Maria Sala Cirtog

Dr. Maria Sala Cirtog


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

12Years (2015-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 August 2015 in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
MCMaria Sala Cirtog
Maria Sala Cirtog
CMCatalin Marian
Catalin Marian
AAAndrei Anghel
Andrei Anghel

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MCMaria Sala Cirtog
Maria Sala Cirtog
ISIoan-Ovidiu Sirbu
Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu
Depression and vitamin D deficiency are often co-occurring pathologies, the common pathogenetic ground of which includes an augmented inflammatory response. However, the molecular details of this relationship remain unclear. Here, we used a bioinformatic approach to analyze GEO transcriptome datasets of major depressive disorder (MDD) and vitamin D deficiency (VDD) to identify the hub genes within the regulatory networks of commonly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The MDD-VDD shared regulatory network contains 100 DEGs (71 upregulated and 29 downregulated), with six hub genes (PECAM1, TLR2, PTGS2, LRRK2, HCK, and IL18) all significantly upregulated, of which PTGS2 (also known as COX2) shows the highest inference score and reference count. The subsequent analysis of the miRNA-transcription factors network identified COX2, miR-146a-5p, and miR-181c-5p as key co-regulatory actors in the MDD-VDD shared molecular pathogenic mechanisms. Subsequent analysis of published MDD and VDD transcriptome data confirmed the importance of the identified hub genes, further validating our bioinformatic analytical pipeline. Our study demonstrated that PTGS2 was highly upregulated in both depressive patients and patients with low vitamin D plasma levels. Therefore, regulators targeting PTGS2, like miR-146a-5p and miR181c-5p, may have great potential in controlling both diseases simultaneously, accentuating their role in future research.

10 October 2023 in Biomedicines
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
LMLiana Maries
Liana Maries
MAMoatar Alexandra
Moatar Alexandra
MCMaria Sala Cirtog
Maria Sala Cirtog
Laurentiu Vasile SimaLaurentiu Vasile Sima
Laurentiu Vasile Sima
AAAndrei Anghel
Andrei Anghel
ISIoan-Ovidiu Sirbu
Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu
Left ventricle remodeling (LVR) after acute myocardial infarction (MI) leads to impairment of both systolic and diastolic function, a significant contributor to heart failure (HF). Despite extensive research in the field, predicting post-MI LVR and HF is still a challenge. Several circulant microRNAs have been proposed as LVR predictors; however, their clinical value is controversial. Here, we used real-time quantitative PCR to quantify the plasma levels of hsa-miR-101, hsa-miR-150, and hsa-miR-21 on the first day of hospital admission of MI patients with ST-elevation (STEMI). We analyzed their correlation to the patient’s clinical and paraclinical variables and evaluated their ability to discriminate between post-MI LVR and non-LVR. We show that, despite being excellent MI discriminators, none of these microRNAs can distinguish between LVR and non-LVR patients. Furthermore, we found that diabetes mellitus (DM), Hb level, and the number of erythrocytes significantly influence all three plasma microRNA levels. This suggests that plasma microRNAs’ diagnostic and prognostic value in STEMI patients should be reevaluated and interpreted in the context of associated pathologies.

27 August 2021 in Applied Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
AAAndrei Anghel
Andrei Anghel
MCMaria Sala Cirtog
Maria Sala Cirtog
CMCatalin Marian
Catalin Marian
CSCorina Samoila
Corina Samoila
ISIoan-Ovidiu Sirbu
Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu
Whether eaten, drank, or taken in the form of supplements, soybean has been a part of the human diet for centuries. The dietary use of soybean has been extensively proven to be beneficial for human health, protecting against a wide range of chronic diseases. However, our knowledge regarding the impact of soy intake on global gene expression is still incomplete. The present review summarizes and compares data describing the transcriptional changes in several tissues from two different phyla (fish and mammals) upon soybean diet supplementation. We performed comparative STRING-based pathway enrichment analysis of both individual and aggregated soy-induced transcriptome data in fish and mammals and identified the signaling pathways common between the two datasets. We hypothesize that these pathways represent a conserved transcriptome response to the soy-enriched dietary challenge.

4 November 2026 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ATAlexandra Traila
Alexandra Traila
MCMarius L. Craina
Marius L. Craina
AMAnca Marcu
Anca Marcu
MCMaria Sala Cirtog
Maria Sala Cirtog
DNDiana Nitusca
Diana Nitusca
MBManuela Violeta Bacanoiu
Manuela Violeta Bacanoiu
Background/Objectives: Gestational differences in individual biomarkers have been established, but concurrent inflammatory–haemostatic correlations may partly reflect gestational timing. This study describes routine-marker differences and explored adjusted associations in pregnancies subsequently confirmed to have uncomplicated term outcomes. Methods: Sixty-six distinct women contributed one sample each: 18, 21 and 27 in the first, second and third trimesters. CRP, NLR, D-dimer and fibrinogen were the primary markers. Analyses included multiplicity-corrected comparisons, age-adjusted log-linear models and partial rank correlations adjusted for gestational week and maternal age. Cross-domain tests formed a 13-association exploratory family. A sensitivity analysis omitted five internally inconsistent differential blood counts. Results: Trimester differences remained for CRP, D-dimer and NLR after Holm correction (all adjusted p < 0.001), but not fibrinogen (p = 0.120). Adjusted fibrinogen correlations were 0.481 with white blood cell count, 0.461 with neutrophils and 0.320 with NLR (Benjamini–Hochberg-adjusted p < 0.001, <0.001 and 0.032). After omitting the five records, the corresponding coefficients were 0.447, 0.421 and 0.321 (adjusted p = 0.002, 0.004 and 0.042). Most cytokine values were below the effective lower calibration boundary and were not quantitatively reliable. Conclusions: This outcome-restricted cross-sectional sample showed an exploratory fibrinogen–leukocyte co-variation after limited adjustment. The overlapping indices represent one association pattern, not independent biological confirmations. Residual confounding, selection and measurement limitations preclude causal or clinical interpretation.

26 August 2026 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MBMadalina Butas
Madalina Butas
Sonia Elena PopoviciSonia Elena Popovici
Sonia Elena Popovici
Stelian Adrian RitiuStelian Adrian Ritiu
Stelian Adrian Ritiu
GCGabriel Veniamin Cozma
Gabriel Veniamin Cozma
VGVasile Gaborean
Vasile Gaborean
MDMarilena Dinuți
Marilena Dinuți
Background: NT-proBNP is a mechanistically grounded biomarker of ventricular wall stress with established prognostic value in cardiac surgery, but its perioperative role in lung cancer resection remains incompletely characterised. Pulmonary resection imposes unique haemodynamic stressors—including one-lung ventilation-induced right ventricular afterload increase, permanent pulmonary vascular bed reduction, and ischaemia–reperfusion injury—that create a distinct biological context for natriuretic peptide elevation not represented in general surgical cohorts. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted through systematic searches of PubMed, EMBASE/MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library (January 2000–June 2026), supplemented by manual reference screening. Approximately 135 articles were included in the final synthesis. Results: Perioperative NT-proBNP elevation predicts postoperative atrial fibrillation, major adverse cardiovascular events, and long-term survival after lung resection, with effect sizes substantially exceeding those reported in general surgical populations. The PRESAGE trial established that NT-proBNP-guided prophylaxis reduces postoperative atrial fibrillation from 40% to 6% in high-risk patients. No thoracic surgery-specific NT-proBNP threshold has been prospectively validated in a multicentre setting, and approximately half the evidence base derives from BNP rather than NT-proBNP assays, precluding direct threshold synthesis. Surgical approach—particularly robot-assisted thoracoscopy—modulates postoperative biomarker elevation through OLV duration rather than inflammatory burden alone. The combination of NT-proBNP with high-sensitivity troponin identifies a dual-elevation subgroup with a MACE rate of 18.4%. Conclusions: NT-proBNP measurement is clinically actionable in thoracic surgery but requires assay-standardised, multicentre validation of population-specific thresholds stratified by resection extent and surgical approach. A dual biomarker strategy combining NT-proBNP with high-sensitivity troponin represents the most evidence-based perioperative risk stratification framework currently available.