Tag: pubmed

J Antimicrob Chemother. 2025 May 2:dkaf125. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkaf125. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV (PLHIV) who fail first-line ART have a higher risk of failing subsequent ART. We examined viral suppression (VS) among adolescents and youths (AY) failing PI ART in Tanzania.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study nested within a national third-line cohort of PLHIV. We analysed data of 147 AY (aged 10-24 years) with failure of PI-based ART between 2020 and 2022 who were followed for 12 months to assess for VS. Descriptive statistics were summarized by demographics and clinical characteristics, and we used logistic regression to assess factors associated with virological failure (VF) and drug resistance mutations (DRMs).

RESULTS: More than 40% of 147 participants had HIV subtype A, 52% (76/147) harboured major PI DRMs and 35% had NRTI mutations. A PI regimen at ART initiation was associated with a major PI DRM adjusted relative risk (aRR) of 1.66 (95% CI: 1.13-2.44; P = 0.010). Among participants with major PI DRMs, 12.2% had intermediate to high levels of resistance to lopinavir and atazanavir, and 2.1% to darunavir, respectively. V82A was the most frequent PI DRM; NRTI mutations included thymidine analogue mutations and absent K65R. VS occurred in 65% of AY who had PI DRMs compared with 45% of those without DRMs; this difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: More than half of AY who had PI DRMs had a higher proportion of early VS (65%) compared with those without DRMs (45%). Optimal viral load monitoring, adherence intensification and routine drug resistance testing are key strategies to improve VS.

PMID:40314140 | DOI:10.1093/jac/dkaf125

Mol Med Rep. 2025 Jul;32(1):185. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2025.13550. Epub 2025 May 2.

ABSTRACT

High Helicobacter pylori infection rates contribute to high gastric cancer (GC) incidence. While H. pylori infection is associated with GC development its mechanisms are still being studied. The aim of the present study was to examine the differences between H. pylori infection‑induced GC and non‑infected tissues, and to investigate the correlation between nucleotide‑binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome expression and immune cell infiltration in GC, thus providing a theoretical basis for clinical prognosis and immunotherapy. High‑throughput RNA‑sequencing expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Additionally, TIMER2.0 and Kaplan‑Meier Plotter were used to analyze the differential expression of NLRP3 mRNA in various tumors, the effect of H. pylori infection on gene expression, and the association between NLRP3 and clinical prognosis among patients with GC. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to assess the effects of NLRP3 protein expression on immune cell infiltration in clinical tissues with or without H. pylori infection. R software was used for data visualization and statistical analysis. TCGA data revealed that the expression levels of NLRP3 in GC tissues were increased compared with those in normal tissues (P<0.05), which was further validated in clinical samples. Furthermore, NLRP3 mRNA expression was significantly elevated in clinical GC tissues infected with H. pylori. Notably higher relative levels of NLRP3 mRNA were observed in tumor tissues with a tumor size ≥5 cm, lymph node metastasis, Tumor‑Node‑Metastasis stage III + IV or poor differentiation compared with the respective controls (P<0.05). IHC confirmed a significant increase in NLRP3 expression within H. pylori‑infected GC tissues compared with that in non‑infected tissues. In GC immune infiltration, NLRP3 expression was revealed to be associated with natural killer cell, whereas it was negatively correlated with regulatory T cells and CD8⁺ T cells. These findings indicated that NLRP3 may promote the polarization of tumor‑associated macrophages towards the M2 phenotype. High NLRP3 expression also promoted the infiltration of CD3⁺ and CD206⁺ cells, which significantly affected the survival rate of patients with GC. The immune infiltration of regulatory T lymphocytes was associated with better survival benefits for patients with GC; however, M2 macrophage infiltration was not conducive to the survival of patients with GC. Furthermore, survival analysis showed that high expression of NLRP3 was associated with a poorer 5‑year overall survival, progression‑free survival and post‑progression survival rates. In conclusion, elevated NLRP3 expression, which may be induced by H. pylori infection, could promote immune cell infiltration potentially by regulating cancer cell proliferation and migration, ultimately leading to an unfavorable prognosis and a notable reduction in the 5‑year survival rate.

PMID:40314099 | DOI:10.3892/mmr.2025.13550

Vet Dermatol. 2025 May 2. doi: 10.1111/vde.13346. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Besides pruritus and skin lesions, cats with feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS) may have seborrhoea.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether an adsorbent mousse containing tapioca starch, adelmidrol and a nonpharmacological antimicrobial complex could decrease FASS-associated seborrhoea in cats.

ANIMALS: Seven client-owned cats with FASS were included based on the presence of seborrhoea and pruritus (>4 cm on the validated feline pruritus Visual Analog Scale [VAScat]), regardless of the concomitant administration of antiallergic drugs, provided that they were used for ≥1 month before study entry and maintained unchanged.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cats were evaluated weekly by owners and every other week by veterinary surgeons for 2 (optionally 4) weeks using a four-item skin seborrhoeic index (SSI). The VAScat and the scoring feline allergic dermatitis (SCORFAD) index also were used to assess pruritus and skin lesion severity, respectively. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for pre- versus post-treatment comparisons.

RESULTS: At the end of Week 2, the mean score value for SSI was significantly decreased (p = 0.016). At the same time point, the mean severity of pruritus and the mean SCORFAD index value had also decreased (p = 0.016). Moreover, 86% of the investigators were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the tested mousse. Four cats continued the study up to Week 4 and showed a further, albeit nonsignificant, decrease in all evaluated scores.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These preliminary findings have promising implications for clinical practice in cats with FASS-associated seborrhoea and are worth further investigation.

PMID:40314094 | DOI:10.1111/vde.13346

Equine Vet J. 2025 May 2. doi: 10.1111/evj.14513. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Clinical signs of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are frequently mistaken for ‘normal’ ageing and may not be optimally assessed. Objective quality of life (QoL) assessment could improve clinical decision-making.

OBJECTIVES: To develop an owner-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) assessment tool for equines with PPID. To assess factors associated with HRQoL scores.

STUDY DESIGN: Quantitative, cross-sectional study.

METHODS: HRQoL tool development followed a standard psychometric process of item (any aspect of PPID and its management that could impact QoL) identification (following interviews with veterinarians, owners and clinical record reviews), selection (online owner questionnaire) and refinement (statistical analyses; chi-squared and Cronbach’s alpha). General Linear Models were used to identify factors associated with HRQoL scores.

RESULTS: Forty-two items associated with PPID were identified. Thirty-seven items were selected for the online questionnaire. In total, 612 complete responses (n = 343 PPID and n = 269 non-PPID horses) were obtained. Through stepwise statistical item refinement, 24 items remained in the final HRQoL tool (overall Cronbach’s α = 0.835). HRQoL scores ranged from 0 (best) to 1 (worst) QoL. Median (interquartile range) HRQoL scores were 0.33 (0.22-0.44) and 0.20 (0.14-0.27) for PPID and non-PPID horses respectively. HRQoL scores for all horses were worse if they had PPID (p < 0.001) or other chronic medical conditions and were older (p < 0.015). For PPID horses specifically, HRQoL scores were also worse if they had other chronic medical conditions (p = 0.02), but HRQoL scores were not associated with current PPID treatment (treated vs. untreated horses with a PPID diagnosis), bodyweight, age, breed, sex or years since diagnosis.

MAIN LIMITATIONS: Limited numbers of untreated PPID horses.

CONCLUSION: The HRQoL tool is valid and reliable for use in horses with PPID and can be applied in further research. PPID horses with another chronic disease had worse HRQoL scores, which should be considered in other studies evaluating disease impact.

PMID:40314080 | DOI:10.1111/evj.14513

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2025 May 2:e202505548. doi: 10.1002/anie.202505548. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We investigate two unusual phenomena in self-assembly of anisotropic molecules from isotropic (Iso) melt: a heat-capacity (Cp) maximum, and spontaneous formation of the recently discovered chiral liquid (Iso*). Based on experiments on new non-chiral monomers, dimers and polymers, we construct a statistical theory that shows why many complex mesostructures form in two stages: continuous equilibrium growth of nano-clusters in melt through strong interactions, causing the Cp-maximum, followed by establishment of positional long-range order (LRO) through a weak first-order transition. We also show why many achiral compounds additionally form an intermediate chiral Iso* liquid through what we find is a second-order transition. We propose that the first process is equivalent to “supramolecular polymerization” in solutions, where the lack of inter-cluster interaction rules out LRO. Furthermore, we argue that separation into a broad and a sharp transition is universal in condensed matter where strong interactions by themselves cannot lead to LRO, either because the clusters are 1D or due to strong frustration. Clusters must first grow to critical size when, at Tc, the combined weak interactions reach ~kBTc, prompting LRO formation. A situation similar to that in soft self-assembly is seen in spin ordering in magnetic crystals, but only near 0 K.

PMID:40314063 | DOI:10.1002/anie.202505548

Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81527. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81527. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

Herbal remedies have been a mainstay of medicine for thousands of years. This systematic literature review investigated the efficacy and safety of chamomile herbal products among peripartum or postpartum women. Four peer-reviewed databases were searched through June 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was implemented, and the quality of studies was assessed using Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Assessment tools. A total of 23 studies (16 clinical trials and seven observational studies involving 2,065 women from nine countries) were included in this review. The development of clinical practice recommendations on using chamomile products during pregnancy is not feasible based on the available evidence, indicating the need for randomized, double-blind placebo control studies with larger study populations and consistent study protocols (e.g., type and dosage of chamomile ingested). Limitations of this review include its small sample size and the inclusion of multiple studies by the same research teams; these findings likely reflect insights from the same cohorts of women. Some studies reported clinically significant findings that were not statistically significant. Thus, despite weak evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of chamomile usage during pregnancy, a provider might still share the potential benefits and risks of using chamomile products with patients who use or desire to use chamomile products.

PMID:40314057 | PMC:PMC12045525 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.81527

Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81550. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81550. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the atherogenic index (AI) are emerging biomarkers that have been gaining attention in diabetes management as alternatives for assessing glycemic control in clinical settings. Since direct measurement of insulin resistance is impractical in routine care, it offers a more accessible alternative with potential broad clinical application. The TyG index and AI can serve as useful substitute biomarkers and could help in the management of glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 T2DM participants, divided into two groups: 100 with good glycemic control (<7.0%) and 100 with poor control (≥7.0%), based on HbA1c levels. Lipid profile and HbA1c were measured using Chem-7 (Erba Mannheim, India) and Insta Check semi-auto analyzers. TyG index, TyG-body mass index (BMI), and TyG-waist circumference (WC) were calculated using standard formulas. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, US), with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Among 200 subjects, 63% were men and 37% were women. The mean age for type 2 diabetes subjects is 61.24 ± 7.25 years. The mean level of the TyG index in poor glycemic control is significantly higher (30.36 ± 5.51, p < 0.001) than that of good glycemic control (4.06 ± 0.05, p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was observed between the TyG index and poor glycemic control. The TyG index has good predictive ability in poor glycemic control (area under the curve (AUC): 0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83-0.92). The TyG optimal cutoff is ≥5.22 with 78.22% sensitivity and 94.06% specificity.

CONCLUSION: The TyG index shows a significant correlation with glycemic control and could serve as a valuable supportive marker for T2DM, particularly in smaller clinical settings.

PMID:40314056 | PMC:PMC12045142 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.81550

Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81532. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81532. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

Background Obstetrical emergencies are multifaceted and complex, and their urgency demands a combination of clinical skills. As a result, it is generally observed that minimum teaching takes place during these emergencies. This study aimed to formulate a simulation learning module centered on chosen obstetrical emergencies and evaluate its efficacy in measuring the competency of undergraduate midwifery students. Design and participants The study utilized a non-randomized time series interventional research design among 188 midwifery students (control group 90, intervention group 98). A hybrid simulation was administered to the intervention group. The research employed several tools: a proforma for background variables, a structured questionnaire, and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) of selected obstetrical emergencies. Results In the present study, 98% of participants in the control group demonstrated inadequate competency in the pretest, post-test I, and post-test II. In contrast, all participants (100%) in the intervention group had adequate competency followed by moderately adequate competency in the post-test I and post-test II. The study reported that there was a significant difference between the assessments (pretest, post-test-I, post-test-II) in the knowledge and skills of the interventional group with the effect size (eta squared=0.70, 0.99), respectively. The results showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.001) in overall competency scores between the control and intervention groups at pretest, with a moderate effect size (Cohen’s d=0.68). The intervention group demonstrated substantial improvements at post-test I (Cohen’s d=23.61) and post-test II (Cohen’s d=15.83). Conclusion Hybrid simulation is an appropriate method for equipping healthcare providers to gain and maintain competence in managing obstetric emergencies. Therefore, simulation must be incorporated into the curriculum to allow students to immerse themselves in their clinical learning, which enhances their communication, confidence, and satisfaction.

PMID:40314050 | PMC:PMC12043380 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.81532

Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81533. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81533. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Cementless Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (OUKA) has been shown to have less frequent radiolucent lines and equivalent or even better results than those of cemented OUKA. However, tibial fractures are more frequent in cementless OUKA than in cemented OUKA, especially in Asian countries. A hybrid option, with a cementless femur and cemented tibia, may, therefore, be a good compromise. This study compares the clinical results of hybrid OUKA with those of fully cemented OUKA. Materials and methods This retrospective study included 108 consecutive unicompartmental knee arthroplasties implanted between September 2016 and September 2018 in our hospital. Cases were divided into two groups: those using cemented fixation and those using hybrid fixation OUKAs. Pre- and postoperative knee range of motion (ROM), operation time, pre-and postoperative Oxford knee score (OKS), and complications were compared between the groups two years after OUKA was performed. Results There was no significant difference in pre- and postoperative ROM, operation time, and OKS performed unilateral OUKA, but mean OKS was higher in the hybrid group than in the cemented group performed bilateral OUKA (p<0.01). Both groups included one revision to total knee arthroplasty each. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of revision (p=0.723). Conclusions Better clinical outcomes were achieved in the hybrid fixation group than in the cemented fixation group, with an equivalent rate of complication. Longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm the benefits of hybrid fixation in OUKA over time.

PMID:40314040 | PMC:PMC12043381 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.81533

JGH Open. 2025 Apr 29;9(5):e70171. doi: 10.1002/jgh3.70171. eCollection 2025 May.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) among newly diagnosed cancer patients in Khartoum State, Sudan, prior to chemotherapy initiation and to identify associated risk factors.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2022 to April 2023 at various oncology centers in Khartoum State. A total of 300 newly diagnosed cancer patients, aged 18 years and older, were included. Blood samples were screened for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using a rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) and confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study found that 31 patients (10.3%) were HBsAg positive. A significant association was observed between HBV positivity and patients’ history of blood transfusions (41.9% of positive cases), as well as geographic origin, with higher rates among those from Western Sudan (44.7%) and Central Sudan (40.6%). Patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies exhibited the highest HBV prevalence. Statistical analysis revealed significant correlations between HBV positivity and factors such as age, gender, residence, and transfusion history, indicating these as key risk factors.

CONCLUSION: The study reveals a notable HBV seroprevalence among cancer patients in Khartoum, particularly linked to blood transfusion history and specific regions. These findings emphasize the need for routine HBV screening in oncology patients before chemotherapy to prevent reactivation and improve clinical outcomes.

PMID:40314027 | PMC:PMC12041132 | DOI:10.1002/jgh3.70171