Nevin Manimala

Adv Clin Exp Med. 2022 Jan 29. doi: 10.17219/acem/144170. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation is an important mechanism by which the normal patterns of microRNA expression are disrupted in human cancers including B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL), the most common pediatric malignancy.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the methylation profile landscape of microRNA genes in BCP ALL patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We employed Infinium® MethylationEPIC BeadChip Arrays to measure the methylation of microRNA genes from bone marrow samples of children with BCP ALL (n = 38) and controls without neoplasms (n = 4).

RESULTS: This analysis revealed differential methylation of the microRNA genes in the pediatric BCP ALL when compared to the control. A subcluster amongst BCP ALL patients with TCF3-PBX1 genetic subtype was also observed. No other differences were observed in association with age, gender or risk group. Several interesting leukemia-related phenotypes are enriched by the genes with hyperand hypomethylated sites located in promoters as well as gene bodies. The top 3 miRNA genes, promoters of which were the most statistically significantly hypermethylated in BCP ALL were MIR1273G, MIR1304 and MIR663, and the top 3 hypomethylated were MIR4442, MIR155 and MIR3909.

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a different microRNA genes methylation landscape was shown in pediatric BCP ALL compared to children without neoplasms. A visible subcluster among BCP ALL samples consisted of individuals with TCF3-PBX1 genetic subtype. No other differences were observed in association with age, gender or risk group. Several interesting leukemia-connected phenotypes were found, associated with genes with hyperand hypomethylated sites located on promoters as well as gene bodies.

PMID:35092653 | DOI:10.17219/acem/144170

Adv Clin Exp Med. 2022 Jan 29. doi: 10.17219/acem/145510. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Male infertility is mostly due to low sperm quality, which accounts for about 50% of the causes of infertility. The reasons for low sperm quality are still unclear. Nowadays, many drinks contain high levels of fat, and its effect on fertility is not yet known.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of cholesterol-containing water on male fertility.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty BALB/c male mice were divided into 2 groups: the control group and the water-induced obesity (WIO) group. Body and testicular weights were recorded and analyzed statistically. Testicular tissues were examined. Serum contents of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), free testosterone (FT), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined. Motility count and morphology of sperm were analyzed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for SYCP3, VEGFA and WT1 genes.

RESULTS: The results showed that the WIO group presented the highly significant values for mice body and testis weight, and TC, TG and LDL level in serum (p < 0.05), when compared to the control group. The level of FT, LH and FSH in serum was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the WIO group compared with the control group. Seminiferous tubules of testes became thin, and Sertoli cells showed mild atrophy in this group. Also, the count and motility of sperm significantly reduced while the ratio of sperm abnormalities significantly increased in the WIO group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The results of RT-PCR showed that SYCP3, VEGFA and WT1 genes were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05) in the WIO group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that drinks containing high levels of fat may have negative effects on male fertility due to the reduction of the sexual hormones level in serum, the expression of SYCP3, VEGFA and WT1 genes, count and motility of sperm, as well as an increase in sperm abnormalities and pathological changes in the testicular tissues.

PMID:35092652 | DOI:10.17219/acem/145510

Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Jan 19;23(1):34. doi: 10.31083/j.rcm2301034.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Perioperative anticoagulation management with uninterrupted or minimally interrupted anticoagulation during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is thought to be critical to minimize thromboembolic complications. Protamine is often administered to neutralize the effects of heparin and expedite vascular hemostasis post-procedure.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of protamine to expedite vascular hemostasis and ambulation in patients undergoing AF ablation.

METHODS: Electronic searches on PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, EBSCO, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases from the inception through August 7, 2021, were performed. The primary outcomes included-time to hemostasis (minutes) and time to ambulation (minutes). The secondary outcomes included – any vascular complications (excluding minor hematoma), minor hematoma, or cerebrovascular accidents (CVA).

RESULTS: A total of 5 eligible studies (3 retrospective cohort studies and two randomized trials) consisting of 1012 patients (515 patients received protamine group and 497 patients did not receive protamine group) were included in the meta-analysis. There was a significant reduction in time to ambulation [weighted mean difference (WMD) -176.6 minutes, 95% Confidence interval (CI) -266.9 to -86.3; p < 0.01] and time to hemostasis (WMD -13.72 minutes, 95% CI -22 to -5.4, p < 0.01) in the protamine group compared to the contrary. At a follow-up up to 3 months, there was no statistical difference between the two groups with regards to vascular complications (2.9% vs. 7.4%; Risk ratio (RR) 0.46 95% CI 0.17 to 1.24; p = 0.12), minor hematoma (2.1% vs. 5.8%; RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.16 to 1.2; p = 0.11) or CVA (0 vs. 0.3%; RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.08 to 4.98; p = 0.65).

CONCLUSION: Protamine administration was associated with reduced time to ambulation (176 minutes reduction) and time to hemostasis (13 minutes reduction) without an increase in any adverse events.

PMID:35092226 | DOI:10.31083/j.rcm2301034

Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Jan 18;23(1):31. doi: 10.31083/j.rcm2301031.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Citations are used to assess the importance of authors, articles and journals in the scientific community, but do not examine how they affect general public journal readership. The Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) is a new metric for measuring media attention of the published paper.

METHODS: We examined cardiovascular (CV) randomized clinical trials (RCTs), published in the 3 highest Web of Science Impact Factor journals (Journal Citation Reports 2019: category “Medicine, General & Internal”) and in the 3 highest Web of Science Impact Factor CV journals (Journal Citation Reports 2019: category “Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems”), through the calendar year of 2017, 2018 and 2019. The primary outcomes were the assessment of the difference between number of citations and AAS among positive and negative CV RCTs.

RESULTS: Among the included 262 RCTs, more positive CV RCTs were published (p = 0.002). There was no significant statistical difference between the positive and negative trials, considering the number of citations (p = 0.61). Interestingly, positive trials had a tendency towards a higher AAS (p = 0.058). The correlation between the AAS and the number of citations was moderate positively correlated (ρ = 0.47, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: We did not find any differences between CV RCTs with positive vs CV RCTs with negative results considering the number of their citations. A tendency towards a higher AAS among positive CV RCTs could indicate higher activity on social media regarding CV trials with positive results. A higher number of published positive CV RCTs among all published CV RCTs could indicate the presence of publication bias but further investigation of unpublished RCTs in trial registries (e.g., clinicaltrials.gov) is needed.

PMID:35092223 | DOI:10.31083/j.rcm2301031

Pediatr Obes. 2022 Jan 28:e12893. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12893. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), as measured by a liver elastography technique, in predicting varying degrees of liver steatosis in children with obesity.

METHODS: Children with obesity attending the pediatric obesity clinic at the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University from July 2020 to May 2021 were retrospectively analysed. The 71 subjects were divided into four groups according to the degree of liver steatosis obtained by magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). The gender, age, CAP, LSM, ALT, AST, BMI, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, insulin, and blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of the four groups were compared, and the differences were analysed. Clinical data with significant differences were included in the logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the CAP for the 71 subjects with different degrees of liver steatosis was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value.

RESULTS: The 71 children were divided into groups according to the degree of hepatic steatosis obtained by MRI-PDFF, and the clinical data for each group were compared. It was found that there was statistical significance for CAP, ALT, and AST in cases of moderate and severe hepatic steatosis (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis was conducted between CAP, ALT, AST, and moderate to severe hepatic steatosis in children with obesity, and it was found that CAP was a factor related to moderate to severe hepatic steatosis in children with obesity. The ROC curve indicated that CAP has diagnostic value for NAFLD in children with obesity.

CONCLUSION: There is diagnostic value in the use of CAP for hepatic steatosis in children with obesity, and there is greater diagnostic value in the use of CAP for children with moderate to severe hepatic steatosis.

PMID:35092183 | DOI:10.1111/ijpo.12893

Dermatol Ther. 2022 Jan 29:e15340. doi: 10.1111/dth.15340. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) which is a newer hair transplant procedure was thought to be only usable in limited areas at the beginning. However, it is the most preferred technique these days. It is known transection rates have decreased with punch technology (and experience) over the years. We analyzed the data from so-so many male patients who underwent hair transplantation by FUE method at our clinic retrospectively to elucidate how the development of punch technology affected the number of total grafts and FU containing multiple hairs. Between the years 2011 and 2020, male hair transplant patients operated with the FUE method at the author’s dermatology clinic, was investigated retrospectively. Overall 1415 cases were included in the study. Total graft numbers and 1 to 4 hair FUs were calculated. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of number of total grafts, one hair follicular unit (I FU) three hair follicular unit (III FU) distributions according to operation year and punch type (p < 0.05). The serrated punch resulted in a significant increase in the numbers of total grafts and the trumpet punch resulted in a significant increase in the number of 3FU grafts Our study has shown that hair yield has been increased with new punch technologies. With an increasing hair yield by the aid of evolving punch technology, hair transplantation with the FUE method has become the first choice for hair transplantation preferred by both doctors and patients.

PMID:35092124 | DOI:10.1111/dth.15340

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2022 Jan 28. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12834. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Increasing suicide rates across the United States are disproportionate among populations most impacted by mass incarceration. We sought to determine if incarceration is associated with risk of suicide and firearm suicide after release from prison.

METHODS: Using a population-based Washington cohort from Department of Corrections and vital statistics administrative records 1990-2017, individuals were compared to the sex-, age-, and race-matched population of Washington using Poisson regression. Among previously incarcerated individuals, we included incarceration history characteristics to calculate sub-hazard ratios using Cox proportional-hazards models.

RESULTS: Of 140,281 individuals released from prison, 484 died by suicide. Suicide risk was 62% higher among previously incarcerated individuals compared with the general population (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.46-1.79). Suicide risk was higher among individuals convicted of firearm-involved crimes (RR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.79-2.89). Individuals released prior to age 18 had substantially higher risk of firearm suicide than those whose first release occurred between ages 18-24 (sHR: 11.91; 95% CI: 4.30-32.96).

CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the need for improved mental health resources and lethal means safety in this population. Mental health and substance use treatment have been proposed as effective alternatives to incarceration-continuing to study their impacts may reveal additional benefits of reducing suicide.

PMID:35092087 | DOI:10.1111/sltb.12834

Hepatology. 2022 Jan 28. doi: 10.1002/hep.32371. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:35092078 | DOI:10.1002/hep.32371

Am J Ind Med. 2022 Jan 28. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23327. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the work-related injury and illness risk of out-of-province workers. This study examines whether there are differences in work-related injury and illness claim rates between within-province and out-of-province workers in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

METHODS: Workers’ compensation claim data for injuries and illnesses in BC from 2010 to 2017 were linked with denominator data from Statistics Canada. Multivariable negative binomial regression estimated the claim rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for out-of-province workers with all, health care-only (HCO), short-term disability, long-term disability, and fatality (SLF), and serious injury (SI) claims, compared to within-province workers.

RESULTS: Compared to within-province workers, out-of-province workers had a lower total claim rate (RR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.52-0.57), adjusting for sex, age, industry sector, and year. Differences in rates differed by claim type, with the largest differences for HCO claims (RR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.47-0.52) and smallest differences for SI claims (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.78-0.92). Sex-stratified models showed larger differences for males than females, with older female out-of-province workers having elevated SI claim rates. Industry-specific models showed that, even in sectors with high proportions of out-of-province workers’ claims, these workers have lower claim rates than within-province workers.

CONCLUSIONS: Out-of-province workers generally have lower claim rates than within-province workers. The overall duration of work exposure, and underreporting or underclaiming, are factors that may explain these lower claim rates. Understanding the determinants and differences of these claim rates may improve the administration and adjudication of claims while also identifying where further prevention measures may be merited.

PMID:35092041 | DOI:10.1002/ajim.23327

Stat Med. 2022 Jan 28. doi: 10.1002/sim.9325. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We propose a modified self-controlled case series (SCCS) method to handle both event-dependent exposures and high event-related mortality. This development is motivated by an epidemiological study undertaken in France to quantify potential risks of cardiovascular events associated with COVID-19 vaccines. Event-dependence of vaccinations, and high event-related mortality, are likely to arise in other SCCS studies of COVID-19 vaccine safety. Using this case study and simulations to broaden its scope, we explore these features and the biases they may generate, implement the modified SCCS model, illustrate some of the properties of this model, and develop a new test for presence of a dose effect. The model we propose has wider application, notably when the event of interest is death.

PMID:35092037 | DOI:10.1002/sim.9325