Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen renowned for its extensive ecological versatility and clinical significance. Once considered a benign saprophyte, it has now been recognized as a notable etiological agent in nosocomial infections, predominantly affecting immunocompromised hosts. Its pathogenicity is mediated by an array of virulence determinants, including hemolysins, proteolytic enzymes, siderophores, and the biosynthesis of the pigmented secondary metabolite prodigiosin, which exhibits notable anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. S. marcescens exhibits proficient biofilm-forming capabilities that underpin persistent device colonization and confer resilience against antimicrobial therapies. Beyond its clinical impact, S. marcescens is of interest in industrial biotechnology and environmental bioremediation applications. This comprehensive review delineates current insights into its taxonomy, virulence pathways, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and emerging biotechnological utilities, emphasizing the dual challenges and opportunities it presents to microbiology and therapeutic development.

Oxidative stress, defined as the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of several pregnancy complications, notably preeclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). During normal pregnancy, low to moderate ROS levels support essential placental functions such as angiogenesis and trophoblast differentiation. However, excessive ROS production overwhelms antioxidant systems, leading to lipid peroxidation, protein and DNA damage, and impaired placental function. This review synthesizes current evidence linking oxidative stress to adverse pregnancy outcomes, highlighting key biomarkers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α). While antioxidant therapies—particularly vitamins C and E, selenium, and folic acid—have shown promise in reducing oxidative markers, their impact on clinical outcomes remains inconsistent. The variability in results underscores the need for standardized biomarker protocols and personalized treatment strategies based on genetic predispositions and baseline oxidative status. Future research may better harness antioxidant interventions to improve maternal–fetal health by addressing these gaps.

Cervical cancer remains a significant public health challenge, disproportionately affecting women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV16 and HPV18, is the central cause of cervical carcinogenesis, driven by the viral oncoproteins E6 and E7, which disrupt the host tumor suppressors p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRb). Advances in molecular understanding have catalyzed effective primary and secondary prevention strategies. Prophylactic HPV vaccination, especially the nonavalent formulation, has demonstrated high efficacy in reducing HPV infections and cervical precancer. Concurrently, HPV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing, self-sampling, and screen-and-treat protocols are transforming screening paradigms, particularly in resource-limited settings. However, global disparities in vaccine access, screening coverage, and health infrastructure persist, impeding progress toward the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 90–70–90 elimination targets. By synthesizing recent advances in virology, prevention strategies, and implementation innovations, such as therapeutic vaccines, artificial-intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics, and mobile health solutions, this review sheds light on their potential to narrow these equity gaps.

Background/Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is a rapidly growing global health concern, often accompanied by chronic kidney disease (CKD) and metabolic disturbances. Obesity-related indices, such as the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and body adiposity index (BAI), have been linked to cardiovascular and renal complications in diabetic patients. However, studies integrating both the atherogenic coefficient (AC) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for evaluating diabetic nephropathy (DN) remain limited. This study aimed to assess the associations of obesity-related indices with immunological and nutritional factors in patients with T2DM and prediabetes (PreDM). Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted over six months at a university clinical hospital in Dolj County, Romania. The study enrolled 268 newly diagnosed T2DM patients and 150 PreDM patients. Anthropometric parameters, laboratory tests, and demographic data were collected. AC and PNI were calculated using standard formulas, and statistical analyses were performed to determine their associations with metabolic and inflammatory markers. Results: Our study found that T2DM patients had significantly lower PNI values, indicating mild malnutrition, while PreDM patients maintained a normal nutritional status. AC was significantly higher in T2DM patients, correlating with lipid profile alterations and systemic inflammation. Obesity indices, particularly VAI, were significantly elevated in T2DM patients with higher AC values. Statistically significant differences in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and triglycerides were observed between AC subgroups, reinforcing its role in cardiovascular risk assessment. Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential of AC and PNI as biomarkers for assessing nutritional, inflammatory, and lipemic status in diabetic patients. The significant associations between obesity-related indices, lipid profiles, and inflammation markers suggest that early assessment of these parameters may potentially aid in predicting diabetic complications. Further studies are needed to explore the clinical utility of AC and PNI in managing T2DM and CKD progression. Future research should investigate how the lipidic spectrum alters the progression of DN across various patient groups with diabetes and prediabetes

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its associated cardiometabolic phenotypes significantly contribute to the global burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes. This study aimed to explore the association between cardiometabolic phenotypes—specifically, metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO)—and various cardiovascular risk indices including the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its derivatives, the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), the cardiometabolic index (CMI), and the cardiac risk ratio (CRR). A total of 300 participants were evaluated (100 with prediabetes and 200 with T2DM). Anthropometric, biochemical, and lifestyle parameters were assessed and stratified across phenotypes. The results demonstrated that cardiovascular risk indices were significantly elevated in the MUHO compared to MUHNW phenotypes, with T2DM patients consistently exhibiting higher risk profiles than their prediabetic counterparts. TyG-derived indices showed strong correlations with BMI, waist–hip ratio (WHR), waist–height ratio (WHtR), and body fat percentage (%BF). The findings suggest that cardiometabolic phenotypes are more strongly associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk indices than body weight alone. These indices may enhance early risk stratification and intervention efforts. The study investigates the association of cardiometabolic phenotypes with surrogate cardiovascular risk indices, not direct CVD outcomes, However, the cross-sectional design and population homogeneity limit the generalizability of the results and preclude causal inference.

Systemic inflammation has an important role in the prognosis and progression of many chronic diseases, including diabetes (T2DM). This retrospective study aimed to evaluate inflammatory status by determining the serum inflammatory biomarkers (PTX3, hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6) and new indices, like the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) to lymphocyte ratio (MCVL) and cumulative inflammatory index (IIC), in a cohort of patients with prediabetes (PreDM) and newly diagnosed T2DM. We also wanted to assess the association with clinical parameters and different obesity-related indices, to identify possible correlations and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the biomarkers using ROC curve analysis. In this study, we included 60 patients diagnosed with T2DM and 30 patients with PreDM. The ELISA method was applied. Elevated PTX3, hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were found in T2DM patients compared to preDM patients. An independent relationship was found between PTX3, hs-CRP, and different obesity-related indices in patients with preDM and T2DM. The MCVL index exhibited an inverse trend proportional to the rising levels of HbA1c in the T2DM group. Spearman’s analysis revealed in the T2DM group that the PTX3 values correlated much better with IIC (rho = 0.445, p-value = 0.014) and MCVL (rho = 0.338, p-value = 0.048). Hs-CRP values expressed moderate-to-weak correlations with IIC and MCVL in both groups. Additionally, ROC analysis showed that the PTX3 (AUC was 0.720; p = 0.003; cut-off value 1888.00 pg/mL, with 67.60% sensitivity and 73.30% specificity) and MCVL index (AUC was 0.677; p = 0.047; cut-off value 39.60, with 63.30% sensitivity and 66.70% specificity) have a good, accurate diagnosis compared with IL-6 (AUC was 0.866; p < 0.0001; cut-off value 40.30 pg/mL, with 100.00% sensitivity and 60.00% specificity). IIC showed 61.70% sensitivity and 60.00% specificity, with an AUC of 0.572, p = 0.027 and a cut-off value of 2.35. PTX3 and MCVL can serve as independent predictor factors in the inflammatory status in preDM and T2DM patients, supporting their potential as biomarkers for T2DM management and future research.