The study of skin manifestations in COVID-19 is relevant due to the possibility of their appearance before the onset of the typical pattern of respiratory lesions, and the typicality of this pattern has changed noticeably with the emergence of new strains of the virus (nosomorphosis), therefore skin manifestations have both early diagnostic and possible prognostic value.

The aim of our study was to identify the relationship between the course of SARS-CoV-2 and its specific features of skin manifestations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A retrospective study of data from patients with maculopapular lesions who had COVID-19 was conducted. Among all the skin manifestations of COVID, we selected maculopapular lesions for a more detailed study, as one of the most frequent dermatological pathological processes in this disease. Based on the assessment of the area of the lesion and symptoms (the nature of itching, dryness, pain or other accompanying discomfort that interferes with normal activity, sleep; skin peeling), the degree of the course was assessed as mild, moderate, severe. The severe form of the acute respiratory syndrome of the coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was diagnosed based on a complex of clinical and laboratory data obtained from the medical histories of persons undergoing examination. Among the clinical and laboratory data, we selected C-reactive protein (CRP - a blood plasma protein belonging to the group of acute phase proteins, the concentration of which increases during inflammation), D-dimer (a protein fragment that is formed during the dissolution of a blood clot that occurs during blood clotting), procalcitonin (a precursor of calcitonin, which is involved in calcium metabolism and maintains its constant level in the blood) and blood oxygen saturation level.

It has been established that moderate and severe SARS-CoV-2 is characterized by skin lesions in the form of maculopapular lesions. Typical are itching, dryness, painful or other accompanying discomfort, skin peeling. In most patients with rash (198 patients (65.8%)) it was a generalized process, more prominent on extremities. Bilateral jawline and periauricular area were affected in 234 (77.7%) patients. In 204 (67.8%) patients, rashes were observed on the abdomen. The average duration of the rash was 10.4±2.21 days.

Among the studied signs, a strong correlation was found between the area of alveolar cell desquamation in the lungs and such changes as the area of skin lesions, skin peeling (r=0.73 and r=0.74, respectively), which could be established in deceased individuals. A high dependence of the area of skin lesions on the level of D-dimer (r=0.71) and procalcitonin (r=0.70) was also found.

To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection on injury severity, clinical course, complications, and hospital outcomes in patients with gunshot injuries.

This retrospective descriptive-analytical study was conducted at the Central Clinical Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia. The study included 80 male patients with gunshot injuries who were hospitalized during 2020. Of these, 55 (68.8%) patients were COVID-19-positive and 25 (31.2%) were COVID-19-negative. Injury severity was assessed using the Injury Severity Score (ISS) and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, requirement for mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, complications, and in-hospital mortality were analyzed.

The mean ISS was significantly higher in COVID-19-positive patients than in COVID-19-negative patients (22.8±7.4 vs. 15.2±5.8, p<0.01). Conversely, the mean GCS score was significantly lower in the COVID-19-positive group (12.9±2.5 vs. 14.6±1.8, p<0.05). ICU admission was required in 43.6% of COVID-19-positive patients compared with 16.0% of COVID-19-negative patients. Mechanical ventilation was required in 21.8% and 8.0% of patients, respectively. The incidence of complications was 29.1% in the COVID-19-positive group and 12.0% in the COVID-19-negative group. In-hospital mortality was 10.9% and 4.0%, respectively. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive association between ISS and length of hospital stay (r=0.61, p<0.001), as well as between ISS and mortality (r=0.58, p<0.001).

COVID-19 infection in patients with gunshot injuries is associated with greater injury severity, an increased need for intensive care, a higher incidence of complications and mortality, and prolonged hospitalization. The coexistence of COVID-19 infection and gunshot trauma may be regarded as a mutually aggravating clinical condition that requires early diagnosis, intensive monitoring, and a multidisciplinary treatment approach.

Pulmonary hemorrhage is a critical, life-threatening complication of diverse pulmonary pathologies, most commonly pulmonary tuberculosis, and often necessitates emergent intervention. Conventional therapeutic modalities yield inconsistent outcomes, whereas endobronchial valve (EBV) placement has emerged as a promising, minimally invasive alternative for achieving selective airway occlusion and hemostasis.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of EBV placement compared with conventional conservative management in patients presenting with pulmonary hemorrhage.

A comparative cohort study was conducted at the National Center for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (Tbilisi, Georgia), involving 17 patients who underwent EBV placement and 26 patients treated conservatively. Outcomes assessed included hemorrhage recurrence, survival, sudden hemorrhage-related mortality, hematologic recovery, incidence of aspiration pneumonia, duration of hospitalization, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measured with the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).

Hemorrhage recurrence at 180 days was lower in the EBV group (5.9%, 1/17) than in the control group (34.6%, 9/26; χ²=4.75, p=0.042 by uncorrected χ²; p=0.071 with Yates' correction, not statistically significant at this sample size). The 180-day survival rate was higher in the EBV group (85.7%) than in controls (54.3%). No sudden hemorrhage-related deaths occurred in the EBV group, versus 5 of 26 (19.2%) in the control group, although this difference did not reach statistical significance (Fisher's exact test, p=0.139). Hematologic recovery improved significantly within the EBV group over one month (hemoglobin, hematocrit, ESR, and WBC all p<0.01), with the control group showing smaller or non-significant within-group changes. Aspiration pneumonia was less frequent in the EBV group (23.5% vs. 69.2%; χ²=6.86, p=0.0088), and mean hospital stay was shorter (13.7 vs. 51.9 days; p<0.0001). SGRQ scores improved significantly in the EBV group at 180 days (65.4→42.3, a 35.4% reduction; p<0.001), with no significant change in the control group.

EBV placement is associated with reduced hemorrhage recurrence, improved survival, fewer complications, and better quality of life compared with conservative therapy in patients with pulmonary hemorrhage, although the recurrence and mortality comparisons should be re-verified statistically before this is presented as a definitive finding.

To determine the prevalence and risk stratification profile of cardiovascular abnormalities identified during a two-year structured preparticipation screening programme among pediatric competitive athletes in Adjara, Georgia, and to evaluate its implications for prevention of exercise-related sudden cardiac death.

A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted over two consecutive athletic seasons (2023-2025) in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Georgia. A total of 647 competitive athletes aged 5-17 years were enrolled through organized sports institutions. All participants underwent standardized cardiovascular evaluation comprising structured medical history, physical examination, resting 12-lead electrocardiography interpreted according to international athlete-specific criteria, and transthoracic echocardiography. Detected abnormalities were classified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories for sudden cardiac death in accordance with the 2020 ESC Guidelines on Sports Cardiology and Exercise in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease. Exact 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the Wilson Score method.

Cardiovascular abnormalities were identified in 73 of 647 athletes (11.3%; 95% CI 9.1-14.0%). High-risk conditions requiring specialist cardiology evaluation and individualized, shared decision-making-based sports eligibility assessment were detected in 4 athletes (0.62%; 95% CI 0.24-1.57%), comprising one case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and three cases of clinically significant conduction disorders. All four affected individuals were previously asymptomatic. The most prevalent abnormalities were patent foramen ovale (4.02%), mitral valve disease (3.09%), and mitral valve insufficiency (1.85%). The number needed to screen to identify one high-risk condition was 162 athletes.

Structured preparticipation cardiovascular screening in pediatric athletes in Adjara identifies a clinically meaningful burden of previously undetected cardiac pathology, including life-threatening conditions in asymptomatic individuals. The timely detection of high-risk conditions facilitated specialist referral and entry into an individualized, shared decision-making-based sports eligibility process, thereby potentially preventing exercise-related sudden cardiac events in this cohort. These findings provide essential region-specific epidemiological parameters and support the systematic integration of ECG-inclusive cardiovascular screening, aligned with the 2025 AHA/ACC shared decision-making framework, within organized youth sports programmes in Georgia.

Chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) is a clinically significant form of chronic cerebrovascular disease associated with cognitive decline, impaired daily functioning, and reduced quality of life. In routine clinical practice, the effectiveness of rehabilitation in CCI is often assessed mainly by subjective clinical dynamics, whereas biomarkers and MRI with DTI/SWI may serve as objective indicators of the biological response to restorative treatment.

A prospective controlled comparative study was conducted in 115 patients aged 40-65 years with stage I-II CCI. Allocation to the main group (MG, n=55) and comparison group (CG, n=60) was performed after baseline stratification by disease stage, sex, and age; randomization and complete blinding of outcome assessment were not performed, which was considered a methodological limitation. The MG received a personalized biomarker-oriented program, whereas the CG received standardized therapy. A control group without CCI (n=65) was used only for baseline biomarker comparison. MoCA, MMSE, ADL, IADL, SF-36, IL-6, TNF-alpha, CRP, BDNF, NSE, and D-dimer were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months; DTI/SWI MRI was performed at baseline and at 6 months.

Compared with stage I CCI, stage II CCI was associated with increased IL-6 (from 5.29 to 6.81 pg/mL), TNF-alpha (from 4.68 to 5.90 pg/mL), CRP (from 3.49 to 5.02 mg/L), NSE (from 18.3 to 23.1 ng/mL), and D-dimer (from 0.308 to 0.423 μg/mL), as well as decreased BDNF (from 11.4 to 9.7 ng/mL; p<0.001). At 6 months, the MG showed more pronounced favorable dynamics than the CG in MoCA (+22.4% vs +7.1%; p<0.001), MMSE (+12.1% vs +4.3%; p<0.001), IL-6 (-34.4% vs -11.1%; p<0.001), BDNF (+23.3% vs +5.8%; p<0.001), NSE (-22.1% vs -5.8%; p<0.001), D-dimer (-27.0% vs -10.8%; p=0.004), FA (+20.5% vs +5.0%; p=0.003), ADL (+39.6% vs +14.3%; p<0.001), IADL (+41.2% vs +16.0%; p<0.001), and SF-36 physical functioning (+51.3% vs +20.2%; p<0.001).

Integrating IL-6, BDNF, NSE, and D-dimer with MoCA/MMSE, ADL/IADL, SF-36, and DTI/SWI MRI makes it possible to objectify CCI severity and monitor rehabilitation effectiveness. The personalized program was associated with more pronounced favorable clinical, laboratory, functional, and neuroimaging dynamics; however, the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the non-randomized design, the absence of complete blinding, and the 6-month follow-up period.

Despite substantial advances in guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), many patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) continue to experience persistent symptoms and impaired quality of life. Regenerative cell therapy has emerged as a promising adjunctive treatment; however, its clinical effectiveness remains under active investigation.

To evaluate the association between adjunctive autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear stem cell therapy and quality of life in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy receiving contemporary guideline-directed medical therapy.

This prospective non-randomized controlled study included 54 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%). Twenty-seven patients underwent autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear stem cell transplantation in addition to optimized GDMT, while 27 patients received optimized GDMT alone. Quality of life was assessed using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) at baseline and after 12 months. Within-group comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and between-group comparisons using the Mann-Whitney U test.

After 12 months, patients receiving adjunctive stem cell therapy demonstrated significantly greater improvement in overall MLHFQ score than patients treated with optimized GDMT alone. Significant improvements were also observed across several MLHFQ domains, particularly those related to physical functioning, mobility, daytime fatigue, daily activities, sexual activity, and memory and concentration. These benefits were observed in patients receiving optimized contemporary GDMT, including widespread use of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors.

Adjunctive autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear stem cell therapy was associated with greater improvement in quality of life than optimized guideline-directed medical therapy alone in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and HFrEF. These findings suggest that regenerative cell therapy may provide additional patient-reported benefits when added to contemporary pharmacological treatment. However, because of the prospective non-randomized design, relatively small sample size, and single-center setting, the results should be interpreted with appropriate caution and require confirmation in larger multicenter randomized controlled trials.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) frequently complicates acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and may affect patient prognosis. However, the prognostic value of SIRS in patients with acute ICH remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic significance of SIRS in this patient population.

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify studies investigating the associations between SIRS and adverse outcomes-namely mortality, poor functional outcome (PFO), and hematoma expansion-in patients with acute ICH. Pooled adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were synthesized using a random-effects model.

Nine studies enrolling a total of 6,976 patients with acute ICH were included. Meta-analyses revealed that patients with acute ICH complicated by SIRS exhibited a substantially higher risk of short-term mortality (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.48-3.99) relative to patients without SIRS. SIRS was also associated with increased risks of PFO at 3 months (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.15-1.88) and at 12 months (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.16-2.68), whereas no significant association was observed for PFO at hospital discharge (OR 2.41; 95% CI 0.69-8.44). Moreover, SIRS was associated with a significantly higher risk of hematoma expansion (OR 2.76; 95% CI 1.68-4.54).

The development of SIRS is associated with increased risks of short-term mortality, PFO, and hematoma expansion in acute ICH patients. However, these findings should be considered exploratory due to the limited number of prior studies. Large prospective investigations are needed to validate these results and clarify the potential clinical utility of SIRS assessment.

This systematic literature review with narrative synthesis assessed the diagnostic contribution of complete blood count (CBC) interpretation in dogs and cats combined only with anamnesis and physical examination, without biochemistry or imaging, and the compatibility of the CBC variables and CBC-derived indices identified with emerging point-of-care (POC) hematology platforms using visible-short-wave-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy and self-learning artificial intelligence (SLAI). Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, studies published from 2015 to January 2026 were identified and integrated into tables associating hematological patterns, CBC-derived indices, clinical presentation, and differential diagnoses. The technology component was appraised separately for analytical compatibility, not as an independent systematic review. Recurrent signatures included inflammatory leukograms, regenerative and non-regenerative anemia, stress leukograms, leukopenic syndromes, and thrombocytopenic disorders. Conventional CBC findings and CBC-derived indices (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, monocyte-to-lymphocyte, platelet-to-neutrophil and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios, and the systemic immune-inflammation index) were investigated across infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune-mediated diseases. However, this evidence is concentrated on pyometra, parvovirosis, pancreatitis, parasitism, cardiopathies and endocrinopathies, derives predominantly from small studies in dogs; these indices remain non-specific markers of systemic inflammatory burden. For POC technology, proof-of-concept studies report agreement with reference analyzers for erythrocyte parameters and total leukocyte counts, but not for the differential and platelet counts several of these indices require. Analytical compatibility is therefore supported for selected CBC parameters, but not clinical validity for CBC-derived indices or disease diagnosis. Whether these platforms can enable rapid, minimally invasive, decentralized CBC monitoring, particularly in fragile, pediatric, geriatric, chronic, and palliative-care patients, remains to be demonstrated in clinical studies.

Bibliometric research in cardiology has expanded alongside the growing volume and diversity of cardiovascular research.

To systematically map bibliometric studies published in cardiology journals and identify the major diseases, clinical areas, interventions, technologies, and emerging themes receiving bibliometric attention.

Scopus was searched in August 2026 using bibliomet in the Title field and cardio in the Source Title field, followed by selection of cardiology-related journals.

A total of 203 publications were identified, comprising 136 articles (67.0%) and 67 reviews (33.0%). Output increased substantially after 2021, reaching a peak of 41 publications in 2023, followed by 38 in 2024 and 32 in 2026. Hu, Y. was the most prolific author (n=8), while the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences was the leading institution (n=35). China accounted for 148 publications, followed by the United States (17), Pakistan (8), Canada (6), India (5), Spain (5), and Turkey (5). Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine published the most studies (n=80), while the National Natural Science Foundation of China was the leading funding source (n=54). The identified literature covered diverse cardiovascular diseases, procedures, interventions, technologies, and emerging themes. Early studies emphasized productivity, citations, journals, research groups, and geographical patterns, whereas recent studies increasingly examined specific diseases, mechanisms, therapies, imaging, and surgery. Emerging areas included artificial intelligence, molecular research, genetics, exosomes, non-coding RNAs, and environmental factors.

Overall, bibliometric research has shifted toward specialized, technology-driven, molecular, and interdisciplinary cardiovascular topics.

Hypertension is a multifactorial condition characterized by vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress, and immune activation. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α, contribute to inflammatory processes in hypertension; therefore, they should be considered together with nitric oxide (NO) deficiency and oxidative imbalance when interpreting arterial pressure changes.

To evaluate the association between pro-inflammatory interleukins, nitric oxide metabolites, oxidative status, and arterial pressure in an experimental model of hypertension, and to compare the effects of β-blockers.

Hypertension was induced in 70 male Wistar rats by chronic administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 40 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally) for 8 weeks. Animals were randomized into seven groups (n = 10/group): intact control, L-NAME for 4 weeks, L-NAME for 8 weeks, and four L-NAME + β-blocker treatment groups receiving nebivolol (0.5 mg/kg/day), propranolol (0.1 mg/kg/day), metoprolol (3 mg/kg/day), or carvedilol (2 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage during weeks 5-8. Arterial pressure was measured using a noninvasive tail-cuff method. Serum IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α were quantified by ELISA. Nitric oxide metabolites and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were assessed using the Griess reaction and DPPH assay.

L-NAME administration resulted in a time-dependent increase in arterial pressure, accompanied by reduced NO metabolites and TAA and increased interleukin levels. β-blockers attenuated these changes to varying degrees. Nebivolol and carvedilol produced greater improvements in arterial pressure, NO metabolites, TAA, and interleukin levels compared with propranolol and metoprolol.

Chronic NOS inhibition was associated with hypertension and concurrent alterations in inflammatory and oxidative parameters. β-blockers differ in their modulatory effects, with nebivolol and carvedilol demonstrating greater overall efficacy. These findings reflect associations rather than causal mechanisms and support further investigation into integrated therapeutic strategies.