Tag: pubmed

Balkan J Med Genet. 2021 Mar 23;23(2):49-58. doi: 10.2478/bjmg-2020-0016. eCollection 2020 Nov.

ABSTRACT

Modifying genes play an exclusive role in the genetic regulation of the risk of breast cancer development in women with a pathogenic variation of BRCA1 or BRCA2. Therefore, it has been suggested that TNFRSF11A, which is among those modifying genes present in breast cancer development, may have a significant role in patients with positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 variations. In our study, we investigated the probable effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFRSF11A gene, such as rs4485469, rs9646629, rs34739845, rs17069904, rs 884205, rs4941129 on the risk of breast cancer in patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 variations. A total of 23 breast cancer patients with pathogenic variations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, 28 patients with no pathogenic variations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, and 55 healthy women as a control group, were included in this study. The SNPs were determined with allelic discrimination analysis through the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. There was no statistically significant difference between the SNPs of the TNFRSF11A gene rs4485469, rs9646629, rs34739845, rs17069904, rs884205, rs4941129 and metastasis, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and CerB2 receptor positivity between patient and control group (p >0.05). However, the rs4485469 SNP was found to be borderline significant between the patient groups with and without BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations (p = 0.059). In patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variations living in the Trakya region of Turkey, we could not determine the relationship between TNFRSF11 SNPs with breast cancer risk.

PMID:33816072 | PMC:PMC8009568 | DOI:10.2478/bjmg-2020-0016

Cureus. 2021 Mar 31;13(3):e14206. doi: 10.7759/cureus.14206.

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR), including symptoms of sneezing, nasal itching, airflow obstruction, and nasal discharge caused by histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated reactions, is ~30% in the U.S. Recent studies seem to suggest that the allergic inflammatory processes in AR may be induced by the interaction between an allergen (trigger) and the nasal microbiome (substrate). In this study, we have identified two agents with antihistaminic and microbiome-modulating characteristics that can be administered intranasally, namely, chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM) and xylitol (X). This study aimed to test the efficacy of intranasal CPM plus xylitol (CPM+X) nasal for the treatment of AR in an outpatient setting. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, 30-day pilot study was conducted during the spring of 2019. After starting five days of placebo therapy (run-in period), patients with moderate-to-severe AR nasal symptoms were randomized to treatment with CPM+X (n=16) spray and nasal saline placebo (PLB; n=13). Both treatments were administered in the form of one spray dose (~100 µL of the solution containing 1.25 mg CPM) per nostril twice a day. Outcome variables were the changes in visual analog scale (VAS) and daily symptoms score (DSS) at days 1, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 30 after the initiation of the treatment. ANOVA (analysis of variance) with repeated revealed a significant treatment-by-time interaction such that the CPM+X group had a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in both DSS (∆-3.0 ± 2.7) and VAS (∆-3.8 ± 2.0) scores compared to PLB after 30 days. The difference in DSS and VAS scores between the groups was evident just after five days (day 10) of using CPM+X. The CPM+X scores were significantly lower (p < 0.008) starting from day 10 compared with day 1, whereas there were no statistically significant (p > 0.008) changes in the PLB during the 30-day treatment window. The present data suggest that nasal CPM+X use effectively improves AR symptoms. A large-scale study of the long-term effects of CPM+X for the treatment of other chronic respiratory disorders and the potential microbiome-modulating effects warrants further investigation.

PMID:33816038 | PMC:PMC8010914 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.14206

3 Biotech. 2021 Apr;11(4):169. doi: 10.1007/s13205-021-02707-w. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

ABSTRACT

In this modern era, medicine is facing many alarming challenges. Among different challenges, antibiotics are gaining importance. Recent years have seen unprecedented increase in knowledge and understanding of various factors that are root cause of the spread and development of resistance in microbes against antibiotics. The infection results in the formation of microbial colonies which are termed as biofilms. However, it has been found that a multiple factors contribute in the formation of antimicrobial resistance. Due to higher dose of Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) as well as of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), a large batch of antibiotics available today are of no use as they are ineffective against infections. Therefore, to control infections, there is dire need to adopt alternative treatment for biofilm infection other than antibiotics. This review highlights the latest techniques that are being used to cure the menace of biofilm infections. A wide range of mechanisms has been examined with particular attention towards avenues which can be proved fruitful in the treatment of biofilms. Besides, newer strategies, i.e., matrix centered are also discussed as alternative therapeutic techniques including modulating microbial metabolism, matrix degrading enzyme, photodynamic therapy, natural compounds quorum sensing and nanotechnology which are being used to disrupt extra polymeric substances (EPS) matrix of desired bacterial biofilms.

PMID:33816046 | PMC:PMC7966653 | DOI:10.1007/s13205-021-02707-w

EPJ Data Sci. 2021;10(1):15. doi: 10.1140/epjds/s13688-021-00271-0. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

ABSTRACT

Working from a dataset of 118 billion messages running from the start of 2009 to the end of 2019, we identify and explore the relative daily use of over 150 languages on Twitter. We find that eight languages comprise 80% of all tweets, with English, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese being the most dominant. To quantify social spreading in each language over time, we compute the ‘contagion ratio’: The balance of retweets to organic messages. We find that for the most common languages on Twitter there is a growing tendency, though not universal, to retweet rather than share new content. By the end of 2019, the contagion ratios for half of the top 30 languages, including English and Spanish, had reached above 1-the naive contagion threshold. In 2019, the top 5 languages with the highest average daily ratios were, in order, Thai (7.3), Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, and Catalan, while the bottom 5 were Russian, Swedish, Esperanto, Cebuano, and Finnish (0.26). Further, we show that over time, the contagion ratios for most common languages are growing more strongly than those of rare languages.

PMID:33816048 | PMC:PMC8010293 | DOI:10.1140/epjds/s13688-021-00271-0

Cureus. 2021 Feb 28;13(2):e13619. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13619.

ABSTRACT

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with a physical disability and disturbed psychosocial functioning in young people. Many psychological and psychiatric comorbidities have been reported in MS. Objective To determine the frequency of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among MS patients and their relation to MS severity. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in an adult MS cohort. Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) were used to determine the presence and severity of OCD and SAD. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for statistical analysis. The Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression were used to assess the association of the two diseases with the severity of MS. Results A total of 145 persons with MS (pwMS) were studied. The mean age was 33.5 (±8.5) years; the mean duration of MS was 7.2 (± 5.1) years. The majority (74.1%) were women; 57.3% were married; 63% had a college education; 50% belonged to the higher middle-class socioeconomic strata. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis was the most common type of MS (92.2%). The mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score was 2.24 (±2.19). SAD was reported by 26.9%, and OCD was reported by 31% of the cohort. PwMS with walking difficulty but not wheelchair-bound had a statistically significant increased risk of SAD (p = 0.036). There was no direct association between MS-related disability and OCD. However, pwMS with SAD were more likely to have concomitant OCD (t=4.68, p-value <0.001, 95% CI: 0.47-1.16). Increasing disability was associated with higher chances of developing social anxiety and, in turn, OCD (t=3.39, p-value <0.001, 95% CI: 0.66-2.52). Conclusions Social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders were present in nearly one-third of pwMS. Impaired walking but not wheelchair dependence was associated with social anxiety. PwMS with SAD were more likely to have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PMID:33816018 | PMC:PMC8010157 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.13619

Cureus. 2021 Mar 1;13(3):e13634. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13634.

ABSTRACT

Background On March 3, 2020, the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was reported by the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Within days, the government confirmed more cases and adopted lockdown measures with travel restrictions from March to June 2020. A distinctive coronavirus was isolated from 190,823 patients by June 30. The pandemic resulted in a significant risk to public health. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the rate of premature births. Method In this cross-sectional study, we observed premature births at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The study site is a 1,500-bed teaching hospital, with around 4,500 annual deliveries, 70 beds in level II and level III, and tertiary care NICU. We compared the birth rates among preterm infants between March 1 to June 30, 2017-2019, to the similar calendar months of 2020. Information on nationality, gestational age, and maternal conditions were collected from the medical records. We used the Poisson regression model to assess the preterm birth rate’s temporal trends before lockdown versus during lockdown. Results Among 7,226 total live neonates, we recorded 1,320 preterm infants during the study period of 2017-2020. The preterm birth rate per 1,000 live births during lockdown showed a 23% drop in the overall preterm birth rate with Prevented Fraction of 36% in extremely preterm (<28 weeks gestational age) births and 26% in moderate/late premature (32 weeks to 36 weeks + 6 days gestational age) births. The estimated preterm birth rate among the Saudi expats (15.11/1,000 live births) showed an increased tendency compared to Saudi nationals (odds ratio [OR]=1.07; 95% CI: 0.75-1.52) and was statistically not significant during the strict lockdown. Conclusion There was a significant reduction in the birth rate of extremely preterm and moderate/late preterm infants during lockdown when compared to the preceding three years. A national dataset is required to evaluate the extent of lockdown’s impact on the preterm birth rate.

PMID:33816033 | PMC:PMC8011548 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.13634

Cureus. 2021 Mar 1;13(3):e13635. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13635.

ABSTRACT

Background and objectives Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an independent risk factor for increased mortality, especially in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), but the mechanism of its development is unknown. This study aimed at evaluating volume overload and inflammation as potential variables to cause its development in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Materials and methods This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted on patients undergoing hemodialysis at a tertiary hospital in northern India. Patients of end-stage renal disease, aged 18 years or more, on maintenance hemodialysis for over two months were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of PH, determined by measuring systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP). The severity of PH was defined as: mild (SPAP 35-45 mmHg), moderate (SPAP 46-55 mmHg), and severe (SPAP> 55mmHg). The two groups were evaluated for demographic variables, type of vascular access, biochemical parameters, and markers of inflammation and fluid overload. Data between the two groups were compared statistically. Results This study included a total of 82 patients showing the prevalence of PH to be 25.6% with a men-to-women ratio of 2:1. Out of 21 cases of PH, mild PH was found in seven (33.3%) cases, moderate in 14 (66.7%), and cases with severe PH were none. The two groups differed significantly in ejection fraction and markers of inflammation and volume status. Laboratory data associated with PH were alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (p<0.05) and pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (p <0.05). Conclusion The present study showed higher levels of inflammatory markers alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and pro-b-type natriuretic peptide and lower levels of ejection fraction in patients undergoing HD, indicating a significant association with PH.

PMID:33816034 | PMC:PMC8011622 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.13635

Cureus. 2021 Feb 25;13(2):e13548. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13548.

ABSTRACT

Background Asthma is a common public health issue in the pediatric population. The prevalence of asthma in children in Saudi Arabia is increasing. All asthmatic children with continuous symptoms should use controller medications. These medications if used correctly by the patients will diminish the symptoms and avoid exacerbations that lead to hospitalization. Perception of parents toward a particular device can affect the adherence rate. Aim Assessing the parental perception about metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and nebulizers differences among the Saudi population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess Parental perception about MDIs and nebulizers among Saudi parents with an asthmatic child. The data were collected from the parents and caregivers by using an online questionnaire and informed consent was obtained. The questionnaire was focused on demographic characteristics, knowledge, perception and practice of treating the asthmatic child. Data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and the results were considered statistically significant if P < 0.05. Results A total of 1,021 participants included in this study. This study found asthma is predominant in males (64.4%) and the most affected age is between 8 and 14 years (56.3%). More than half of the parents (58.7%) had a bachelor’s degree and above. MDI is the most method used for controlling asthma (32.7%) and the majority of them (70.2%) thought there is a therapeutic difference between MDI and nebulizer. Providing instructions and information on usage MDI was received from 65.2%. Significant relationships were found between the level of satisfaction and receiving enough information about MDI and level of education. Conclusion This study found that asthma is more prevalent in males, where MDI is more common. Majority of the parents had thought that there is a difference in the therapeutic effects between MDI and nebulizer. They believed that nebulizer is more effective, less side effect and cheaper while MDI is easier to use.

PMID:33815971 | PMC:PMC8007121 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.13548

Cureus. 2021 Feb 26;13(2):e13577. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13577.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is a measurement obtained with invasive right heart catheterization (RHC) that is commonly used for management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is also done as part of the workup for PAH in some cases. The aim of our study was to assess the correlation of contrast dynamic changes in the main pulmonary artery (MPA) on CTPA with PVR obtained with RHC.

METHODS: This is an IRB-approved retrospective study performed in two separate institutions (Medical College of Wisconsin and University of Alabama) between January 2010 and December 2013. During CTPA done as test bolus, serial images are acquired at the level of MPA after intravenous injection of contrast to determine timing of the CT acquisition. Since the PVR changes with the degree of PAH, we hypothesize that will be reflected in the contrast kinetics in MPA. A correlation of standard CT metrics (MPA diameter, right pulmonary artery [PA] diameter, left PA diameter, MPA/aorta ratio, and right ventricle/left ventricle [RV/LV] ratio) and dynamic (full width at half maximum) CTPA parameters in patients with known PAH was performed with PVR obtained from RHC done within 30 days. Statistical analysis was performed by Pearson correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: Among 221 patients in our database, 37 patients fulfilled the selection criteria. There was a strong correlation between full width half maximum (FWHM) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) (r=0.69, p value<0.00001), PVR (r=0.8, p value<0.00001) and indexed PVR (PVRI) (r=0.75, p value<0.00001).

CONCLUSION: FWHM obtained from CTPA strongly correlates with RHC parameters and is potentially more helpful than static measurements for follow-up of patients with known PAH to assess response to treatment or progression.

PMID:33815985 | PMC:PMC8009445 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.13577

Am J Cardiovasc Dis. 2021 Feb 15;11(1):124-135. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLA) may have beneficial effects on the prevention of atherosclerosis, but their net effects on circulating levels of lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] are unclear. The present study aimed to systematically review and analyze the Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of CLA on circulating Lp (a) concentrations. A literature search of SCOPUS, PubMed-Medline, ISI, Web of Science, and Cochrane library databases was conducted for the relevant RCTs investigating the effects of CLA supplementation on circulating Lp (a) levels, which had been published up to 20 August 2020. Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were reported as the summary statistics. Statistical analysis were done with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) V2 software (Biostat, NJ). Totally, six studies with 13 treatment arms including 752 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed a significant increase in circulating Lp (a) levels after CLA supplementation (WMD: 16.68 mg/L, 95% CI: 5.43-27.93; P=0.004) with no evidence of heterogeneity across the studies. In the subgroup analysis, a more significant elevation of Lp (a) levels was observed in the trials lasting for six months or more (WMD: 21.61 mg/L, 95% CI: 9.85-33.37, P<0.001) as well as in those with a supplementation dosage of ≥3.5 g/d (WMD: 26.13 mg/L, 95% CI: 7.02-45.24, P=0.007). These findings were sensitive to one study. It can be concluded that CLA supplementation with a dose of ≥3.5 g/d over a six-month period might significantly increase the circulating Lp (a) concentrations.

PMID:33815928 | PMC:PMC8012289