Cozma Angela

Dr. Cozma Angela


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

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

Representative Publications

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21 September 2024 in Biomedicines
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SCSorina Cezara Coste
Sorina Cezara Coste
OOOlga Hilda Orasan
Olga Hilda Orasan
CACozma Angela
Cozma Angela
VNVasile Negrean
Vasile Negrean
ASAdela-Viviana Sitar-Taut
Adela-Viviana Sitar-Taut
Lucia Maria ProcopciucLucia Maria Procopciuc
Lucia Maria Procopciuc
Background: The pathogenesis of MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) is driven by environmental, genetic, metabolic, immune, and inflammatory factors. IL-17 and TLR4 determine hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and finally fibrosis. Objectives: To explore the associations between the plasma levels of inflammatory markers, TLR4, and the cytokines IL17A/F, as well as their connections with the degree of hepatic steatosis and the risk of hepatic fibrosis (defined by the FIB-4 score) in MASLD patients. Methods: The study cohort included 80 patients diagnosed with MASLD. The IL-17A/F and TLR4 serum concentrations were determined using the ELISA method. Results: We found a significant difference in the CAR levels (C-reactive protein to albumin ratio) when comparing MASLD patients with severe steatosis to those with mild/moderate steatosis (Student’s t test, t (71) = 2.32, p = 0.023). The PIV (pan-immune inflammatory value) was positively correlated with the SII (systemic immune inflammation index), (r = 0.86, p < 0.0001) and the CAR (r = 0.41, p = 0.033) in MASLD patients with severe steatosis. In contrast, increased values of the LMR (lymphocyte to monocyte ratio) were significantly associated, with decreased levels of the SII (ρ = −0.38, p = 0.045). We also found a positive correlation between the CAR and the SII (r = 0.41, p = 0.028). In patients with mild/moderate steatosis, a significant positive correlation was observed between the SII and IL17A (r = 0.36, p = 0.010), the PIV and the CAR (r = 0.29, p = 0.011), the PIV and the SII (r = 0.87, p < 0.0001) and the PIV and IL17A (r = 0.3, p = 0.036). A negative correlation was observed between the LMR and the SII (r = −0.55, p < 0.0001) and the CAR and IL17F (r = −0.37, p = 0.011). Regarding the inflammatory markers, the PIV (336.4 vs. 228.63, p = 0.0107), and the SII (438.47 vs. 585.39, p = 0.0238) had significantly lower levels in patients with an intermediate–high risk of hepatic fibrosis as compared with the patients with a low risk of hepatic fibrosis. The PNI (prognostic nutritional index) (47.16 vs. 42.41, p = 0.0392) had significantly different levels in patients with the likelihood of hepatic fibrosis than those with a low risk of hepatic fibrosis. Conclusions: Regarding the inflammatory markers, the PIV and the SII hold promise as biomarkers for discriminating between MASLD patients with an intermediate–high risk and those with a low risk of hepatic fibrosis. Our findings underscore the role of IL-17A and its potential relationship with inflammatory markers in MASLD pathogenesis and the progression to hepatic fibrosis.

23 September 2024 in Biomedicines
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Journal Article
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RIRaluca Ianos
Raluca Ianos
CACozma Angela
Cozma Angela
Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)
Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)
ADRIANA HANGANADRIANA HANGAN
ADRIANA HANGAN
VNVasile Negrean
Vasile Negrean
Lucia Maria ProcopciucLucia Maria Procopciuc
Lucia Maria Procopciuc
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder that has alarmingly increased in incidence in recent decades. One of the most serious complications of T2DM is diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), an often underrecognized yet severe condition that is a leading cause of mortality among diabetic patients. In the early stages of DCM, patients typically show no symptoms and maintain normal systolic and diastolic left ventricle function, making early detection challenging. Currently available clinical markers are often not specific enough to detect the early stage of DCM. Conventional biomarkers of cardiac mechanical stress and injury, such as natriuretic peptides (NPs) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), have shown limited predictive value for patients with T2DM. NPs have proven efficacy in detecting diastolic dysfunction in diabetic patients when used alongside 2D echocardiography, but their utility as biomarkers is limited to symptomatic individuals. While cTnI is a reliable indicator of general cardiac damage, it is not specific to cardiac injury caused by high glucose levels or T2DM. This underscores the need for research into biomarkers that can enable early diagnosis and management of DCM to reduce mortality rates. Promising novel biomarkers that showed good performance in detecting diastolic dysfunction or heart failure in diabetic patients include galectin-3, ST2, FGF-21, IGFBP-7, GDF-15, and TGF-β. This review summarizes the current understanding of DCM biomarkers, aiming to generate new ideas for the early recognition and treatment of DCM by exploring related pathophysiological mechanisms.

Verified
Journal Article
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Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)
Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)
SCSorina Cezara Coste
Sorina Cezara Coste
ADRIANA HANGANADRIANA HANGAN
ADRIANA HANGAN
Mihaela IancuMihaela Iancu
Mihaela Iancu
OOOlga Hilda Orasan
Olga Hilda Orasan
Lucia Maria ProcopciucLucia Maria Procopciuc
Lucia Maria Procopciuc
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic progressive liver disease with a substantial impact on global health. Given that MASLD has a complex etiology, it is a multisystemic disease, a multidisciplinary approach is required when treating MASLD. The optimal drug for MASLD should diminish steatosis, fibrosis and inflammation in the liver. Although the pharmaceutical industry is still lagging in developing an approved pharmacologic therapy for MASLD, research has recently intensified, and many molecules that are in the final stages of clinical trials are expected to be approved in the coming few years. The current review updated information related to the MASLD pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutic options, how patients are clinically managed nowadays, and what to expect in the near future.

Verified
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Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)
Roxana Liana Lucaciu (Stan)
OOOlga Hilda Orasan
Olga Hilda Orasan
ADRIANA HANGANADRIANA HANGAN
ADRIANA HANGAN
Mihaela IancuMihaela Iancu
Mihaela Iancu
CACozma Angela
Cozma Angela
Lucia Maria ProcopciucLucia Maria Procopciuc
Lucia Maria Procopciuc
Nowadays, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the most common cause of chronic liver disorder worldwide. From the clinical point of view, it evolves from steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which can lead to cirrhosis and finally to hepatocellular carcinoma. The mechanisms involved in its progression to more pathological stages and NAFLD pathogenesis are not completely understood. The research concerning NAFLD has become urgent and important because the age of NAFLD diagnosis is progressively decreasing, and its relationship with cancer risk is already well known. Because NAFLD ultimately leads to disability and imposes a major socioeconomic burden, timely diagnosis and effective treatment of NAFLD is particularly important. In the development of NAFLD, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) represented by microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs, and piRNAs are epigenetic factors that play important regulatory roles. In the current review, we present updated information regarding the role of miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, and piRNAs, aiming to develop a good understanding of their regulatory functions in hepatic metabolism and concerning their potential use as biomarkers for early NAFLD/NASH diagnosis and as therapeutic targets.

Verified
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B(Bianca Mihaela Berechet (Sporis)
Bianca Mihaela Berechet (Sporis)
OOOlga Hilda Orasan
Olga Hilda Orasan
VNVasile Negrean
Vasile Negrean
IPIoana Para
Ioana Para
Irina Camelia ChişIrina Camelia Chiş
Irina Camelia Chiş
Simona ClichiciSimona Clichici
Simona Clichici
Research undertaken over the past few years has brought attention to the role of oxidative stress in the development of neoplasms by damaging nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, thereby altering their normal function. In general, the levels of antioxidant enzymes are low in patients with neoplasms, and the biomarkers used to quantify oxidative stress have increased levels. Elevated levels of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes, have been observed in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) at various stages of evolution, but further research is needed on the correlation between these biomarkers and disease progression. Inflammation enhances the production of reactive oxygen species and plays an important role in CRC development. Studies in the field of metabolomics have suggested that changes in serum metabolites might be indicators of the progression from adenoma to colorectal carcinoma, particularly those resulting from lipid metabolism. The role of lipidomics in the pathogenesis of CRC warrants further investigation, as these combinations of metabolites (metabolic fingerprints) may have the potential to become clinically useful markers. In this article, we review our current understanding of the interplay between oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and lipidomic products in the pathogenesis of CRC.

18 October 2024 in Life
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SCSorina Cezara Coste
Sorina Cezara Coste
OOOlga Hilda Orasan
Olga Hilda Orasan
CACozma Angela
Cozma Angela
VNVasile Negrean
Vasile Negrean
Teodora AlexescuTeodora Alexescu
Teodora Alexescu
Lucia Maria ProcopciucLucia Maria Procopciuc
Lucia Maria Procopciuc
(1) Background: Interleukin 17 (IL17) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) elevate the risk of metabolic and liver diseases. (2) Methods: This study’s objective was to explore the association of IL17 and TLR4 gene polymorphisms with MASLD susceptibility and test their effect on serum IL17 and TLR4 levels. A total of 43 patients with MASLD (MASH/MAFL) and 38 healthy individuals were genotyped for IL17F-A7488G, IL17A-G197A, TLR4-Asp299Gly, and TLR4-Thr399Ile polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP. ELISA methods determined IL17F, IL17A, and TLR4 serum levels. (3) Conclusions: Patients carrying the variant genotypes (A/G + G/G) of IL17-A7448G (OR = 5.25), (G/A + A/A) of IL17-G197A (OR = 10.57), (Asp/Gly + Gly/Gly) of TLR4-Asp299Gly (OR = 3.52), or (Thr/Ile + Ile/Ile) of TLR4-Thr399Ile (OR = 9.87) had significantly increased odds of MASH. Genotype (G/A + A/A) of IL17-G197A was significantly associated with the odds of MAFL (p = 0.0166). Allele A of the IL17-G197A polymorphism was significantly related to increased odds of MAFL (OR = 4.13, p = 0.0133). In contrast, allele A of IL17-G197A (OR = 5.41, p = 0.008), allele Gly of TLR4-Asp299Gly (OR = 3.19, p = 0.046), and allele Ile of TLR4-Thr399Ile (OR = 6.94, p = 0.008) polymorphisms were significantly related to an increased risk of MASH. Allele A of IL17A-G197A, allele Gly of TLR4-Asp299Gly, and allele Ile of TLR4-Thr399Ile gene polymorphisms were significantly associated with the increased odds of MASLD. In patients with MASLD, we found significant influence from the IL17A-G197A gene polymorphism on IL17F levels (p = 0.0343).