Background and Objectives: Calprotectin is a marker for intestinal inflammation. Recent research suggests a link between inflammation and depression. This study assessed the association between the levels of calprotectin in patients from South-Eastern Europe and the severity of depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 30 confirmed patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) who were assessed using clinical interviews for determining the severities of mental disorders (i.e., depression severity—PHQ-9, anxiety—GAD-7) and the quality of life (EQ-5D). Stool samples were collected from all participants for measuring their levels of calprotectin. Results: The level of calprotectin is correlated with PHQ-9 (ρ = 0.416, p = 0.022) and EQ-5D (ρ = −0.304, p = 0.033) but not with GAD 7 (ρ = 0.059, p = 0.379). Calprotectin levels in patients with mild, moderate, and moderately severe depression were significantly higher than in patients with minimal depression (198 µg/g vs. 66,9 µg/g, p = 0.04). Calprotectin level was corelated with the following depressive symptoms: autolytic ideation (ρ = 0.557, p = 0.001), fatigue (ρ = 0.514, p = 0.002), slow movement (ρ = 0.490, p = 0.003), and sleep disorders (ρ = 0.403, p = 0.014). Calprotectin was an independent predictor of depression with an odds ratio of 1.01 (95%: 1.002–1.03, p < 0.01). An ROC analysis showed that a level of calprotectin of 131 µg/g or higher has a sensitivity of 82%, a specificity of 61%, and an accuracy of 70% for predicting depression. In this study, no significant correlations were found between calprotectin level and anxiety. Conclusions: Calprotectin levels are associated with the severity of depression, and checking for a calprotectin level of 131 µg/g or higher may be a potential accessible screening test for depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background and Objectives: Hepatic cirrhosis is a disease with an increasing frequency globally, but its mechanisms of disease development are not yet completely known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between thyroid hormone levels (T3, fT4, and TSH) and survival in patients with chronic liver disease. Materials and Methods: A total of 419 patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis were included in the study. The MELD score was computed, and TSH, T3, and fT4 were collected from each patient using the ELISA procedure. Signs and symptoms of liver failure and portal hypertension confirmed the clinical diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, and biological tests and imaging methods confirmed the diagnosis. Results: The MELD score was positively associated with TSH on admission and TSH on discharge and negatively associated with T3 at discharge. TSH levels were higher in non-survivors than in survivors. The values of T3 and fT4 present no significant changes to be considered as prognostic factors. Conclusions: Although the differences between the median TSH values of the patients who died and those who survived are not very large, the statistical significance of the data obtained demonstrates that there are changes in metabolism of the thyroid hormones during the progression of liver cirrhosis. It is possible that TSH is the one which maintains the normal balance of thyroid activity for patients with liver cirrhosis, so it can be considered as an important marker of evolution of these patients.

Background: Liver cirrhosis is increasingly becoming a public health problem. The aim of study is to evaluate the relationship levels thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (fT4) and and liver cirrhosis(LC) severity, measured by Child-Pugh (CP) and MELD scores. Methods: 419 patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis were included in the study. Biological tests for TSH, T3, fT4 on admission and discharge were used. All analysis was performed using, One-Sample Wilcoxon test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The mean values for TSH were statistically significant higher compared to normal values only at admission (p<.05), and the mean values for T3 were statistically significant lower both on admission (p<.001) and on discharge (p<.001). No effect was observed for fT4. TSH on the admission and discharge moments were statistically significant differences (p<.001), T3 (p<.001) and fT4 (p<.004). The CP also influenced the hormone's values for TSH at admission (p<.01 and discharge (p<.001), and T3 at admission (p<.001) and discharge (p<.001) but not for fT4. For MELD score, a low power positive associations were observed only with TSH, on admission and discharge and negative associations with F3, in both situations. Conclusions: Elevated TSH levels at admission, coupled with their negative correlation with the CP score and differences between TSH-CP group C and groups A and B, highlighting the necessity for vigilant endocrine monitoring in hepatic patients. Also, admission T3 levels are lower than normal and negatively correlate with cirrhosis severity and MELD scores underscore potential clinical utility of monitoring thyroid function in assessing disease progression and improving patient survival outcomes.