Category: Statistics

Wiad Lek. 2022;75(4 pt 1):765-769. doi: 10.36740/WLek202204103.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim: The goal of this study was to detect if KRAS gene and levels of had any clinical significance in the ovarian cancer by measuring levels of KRAS mRNA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The investigation was conducted on 84 tissue samples from newly diagnosed patients with ovarian cancer. Twenty-eight tissue sections with benign ovarian tumors were used as a control group. The qRT- PCR technique was used for measuring and analyzing levels of KRAS mRNA.

RESULTS: Results: Relative increasing of KRAS mRNA level in cancer samples was statistically significant (P<0.01) when compared to benign tumors. Statistically no significant differences were found between KRAS mRNA levels and menopausal status or family history. Gene expression has been substantially connected with age groups as the highest levels of KRAS mRNA was recorded in patients with age 50-74 years (P<0.01). Endometrium tumors exhibited significant correlations (P<0.01) across histopathological tumor types. In correlation with tumor stages, stage I was substantially linked compared to stage I (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Conclusions: It was concluded that over expression of the KRAS gene is linked to early stages of ovarian cancer, which implying that mRNA levels could be used as a diagnostic and predictive factor for ovarian cancer. More research with larger groups of ovarian cancer specimens in both primary and advanced stages is needed.

PMID:35633344 | DOI:10.36740/WLek202204103

J Integr Neurosci. 2022 May 17;21(3):98. doi: 10.31083/j.jin2103098.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that acute exercise has a small positive effect on cognitive performance. However, it is still unclear what type of exercise has a sustained impact on cognitive performance during post-exercise recovery. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to investigate cognitive performance at the behavioral level, and their neural correlates after a 10-minute post-exercise recovery period with two different types of exercise intervention (high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) vs. Moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MCE)).

METHODS: A total of 29 healthy young adults (7 women) between the ages of 19 and 33 with fair to good cardiovascular fitness were submitted to two different exercise protocols and a recovery session. Cognitive function was assessed using a digital Trail-Making-Test (dTMT). Cortical activity in the prefrontal and the motor cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was measured before, after acute exercise, and during recovery. The statistical analysis of fNIRS data was performed by comparing the slope and mean of the hemodynamic response.

RESULTS: High levels of hemodynamic responses were observed in the prefrontal and motor cortex on the brain during performing the dTMT while walking from pre- to post-exercise and decreased again in post-recovery, accompanied by improvement and maintenance of cognitive performance. Notably, a high hemodynamic response in the left motor area of the brain was maintained by HIIE in post-recovery compared with MCE.

CONCLUSIONS: The high cortical activation in the left motor area from post-exercise to recovery for the HIIE group may be due to the additional availability of neural resources for fine motor and postural control by high-intensity exercise-induced fatigue. Additionally, the improved cognitive performance may have effectively utilized the available neural resources in the frontal lobe, depending on the condition (sitting and walking) and the two types of exercise protocol (HIIE and MCE).

PMID:35633179 | DOI:10.31083/j.jin2103098

Laryngoscope. 2022 May 28. doi: 10.1002/lary.30230. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the likelihood of missing a vestibular schwannoma (VS) diagnosis in patients who present with a sudden hearing loss (SHL) that does not meet the most accepted audiometric criteria for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) (a decrease of ≥30 dB at three consecutive frequencies).

METHODS: All adult patients (>18 years) diagnosed with SHL of any severity in a tertiary care referral medical center between 2015 and 2020 and who underwent an MRI scan to rule out VS were included. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the difference between the rate of VS among patients with an initial audiogram, which met the abovementioned criteria, and those who did not. Other audiometric criteria for SNHL were also evaluated (≥10 dB at ≥2 frequencies and ≥ 15 dB at one frequency).

RESULTS: Of the 332 patients included in the study, 152 met the audiometric criteria for SSNHL, and 180 did not. Both groups had a similar VS rate (8.6% vs. 8.9%, p = 0.914). Similar results were found when other audiometric criteria for asymmetric SNHL were analyzed. In a subgroup analysis of patients with VS-associated SSNHL, neither the tumor size nor the Koos classification was associated with any of the audiometric criteria systems.

CONCLUSION: There should be a high index of suspicion for the presence of VS in patients with an SHL of any severity.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 2022.

PMID:35633191 | DOI:10.1002/lary.30230

J Integr Neurosci. 2022 Apr 22;21(3):86. doi: 10.31083/j.jin2103086.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Some evidence about the role of the androgen receptor (AR) in pathogenesis of glioblastoma have been reported, but no study has focused on measuring the activity of the AR in GB. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the role of AR and its activity as prognostic biomarkers in glioblastoma (GB).

METHODS: Molecular and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were used. The AR-expression at protein-level was obtained from reversed phase protein array (RPPA) assays. The AR-activity was determined by calculating the AR-score, an index calculated by using the expression (at RNA-level) of 13 androgen-responsive-genes. Univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analyses were performed. Finally, a correlation analysis was conducted between protein expression data and the AR-score.

RESULTS: Two-hundred and thirty-three patients were included. RPPA data showed a mean AR abundance of 0.027(Statistical Deviation = 0.38) in GB. The univariate Cox-regression analysis showed that the AR-Score was associated with a worse prognosis (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.070) while the AR-expression did not show any relationship with survival (HR = 0.869). The association of the AR-score with worse overall survival (OS) was still significant in the multivariate analysis (HR = 1.054). The highest correlation coefficients between the AR-score and RPPA were identified in a group of proteins involved in apoptotic process regulation.

CONCLUSIONS: GB patients with a high AR-activity present a worse prognosis in terms of OS. Thus, the activity of the AR may have a pathogenic role in GB. In this regard, the activation of the AR in GB may be associated with a dysregulation of apoptosis.

PMID:35633167 | DOI:10.31083/j.jin2103086

J Integr Neurosci. 2022 Apr 2;21(3):74. doi: 10.31083/j.jin2103074.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance is one of the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the confounding effects of dopaminergic medication on sleep are a major challenge in understanding the impact of sleep disturbance in PD. We investigated the sleep disturbance and associated clinical features in patients with de novo, untreated PD.

METHODS: One-hundred-eight patients with de novo, untreated PD were included. Night sleep disturbance was evaluated using the night sleep subscale of the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease (SCOPA-Sleep). Depression, anxiety, and apathy were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), respectively. Early perfusion and dopamine transporter imaging of F-18 FP-CIT PET/CT were performed together with statistical parametric mapping analysis.

RESULTS: The night sleep SCOPA-Sleep sub-score was correlated with the AES (p = 0.014), BAI (p = 0.014), and GDS (p = 0.023) scores. Patients with poor night sleep were more apathetic (p = 0.013). Additionally, there was increased perfusion in the left posterior cingulate in patients with sleep disturbance and apathy compared to those with sleep disturbance only.

CONCLUSIONS: Night sleep disturbance was related to mood disorders, particularly apathy, in patients with de novo, untreated PD.

PMID:35633155 | DOI:10.31083/j.jin2103074

Nurs Open. 2022 May 28. doi: 10.1002/nop2.1252. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study aimed to assess patient-safety principles in ICUs.

DESIGN: This is a descriptive-comparative study.

METHODS: The research environment includes ICUs of hospitals affiliated to the two universities of medical sciences in Tehran. Sampling was done by census using Time and Event Sampling methods. Research instrument was “Patient Safety Principles Checklist”. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-20 and descriptive-inferential statistics with a significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS: There is no significant difference (p-value = .15) in the level of observance of patient-safety principles in two university-affiliated hospitals A (133.26 ± 9.14) and B (128.16 ± 18.01). Evaluation of the mean scores obtained in each dimension and in each of the ICUs was showed that only in dimension No.3 the difference was significant (F[68,2] = 5.20, p-value = .008) and in the AICUs (16.13 ± 1.8) (p-value = .04), it was significantly lower than other ICUs. Identifying risk factors for the patient’s immunity reduces the side effects of patient care.

PMID:35633148 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.1252

Med Glas (Zenica). 2022 Aug 1;19(2). doi: 10.17392/1470-22. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Aim To determine the value of IFN (intzerferon)-α in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to correlate IFN-α with values of non-specific biochemical parameters of inflammation (C-reactive protein, leukocytes values, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumins and globulins). Methods Research included 55 patients with SLE diagnosis and a control group consisted of 25 healthy subjects (during period 2019-2020). IFN (Interferon)-α and non-specific biochemical parameters of inflammation were obtained using standard protocols. Results IFN-α values were independent of gender (p=0.95). The difference in serum IFN-α values in relation with the age in the SLE group was statistically significant (p=0.036). Only serum globulin was significantly higher (p=0.0023) in IFN-α positive compared to IFN-α negative SLE patients. A statistically significant correlation between the values of IFN-α and globulin was proved (r=0.315; p=0.019). No significant correlation was found between other non-specific biochemical parameters and IFN-α values. Conclusion Increased IFN-α values were observed in younger patients, and the correlation between IFN and globulin was proved.

PMID:35633125 | DOI:10.17392/1470-22

Med Glas (Zenica). 2022 Aug 1;19(2). doi: 10.17392/1447-22. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Aim To analyse biochemical markers as possible predictors of death before discharge in cooled newborns following perinatal asphyxia. Methods A total of 91 infants that underwent therapeutic hypothermia after perinatal asphyxia were included. Inclusion criteria for therapeutic hypothermia were Sarnat stage 2 or 3. Data were collected from medical histories regarding gender, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar and Sarnat score; additionally, gas analyses, liver and cardiac enzymes before, and in the first 12 hours after starting therapeutic hypothermia, were evaluated. The patients’ characteristics were compared between two groups, survivors and non-survivors. Results Statistical difference was not found between groups regarding gender, gestational age, birth weight, delivery type, 1st and 5th minute Apgar score, seizures, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), troponin and fibrinogen level. Groups were significantly different regarding acid-base balance (p=0.012), base excess (BE) (p=0.025), lactate (p=0.002), aspartate aminotransferaze (AST), (p=0.011), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p=0.006), activated partial thromboplastin clotting time (aPTT) (p=0.001) and international normalized ratio (INR) (p=0.001). Conclusion Acid-base balance, BE, lactate, AST, LDH, aPTT and INR were significantly higher in the group of cooled newborns after perinatal asphyxia (non-survivors), and can serve as predictors of death before discharge. Combining diagnostic modalities raises a chance for accurate prediction of outcomes of asphyxiated infants.

PMID:35633126 | DOI:10.17392/1447-22

Med Glas (Zenica). 2022 Aug 1;19(2). doi: 10.17392/1451-22. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Aim To evaluate the efficacy (rate of recanalization) of therapy with novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC; rivaroxaban, apixaban) compared to conventional treatment (low molecular weight heparin – LMWH and vitamin K antagonist) in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the proximal segments of lower extremities. Methods The first group consisted of patients diagnosed with DVT and treated with NOAC (n = 100), while the second group consisted of patients diagnosed with DVT, who were treated by conventional treatment (low molecular weight heparin and vitamin K antagonists) (n = 100). In the first group, NOAC was included in the initial treatment. Patients in the second group were treated with LMWH for four days, and on the fifth day vitamin K antagonist was included in therapy, international ratio (INR) was titrated to therapeutic values (2.0-3.0), and then low molecular weight heparin was excluded from the therapy. Results There was a statistically significant difference in the estimated values of free lumen of the blood vessel between the examined groups after 30 days (p=0.0001), after 90 days (p=0.0001) and after 180 days (p=0.0001). After 180 days, the average free lumen values in the NOAC group were 85% (81-89%), which was significantly higher than the free lumen values in the second group, 73% (69-79%). Conclusion The use of NOAC represents more efficient treatment of DVT comparing to vitamin K antagonists.

PMID:35633124 | DOI:10.17392/1451-22

Med Glas (Zenica). 2022 Aug 1;19(2). doi: 10.17392/1464-22. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate infl uence of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and proatherogenic risk factors to improve the accuracy of pneumonia severity index (PSI) in the prediction of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) outcome in healthy individuals. Methods A retrospective observational cross-sectional study conducted at the Clinic for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis “Podhrastovi”, University Clinical Centre Sarajevo, included 83 patients with the diagnosis of CAP during the period March 2019-March 2021. Once diagnosed with CAP, PSI score was calculated and according to its value the need for hospital treatment was identifi ed. Patients were divided in two groups: low risk of CAP (PSI <90), and high risk of CAP (PSI> 90). Results The overall average hospital stay was 22.76±10.154 days. In the patients diagnosed with CAP, a positive correlation was established between the following parameters PSI score and age (r=0.670; p<0.01), C-reactive protein-CRP (rho=0.287; p<0.01), leukocytes (rho=0.406; p<0.01), NLR (rho=0.313; p<0.01) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (0.296; p<0.05). CRP, leukocytes, NLR and PLR were statistically signifi cantly higher in patients with high risk of CAP compared to patients with low risk of CAP. Diastolic blood pressure, lymphocytes, eosinophils were signifi cantly lower in patients with high risk of CAP (p<0.05;) compared to patients with low risk of CAP (p<0.01). The optimal cut-off value of NLR for CAP patients was 3.089 with an estimated area under curve (AUC) of 0.664. Conclusion Proatherogenic parameters such as age, systolic blood pressure and leukocytes in combination with neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio could improve accuracy of the pneumonia severity index in community acquired pneumonia outcome.

PMID:35633123 | DOI:10.17392/1464-22