Nevin Manimala

Int Ophthalmol. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s10792-022-02480-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To synthesize existing evidence on adverse events, complications, and unfavorable outcomes of current treatment modalities for treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity (TR-ROP).

METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, EMBASE, Trip Database, and the gray literature available were searched. Randomized Clinical Trials and observational studies comparing the adverse events of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (bevacizumab, ranibizumab, aflibercept, pegaptanib, conbercept) and laser photocoagulation (LPC) as treatment modalities for infants with TR-ROP were included. The main outcomes compared between the two treatment modalities were: 1. Refractive Errors and Biometry Parameters, 2. Adverse events, complications, and unfavorable outcomes, 3. Disease Recurrence/Disease Regression/Need for retreatment, 4. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.

RESULTS: Higher quality studies concluded that LPC leads to greater rates of myopia than intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment while the rate of adverse events and of unfavorable neurodevelopmental outcomes is similar. However, there was controversy among the included studies concerning the rate of ROP recurrence between intravitreal anti-VEGF injections and LPC.

CONCLUSION: There is need for future primary studies assessing the adverse events of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections compared with LPC as treatment modalities for infants with TR-ROP.

PMID:36214992 | DOI:10.1007/s10792-022-02480-6

Ann Nucl Med. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s12149-022-01794-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate immunohistochemical staining of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) and its effect on response to I-131 therapy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients.

METHODS: We evaluated NIS expression, the intracellular distribution of NIS, iodine-131 uptake in residual tissues on post-ablation I-131 whole body scan, and the ablation status after 100 mCi I-131 therapy. We also investigated NIS expression and localization in tumoral paraffin-embedded tissues.

RESULTS: In this retrospective study, 35 patients (mean age 44.17 ± 12.9 years, 27 female, 8 male) were studied. Twenty-one of these patients responded to radioiodine therapy, and 14 did not. NIS expression and iodine-131 uptake in residual tissues post-ablation I-131 whole body scan were not statistically significant. When we compared the patients who responded to radioiodine therapy and the poor responder group, NIS expression and iodine-131 uptake in residual tissues did not demonstrate statistically significant difference [(p = 0.308) (p = 0.985) respectively]. 47.6% of the patients in the successful ablation group and 85.7% in the unsuccessful ablation group had intracellular NIS immunostaining. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.139). 52.4% of the patients in the successful ablation group and 7% in the unsuccessful ablation group had NIS immunostaining at the basolateral membrane. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we did not find any significant difference between successful and unsuccessful ablation groups in terms of NIS expression; however, we concluded that the intracellular (cytoplasmic) localization of NIS is one of the leading causes of ablation failure regardless of NIS expression in DTC patients.

PMID:36214955 | DOI:10.1007/s12149-022-01794-w

Mol Biol Rep. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s11033-022-07922-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) dysregulation has been shown to have critical roles in pathogenesis of different autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) via suppression of regulatory T cells (Tregs) as well as differentiation, expansion, and survival of T helper 17 (Th17) cells, followed by upregulation of interleukin 17 (IL-17). Here, we assessed the association of a functional microRNAs (miRNAs)-related single nucleotide polymorphism (miR-SNPs: rs10889677) in IL-23R, which was correlated with its overexpression and increased risk for SLE and RA in the Iranian population.

METHODS: Genotype and allele distribution of rs10889677 variant were investigated in 105 RA patients, 100 SLE cases and 105 healthy controls via polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.

RESULTS: Our findings suggested that AA genotype, but not AC genotype, was associated with increased risk of RA (AA vs. CC; OR: 3.27; 95%CI [1.467-7.551]). The allele A was more frequent in RA group compared to controls (A allele vs. C allele; OR: 1.92; 95%CI [1.282-2.894]). This common variant was not significantly correlated with SLE risk in our population (P > 0.05). However, stratification analysis indicated that RA patients with AA genotype show higher serum concentration levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (P: 0.008). No obvious correlation was noticed between different genotypes in SLE cases, except for a slight difference in terms of oral ulcer manifestation incidence (P: 0.038).

CONCLUSION: This study suggests a significant relationship between rs10889677 variant in IL-23R with increased risk of RA and some clinical features in RA and SLE patients.

PMID:36214949 | DOI:10.1007/s11033-022-07922-z

Sleep Breath. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s11325-022-02726-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between smoking and subjective sleep quality in the Korean adult population.

METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional survey using data from the 2018 Korean Community Health Service Conditions Survey and selected smoking status as our variable of interest. We divided the participants into people who currently, never, and formerly smoked, those who smoked < 20 cigarettes/day, and those who smoked > 20 cigarettes/day. Subjective sleep quality was analyzed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 174,665 participants were enrolled. People who formerly and currently smoked were found to have poorer subjective sleep quality than those who never smoked. The odds of poor subjective sleep quality in people who smoked > 20 cigarettes/day were 1.15 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09-1.21) for men and 1.51 times (95% confidence interval: 1.22-1.86) for women, compared with men and women who never smoked.

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking was negatively associated with subjective sleep quality. Smoking cessation programs and lifestyle improvement education may be justifiable to improve the quality of sleep in Korean adults.

PMID:36214946 | DOI:10.1007/s11325-022-02726-8

Sleep Breath. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s11325-022-02721-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of nasal pillows with standard nasal masks in the treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

METHODS: A digitalized search was carried out in four different databases including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and CENTRAL using relevant keywords along with a manual search in relevant journals. All comparative studies comparing outcomes of using a nasal pillow with the use of standard nasal masks for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in patients with OSA were included. The qualitative analysis was carried out by tabulating the demographic data. The quantitative data were subjected to meta-analysis. The quality of comparative studies (both retrospective and prospective cohorts) was evaluated using New-castle Ottawa scale (NOS).

RESULTS: A total of 14 studies (eight prospective and six retrospective) were included in the review. Of them, five studies were randomized and were of cross-over study design. No significant differences were observed in achieved CPAP and residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) levels between the nasal pillow and nasal mask with SMD – 0.05 95% CI [- 0.18, 0.09], p = 0.50 and SMD – 0.13 95% CI [- 0.28, 0.03], p = 0.12, respectively. However, nasal pillow usage was associated with better CPAP adherence with a difference of only + 0.29 min/night as compared to a standard nasal mask, with SMD 0.29 95% CI [0.07, 0.50], p = 0.009.

CONCLUSION: Nasal pillow and standard nasal mask were equally effective in terms of residual AHI level and achieved similar therapeutic CPAP pressures. However, the difference in CPAP adherence between groups, though statistically significant, is of questionable clinical significance.

PMID:36214944 | DOI:10.1007/s11325-022-02721-z

Environ Monit Assess. 2022 Oct 10;194(12):862. doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-10350-y.

ABSTRACT

Ismailia Canal is one of the significant streams of the Nile River in Egypt. The study aimed to determine the water quality of Ismailia Canal based on the regional and seasonal variability of physicochemical parameters, irrigation criteria, and the irrigation water quality index (IWQI). It was observed that the physicochemical parameters were within the acceptable FAO irrigation limits. All cations and anions values were within the acceptable FAO limits for irrigation, except the potassium (K⁺) concentrations were over the permissible irrigation limits. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) suggested a significant seasonal variation in the canal’s water quality concerning all parameters (p value ˂ 0.05). However, the regional variation among various sites was statistically insignificant (p value > 0.05). Statistical analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between different parameters, and the study showed highly significant correlation coefficients between different pairs of water quality parameters. The correlation matrix showed that the pH significantly affected IWQI (r = 0.661). The irrigation criterion values for Ismailia Canal were good, and the WQI levels for irrigation utilization at all studied sites were satisfactory. Deterioration of water quality may occur due to industrial, municipal, and agricultural activities. Drainage water should be treated before being mixed with irrigation water to improve its suitability for irrigation.

PMID:36214927 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-022-10350-y

Surg Endosc. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09687-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The extent to which the presence of pleural adhesions affects the surgical and oncological outcomes of patients undergoing McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer (EC) has not previously been studied.

METHODS: Data of consecutive EC patients undergoing McKeown MIE by a single surgeon in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Daping Hospital from November 2015 to December 2020 were collected. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of pleural adhesions when entering the chest cavity. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce selection bias from confounding factors. Kaplan-Meier was used to assess the survival differences.

RESULTS: A total of 617 consecutive EC patients underwent McKeown MIE were enrolled. There were 116 patients with pleural adhesions (Group A) and 501 patients without pleural adhesions (Group B). Patients in Group A were more likely to be older than those of patients in Group B: (66.26 vs. 63.27, P = 0.001). In addition, Group A had more patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (24.1% vs. 16.8%, P = 0.04). After propensity score matching (102 matched patients in Group A and 185 matched patients in Group B), these findings were no longer statistically significant. Postoperative pulmonary infection occurred in 57 patients in Group A and in 15 patients in Group B (53.9% vs. 13.0%, P < 0.001). In addition, the presence of pleural adhesions was significantly associated with the prolonged operation time (232 min vs. 210 min, P < .001), length of stay (12 days vs. 10 days, P = 0.001), and hydrothorax requiring drainage (12.7% vs. 5.4%, P = 0.04). However, the disease-specific survival and disease-free survival rates were comparable between the two groups (P = 0.40 and 0.13, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: The presence of pleural adhesions predicted an increased operation time, length of stay, postoperative pneumonia, and hydrothorax requiring drainage of EC patients undergoing McKeown MIE, but did not exert unfavourable effect on long-term survival.

PMID:36214915 | DOI:10.1007/s00464-022-09687-9

J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s10162-022-00872-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The middle-ear system relies on a balance of mass and stiffness characteristics for transmitting sound from the external environment to the cochlea and auditory neural pathway. Phase is one aspect of sound that, when transmitted and encoded by both ears, contributes to binaural cue sensitivity and spatial hearing. The study aims were (i) to investigate the effects of middle-ear stiffness on the auditory brainstem neural encoding of phase in human adults with normal pure-tone thresholds and (ii) to investigate the relationships between middle-ear stiffness-induced changes in wideband acoustic immittance and neural encoding of phase. The auditory brainstem neural encoding of phase was measured using the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) with and without middle-ear stiffness elicited via contralateral activation of the middle-ear muscle reflex (MEMR). Middle-ear stiffness was quantified using a wideband acoustic immittance assay of acoustic absorbance. Statistical analyses demonstrated decreased ASSR phase lag and decreased acoustic absorbance with contralateral activation of the MEMR, consistent with increased middle-ear stiffness changing the auditory brainstem neural encoding of phase. There were no statistically significant correlations between stiffness-induced changes in wideband acoustic absorbance and ASSR phase. The findings of this study may have important implications for understanding binaural cue sensitivity and horizontal plane sound localization in audiologic and otologic clinical populations that demonstrate changes in middle-ear stiffness, including cochlear implant recipients who use combined electric and binaural acoustic hearing and otosclerosis patients.

PMID:36214911 | DOI:10.1007/s10162-022-00872-0

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s00406-022-01500-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Several association studies have indicated that the HTR1A gene is associated with suicidal behavior (SB). Thus, a systematic assessment of the association of HTR1A was performed based on a literature review and pooled analysis. Four electronic databases were comprehensively searched to find and pinpoint all case-control articles related to this study. When analyzing the genetic association with SB, data were divided into: (A) SB cases vs. healthy controls and (B) SB cases vs. psychiatric controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed as measures of association. Heterogeneity among included studies was analyzed using sensitivity test and Q statistics. Publication bias was also explored by Egger and rank correlation test. Thirteen case-control studies were selected in this meta-analysis, involving 2817 SB patients, 2563 healthy controls and 545 psychiatric controls. In the overall comparison between SB cases and healthy controls, result showed that the rs6295 polymorphisms of HTR1A gene was associated with SB, but only when using the recessive model (OR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.80-2.71, P < 0.001). In the smaller sample size comparison between SB and psychiatric controls, no significant association was detected with rs6295 in any of the five genetics models tested. The present meta-analysis suggests that rs6295 polymorphism of HTR1A gene could increase the risk for SB. Well-designed studies with more patients will be required to validate these results.

PMID:36214900 | DOI:10.1007/s00406-022-01500-x

Urolithiasis. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s00240-022-01367-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The downward orientation of the access sheath during supine percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) allows the faster evacuation of fluids and stone fragments. It theoretically can contribute to the reduction of the high intrarenal pressure-associated complications. We aimed to investigate whether there is a difference between prone and supine PCNL in terms of infective complications. This retrospective study includes 182 patients who underwent supine and prone PCNL due to kidney stones in our clinic between April 2020 and May 2022. Demographic (age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities), radiological (cumulative stone burden, stone density, number of stones, stone localization, stone laterality, presence of hydronephrosis), clinical (previous stone surgery, previous urinary tract) and perioperative (prone or supine position, surgery duration, hospitalization, success, non-infective and infective complications) data of all patients were evaluated. All patients were divided into two groups, the prone position group, and the supine position group. These two groups were compared in terms of pre and postoperative data above. Infective complications were observed in 16 (18%) patients in the prone position group and in 7 (7.5%) patients in the supine position group, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.034). Surgery duration (OR = 1.041; 95% CI 1.021-1.061; p < 0.001), number of stones (OR = 4.09; 95% CI 1.093-7.309; p = 0.036), previous urinary tract infection (OR = 6.272; 95% CI 1.936-9.317; p = 0.002) and prone position (OR = 4.511; 95% CI 1.265-7.087; p = 0.02) were found as independent risk factors for infective complications. Prone position was proved as an independent predictor of postoperative infectious events. Supine PCNL will be further adopted as the standard PCNL approach by a continuously growing proportion of endourologists.

PMID:36214881 | DOI:10.1007/s00240-022-01367-6