It is the only university in Pleven and was founded in 1974 on the basis of the former regional hospital established in 1865.The university unifies a large modern preclinical base, a hospital with specialised clinics, and research sections. It has two faculties, the Faculty of Medicine covering the subjects of medicine and rehabilitation and occupational therapy, and the Faculty of Public Health covering health care, as well as a college. There are also two hostels with a total of 315 beds in two- and three-bed rooms.In 1997 the university added an English language Medicine programme designed for international students. This was the first English language medicine programme in Bulgaria. As of the 2000s, Medical University Pleven has had 4081 Bulgarian and 582 foreign students from 45 countries, and has about 750 new students every year, of which 2/3 are Bulgarians and the rest foreigners, 50-60% of whom are from India. Since Bulgaria's ascension to the European Union in 2007, most international students originate from other EU member states.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with chronic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. While endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been extensively studied, the role of endothelin-2 (ET-2) in CKD remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study included 76 participants, 12 healthy controls and 64 CKD patients, stratified into three groups based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): Group 1 (eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m2), Group 2 (eGFR 45-89 mL/min/1.73 m2), and Group 3 (eGFR 15-44 mL/min/1.73 m2). Serum concentrations of ET-1, ET-2, ET-3, uric acid (UA), and inflammatory markers (hsCRP and IL-6) were measured. ET-2 levels were significantly higher in the advanced CKD group (median 24.49 pg/mL) compared to controls (median 19.32 pg/mL; p = 0.030). No significant differences were observed for ET-1 or ET-3 across groups. ET-2 levels positively correlated with UA (rho = 0.243, p = 0.036), hsCRP (rho = 0.241, p = 0.039), and IL-6 (rho = 0.244, p = 0.038). These findings suggest that ET-2 may represent a potential biomarker reflecting metabolic and inflammatory dysregulation in CKD and highlight its possible relevance in disease severity assessment.
Background: The individual and social burden of endometriosis is high, and the diagnosis is usually delayed by 7–10 years. Menstrual effluent (ME) represents an accessible and uniquely informative biofluid. This systematic review evaluated the pathophysiological relevance and diagnostic potential of ME in endometriosis. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCOhost (Academic Search Premier, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, and MEDLINE), Semantic Scholar, and Google Scholar from inception to 30 November 2025. Original studies analyzing human ME or ME-derived cells in women with endometriosis versus controls were eligible. We extracted study design, analytic methods, diagnostic accuracy metrics (AUC, sensitivity, and specificity), mechanistic pathways, and risk of bias (QUADAS-2 for diagnostic, and NIH tools for mechanistic studies). Results: Thirty-five studies were included. ME consistently captured key pathophysiological mechanisms of endometriosis, including impaired decidualization and progesterone resistance, immune dysregulation with diminished cytotoxic clearance, pro-angiogenic and invasive phenotypes, heightened stem/progenitor cell survival, cellular senescence and DNA damage, and altered extracellular-vesicle signaling. Diagnostic accuracy was reported in nine studies. Aromatase mRNA showed the highest performance (AUC 0.977), followed by TGF-β1 (AUC 0.973) and IGFBP1 (AUC 0.92). A lipidomic two-marker model achieved an AUC of 0.87. All diagnostic assessments were based on case–control studies; none conducted prospective validation. Conclusions: ME is a biologically relevant, non-invasive, and patient-acceptable biospecimen reflecting core endometriosis mechanisms and yielding promising diagnostic accuracy. The highest diagnostic performance was achieved for assays reflecting steroidogenic and growth-factor pathways (e.g., aromatase and TGF-β1). Standardization and prospective validation are needed before clinical adoption.
Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder marked by recurrent mucocutaneous and ocular manifestations, predominantly affecting populations along the historic Silk Road. Genetic susceptibility, especially involving HLA-B*51, is well established. Spondyloarthritis (SpA) shares immunogenetic and clinical overlaps with BD, notably through associations with HLA class I alleles, particularly HLA-B*27. However, extended HLA-B allele profiling in these conditions remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the extended distribution of HLA-B alleles in patients presenting with clinical features suggestive of BD or SpA and to compare their clinical and laboratory profiles. Methods: In a prospective observational study at a Bulgarian rheumatology center, 120 patients with suspected BD or SpA were enrolled between January 2023 and June 2025. Diagnoses were confirmed using International Criteria for Behçet’s Disease (ICBD) and ASAS criteria for SpA. Comprehensive clinical evaluations, laboratory assessments including HLA-B typing by Sanger sequencing, and inflammatory markers were collected and analyzed. Results: Of the cohort, 15 patients (12.5%) were diagnosed with BD and 30 (25%) with SpA. HLA-B*51 was predominantly associated with BD, while HLA-B*27 and its heterozygous combinations were prevalent in SpA patients. Suspected BD patients exhibited significantly higher levels of inflammatory markers (CRP, ESR) and characteristic clinical features such as oral/genital ulcers and uveitis compared to non-BD patients. Suspected SpA patients showed longer disease duration, increased NSAID use and higher prevalence of enthesitis, psoriasis and peripheral arthritis compared to non-SpA patients. Conclusions: This study confirms the strong associations of HLA-B*51 with Behçet’s disease and HLA-B*27 with spondyloarthritis while revealing additional heterozygous and less common alleles that suggest a broader genetic influence. These findings highlight the genetic diversity and clinical heterogeneity of BD and SpA, supporting the use of extended HLA typing to improve the diagnosis and understanding of these diseases.
The potential of a series of styryl hemicyanine dyes as fluorescent bioprobes for biologically relevant macromolecules was investigated. The photophysical properties of the dyes were evaluated in the presence of nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and proteins. Pronounced fluorescence enhancement was observed upon interaction with human serum albumin (HSA), β-CDP, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), with emission intensities increasing by up to 130-fold relative to the free dyes in solution. The observed fluorescence turn-on effect is attributed to restricted intramolecular rotation and stabilization of the locally excited state upon binding within hydrophobic or supramolecular environments. Geometry optimization at the M06-2X level and molecular docking studies were performed to elucidate the binding modes and revealed the key contribution of hydrophobic, electrostatic, and host–guest interactions to complex formation.
