Publications

Abstract The aim of this international meta-analysis was to quantify the predictive value of body mass index (BMI) for incident fracture and relationship of this risk with age, sex, follow-up time and bone mineral density (BMD). 1 667 922 men and women from 32 countries (63 cohorts), followed for a total of 16.0 million person-years were studied. […]

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Betaine, 20 g/day for 12 months, reduced liver injury in several trials in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Our aim was to determine the safety and efficacy of lower doses of betaine in clinically diagnosed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and an elevated ALT. APPROACH AND RESULTS We performed 3 pilot trials in […]

Abstract OBJECTIVES In systemic sclerosis patients (SSc), we aimed at exploring the potential of serum biomarkers of fibrosis and immune-cell activity to detect subclinical heart involvement determined by electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations. METHODS A panel of extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover biomarkers quantifying type III and VI collagen formation (PRO-C3 and PRO-C6), type IV collagen turnover (PRO-C4), […]

Abstract BACKGROUND The obstructive phenotype of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), is diagnosed after lung transplantation (LTx) when irreversible airway obstruction is already present. This study aimed to investigate biomarkers indicative of aberrant repair resulting in a fibrotic response and inflammation signals in the serum of patients with BOS. METHODS LTx patients transplanted […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Asthma is characterized by airway obstruction driven by chronic inflammation, leading to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. This involves ECM alterations, including increased collagen deposition and elastolysis, resulting in airway wall thickening and irreversible airflow limitation. Despite ECM remodeling’s known role in asthma, no reliable tools track these changes, and the genetic and environmental […]

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly of the small airways and parenchyma. COPD lungs exhibit an influx of circulating innate immune cells, which, when isolated, display impaired functions, including imbalanced protease secretion. In addition to immune cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in COPD pathology. Remodeling […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Whilst COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory infection, few studies have characterized the immune response to COVID-19 in lung tissue. We sought to understand the pathogenic role of microenvironmental interactions and the extracellular matrix in post-mortem COVID-19 lung using an integrative multi-omic approach. METHODS Post-mortem formalin fixed paraffin embedded lung tissue from fatal COVID-19 […]

Abstract BACKGROUND&AIMS The role of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) after liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial. Chronic AMR (cAMR) is often subclinical and potentially missed without surveillance biopsies (svLbx). Transcriptome analysis previously characterized molecular changes in T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) after solid organ transplantation. We aimed to identify molecular cAMR signatures after LT. METHODS Indication and svLbx […]

Abstract OBJECTIVES To investigate whether serum C1M and C2M, biochemical markers of synovial and cartilage tissue destruction, were associated with progression of joint damage in patients with early arthritis. METHODS 813 early arthritis patients (<6 months of symptoms, 82% with rheumatoid arthritis, 18% undifferentiated arthritis) from the prospective ESPOIR study were followed for 5 years. […]

Abstract The interaction among extracellular matrix (ECM) elements components -proteoglycans, elastin, laminins, collagens, and metalloproteinases- is important to maintain homeostasis of the skin. However, in chronic inflammatory diseases, tissue homeostasis is disrupted by having an uncontrolled remodeling of the ECM, resulting in a disbalance of its composition and functionality. In these pathologies, there is a […]