Tag: nevin manimala

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Mar;28(6):2363-2371. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35743.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Breast carcinoma in situ accounts for a significant number of newly diagnosed breast cancer cases. However, the cause of this type of cancer is unclear, which has led to debates regarding treatment strategies. A Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to explore whether complement system or complement C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related proteins (CTRPs) are causally associated with breast carcinoma in situ.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This two-sample multivariable MR study used genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for all complement system factors and CTRPs. Summary-level statistics were obtained from the breast carcinoma in situ GWAS database. The study employed the MR-Egger method, inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, and weighted median method. Additionally, sensitivity analyses, including the MR-Egger intercept, funnel plot, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to address uncertainties and enhance the reliability of the findings.

RESULTS: The study indicated that certain immunomodulatory molecules might increase the risk of breast carcinoma in situ, with consistent results. Specifically, CTRP9 showed a 57.0% increased risk [IVW: odds ratio (OR) 0.570 (0.350, 0.928), p < 0.05], and complement factor H (FH)-related protein 5 (FHR-5) was linked to a 67.2% higher risk [IVW: OR 0.672 (0.477, 0.947), p < 0.05]. However, no associations were found with other molecules, suggesting the relationship between immunomodulatory molecules and cancer may be context-specific.

CONCLUSIONS: This MR study marks the initial identification of a direct link between FHR-5 and CTRP9 and the susceptibility to breast carcinoma in situ. Delving into the roles of immunomodulatory molecules and immune responses within the tumor microenvironment holds considerable importance for the management of breast carcinoma in situ.

PMID:38567599 | DOI:10.26355/eurrev_202403_35743

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Mar;28(6):2340-2350. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35741.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between inflammatory markers and survival in many cancers has been investigated previously. Inflammatory markers may also offer the possibility of predicting surveillance in patients with malignant mesothelioma. Our study seeks to enhance comprehension of how variables such as the nutritional status and inflammation indices of malignant mesothelioma patients impact the disease’s progression and prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included patients who were treated at the Erciyes University Medical Oncology Clinic between 2010 and 2022 and diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. This is a retrospective single-center cohort study. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to determine the inflammation markers’ optimal cut-off values with high sensitivity and specificity. Patients were categorized based on these values. The differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between categorized groups were assessed using Log-rank curves and Kaplan-Meier tests. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox regression analysis on statistically significant data. The relationship between inflammation markers and malignant mesothelioma survival was evaluated.

RESULTS: There are 115 patients in this study. Pre-treatment high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.12-2.83, p=0.04), high pan-immune inflammation value (PIIV) (HR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.32-4.79, p=0.03), and high systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.2-2.78, p=0.04) were associated with poor OS. Conversely, high advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.53-0.84, p=0.03) and high hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte and platelet (HALP) (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.23-0.78, p=0.02) were associated with favorable survival.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study investigated the prognostic value of various inflammation markers in malignant mesothelioma patients and suggests that composite formulas like NLR, PIIV, SIRI, ALI, and HALP that incorporate CBC cells and nutritional parameters like albumin, height, and weight could more consistently and accurately predict malignant mesothelioma prognosis.

PMID:38567597 | DOI:10.26355/eurrev_202403_35741

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Mar;28(6):2329-2339. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35738.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the “Internet + rehabilitation guidance” under the theory of Information-Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (IKAP) in patients with esophageal cancer during the perioperative period and to analyze the influence on the short-term prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 2022 to February 2023, 118 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy in the First Hospital of Huai’an Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled using the convenience sampling method. They were divided into the IKAP group (59 cases) and the Control Group (Group C) (59 cases), according to the random number table method. The conventional intervention was performed during the perioperative period, and the IKAP group was also given “Internet + rehabilitation guidance” based on IKAP theory. The first postoperative defecation time, exhaust time, feeding time, discharge time, and postoperative complication rate of the two groups were compared. Meanwhile, blood samples were collected before surgery and 1, 3, 7, and 30 days after surgery (at outpatient review) for the detection of inflammatory factor indexes and nutritional indexes.

RESULTS: Patients within the IKAP group showed a shorter first postoperative exhaust and defecation time, eating time, and hospital compared to the control group (p<0.05). Before surgery, there was no significant difference in serum inflammatory factors and nutritional indexes between the two groups (p>0.05). Comparing the levels of serum inflammatory factors in the two groups after surgery, the levels of CRP and IL-6 in the IKAP group were lower than those in the control group on days 1, 3, and 7 after surgery. After 30 days, the serum CRP level was found to be lower than the control group, but no statistical difference with the control level of serum IL-6 (p<0.05) was found. Compared with the serum nutritional index levels in the two groups: 1 d after surgery, the serum HGB, PA, and TRF levels were not different (p>0.05). The serum ALB level in the IKAP group was higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). Postoperative 3 d, 7 d, the serum levels of HGB, ALB, PA, and TRF in the IKAP group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). After 30 d, there was no statistical difference in serum HGB levels between the two groups (p<0.05); Serum ALB, PA, and TRF levels in the IKAP group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). From preoperative to 30 days after surgery, serum CRP and IL-6 levels in 2 groups were first increased and then decreased, while serum HGB, ALB, PA, and TRF levels were first decreased and then increased. After surgery, the IKAP group showed a greater incidence of complications in patients than in controls (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with esophageal cancer, perioperative “Internet + rehabilitation guidance” based on IKAP theory can effectively shorten the postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery time and rapidly reduce the inflammatory response, improving the nutritional status of the body, thereby reducing the risk of short-term postoperative complications.

PMID:38567596 | DOI:10.26355/eurrev_202403_35738

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Mar;28(6):2263-2271. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35730.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and thyroid dysfunction (TD) are endocrinopathies that are frequently inclined to coexist in patients. Most studies avoid explicitly supporting or opposing testing thyroid function for diabetic patients as a baseline. The association between hypothyroidism and diabetes is considerable when assessing thyroid functions in diabetic individuals based on clinical suspicion. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between thyroid dysfunction and its manifestations in DM patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 301 DM subjects. A questionnaire divided into two sections was administered to all participants. The first section involved questions about diabetes control, monitoring, and disease severity. The second section included questions about thyroid disease and the 14-item Hypothyroidism Clinical Prediction (HCP) score we created for our research. The HCP score was obtained by summing up all discrete scores for different symptoms of hypothyroidism. ROC curve analysis was used to assess the predicted hypothyroidism cases based on the most precise cut-off point for the HCP overall score (highest sensitivity and specificity). HCP discriminant ability for detecting hypothyroid cases was assessed considering the Area Under the Curve (AUC) as a measurement.

RESULTS: Almost 53 (17.6%) diabetes mellitus subjects were previously diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Comparatively, regarding the given cut-off point, the total number of predicted hypothyroidism cases using the HCP score was 149 (49.5%). The most reported symptoms included tiredness (75%), followed by irritability (72%), and difficulty in losing weight (65%). Hypothyroidism was detected/predicted among 60.1% of female diabetics vs. 44.2% of males with recorded statistical significance (p=.006).

CONCLUSIONS: This study further proves a significant association between diabetes and hypothyroidism in Saudi Arabia. We recommend periodic screening for thyroid dysfunction in the diabetic population in specific cases; since some patients with diabetes are more likely to have hypothyroidism based on their clinical presentation.

PMID:38567589 | DOI:10.26355/eurrev_202403_35730

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Mar;28(6):2192-2198. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35723.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Male erectile dysfunction is an important complication of rectal surgery. In this research, the effect of prostate dimensions on the development of postoperative erectile dysfunction in patients diagnosed with mid-rectum adenocarcinoma who underwent low anterior resection (LAR) is examined.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-one male patients diagnosed as mid-rectal adenocancer were included. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to determine the patients’ pre and postoperative erectile dysfunction levels, and the level of relationship between the change in these IIEF scores and prostate measurements determined by computed tomography were evaluated.

RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between IIEF index score and anterior posterior (AP) and transverse (TR) measurements (p≤0.001; p≤0.001), but no statistically significant difference was found between craniocaudal (CC) measurement values (p=0.169).

CONCLUSIONS: The risk of nerve injury will be higher in those with a small prostate transverse diameter. Intraoperative nerve monitoring should be recommended primarily in younger patient groups.

PMID:38567582 | DOI:10.26355/eurrev_202403_35723

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Mar;28(6):2186-2191. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35722.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of tirofiban and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the treatment of patients undergoing acute progressive pontine infarction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with acute progressive pontine infarction who were hospitalized in the Neurology Department from June 2021 to June 2023 were included in the study and randomly divided into two groups, namely the experimental group (tirofiban group) and the control group (LMWH group). All patients in both groups were required to receive conventional comprehensive treatment and dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin + clopidogrel at the beginning of admission. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and Barthel Index (BI) were used to evaluate the neurological deficits on the first day of admission, the next day with stroke progression, and at discharge after treatment with tirofiban and LMWH, respectively in the two groups. The modified Rankin Scale was employed to assess prognosis on the 90th day after treatment. Clinical adverse events were followed up for 90 days, comparing the clinical efficacy and safety of the two treatment methods.

RESULTS: There was no statistical significance in NIHSS score and Barthel Index between the tirofiban group and the LMWH group on the first day of admission and the next day with stroke progression (p > 0.05). After stroke progression, tirofiban and LMWH were separately used for treatment in the two groups. We found that the NIHSS score of the tirofiban group was lower than that of the LMWH group, and the Barthel Index score was higher than that of the LMWH group at discharge (p < 0.05). After three months of follow-up, the mRS score of the tirofiban group was dramatically higher than that of the LMWH group (p < 0.05). No significant harmful or adverse reactions, such as bleeding events, were found in the two groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Tirofiban may be more effective and safer than LMWH in controlling the progression of acute pontine infarction, but further and large-sample studies are still needed to confirm this finding.

PMID:38567581 | DOI:10.26355/eurrev_202403_35722

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Apr 3. doi: 10.1021/acsami.3c19254. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Developing new functionalities of two-dimensional materials (2Dms) can be achieved by their chemical modification with a broad spectrum of molecules. This functionalization is commonly studied by using spectroscopies such as Raman, IR, or XPS, but the detection limit is a common problem. In addition, these methods lack detailed spatial resolution and cannot provide information about the homogeneity of the coating. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), on the other hand, allows the study of 2Dms on the nanoscale with excellent lateral resolution. AFM has been extensively used for topographic analysis; however, it is also a powerful tool for evaluating other properties far beyond topography such as mechanical ones. Therefore, herein, we show how AFM adhesion mapping of transition metal chalcogenide 2Dms (i.e., MnPS₃ and MoS₂) permits a close inspection of the surface chemical properties. Moreover, the analysis of adhesion as relative values allows a simple and robust strategy to distinguish between bare and functionalized layers and significantly improves the reproducibility between measurements. Remarkably, it is also confirmed by statistical analysis that adhesion values do not depend on the thickness of the layers, proving that they are related only to the most superficial part of the materials. In addition, we have implemented an unsupervised classification method using k-means clustering, an artificial intelligence-based algorithm, to automatically classify samples based on adhesion values. These results demonstrate the potential of simple adhesion AFM measurements to inspect the chemical nature of 2Dms and may have implications for the broad scientific community working in the field.

PMID:38567570 | DOI:10.1021/acsami.3c19254

Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2024 Mar 26;41(1):e2024009. doi: 10.36141/svdld.v41i1.15213.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim was to investigate the association between sarcoidosis and anxiety and/or depression (A/D) in patients with sarcoidosis and comparators matched on age, gender, residency, and cohabitation status.

METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis between 2001 and 2015 were identified in the Danish National Patient Register. Cases were matched 1:4 with non-sarcoidosis comparators. We estimated the cumulative incidence of A/D using the Cumulative Incidence Function and the subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) for A/D using the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model. Estimates were adjusted for socio-economic status and Deyo-Charlson Comorbidity Index.

RESULTS: We identified 7.302 cases and 26.145 matched comparators. The cumulative incidence of A/D after five years was 6.0% (95%CI 5.5-6.4) for cases and 4.2% (95%CI 4.0-4.4) for matched comparators. The cumulative incidence was higher among cases for both males and females and in all age-groups compared with the matched comparators. The adjusted-sHR for A/D was 1.38 (95%CI 1.24-1.53). The adjusted-sHR for A/D was 1.51 (95%CI 1.30-1.75) for male cases and 1.25 (95%CI 1.08-1.45) for female cases compared with the matched comparators. The adjusted-sHR for A/D was higher for cases in all age-groups compared with the matched comparators, although not statistically significant among cases aged 30-39 years (a-sHR 1.15; 95%CI 0.92-1.44).

CONCLUSIONS: Sarcoidosis cases had a higher risk of A/D compared with matched comparators during 18 years of follow-up. The risk of developing A/D was greater for male and female cases and within all age-groups compared with the matched comparators.

PMID:38567557 | DOI:10.36141/svdld.v41i1.15213

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2024 Apr 3:e016104. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.123.016104. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Fontan operation is a palliative technique for patients born with single ventricle heart disease. The superior vena cava (SVC), inferior vena cava (IVC), and hepatic veins are connected to the pulmonary arteries in a total cavopulmonary connection by an extracardiac conduit or a lateral tunnel connection. A balanced hepatic flow distribution (HFD) to both lungs is essential to prevent pulmonary arteriovenous malformations and cyanosis. HFD is highly dependent on the local hemodynamics. The effect of age-related changes in caval inflows on HFD was evaluated using cardiac magnetic resonance data and patient-specific computational fluid dynamics modeling.

METHODS: SVC and IVC flow from 414 patients with Fontan were collected to establish a relationship between SVC:IVC flow ratio and age. Computational fluid dynamics modeling was performed in 60 (30 extracardiac and 30 lateral tunnel) patient models to quantify the HFD that corresponded to patient ages of 3, 8, and 15 years, respectively.

RESULTS: SVC:IVC flow ratio inverted at ≈8 years of age, indicating a clear shift to lower body flow predominance. Our data showed that variation of HFD in response to age-related changes in caval inflows (SVC:IVC, 2, 1, and 0.5 corresponded to ages, 3, 8, and 15+, respectively) was not significant for extracardiac but statistically significant for lateral tunnel cohorts. For all 3 caval inflow ratios, a positive correlation existed between the IVC flow distribution to both the lungs and the HFD. However, as the SVC:IVC ratio changed from 2 to 0.5 (age, 3-15+) years, the correlation’s strength decreased from 0.87 to 0.64, due to potential flow perturbation as IVC flow momentum increased.

CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis provided quantitative insights into the impact of the changing caval inflows on Fontan’s long-term HFD, highlighting the importance of SVC:IVC variations over time on Fontan’s long-term hemodynamics. These findings broaden our understanding of Fontan hemodynamics and patient outcomes.

PMID:38567518 | DOI:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.123.016104

Health Commun. 2024 Apr 3:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2024.2335056. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A timely response to patient-initiated telephone calls can affect many aspects of patient health, including quality of care and health equity. Historically, at a family medicine residency clinic, at least 1 out of 4 patient calls remained unresolved three days after the call was placed. We sought to explore whether there were differential delays in resolution of patient concerns for certain groups and how these were affected by quality improvement interventions to increase responsiveness to patient calls. A multidisciplinary team at a primary care residency clinic applied Lean education and tools to improve the timeliness of addressing telephone encounters. Telephone encounter data were obtained for one year before and nine months after the intervention. Data were stratified by race, ethnicity, preferred language, sex, online portal activation status, age category, zip code, patient risk category, and reason for call. Stratified data revealed consistently worse performance on telephone encounter closure by 72 hours for Black/African American patients compared to Hispanic and non-Hispanic White patients pre-intervention. Interventions resulted in statistically significant overall improvement, with an OR of 2.9 (95% CI: 2.62 to 3.21). Though interventions did not target a specific population, pre-intervention differences based on race and ethnicity resolved post-intervention. Telephone calls serve as an important means of patient communication with care teams. General interventions to improve the timeliness of addressing telephone encounters can lead to sustainable improvement in a primary care academic clinic and may also alleviate disparities.

PMID:38567512 | DOI:10.1080/10410236.2024.2335056