BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a major problem for health systems being directly related to short and long-term morbidity and mortality. In the last years, the incidence of AKI has been increasing. AKI and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely interconnected, with a growing rate of CKD linked to repeated and severe episodes of AKI. AKI and CKD can occur also secondary to imbalanced oxidative stress (OS) reactions, inflammation, and apoptosis. The kidney is particularly sensitive to OS. OS is known as a crucial pathogenetic factor in cellular damage, with a direct role in initiation, development, and progression of AKI. The aim of this review is to focus on the pathogenetic role of OS in AKI in order to gain a better understanding. We exposed the potential relationships between OS and the perturbation of renal function and we also presented the redox-dependent factors that can contribute to early kidney injury. In the last decades, promising advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of AKI and its consequences, but more studies are needed in order to develop new therapies that can address OS and oxidative damage in early stages of AKI.MethodsWe searched PubMed for relevant articles published up to May 2019. In this review we incorporated data from different types of studies, including observational and experimental, both in vivo and in vitro, studies that provided information about OS in the pathophysiology of AKI.ResultsThe results show that OS plays a major key role in the initiation and development of AKI, providing the chance to find new targets that can be therapeutically addressed.DiscussionAcute kidney injury represents a major health issue that is still not fully understood. Research in this area still provides new useful data that can help obtain a better management of the patient. OS represents a major focus point in many studies, and a better understanding of its implications in AKI might offer the chance to fight new therapeutic strategies.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic implicated in matrix remodeling, on dermal and lung fibroblasts obtained from SSc patients. Dermal and lung fibroblasts from SSc patients and healthy subjects were treated with ciprofloxacin. Western blotting was used to analyze protein levels and RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA expression. The pharmacologic inhibitor UO126 was used to block Erk1/2 signaling. SSc dermal fibroblasts demonstrated a significant decrease in collagen type I mRNA and protein levels after antibiotic treatment, while healthy dermal fibroblasts were less sensitive to ciprofloxacin, downregulating collagen only at the protein levels. Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) gene expression was significantly reduced and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) levels were enhanced after ciprofloxacin treatment to a similar extent in healthy and SSc fibroblasts. Ciprofloxacin induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation, and Erk1/2 blockade completely prevented MMP1 upregulation. However, Smad1 and Smad3 activation in response to TGFβ was not affected. The expression of friend leukemia integration factor 1 (Fli1), a transcriptional repressor of collagen, was increased after treatment with ciprofloxacin only in SSc fibroblasts, and this was accompanied by a decrease in the levels of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1). Similar effects were observed in SSc-interstitial lung disease (ILD) lung fibroblasts. In summary, our study demonstrates that ciprofloxacin has antifibrotic actions in SSc dermal and lung fibroblasts via the downregulation of Dnmt1, the upregulation of Fli1 and induction of MMP1 gene expression via an Erk1/2-dependent mechanism. Thus, our data suggest that ciprofloxacin may be an attractive therapy for SSc skin and lung fibrosis.

Aim. Clinical description of a patient diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, which associated a rare anti-cytoplasmic pattern, known as "Rods and Ring".Method. Clinical case report.Results. A 76-year old female patient with chronic hepatitis C virus infection under treatment for several months with pegylated Interferon-Ribavirin (started eight months ago) presented for clinical and biological evaluation of the therapeutic response.Conclusion. This is the first reported clinical case of a patient with cytoplasmic filamentous rods and rings autoantibodies associated with chronic hepatis C from the Clinical Hospital IRGH Prof. Dr. O. Fodor Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The presence of these antibodies appears to be triggered by antiviral therapy. Although these are newly identified antibodies, they could be used as serological markers for detecting patients at risk of developing associated autoimmune pathologies or nonresponders to the antiviral therapy. Likewise, their detection could identify patients with occult hepatitis C infection.

Background: According to the international literature thrombocytopenia is frequent in murine typhus. Methods: One hundred and sixty-one patients with compatible clinical status of murine typhus and high serological titers of antibodies against Rickettsia typhi, were studied from our team, during a period of time between January 1993 and December 2007. Three blood samples were obtained from each patient for the study of their thrombocytopenia. The first sample was obtained on admission, approximately 9 days after the onset of the disease. The second sample approximately two weeks after the first. The third sample, taken from the one third of the patients, was obtained one month after the second. On admission (first sample) 88/161 patients (54.6%) presented thrombocytopenia and the median value of platelets was 141x103 /ml respectively. Two weeks later (second sample) 23/147 patients (15.3%) presented thrombocytopenia. The median value of platelets was 247x103 /ml respectively. One month later (third sample) 2/42 patients (4.8%) presented thrombocytopenia and the median value of platelets was 224.5x103 /ml respectively. Results: Our study showed that thrombocytopenia is frequent in murine typhus on admission of the patients to the hospitals. The number of platelets, according to our results, returns to normal value after almost a month of the onset of the infection. Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia returns to normal values after a month of the onset of the infection.

Purpose: Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is a zoonosis caused by Trichinella spp, a helminth that infects a very broad range of animals. Humans can get the infection by eating raw or undercooked meat with Trichinella larvae encysted in muscle tissues of domestic or wild animals. Symptoms may range from very mild to severe and are related to the number of larvae consumed in the meat. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence, symptoms and risk factors of human trichinellosis in Western Romania over a period of 4 years (2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016).Methods & Materials: This retrospective study included 23 consecutive patients diagnosed with trichinellosis and hospitalized at "Victor Babeş " Infectious Diseases Hospital in Timiş oara,Romania, between 01.01.2012 -30.06.2016. Medical records of these patients were investigated to collect clinical, laboratory, epidemiological, and therapeutic data.Results: The 23 patients ranged in age from 2 to 61 years (mean = 31.9 years), 12 (52.2%) were males. Fever (69.5%), myalgia (65.2%), weakness (43.4%) and eyelid edema (34.8%) were the most frecquent symptoms. High levels of white blood cells were reported in 10 (43.5%) patients and eosinophil counts ≥ 4% were reported in 21 (91.3%). Wild boar meat was the source of infection in 4 (17.4%) patients and pork meat was the source of infection in 19 (82.6%). In 43.5% of the patients, the hospitalization period ranged between 10 and 17 days and required significant health care resources. Albendazole was the antiparasitic drug administered in 56.5% of the patients. Conclusion:Trichinellosis still remains an important public health problem in Western Romania. Sanitary education programmes for both swine breeders and consumers and implementation of strict hygienic measures are strongly recommended.