Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease - From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinics

4 ECTS / Modular / English

This elective CU is a part of the training offer in the 2nd year.

Intended learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by the students)

According to the Unit’s learning outcomes, the students should be able to understand the mechanisms underlying the presence of inflammation/oxidative stress biomarkers in the disease processes, from genetics to endocrine and immunological grounds and to environment triggers. Those Biomarkers may serve to identify patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and to develop new pharmacological tools. The relationship of tissues inflammation with other markers of tissue lesion (immunological, genetical and necrosis), the clinical picture and the natural history of diseases will be debated.

The students will have a practical experience in the Laboratory where they will contact with the evaluation of serum biomarkers of inflammation, its role, accuracy and limitations.
Self-study as well as debate of clinical cases where laboratory data is included will be promoted, individually and in small groups.

 

Syllabus

The representative cardiovascular diseases covered in this CU, the ones selected will be: premature atherosclerosis, infectious endocarditis, myocarditis and pericarditis. Both knowledge on mechanisms and practical applications of biomarkers of inflammation/oxidative stress will be addressed and its value integrated into clinics.

Specifically, the following topics will be addressed:

  • Disease identification and definition, histopathology, proposed mechanisms and pathophysiology in its relationship with inflammation
  • Clinical pictures of disease conditions
  • Role, significance and strategies for laboratory biomarkers of inflammation for diagnosis and follow-up
  • Study of Clinical cases and the use of laboratory biomarkers integrated in clinical presentations
  • Practical experience of laboratory inflammation biomarkers assessment – how it works, diagnostic accuracy and limitations
  • Relationship with other biomarkers
  • Concepts of normal values and individual variability

Programs: