Objectives: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease whose severity is strongly influenced by environmental factors, particularly smoking. Smoking is a well-established risk factor for both the onset and progression of periodontitis, contributing to impaired immune responses, delayed healing, and enhanced tissue destruction. In this pilot study, we explored differences in...
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses an increasing public health challenge in Indonesia, yet limited data exist on public knowledge, content preferences, and perceptions of existing CKD information. This study aimed to assess the public’s knowledge regarding CKD, identify key areas of interest and preferred delivery formats, and evaluate perceptions toward current CKD educational...
Serum antibodies against the small heat shock protein Hsp27 (HspB1) have been associated with certain diseases but have not been studied in infertility. Sera from 73 infertile patients were tested for antisperm antibodies using agglutination and immobilization tests and ELISA, and for anti-Hsp27 antibodies using ELISA. Of these sera, 31 (42.5%) were positive for anti-Hsp27...
Background: Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy is a frequent complication of cancer treatment and significantly reduces patient quality of life. Neuroinflammatory processes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) play a critical role in the modulation of pain sensitivity. Fenofibrate has demonstrated neuroprotective properties and has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent...
Background: Autophagy plays a pivotal role in regulating cancer cell survival and death. Leveraging bacterial components, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to modulate autophagy represents a novel strategy in oncologic therapeutics, especially in breast cancer. Objective: To assess the effect of LPS derived from Escherichia coli on the proliferation, viability, and immune...
Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide used in the pharmaceutical industry and medicine due to its hydrophilic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and non-toxic properties. However, it is insoluble in water, which limits its applications. Therefore, various chemical modifications of chitosan have been developed, offering improved biocompatibility, bioactivity, biodegradability, and non...
Selective sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors act only at the renal level, promoting glucose excretion. Their glucose-independent mechanism makes them effective in advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus, when pancreatic β-cell reserves are permanently reduced. In addition to glucosuria, SGLT2 inhibition induces natriuresis, contributing to negative salt and water balance...
Background: Recent reports raising concerns regarding the clinical performance of vancomycin products in Jordan prompted a regulatory review focused on biological potency. Objective: To evaluate the biological potency of commercially available vancomycin products using the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) cylinder–plate assay method. Methods: Four different vancomycin...
Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems are a lipid-based technological approach with immense promise in enhancing the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. The aim of the present study is to develop and characterize self-emulsifying drug delivery systems of Ibuprofen using medium-chain (MCT) and long-chain triglyceride (LCT) oils, Tween 80 and RH-40 as surfactants...
Endodontic treatment is a predictable therapeutic approach; however, procedural complications may significantly compromise biological healing and long-term tooth survival. This case report describes a severe post-endodontic complication resulting in tooth extraction and inflammatory bone sequestration. A 48-year-old male patient presented with persistent pain originating from the...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus often remains inadequately managed despite effective oral treatments. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), abundant in xanthones, including α-mangostin, may have metabolic and insulin-sensitizing properties; however, clinical data are scarce. We sought to assess mangosteen (MG) as an adjunct for enhancing metabolic status in recently diagnosed Iraqi patients...
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have evolved from being regarded as “genomic noise” to a significant asset for gene therapy, enabling programmable control of transcription, RNA stability, and translation. This review integrates ncRNA biogenesis, therapeutic mechanisms, delivery engineering, and clinical translation across RNA subclasses (miRNAs, siRNAs, piRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs...
Psoriasis is a complex autoimmune disorder characterized by skin inflammation with keratinocyte proliferation, and 85% of cases present as plaque-type psoriasis. Biologics such as ustekinumab (UST) are highly successful therapies for psoriasis. To achieve maximum clinical efficacy while minimizing undesirable effects, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for biologics has emerged...
This study evaluated the stability and pharmacokinetics of asiaticoside (AS) dry nanoemulsion (AS-DNE) and developed a validated LC–MS/MS method for AS quantification in rat plasma. AS-DNE remained stable over 24 weeks, with minimal changes in moisture content, particle size, and zeta potential. AS degradation was temperature dependent, with the highest loss (6.73%) observed at...
This review traces European medical device regulation from fragmented national systems to the harmonized framework established by Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR) and Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR). It examines the pre-harmonization period (1957–1985), characterized by diverse national approaches in Western and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria’s regulatory development during the...
The aim of the present analysis is to assess the cost-effectiveness of influenza A and B prophylaxis with bromhexine, used off-label, for the purposes of the healthcare system in Bulgaria. Cost-effectiveness and cost–benefit analyses were performed from the payer and society perspectives. The compared alternatives are bromhexine and medicines with prophylactic indications...
This study aims to compare the patients’ and healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) opinions about the necessity and acceptance of discussing the cost of treatment as part of shared decision-making (SDM) in three healthcare jurisdictions – Bulgaria, Hungary, and France. The applied methodology was qualitative and non-interventional, in the form of a focus group series performed in all...
This study aimed to assess the agreement between spectrophotometric and intraoral scanner-based tooth shade determination using the VITA Classical and VITA 3D-Master shade systems. Tooth shade was determined consecutively using a spectrophotometer and an intraoral scanner in 120 healthy adults. Measurements were performed on the vestibular surfaces of 709 maxillary anterior teeth...
The ability to manage household medications influences the prevalent practice of self-medication in Indonesia. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAP) of the Indonesian population regarding household drug management. A cross-sectional survey involving 1,016 respondents was conducted across 31 provinces in Indonesia, utilizing a validated...
Malnutrition in geriatric patients can impact morbidity through impaired wound healing, increased risk of infection, and complications. Increased morbidity contributes to higher mortality, longer and more intensive treatment, and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of parenteral nutrition and its impact on the length of...
Skin aging is a multifactorial process influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, particularly UV-B radiation. Natural ingredients such as Curcuma longa and Glycyrrhiza glabra show potential anti-aging effects. Transfersomes and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are delivery systems that have the potential to be developed for anti-aging applications. This study aimed to...
Aging is the main risk factor in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It has been widely demonstrated that oxidative stress contributes to their pathogenesis during aging due to increased production of oxidative species and the failure of antioxidant defenses. It is...
A reverse-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was established in this study for the simultaneous determination of five anthraquinones in extracts of Asphodeline species. A gradient program was used for chromatographic separation of the components under investigation. The analytes were separated on a Waters Acquity BEH C18 column with a flow rate of 0...
Salvia nemorosa L. is a widely distributed but comparatively understudied Salvia species. This work investigated the tissue localization of lipophilic constituents and profiled essential oil (EO) composition of wild Bulgarian populations. Stems were hand-sectioned and stained with Sudan III to visualize lipid deposits by light microscopy. EOs isolated from the collected flowering...
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels due to insufficient insulin production or decreased insulin sensitivity. Despite advances in antidiabetic pharmacotherapy, the limitations and adverse effects of current treatments highlight the need for natural products as alternative therapies. The present investigation was...