Endothelial dysfunction is one of the major factors in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and its molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. The present study aimed to examine the connection between nuclear factor2-related factor2 (Nrf2), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in people with MetS. Participants in the study were as follows: with MetS (n = 30) and without MetS (Control) (n = 14). Expression of Nrf2, NF-kB, and HO-1 was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Plasma ADMA was determined using the ELISA technique and MDA via the thiobarbituric acid method. Our study showed that mRNA of NF-kB, Nrf2, and HO-1 levels in PBMCs in the MetS group were significantly higher than in the controls by 53%, 130%, and 185% (p < 0.05), respectively. Similarly, elevated levels of MDA (by 78%, p < 0.001) and ADMA (by 18.7%, p < 0.001) were established in the MetS group. Our findings show the importance of transcription factor Nrf2, playing an integral role in the protection of the endothelium, and of NF-κB, a transcription factor mediating the inflammatory response in MetS. Knowledge of complex cellular–molecular mechanisms would allow the use of biomarkers such as Nrf2, NF-kB, HO-1, and ADMA for the assessment of endothelial dysfunction in clinical practice.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of special endogenous long non-coding RNAs which are highly stable in the circulation, and, thus, more suitable as new biomarkers of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of our study was to explore the plasma expression levels of four circRNAs: has_circ_0001445, hsa_circ_0003028, hsa_circ_0007915 and hsa_circ_0008717 in patients with CRC and to evaluate their associations with clinicopathological characteristics and the clinical outcome of the patients. CircRNAs were extracted from patients’ plasma obtained prior to chemotherapy. Their expression levels were measured by qPCR and calculated applying the 2^−ΔΔCt method. The levels of all four circRNAs were significantly increased in the plasma of CRC patients. At the optimal cut-off values hsa_circ_0001445 and hsa_circ_0007915 in plasma could significantly distinguish between patients with or without metastatic CRC with 92.56% sensitivity and 42.86% specificity, and with 86.07% sensitivity and 57.14% specificity, respectively. The mean overall survival (OS) of patients with high/intermediate expression of hsa_circ_0001445 was 30 months, significantly higher in comparison with the mean OS of the patients with low expression—20 months (log-rank test, p = 0.034). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, the low levels of hsa_circ_0001445 were also associated with shorter survival (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.02–2.47, p = 0.040). A prognostic significance of hsa_circ_0001445 for patients with metastatic CRC was established.

Levansucrases synthesize levans and fructooligosaccharides, which are of interest in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Leuconostoc mesenteroides Lm 17 produces levansucrase of about 120 kDa. The encoding gene from this strain was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The cloned gene encodes a 1022 amino acids long levansucrase with 96% identity to levansucrase LevS from L. mesenteroides NRRL B-512F strain. The induction and expression of the levansucrase gene were performed at temperatures between 15 °C and 37 °C, and concentration of the inducer isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside from 0.1 to 2.0 (mmol/L)^-1. We report for the first time recombinant expression of a levansucrase gene at a low temperature of induction, after cell biomass accumulation at 37 °C. The highest enzyme activity of 1.90 (U/mg)^-1 was measured in TB medium at 18 °C temperature of induction, and concentration of the inducer from 0.1 to 1.0 (mmol/L)^-1. The in situ analysis of the purified enzyme showed an active band of about 120 kDa, similar to the one produced by the native strain. The purified enzyme has a temperature optimum at 35 °C, pH optimum at 5.5, and K_m = 64 (mmol/L)^-1 of sucrose.

Sambucus ebulus (SE) fruits are used for immune stimulation and amelioration of gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions. Currently, there is no scientific evidence of their effects on various aspects of the immune response mechanisms in humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory potential of SE fruit infusion intake in healthy humans. Anthocyanin content was determined with UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Fifty-three volunteers enrolled in a 4-week SE infusion intake intervention. Blood count, serum total protein, Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα), High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), C3, and C4 levels were measured on automatic analyzers, and Interleukin 8 (IL-8) was measured manually with an ELISA kit. Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (48.15 mg/g DW), followed by cyaniding-3-sambubioside (43.41 ± 1.07 mg/g DW), were the most abundant anthocyanins in SE samples. A significant decrease in total protein (2.82%), IL-6 (20.15%), TNFα (5.38%), IL-8 (5.50%), C3 (4.16%), and C4 (14.29%) was established in the whole group. Total protein, IL-8, TNFα, and C4 decreased in women (3.11%, 4.76%, 5.09%, and 11.11%), and IL-6 decreased (40.61%) in men. Hb (1.20%) and hematocrit (1.55%) levels decreased in the whole group and in the women group (1.61% and 2.20%). SE fruits exert immune-modulatory activity as revealed by decreased pro-inflammatory status and complement activity markers in healthy volunteers after a 4-week intervention.

Plaque-induced gingivitis (PIG) is one of the most widely distributed oral disorders in children. We aimed to identify the diagnostic value of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and c-reactive protein (CRP) in the unstimulated whole saliva of children with different degrees of PIG. The study included 45 healthy children (aged between 4–14 years). The participants were divided into four groups according to their Silness–Löe plaque index and Löe–Silness gingival index. ELISA methods for the quantification of salivary IL-6, IL-1β, and CRP were used. The highest levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and CRP were recorded in the group with severe gingivitis—14.96 pg/mL, 28.94 pg/mL, and 490.0 pg/mL, respectively—significantly exceeding those in the control group (9.506 pg/mL, 16.93 pg/mL and 254.4 pg/mL, respectively). Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, salivary IL-1β and CRP showed good diagnostic accuracy (0.8 ≤ AUC < 0.9) and IL-6 showed fair diagnostic accuracy (0.7 ≤ AUC < 0.8) with statistical significance to distinguish between children with a moderate degree of PIG and those with a severe degree of PIG. Sensitivity for IL-6, CRP, and IL-1β was 87.5% (p < 0.05), 87.5% (p < 0.01), and 75% (p < 0.01), respectively, and specificity was 63.16% (p < 0.05), 78.95% (p < 0.01), 83.33% (p < 0.01), respectively. Based on our results, we suggest salivary IL-1β and CRP as potential diagnostic tools that can be used to differentiate between moderate and severe PIG.