Obesity represents a chronic pro-inflammatory status that contributes to accelerated atherosclerosis and cell aging. Besides the widely used C-reactive protein and ferritin, other inflammatory markers have gained attention, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), which are related with the degree of inflammation in various pathological conditions, including obesity and its comorbidities.
To compare and monitor the levels of NLR and PLR before and after sleeve gastrectomy (SG).
Retrospective study that included a total of 622 patients with obesity who underwent SG as primer bariatric surgery in our center. Data regarding the presence of comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), high blood pressure (HBP) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), variations in body weight and body mass index (BMI), and biochemical markers of inflammation, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were gathered. Values of NLR and PLR were correlated with weight loss and prognosis of comorbidities within the postoperative period.
The sample was predominantly female (79.3%) with average age 36.91±10.04 years, with comorbidities including HBP (25.1%), T2D (8.0%), and NAFLD (80.1%). Patients with HBP showed reduced NLR and CRP post-intervention, while those with T2D experienced decreased CRP but increased PLR. Correlation analysis found no significant correlation between BMI/weight changes and NLR but significant correlation with PLR. Post-surgery, NLR decreased for previously NAFLD patients, and PLR increased.
According to the results, patients with obesity present a significant decrease in NLR and an increase in PLR after SG.
Uric acid, a metabolic product of purines, may exert a role in tissue healing. In this review we will explore its role as an alarm initiating the inflammatory process that is necessary for tissue repair, as a scavenger of oxygen free radicals, as a mobilizer of progenitor endothelial cells and as supporter of adaptive immune system.
The influence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in inflammatory disorders of the digestive mucosa has been the subject of several studies since socioeconomic, personal and environmental factors were implicated in the bacteria transmission.
To correlate the inflammatory endoscopic findings with HP infection and the onset of mucosal diseases mucous of the upper digestive tract.
Comparative observational study, in which were collected data from 2247 patients who underwent upper endoscopy and biopsies for HP with urease test. The patients were divided into two groups: HP+ and HP- (control) in which endoscopic findings were observed for the following changes: esophagitis, esophageal ulcer, gastritis, erosive gastritis, gastric ulcer, bulboduodenitis, bulbar ulcer and without disease.
As for esophagitis, there was little disparity in the distribution favorable to HP+ group (HP+ =67.11% and HP- =69.89%) and esophageal ulcer (HP+ =0% and HP- =0, 21%). Gastritis was favorable to HP- group (HP+ =78.34% and HP- =73.63%), as well as erosive gastritis (HP+ = 67,11% and HP- = 64,55%), in bulboduodenitis (HP+ =1,87% and HP- 1,23%), in gastric ulcer (HP+ =2,14% and HP- =2,03%) and in the absence of alterations in the HP+ group (4.81%) with the HP- control group (6,30%), in which there was little disproportion in favor of HP- group, but without statistical significance. As for the bulbar ulcer (HP +=10.16% and HP- =4.48%), there was statistically significant (p=0.00001).
There is no difference between HP+ and HP- groups in inflammatory changes in endoscopic gastroduodenal mucosa, except for the relationship between HP and bulbar ulcer.
PCR (C-reactive protein), produced in the liver after stimuli of inflammatory mediators, is determined as a marker of inflammatory activity (adipocytokines) and is present within adipocyte cells; besides being an inflammatory product, many studies have shown to be a predictor of complications.
To determine if the inflammatory state of the obese patient decreases after bariatric surgery, based on pre and post-operative PCR.
A prospective, observational study in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass surgery followed up for three months after surgery, with serum preoperative CRP in 30, 60 and 90 days after surgery.
A total of 19 patients, who had a mean CRP value before the surgical procedure of 0.80(±0.54) mg/dl, were followed, and when compared to the CRP with 30 days of surgery, they presented a significant increase to 2.68 mg/dl (p=0.012). When compared with the PCR of 60 days after the surgical procedure, it was also higher with the value of 3.32 mg/dl (p=0.27). However, at three months after surgery, the CRP showed a decrease when compared to the preoperative mark, with value of 0.45 mg/dl (p=0.0042).
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was able to decrease the chronic inflammation status of these patients, based on the value of CRP, with three months of surgery.
Treating anal fistulae is still a great challenge due to the possibility of fecal incontinence after surgery and that the use of laser has been gaining space in medicine, including as an inducing method of healing.
To evaluate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy on fistula-in-ano treatment in rats.
Fifteen male Wistar rats weighing approximately 250-300g were used, which were subjected to the anal fistula induction procedure and after 30 days were distributed into two groups: control group (CG, n=5) and laser group (LG, n=10) observed for another 30 days. In the CG no treatment was performed and, in the LG, low-level laser therapy was applied in fistulous tracts daily. The closure of the fistulous tract, the area of the remaining tract, the inflammatory infiltrate and vascular congestion were evaluated.
There was no complete closure of the tract in any of the animals. The mean area of the remaining tract was 847.2 µm2 in the CG and 248.5 µm2 in the LG (p=0.001). The mean inflammatory infiltrate score was 2.4 in the CG and 1.3 in the LG (p=0.0285), while in the evaluation of vascular congestion, 1.6 was observed in the CG and 0.6 in the LG (p=0.031).
Low-level laser therapy was able to reduce the area of the fistulous tracts as well as decrease the inflammatory process and local vascular congestion.
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