the control group (CG). We surgically resected the last four pairs of costal cartilages in rats from the EG. The animals were assessed by CT-scan prior to surgery and weekly for four consecutive weeks. After four weeks, the animals were euthanized and the thoracic cage was dissected from the surrounding tissue. Results: On the first postoperative CT, seven days after surgery, we observed a marked depression of the lower sternum in all animals from the EG. This deformity was presen...

Applied Sciences, 2020

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is a chain-like disaccharide that is linked to a polypeptide core to conn... more Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is a chain-like disaccharide that is linked to a polypeptide core to connect two collagen fibrils/fibers and provide the intermolecular force in a Collagen-GAG matrix which can be a valuable treatment of post-burn contractures and hypertrophic scars, which remain a challenge to reconstructive surgery. The face and neck contractures are the most difficult sites to treat. This article is meant to discuss our clinical experience in using collagen-glycosaminoglycan biodegradable matrix (Integra® Integra Lifesciences Corporation, Plainsboro, NJ, USA) to reconstruct defects created by excision of contracted areas from the neck and lower face areas. Between 2009 and 2011, we had 11 patients that underwent Integra reconstructive procedures. The mean follow-up period was 18 months. For all the patients, the intake of the Integra dermal regeneration template was 100%, even if one patient developed a minor infection treated with appropriate antibiotics. The patients are...

Diagnostics, 2019

Therapeutic neoangiogenesis (TNA) holds promise as a treatment for peripheral arterial disease. N... more Therapeutic neoangiogenesis (TNA) holds promise as a treatment for peripheral arterial disease. Nevertheless, proper tools for in vivo pre-clinical investigation of different TNA approaches and their effects are still lacking. Here we describe a chronic ischemic hindlimb model in rats using laser Doppler quantitative evaluation of tissue perfusion. Male Wistar rats (n = 20), aged between 6–8 months, with an average weight of 287 ± 26.74 g, were used. Animals were divided into two experimental groups: group A (n = 17; hindlimb chronic ischemia model) and group B (n = 3; control). Hindlimb ischemia was induced by concomitant ligation of the right femoral and popliteal artery. Evaluation of tissue perfusion was quantified in perfusion units (PU) on a scale from 0 to 500 (500 PU = maximal detectable perfusion) by laser Doppler analysis at day 0, day 15 and day 30 after induction of ischemia. Induction of chronic ischemia in the rat hindlimb by concomitant ligation of the femoral and pop...

Journal Of Cardiovascular Emergencies, 2018

Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent one of the main causes of morbidity and morta... more Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality, and acute coronary syndromes are responsible for a large number of sudden cardiac deaths. One of the main challenges that still exist in this area is represented by the early detection and targeted monitoring of the pathophysiology involved in CVDs. During the last couple of years, researchers have highlighted the importance of molecular and epigenetic mechanisms involved in the initiation and augmentation of CVDs, culminating in their most severe form represented by acute myocardial infarction. One of the most studied molecular factors involved in this type of pathology is represented by nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB), as well as the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs). It has been suggested that miRNAs can also be involved in the complex process of atheromatous plaque vulnerabilization that leads to an acute cardiac event. In this review paper, we describe the most im...

Romanian journal of internal medicine = Revue roumaine de médecine interne

Colorectal cancer represents the third cause of cancer. Since its detection in due time is import... more Colorectal cancer represents the third cause of cancer. Since its detection in due time is important resolution, appropriate monitoring is mandatory. The present study deals with the relationship between colorectal cancer and renal function, as well as other associated risk factors. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a risk factor of cancer, both in non-dialysed patients and especially in dialysed patients and in patients with renal transplant. It can get aggravated with cancer in general and particularly with colorectal cancer, partly related to the toxins that cannot be appropriately eliminated because of renal functional disturbances. At the same time, immunosuppressive therapy used for treating glomerular or secondary nephropathies represents an important risk factor of cancer. Some patients with colorectal cancer were found to present also impaired renal function, a fact whose significance is still little known. The object of the present paper is an analysis of the case re...

Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, 2012

Although the effect of chronic compression and surgical decompression of the diabetic rat sciatic... more Although the effect of chronic compression and surgical decompression of the diabetic rat sciatic nerve has been evaluated by walking track analysis, the measurement of sensory function by response to thermal nociceptive stimulation has not been investigated. Fifteen male Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes underwent sciatic nerve compression through a 10-mm silicone band. Five rats had histology done 60 days after confirming chronic nerve compression. Pain threshold was measured using hindlimb withdrawal times (HLWT) from a heat stimulus. After 60 days of compression, the silicone tube was removed. Five nondiabetic, nonbanded rats were used as controls. Control mean HLWT was 9.7 ± 1.5 sec. In the diabetes group (60 days of compression), mean HLWT was 23.6 ± 2.4 sec. (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Thirty days after removal of the silicone, mean HLWT to painful stimuli was 14.9 ± 1.5 sec. (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Chronic compression of the diabetic rat sciatic nerve increases (worsens) the threshold to heat (pain) perception. Decompression reverses this effect (improves nociception).

Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis, 2014

Objective: Infection with the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori (HP) clearly results in chro... more Objective: Infection with the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori (HP) clearly results in chronic mucosal inflammation in the stomach and duodenum, which, in turn, might lead to abnormalities in gastroduodenal motility and sensitivity and is the most frequent cause of dyspepsia and peptic disease. Some studies have shown that there was a correlation between lowgrade inflammation as C-reactive protein (CRP) and HP infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of gastritis due to HP infection and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple and reliable indicator of inflammation. Design: Fifty patients met the HP criteria and half of them have had severe symptoms and upper endoscopy showed atrophic gastritis, and fifty age-and sex-matched control subjects with gastritis without HP infection were included in this randomized controlled trial. Patients were diagnosed to have HP according to the use of urea breath testing (UBT) and multiple biopsies. NLR was calculated from complete blood count at the time of diagnosis and before initiating the treatment to all groups. Results: Patients with HP infection had significantly higher NLR compared to those without HP. Moreover, the patients with symptomatic HP and grade 4 gastritis had higher NLR than those asymptomatic with past history of peptic disease (P 0.007 and P 0.068, respectively). Although NLR increased as the severity of gastritis and HP symptoms increased (r = 0.564, P < 0.001), Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) Curve analysis was performed. The cutoff level for NLR with optimal sensitivity and specificity was calculated as 1.82 (area under curve [AUC] = 0.825 [0.753-0.884], P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study indicated, for the first time, a significant correlation between HP infection and inflammation on the basis of NLR, a simple and reliable indicator of inflammation. Furthermore, there is an increase in NLR as the severity of gastritis with HP increases. This elevated ratio gets normalized with treatment.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2011

The Journal of surgical research, 2017

Clinical and experimental evidence strongly suggest that ischemia-reperfusion injury after intest... more Clinical and experimental evidence strongly suggest that ischemia-reperfusion injury after intestinal transplantation has deleterious short- and long-term effects and finding means to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major research area. The anatomical and physiological similarities between the human and porcine digestive tract favor its use as a preclinical model for translational research. Intriguingly, no systematic appraisal of the development of the intestinal preservation injury in pigs is available. Intestinal procurement was performed in nine pigs using histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution as preservation fluid. Ileal biopsies were obtained after 8, 14, and 24 h of static cold storage (SCS), and the preservation injury was assessed morphologically (Chiu score) as well as on the molecular level. Tight junction (zonula occludens, claudin-3 and 4, tricellulin, and occludin) and adherens junctions (E-cadherin) proteins were studied using immunofluorescence and West...