Combined traumatic brain injury (CTBI) remains a leading cause of disability/mortality among workers, yet which routine biochemical tests that predict infectious complications remain controversial. We aimed to identify the most informative serum markers for early diagnosis and prognosis of such complications.

In this retrospective observational study, 80 acute CTBI patients (40 without vs. 40 with mainly bacterial infectious complications) and 40 healthy controls were analyzed. Serum collected at 24, 72, and 168 h was assayed for protein fractions, metabolic markers, lipid peroxidation indices, antioxidant activity, endogenous intoxication markers, acids/minerals, and relevant enzymes.

The study found that the most important prognostic indicator for infectious complications was a simultaneous increase in α1-globulins, β-globulins, diene conjugates, superoxide dismutase, medium- and low-molecular-weight substances in erythrocytes, erythrocyte oligopeptides, and lactate at 24 h after injury (p < 0.001). A significant increase in sialic acids, uronic acids, total Ca and P, and low-density lipoproteins was observed at 72 h after injury (p < 0.001). Notably, individual components from the 24-h panel demonstrated high standalone predictive value, with areas under the curve of diene conjugates (0.91), erythrocyte oligopeptides (0.87), β-globulin (0.86), α1-globulin (0.82), and superoxide dismutase (0.82), respectively. The elevation of these biomarker profiles was significantly correlated with worse clinical outcomes, including longer intensive care unit stay and ventilation duration.

This study identified a set of biochemical markers associated with infectious complications in patients with CTBI. These biochemical parameters may serve as additional diagnostic and prognostic criteria for the management of infectious complications in patients with СTBI.

Invasive pituitary adenomas with infrasellar extension can present with symptoms such as epistaxis and nasal obstruction, closely mimicking the clinical and radiological characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which frequently leads to misdiagnosis. This report discusses the case of a 32-year-old male who was initially misdiagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma for approximately one month and subsequently underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, a multidisciplinary assessment at our institution, incorporating magnetic resonance imaging findings of an invasive sellar mass, serum prolactin levels exceeding 2,000 ng/mL, and positive immunohistochemistry for PIT-1 and prolactin, established the diagnosis of an invasive prolactinoma. Treatment with bromocriptine led to significant tumor reduction. However, this was complicated by cerebrospinal fluid leakage, which subsequently resulted in an intracranial infection. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor and repair of the cerebrospinal fluid leak, with postoperative pathology confirming a PIT1-lineage, densely granulated, prolactin-secreting adenoma. The patient experienced a favorable recovery, with prolactin levels normalizing under continued bromocriptine therapy. This case highlights the critical importance of routine hormonal screening, thorough evaluation of nasopharyngeal mucosal integrity, and multidisciplinary collaboration in the diagnostic process.

Gliomas remain a major challenge in brain cancer treatment. Although genetic mutations have been widely studied, recent research indicates that epigenetic changes, which alter gene activity without changing the DNA sequence, also contribute significantly to tumor growth and treatment resistance. This review seeks to elucidate the principal drivers and modulators of brain tumor development, emphasizing the complex interaction between tumor metabolism and epigenetic regulation. It highlights how metabolic intermediates influence chromatin structure and transcriptional events driving glioma progression. Metabolic intermediates, such as acetyl-CoA and S-adenosylmethionine, serve as essential epigenetic cofactors, directly impacting chromatin structure and gene expression. Additionally, metabolic disorders like diabetes not only frequently coexist with gliomas but also exacerbate tumor progression through mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and epigenetic reprogramming. Tumors located near brain regions controlling heart function may also increase the risk of sudden death, particularly in diabetic patients. The review proposes a comprehensive framework to understand glioma development by linking metabolism, epigenetics, and overall health. This integrated perspective leads to novel personalized treatment approaches, targeting both the tumor and the patient’s broader metabolic health, with the potential to improve survival rates and quality of life for glioma patients.

The incidence and mortality of stroke are gradually increasing. In this context, post-stroke neuronal loss and the related long-term complications, along with costly treatment strategies, are significant concerns for healthcare professionals, and effective, convenient, and inexpensive therapeutic modalities are required. Natural and easily accessible herbal remedies may be the optimal option in post-stroke recovery. This narrative review aims to summarize the neuroprotective properties of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and its therapeutic efficacy in neuronal plasticity and recovery after stroke. Original research articles, reviews, and case studies were sourced from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Medline, and Embase. Only full articles published in English up to July 2025 were considered. Keywords including W. somnifera, Ashwagandha, stroke, cerebral ischemia, neurodegeneration, neuronal loss, and post-stroke recovery were utilized for the literature search. It has been found that various plant parts of W. somnifera are abundant in bioactive compounds. The neuroprotective effects of W. somnifera are documented in numerous diseases. Nevertheless, W. somnifera is reported to be involved in modulating various biological pathways to mitigate neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in stroke. W. somnifera promotes cell proliferation and enhances neurogenesis. Preclinical experiments on murine models show the effectiveness of W. somnifera in post-stroke recovery by enhancing neural plasticity and reducing neuronal loss in the infarct area. Furthermore, W. somnifera boosts neurotransmitter levels, improves motor functions, and enhances memory. It also decreases neutrophil infiltration in the infarct region and lessens neuronal loss. Therefore, the application of W. somnifera may prove advantageous in facilitating post-stroke recovery by enhancing neural function. However, well-designed clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of W. somnifera in post-stroke recovery in humans.

The rate of functional cure (HBsAg loss) remains unsatisfactory following pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) treatment in chronic hepatitis B. To optimize PEG-IFN administration, this study aimed to evaluate virological markers to predict functional cure and/or hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) loss.

Relevant studies assessing virologic markers for predicting functional cure and HBeAg loss after PEG-IFN therapy were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to November 2023. Predictive effectiveness was evaluated via the summary receiver operating characteristic curve.

We analyzed 38 studies (6,179 patients). HBsAg decline at week 24 had the greatest discriminative ability according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) (0.89) and sensitivity (0.88) for predicting functional cure, whereas baseline HBsAg had a comparable AUROC (0.86) and highest specificity (0.79), with both being significantly better than baseline hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA (all P < 0.001). For HBeAg loss or seroconversion, HBV RNA, HBV DNA, HBeAg, and HBeAg decline at week 12, as well as HBV DNA and HBeAg decline at week 24, all exhibited comparable predictive values (AUROC = 0.75–0.78). HBV RNA and HBeAg levels at week 24 showed optimal sensitivity (0.87), and HBeAg decline at week 12 had the highest specificity (0.83).

HBsAg decline at week 24 and baseline HBsAg levels are better predictors of functional cure than novel virologic markers, while on-treatment HBV RNA and HBeAg levels and dynamic changes are the most reliable indicators for HBeAg loss.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a major global health problem. The main treatments are surgery and chemoradiotherapy. A drawback of the latter is that repeated treatments are likely to lead to cancer cells developing resistance to the drug, resulting in recurrence, development of metastases, and poor prognosis for patients. Consequently, there is interest in combining chemoradiotherapy with treatment using active components extracted from natural products. One such component is resveratrol (RVT), which is a natural anti-tumor ingredient extracted from plants. Although there are many reviews on the biological activity of RVT, only a few studies have been performed to investigate the diversity of protein binding of RVT with OC and the application of various novel drug formulations containing RVT to treat OC. The review presented here may provide some ideas for the prevention and treatment of OC.

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has demonstrated comparable efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with improved renal and bone safety, in Chinese participants with chronic hepatitis B enrolled in two Phase 3 trials. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term virologic efficacy, serological and biochemical responses, resistance, and renal and bone safety of TAF over eight years in this population.

Participants completing the three-year double-blind phase were eligible to receive open-label TAF 25 mg/day for up to an additional five years (totaling eight years). Analyses of viral suppression (HBV DNA < 29 IU/mL), alanine aminotransferase normalization, serological responses, resistance surveillance, and safety outcomes were conducted.

Among 334 enrolled participants, 212 of 227 participants randomized to TAF continued open-label TAF (TAF-TAF), and 99 of 107 participants on TDF switched to open-label TAF (TDF-TAF). At Year 8, 79.3% (180/227) and 78.5% (84/107) of participants in the TAF-TAF and TDF-TAF groups, respectively, achieved viral suppression (missing = failure); rates increased to 95.2% (180/189) and 95.5% (84/88) when excluding missing data. Alanine aminotransferase normalization rates remained high and comparable between groups. Serologic response rates continued to increase over time, with higher rates observed in the TAF-TAF group. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (by Cockcroft-Gault) and hip/spine bone mineral density remained stable in the TAF-TAF group through eight years; the small declines in these renal and bone parameters observed during double-blind TDF treatment improved after switching to open-label TAF. No resistance to TAF was detected.

Long-term TAF treatment demonstrated durable virologic efficacy, sustained biochemical and serological responses, and favorable renal and bone safety over eight years in Chinese participants with chronic hepatitis B.

Artificial intelligence (AI) translation in genitourinary (GU) pathology has progressed unevenly across organs and tasks. This review addresses a central clinical question: which GU pathology AI applications are deployment-ready, which require further validation, and what frameworks can guide safe implementation? We synthesize evidence across GU organs and introduce pragmatic translation frameworks to guide deployment and prioritize translational research.

Narrative review integrating foundational literature with targeted 2023–2025 publications, emphasizing regulatory milestones, external validation, and prospective studies. Literature was identified through PubMed, Embase, and conference proceedings using structured search terms for AI, digital pathology, and GU organ-specific queries. For each organ/task, we mapped evidence strength, regulatory maturity, generalizability, workflow integration, safety, and feasibility to a Translational Readiness Index (TRI) rubric (0–30 scale).

Prostate biopsy AI demonstrates the strongest maturity (TRI 26/30), supported by U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared systems, multi-site validation, and prospective implementations showing efficiency gains and reduced ancillary testing. Bladder cytology shows moderate readiness (TRI 19/30), with commercial offerings supporting pilotable prescreening workflows aligned with the Paris System when paired with uncertainty-aware deferral. Bladder histology, renal neoplasia, and low-prevalence domains (testis, penis) remain emerging (TRI 6–15/30), constrained by label variability, rare subtype underrepresentation, and limited external validation.

The TRI rubric, SURE-Path safety bundle, and VALIDATED/ORCHESTRATE implementation pathway provide a practical template for evidence-based deployment in GU pathology. Clinically defensible translation requires matching intended use to validation evidence, with explicit safeguards for emerging applications.

Chaperone-like proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of coronavirus infection through regulation of the viral life cycle, immune response, and antigen presentation. A recently discovered class of chaperones, called heat-resistant obscure proteins (Hero proteins), performs functions similar to other molecular chaperones. This study aimed to investigate the association between the gene encoding the Hero protein SERF2 (Hero7) and the risk of severe COVID-19.

This case-control study was conducted according to the STROBE protocol. A total of 1,373 unrelated Russians (178 patients with severe COVID-19 and 1,195 controls) were recruited. Genotyping of rs4644832 in the SERF2 gene was performed using a probe-based polymerase chain reaction approach. The effects of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed using bioinformatics tools, including GTExPortal, eQTLGen, HaploReg, atSNP, Gene Ontology, Lung Disease and Common Metabolic Diseases Knowledge Portals, and the STRING database.

SNP rs4644832 in the SERF2 gene (effect allele G) was associated with a decreased risk of severe COVID-19 in the total sample (odds ratio (OR) = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39–0.81, P = 0.001), females (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.31–0.87, P = 0.006), non-smokers (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.29–0.74, P = 0.0004), individuals with body mass index ≥ 25 (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.25–0.7, P = 0.0004), individuals with low fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.22–0.67, P = 0.0004), and individuals with low physical activity (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.23–0.75, P = 0.002).

The G allele of rs4644832 in the SERF2 gene appears to have a protective effect against severe COVID-19. Functional annotation of rs4644832 suggests that it may influence COVID-19 pathogenesis through regulation of proteostasis, ubiquitination, inflammation-induced protein aggregation, the viral life cycle, and cytoskeletal functions.