Context and objective. The new insights in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) reveal the implications of adipocytokines. This study aims to analyze the correlations between the serum value of adiponectin and the clinical rehabilitation effects in patients diagnosed with knee OA, admitted and treated in the complex balneal resort of Techirghiol lake. Subjects and methods. The prospective randomized clinical study included 23 patients in the study group, diagnosed with knee OA according to ACR criteria, and a matching control group of 23 subjects. Serum level of adiponectin (using ELISA technique), uric acid, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDLcholesterol and clinical response using a visual analog scale (VAS) were evaluated in all patients on their admission day and after 10 days of balneal treatment. Control group benefited from the same procedures except for cold mud therapy and mineral water baths. Results. Plasma adiponectin levels (23.73±6.44 ng/dL) were statistically higher (p<0.05) in the study group compared to the control group (18.15±6.49 ng/dL). The mean VAS in both groups was decreased (p<0.005) compared to the initial moment. Conclusions. Cold peloidotherapy combined with physical therapy and balneal factors induces serum adiponectin elevation and improves knee pain in OA. Therapeutic properties of Techirghiol mud still need further research.

Cortisol showed a progressive increase beginning from D1, especially after ovulation triggering, and returned to pre-treatment level next month. Cortisol variation was not related to the changes in the E(2) values. Cortisol values at both M-1 and D1 could be used as controls.

Endometriosis (EMs) is a benign disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. EMs associated with ovarian cancer (OC) has a relative low incidence (5% to 10%), sometimes with evidence of a transition stage through atypical EMs (1.6% cases). We have assessed 135 consecutive patients with either EMs or OC and, out of them, our study reports on four cases of ovarian EMs and OC: two cases with endometrioid OC and two cases with high-grade serous OC (HGSOC). Cases with EMs and HGSOC are extremely rarely reported in the literature -we could find not more than 30 cases. The main objective of our research was to observe the possible similarities between EMs and OC. Secondly, we analyzed the differences between EMs associated with endometrioid OC and EMs associated with HGSOC. We evaluated them in terms of clinical status (age, stages of EMs and OC) and immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Ki67, p53, p16, Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1), cluster of differentiation (CD) 34 and CD10 immunomarkers -we could not find in the literature all these markers assessed, in the same time, to such samples. Our results indicated that there are no similarities between EMs and OC and no atypical EMs was identified in our cases. We recorded higher values of ER expression in EMs associated with HGSOC than in EMs associated with endometrioid OC. Higher values of ER expression were also recorded in OC than in endometriotic foci. There were no differences in proliferative rate of endometriotic foci associated with endometrioid OC, compared to EMs associated with HGSOC. An aberrant IHC expression for p53 protein and p16 protein was noted only in HGSOC. Also, a positive immunostaining for Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) was identified only in HGSOC. Higher values of microvessel density were recorded in OC but not in endometriotic foci. We concluded that there were no similarities between EMs and OC for the cases included in our study, but we noticed differences in terms of Ki67 index and also between hormonal receptors expression in EMs associated with HGSOC, comparing with EMs associated with endometrioid OCs. These results may represent a "brick" for future researches on the less understood EMs associated with type II of OCs, especially with HGSOC. Identifying the best marker, which can predict the risk of developing OC for the patients with EMs, may lead to discover new specific therapeutic agents and, therefore, a better, tailored, therapy.

Up till now, to our knowledge, there are no studies evaluating serum Brain - Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels in patients with degenerative chronic low back pain under rehabilitation treatment. BDNF is a neuroprotein associated with neuropathic pain and represents an important mediator of the effects of physical exercise. Complex balneal treatment with hot Techirghiol sapropelic mud reduces pain and increases serum levels of BDNF in these patients.

Corticoids are largely used for fetal interest in expected preterm deliveries. This study went further, evaluating the effect of maternal administration of dexamethasone (Dex) on the umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and ductus venous (DV) spectrum, in growth-restricted fetuses, with the absent end-diastolic flow (AEDF) in UA, from singleton early-onset severe preeclamptic pregnancies. Supplementary, the impact on both uterine arteries (UTAs) flow was also evaluated. In 68.7% of cases, the EDF was transiently restored (trAEDF group), in the rest of 31.2% remained persistent absent (prAEDF group). UA-PI significantly decreased in the first day after Dex (day 1/0; p < 0.05), reaching its minimum during day 2 (day 2/1; p > 0.05), revealing a significant recovery to day 4 (day 4/2; p < 0.05), in both groups. The MCA-PI decreased from day 1 until day 3 in both groups, but significantly only in the trAEDF group (p = 0.030 vs. p = 0.227. The DV-PI’s decrease (during day 1) and the CPR’s increase (between days 0 and 2) were not significant in both groups. UTAs-PIs did not vary. The prAEDF group had a significantly increased rate of antenatal worsening Doppler and a poorer perinatal outcome compared with the trAEDF group. In conclusion, Dex transiently restored the AEDF in UA in the majority of cases, a “positive” effect being a useful marker for better perinatal prognosis. UA-PI significantly decreased in all cases. The improvement in umbilical circulation probably was responsible for the short but not significant DV-PI reduction. MCA-PI decreased only in sensitive cases, probably due to an already cerebral “full” vasodilation in the prAEDF group. Furthermore, the CPR’s nonsignificant improvement was the result of a stronger effect of Dex on UA-PI than on MCA-PI. Finally, despite the same etiology, it was only a weak correlation between the severity of the umbilical and uterine abnormal spectrum.