Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease in which oxidative stress and antioxidant imbalance play a critical role in disease progression and therapeutic response. This study aimed to evaluate oxidative stress and antioxidant status in relation to asthma control levels. Methods: A total of 106 patients admitted to the Clinical Hospital of Pulmonary Diseases, Iași, between March and May 2024 were included in this study. Patients were classified into three groups based on asthma control: well-controlled (AB-TCG), partially controlled (AB-PCG), and uncontrolled asthma (AB-UCG). Demographic, biochemical, and hematological parameters were assessed, with attention to oxidative stress markers and antioxidant defenses. Results: The study population was predominantly female (75%), with a mean age ranging from 50.75 to 64.38 years, and the majority residing in rural areas (73–75%). The AB-UCG group showed significantly elevated inflammatory markers, including a white blood cell count of 9.33 × 10³/µL (p = 0.005) and eosinophil percentage of 4.20% (p = 0.03), compared with the other groups. This group also exhibited an unfavorable lipid profile, with increased total cholesterol (207.40 mg/dL) and triglyceride levels (157.21 mg/dL). Oxidative stress was notably higher in the AB-UCG group, as indicated by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (2.86 mmol/L) versus 2.35 mmol/L in the AB-PCG group (p < 0.005), along with decreased serum uric acid (4.64 mg/dL) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels (275.41 µmol/L), leading to a lower GSH/GSSG ratio. Environmental exposures, including tobacco smoke and occupational chemicals, were associated with exacerbated oxidative imbalance. Conclusions: The findings highlight the critical involvement of oxidative stress and compromised antioxidant defenses in poorly controlled asthma. Biomarkers such as MDA, white blood cell count, eosinophil percentage, and the GSH/GSSG ratio may act as valuable tools for personalized asthma management and therapeutic monitoring.

The laboratory tests and identification of risk factors such as comorbidities are essential in the management, treatment and prognosis of patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Performing rigorous monitoring among patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome and early identification of risk factors associated with poor prognosis are crucial in improving patient outcomes. In the present study, 182 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and PCI during 2020–2022 were included. A clinical and epidemiological evaluation was performed for each patient. Laboratory tests at admission included complete blood count, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and biochemical tests. Receiver operating curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to compare the diagnostic performance of each parameter. Regarding comorbidities, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity were the most frequent ones. In the case of chronic lung diseases, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were the most frequent. Pleurisy was found especially in patients with PCI Variations in serum LDH values were observed, especially in severe forms of COVID-19 in 2020, with a mean value of 481.44 U/L, compared to patients with PCI, whose mean values (122 U/L) were within the biological range of reference. High neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values quantified in this study were especially associated with moderate and severe forms of COVID-19 and also PCI. The Spearman correlation coefficient was determined to measure the correlations between the clinical parameters of all investigated subjects. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The statistical results indicated that serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose and C-reactive protein (CRP) are sensitive markers with a diagnostic role in COVID-19, and lymphocyte (Ly) count, CRP, ESR and glucose were evidenced to be target markers in PCI. LDH values were observed to be statistically significant (p < 0.005) in patients with COVID-19 and obesity evaluated in 2021, while Ly count was statistically significant (p = 0.05) in patients with PCI and arterial hypertension. Regarding comorbidities, it has been observed that obesity, arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases represent risk factors in COVID-19/PCI, associated especially with the severe forms of the disease.

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is defined as the persistence or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, these clinical aspects being most often associated with functional respiratory changes, as well as imagistic modifications. This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal changes in pulmonary function among patients with PCS, in relation to the severity of the acute COVID-19 episode and the time elapsed since infection. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted at the Clinical Hospital of Pulmonary Diseases Iași, Romania, between January 2021 and December 2022, including 97 adult patients with confirmed PCS. Demographic, clinical, and functional data were collected from medical records. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed according to ATS/ERS standards, assessing Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in the First Second (FEV₁), FEV₁/FVC ratio (Tiffeneau Index), Maximal Expiratory Flow at 50% and 25% of FVC (MEF50, MEF25), Diffusing Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide (adjusted for haemoglobin) (DLCO), Carbon Monoxide Transfer Coefficient (KCO), Alveolar Volume (AV), Total Lung Capacity (TLC) and Residual Volume (RV). Patients were grouped by time elapsed since infection (1–3, 4–7, 9–12, and up to 22 months). Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s correlation, ROC curve analysis, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results: A progressive improvement in FVC was observed up to 9–18 months post-infection (p < 0.05), while FEV₁ remained stable, suggesting a predominantly restrictive ventilatory pattern. Patients with moderate acute COVID-19 presented significantly lower FVC%, FEV₁%, DLCO%, and KCO% values compared with those with mild disease (p < 0.05). Diffusion abnormalities (DLCO and KCO) persisted beyond 12 months, indicating lasting alveolar-capillary impairment. ROC analysis identified TLC (AUC = 0.857), AV (AUC = 0.855), and KCO (AUC = 0.805) as the most discriminative parameters for residual dysfunction. PCA revealed three major functional domains—airflow limitation, diffusion capacity, and lung volume—explaining up to 70% of total variance. Conclusions: We are facing the emergence of a new phenomenon, namely a secondary post-COVID-19 pandemic of patients confronting with persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms who present with functional respiratory changes and who require careful monitoring in dynamics, personalized treatments and a multidisciplinary approach.

In recent decades, the burden of TB has been gradually declining; however, with the emergence of COVID-19 and ongoing political conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, the proper functioning of healthcare services and TB control programs has been jeopardized. Recently, research has emphasized the importance of hematological parameters associated with inflammation, which can be easily analyzed through routine blood tests. Combining these parameters may have predictive value for various diseases, including pulmonary tuberculosis and even help monitor the effectiveness of treatment. Since there is no single hematological or inflammatory biomarker that provides precise and dynamic information about the success or failure of treatment, identifying individual markers or sets of biomarkers with higher sensitivity and specificity is essential. This is particularly important since sputum culture conversion at two months remains insufficiently sensitive and microscopy conversion has limited sensitivity and specificity in detecting treatment failure. Also, the analysis of the impact of the standard directly observed treatment, short-course regimen on pathogenic mechanisms also focuses on how it influences the interaction between inflammation and oxidative tissue degradation, by measuring plasma levels of glutathione. Utilizing a combination of hematological, inflammatory, and antioxidant biomarkers offers significant insights into systemic inflammatory responses in pulmonary tuberculosis patients, both before commencing treatment and during the entire duration of antituberculosis therapy. Combining different inflammatory parameters into a multiple biomarker can significantly enhance the accuracy of predicting prognosis and response to antibiotic chemotherapy. Identifying an optimal combination of biomarkers with predictive value is crucial for assessing treatment response and evaluating the effectiveness of anti-TB medication. Rather than developing or testing a composite prediction model, this review summarizes reported performance metrics from individual studies and highlights priorities for future prospective validation of integrated biomarker panels.

Metoprolol (MTP), a selective beta-1 adrenergic blocker, is commonly administered in the form of succinate or tartrate salts, depending on the pharmaceutical formulation. It is typically prescribed in oral forms as either immediate-release or extended-release tablets. This study describes a chromatographic method using automated sample clean-up and elution via a reversed-phase mechanism. A TurboFlow approach was applied with a Cyclone P column, and the elution was performed isocratically using a mobile phase of water and acetonitrile (0.1% v/v formic acid) within 4.5 min. Quantification of MTP was achieved using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, with the transition m/z 268.1 → m/z 130.96 for metoprolol, while bisoprolol fumarate, the internal standard, was detected at m/z 326.3 → m/z 116.2. The method was validated according to bioequivalence guidelines. Selectivity was assessed by checking for potential interferences from blank samples or related compounds formed during sample preparation. Precision and accuracy were evaluated both within and between runs, with a maximum coefficient of variation (CV%) of 10.28 and a maximum relative error (ER%) of 5.38. Linearity was demonstrated over the range of 5 ng/L to 1000 ng/L, with a lower limit of quantification at 0.042 ng/L, made possible by injecting larger sample volumes. A matrix effect of 89% was considered acceptable when compared to standard solutions. Plasma concentrations of MTP were monitored in patients administered either 50 mg or 100 mg doses. For the 50 mg dose, plasma levels reached up to 34 μg/L, while the 100 mg dose produced concentrations ranging from 3.56 to 50.81 μg/L. Although the higher dose generally resulted in elevated plasma levels, significant variability was observed. A strong correlation (r = 0.992) was found between the administered dose and plasma concentration, though variations in absorption rates and patient demographics likely contributed to the observed variability. This method provides a reliable analytical approach suitable for pharmacokinetic and clinical studies involving metoprolol.