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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Application of spectral CT combined with perfusion scan in diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Insights Imaging. 2022 Sep 4;13(1):145. doi: 10.1186/s13244-022-01282-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are heterogeneous tumors from the pancreatic neuroendocrine system, and early diagnosis is important for tumor prognosis and treatment. In this study, we aimed to explore the diagnostic value of spectral CT combined with perfusion scanning in improving the detection rate of pNETs.

METHODS: From December 2018 to December 2020, 58 patients with clinically suspected pNETs were prospectively enrolled in the study for one-stop spectral CT combined with perfusion scanning, 36 patients were confirmed with pNETs by histopathology. An independent cohort of 30 patients with pNETs who underwent routine pancreatic perfusion scanning in our hospital during the same period were retrospectively collected. The image characters of pNETs versus tumor-free pancreatic parenchymal were examined.

RESULTS: The detection rate of spectral CT combined with perfusion was 83.1-96.2%. CT values of the pNETs lesions under each single energy in the arterial phase were statistically higher than those of the adjacent normal pancreatic parenchyma. IC, WC and NIC, in the arterial phase of pNETs lesion were all statistically higher than those of the adjacent normal pancreatic parenchyma. The perfusion parameters of pNETs including BF, BV and MSI were significantly higher than those in normal parenchyma. The average effective radiation dose during the perfusion combined energy spectrum enhanced scanning process was 17.51 ± 2.18 mSv.

CONCLUSION: The one-stop spectral CT combined with perfusion scan improves the detection of pNETs according to morphological features, perfusion parameters and energy spectrum characters with a relatively small radiation dose.

PMID:36057734 | DOI:10.1186/s13244-022-01282-9

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Outcomes of catheter ablation versus antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2022 Sep 3. doi: 10.1007/s10840-022-01365-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recent data have shown an advantage of rhythm control over rate control for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Nevertheless, the data regarding efficacy of catheter ablation (CA) compared with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) in patients with AF is lacking. Therefore, we sought to evaluate recurrence of arrhythmia, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular deaths, stroke/TIA, and all-cause readmissions of CA compared with AAD in patients with AF.

METHODS: Systematically searched through PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Cochrane for randomized control trials that compared CA and AAD in atrial fibrillation patients. Review Manager 5.4 and OpenMetaAnalyst were used to analyze the data. Data was pooled for the outcomes using random-effect models (DerSimonian and Laird) and reported as pooled odds ratio (OR).

RESULTS: A total of 4822 patients were included. The CA group had 2417 patients while the AAD group included 2405 patients. Pooled data demonstrated that the CA arm had a statistically significant decrease in risk for recurrence of arrhythmia as compared to AAD (OR 0.25; [95% CI, 0.18-0.36]; p < 0.001). All-cause readmission was statistically significantly lower in CA as compared to AAD (OR 0.33; [95%CI, 0.17-0.63]; p < 0.001). For other secondary outcomes, there was no statistically significant difference between CA and AAD with regard to all-cause mortality (OR 0.75; [95% CI, 0.55-1.03]), cardiovascular death (OR 0.76; [95% CI, 0.22-2.54]), bleeding (OR 1.09, [95% CI 0.74, 1.61]), or stroke/TIA outcome (OR 0.90, [95% CI, 0.59-1.37]).

CONCLUSIONS: In this study of pooled data from 16 RCTs, CA utilization for atrial fibrillation had improved freedom from arrhythmia as well as reduced all-cause readmission compared with AAD.

PMID:36057733 | DOI:10.1007/s10840-022-01365-z

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Risky anatomical variations of sphenoid sinus and surrounding structures in endoscopic sinus surgery

Head Face Med. 2022 Sep 3;18(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s13005-022-00336-z.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the sphenoid sinus (SS) and surrounding vital structures such as the internal carotid artery (ICA) and optic nerve canal (ONC) as well as the types of attachment of the sphenoidal septa onto these structures.

METHODS: In total, 230 computed tomography (CT) scans were reviewed to study the type of sphenoid sinus pneumatization (SSP), the protrusion and dehiscence of the ICA and ONC, the relationship between the sphenoidal septa and surrounding vital structures as well as pterygoid recess pneumatization (PRP).

RESULTS: The most common SSP was sellar type (58.7%). The rates of protrusion and dehiscence of the ICA were 26.3 and 0.4%, and for the ONC, they were 13 and 1.5%, respectively. The ICA and ONC were most protruded and dehiscent in more extensive SSP. In 21.6% of patients, the intersphenoidal septa (IS) were attached to the wall of the ICA and in 8.6% they were attached to the wall of the ONC. The attachment of IS to the ICA correlated statistically significantly (p < 0.0001) with protrusion of the ICA. Accessory septa were detected in 30.4% of cases with various sites of attachment.

CONCLUSION: To reduce the risk of injury and complications during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), surgeons should consider using CT to identify possible bulging and dehiscence of the ICA/ONC and their relationship to the extent of SSP and also to establish the presence of deviation of the sphenoid septum, and the presence of accessory septa.

PMID:36057720 | DOI:10.1186/s13005-022-00336-z

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Neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio predicts adverse cardiovascular outcomes in subjects with pre-diabetes: a large cohort study from China

Lipids Health Dis. 2022 Sep 3;21(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s12944-022-01695-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine whether the neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) can predict cardiovascular outcomes in normoglycemic individuals with elevated fasting glucose levels.

METHODS: A total of 130,801 participants with normal blood glucose levels were enrolled in the Kailuan study. Participants were categorized according to NHR quartiles and further divided into normal glucose regulation (NGR) and pre-diabetes (pre-DM) subgroups. The follow-up endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (CVE), including stroke and myocardial infarction.

RESULTS: Over a median of 12.53 (8.95-13.08) years of follow-up, subjects with NHR levels in the highest quartile experienced more CVE than those with NHR levels in the lowest quartile. Multivariate Cox analyses showed that continuous changes in NHR (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.28) and the highest quartile of NHR (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.21-1.39) were independent predictors of CVE (all P < 0.001). Furthermore, when participants were categorized by both NHR quartile and glucose metabolism status, the NHR level in the highest quartile plus pre-DM group was associated with a 1.60-fold (95% CI, 1.38-1.86; P < 0.001] higher risk of CVE than that in the lowest quartile plus normoglycemic group. Significantly, the addition of NHR only, presence of pre-DM only, or combination of NHR and pre-DM to the prediction algorithm, including traditional risk factors, improved the C-statistic by 0.19, 0.05, and 0.23 (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated NHR or fasting blood glucose level were independently associated with a higher risk of CVE among normoglycemic individuals. Moreover, pre-DM participants with high NHR levels tended to have worse prognosis, suggesting that NHR could provide greater risk stratification value than traditional risk factors for subjects with pre-DM.

PMID:36057713 | DOI:10.1186/s12944-022-01695-x

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Patterns of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isolates from fattening pigs in Spain

BMC Vet Res. 2022 Sep 3;18(1):333. doi: 10.1186/s12917-022-03377-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Swine are considered a major source of foodborne salmonellosis, a public health issue further complicated by the circulation of multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains that threaten the safety of the food chain. The current study aimed to identify patterns that can help to understand the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella in pigs in Spain through the application of several multivariate statistical methods to data from the AMR national surveillance programs from 2001 to 2017.

RESULTS: A total of 1,318 pig Salmonella isolates belonging to 63 different serotypes were isolated and their AMR profiles were determined. Tetracycline resistance across provinces in Spain was the highest among all antimicrobials and ranged from 66.7% to 95.8%, followed by sulfamethoxazole resistance (range: 42.5% – 77.8%), streptomycin resistance (range: 45.7% – 76.7%), ampicillin resistance (range: 24.3% – 66.7%, with a lower percentage of resistance in the South-East of Spain), and chloramphenicol resistance (range: 8.5% – 41.1%). A significant increase in the percentage of resistant isolates to chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin and trimethoprim from 2013 to 2017 was observed. Bayesian network analysis showed the existence of dependencies between resistance to antimicrobials of the same but also different families, with chloramphenicol and sulfamethoxazole in the centre of the networks. In the networks, the conditional probability for an isolate susceptible to ciprofloxacin that was also susceptible to nalidixic acid was 0.999 but for an isolate resistant to ciprofloxacin that was also resistant to nalidixic acid was only 0.779. An isolate susceptible to florfenicol would be expected to be susceptible to chloramphenicol, whereas an isolate resistant to chloramphenicol had a conditional probability of being resistant to florfenicol at only 0.221. Hierarchical clustering further demonstrated the linkage between certain resistances (and serotypes). For example, a higher likelihood of multidrug-resistance in isolates belonging to 1,4,[5],12:i:- serotype was found, and in the cluster where all isolates were resistant to tetracycline, chloramphenicol and florfenicol, 86.9% (n = 53) of the isolates were Typhimurium.

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated the power of multivariate statistical methods in discovering trends and patterns of AMR and found the existence of serotype-specific AMR patterns for serotypes of public health concern in Salmonella isolates in pigs in Spain.

PMID:36057710 | DOI:10.1186/s12917-022-03377-3

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Pyruvate Prevents Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration and Motor Deficits in the 1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Mol Neurobiol. 2022 Sep 3. doi: 10.1007/s12035-022-03017-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of dopamine(DA)rgic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain, and primarily causes motor symptoms. While the pathological cause of PD remains uncertain, oxidative damage, neuroinflammation, and energy metabolic perturbation have been implicated. Pyruvate has been shown neuroprotective in animal models for many neurological disorders, presumably owing to its potent anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and energy metabolic properties. We therefore investigated whether exogenous pyruvate could also protect nigral DA neurons from degeneration and reverse the associated motor deficits in an animal model of PD using the DA neuron-specific toxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). MPTP (20 mg/kg) was injected four times every 2 h into the peritoneum of mice, which resulted in a massive loss of DA neurons as well as an increase in neuronal death and cytosolic labile zinc overload. There were rises in inflammatory and oxidative responses, a drop in the striatal DA level, and the emergence of PD-related motor deficits. In comparison, when sodium pyruvate was administered intraperitoneally at a daily dose of 250 mg/kg for 7 days starting 2 h after the final MPTP treatment, significant relief in the MPTP-induced neuropathology, neurodegeneration, DA depletion, and motor symptoms was observed. Equiosmolar dose of NaCl had no neuroprotective effect, and lower doses of sodium pyruvate did not have any statistically significant effects. These findings suggest that pyruvate has therapeutic potential for the treatment of PD and related neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID:36057709 | DOI:10.1007/s12035-022-03017-9

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Identification of risk loci for primary aldosteronism in genome-wide association studies

Nat Commun. 2022 Sep 3;13(1):5198. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-32896-8.

ABSTRACT

Primary aldosteronism affects up to 10% of hypertensive patients and is responsible for treatment resistance and increased cardiovascular risk. Here we perform a genome-wide association study in a discovery cohort of 562 cases and 950 controls and identify three main loci on chromosomes 1, 13 and X; associations on chromosome 1 and 13 are replicated in a second cohort and confirmed by a meta-analysis involving 1162 cases and 3296 controls. The association on chromosome 13 is specific to men and stronger in bilateral adrenal hyperplasia than aldosterone producing adenoma. Candidate genes located within the two loci, CASZ1 and RXFP2, are expressed in human and mouse adrenals in different cell clusters. Their overexpression in adrenocortical cells suppresses mineralocorticoid output under basal and stimulated conditions, without affecting cortisol biosynthesis. Our study identifies the first risk loci for primary aldosteronism and highlights new mechanisms for the development of aldosterone excess.

PMID:36057693 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-32896-8

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Lessons learned from recruiting into a longitudinal remote measurement study in major depressive disorder

NPJ Digit Med. 2022 Sep 3;5(1):133. doi: 10.1038/s41746-022-00680-z.

ABSTRACT

The use of remote measurement technologies (RMTs) across mobile health (mHealth) studies is becoming popular, given their potential for providing rich data on symptom change and indicators of future state in recurrent conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Understanding recruitment into RMT research is fundamental for improving historically small sample sizes, reducing loss of statistical power, and ultimately producing results worthy of clinical implementation. There is a need for the standardisation of best practices for successful recruitment into RMT research. The current paper reviews lessons learned from recruitment into the Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse- Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) study, a large-scale, multi-site prospective cohort study using RMT to explore the clinical course of people with depression across the UK, the Netherlands, and Spain. More specifically, the paper reflects on key experiences from the UK site and consolidates these into four key recruitment strategies, alongside a review of barriers to recruitment. Finally, the strategies and barriers outlined are combined into a model of lessons learned. This work provides a foundation for future RMT study design, recruitment and evaluation.

PMID:36057688 | DOI:10.1038/s41746-022-00680-z

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A simple arthroscopic technique for treatment of displaced “hinged” type of posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures

BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Sep 3;23(1):841. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05795-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The surgical technique for treatment of tibial avulsion fractures of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) remains challenging due to the deep-located lesion and the complexity of the anatomy. The purpose of this study was to report preliminary results of an arthroscopic technique in patients with the “hinged” type PCL tibial avulsion fractures.

METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with the displaced “hinged” fractures with elevation of the posterior aspect of the bony fragment were arthroscopically treated. The bony fragment was reducted and fixed with the sutures passing through only one single tibial tunnel. The clinical outcomes were assessed by Lysholm score, Tegner activity score, and the side-to-side differences of KT-1000 measurement. The reduction and union of the fracture were assessed by radiography of the knee.

RESULTS: Patients were followed up for a mean of 19 (12 to 24) months. There were no surgery-related complications, and all patients regained normal range of motion of the knees at the last follow-up. The Lysholm score significantly increased from preoperative 14.78 ± 8.23 to postoperative 96.96 ± 3.62 (P = 0.000). The Tegner score was 6.78 ± 1.35 pre-injury and 6.48 ± 1.20 at the last follow-up with no statistical difference (P = 0.688). The KT-1000 side-to-side differences significantly decreased from 8.26(SD 1.86; 6 to 12) pre-operatively to 0.91 (SD 0.85; 0 to 3) (P = 0.000). X-rays showed that satisfactory reduction and solid union was achieved in all patients.

CONCLUSION: The arthroscopic suture fixation through single-tibial tunnel technique yielded good clinical and radiographic outcome for treatment of displaced “hinged” type of PCL avulsion fractures.

PMID:36057656 | DOI:10.1186/s12891-022-05795-8

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Prenatal and child vitamin D levels and allergy and asthma in childhood

Pediatr Res. 2022 Sep 3. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02256-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Early-life vitamin D deficiency may impair immune system development contributing to allergy and asthma onset. Findings from prospective studies are inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether maternal and child vitamin D levels are associated with allergic and asthma-related symptoms throughout childhood in a Spanish birth cohort.

METHODS: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) levels were measured in the serum of pregnant women (N = 2525) and children (N = 803). Information on allergic and asthma-related symptoms was obtained from repeated questionnaires from 1 to 9 years.

RESULTS: A total of 19% of mothers and 24% of children had deficient 25(OH)D3 levels (<20 ng/ml). Higher child 25(OH)D3 levels at 4 years were associated with lower odds of atopic eczema from 4 to 9 years (adjusted odds ratio = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.84-0.97 per 5 ng/ml). Higher maternal and child 25(OH)D3 levels were associated with a lower prevalence of late-onset wheezing at the limit of statistical significance (adjusted relative risk ratio (RRRadj) = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.74-1.00 and RRRadj = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.58-1.02 per 5 ng/ml, respectively). All the remaining associations were null.

CONCLUSION: Child 25(OH)D3 levels at pre-school age are associated with a reduced odds of atopic eczema in later childhood and both maternal and child levels may reduce the prevalence of late-onset wheezing.

IMPACT: In this Spanish birth cohort, with a total of 19% of mothers and 24% of children with deficient levels of vitamin D, higher child vitamin D at 4 years of age was associated with reduced odds of atopic eczema up to 9 years. There was also some evidence that higher maternal and child vitamin D levels reduced the prevalence of late-onset wheezing. Although these findings need replication, they may imply optimal vitamin D levels at pre-school age to prevent atopic eczema.

PMID:36057646 | DOI:10.1038/s41390-022-02256-9