Tag: pubmed

Clin Chem. 2021 Aug 5;67(8):1113-1121. doi: 10.1093/clinchem/hvab091.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial diseases (MD) are genetic metabolic disorders that impair normal mitochondrial structure or function. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccfmtDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), together with other biomarkers (growth differentiation factor-15 [GDF-15], alanine, and lactate), in a cohort of 25 patients with a molecular diagnosis of MD.

METHODS: Measurement of ccfmtDNA was performed by using droplet digital PCR.

RESULTS: The mean copy number of ccfmtDNA was approximately 6 times higher in the MD cohort compared to the control group; patients with mitochondrial deletion and depletion syndromes (MDD) had the higher levels. We also detected the presence of both wild-type mtDNA and mtDNA deletions in CSF samples of patients with single deletions. Patients with MDD with single deletions had significantly higher concentrations of GDF-15 in CSF than controls, whereas patients with point mutations in mitochondrial DNA presented no statistically significant differences. Additionally, we found a significant positive correlation between ccfmtDNA levels and GDF-15 concentrations (r = 0.59, P = 0.016).

CONCLUSION: CSF ccfmtDNA levels are significantly higher in patients with MD in comparison to controls and, thus, they can be used as a novel biomarker for MD research. Our results could also be valuable to support the clinical outcome assessment of MD patients.

PMID:34352085 | DOI:10.1093/clinchem/hvab091

Surg Technol Int. 2021 Aug 5;39:sti39/1465. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Partial knee arthroplasty (PKA) is performed to treat end-stage osteoarthritis in a single compartment. There are minimal data characterizing soft-tissue injuries for PKA with robotic and manual techniques. This cadaver study compared the extent of soft-tissue trauma sustained through robotic-arm assisted PKA (RPKA) and manual PKA (MPKA). Five surgeons prepared 24 cadaveric knees for medial PKA, including six MPKA controls and 18 RPKA assigned into three different workflows: RPKA-LB (six knees) – RPKA with legacy burr; RPKA-NB (six knees) – RPKA with new burr design; and RPKA-NBS (six knees) – RPKA with new burr design and oscillating saw. Two surgeons estimated trauma to the patellar tendon, quadriceps tendon, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), medial capsule, posterior capsule, and posterior cruciate ligament (PCLs) using a five-grade system: Grade 1 – complete soft tissue preservation; Grade 2 – ≤25%; Grade 3 – 26 to 50%; Grade 4 – 51 to 75%; and Grade 5 – ≥76% trauma. A total trauma grade was assigned by summing the grades. Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests were used to assess outcomes. When compared to the MPKA group, all RPKA subgroups had lower total trauma grading (p<0.01), lower posterior capsular damage (p<0.01), and less severe ACL damage (p<0.01). The analysis demonstrated no significant difference between the three RPKA workflows. As this study was performed using cadaveric specimens, additional investigations are necessary to determine associations between robotic or manual-assisted technique, observed soft tissue damage, and postoperative clinical outcomes following PKA.

PMID:34352111

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255740. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255740. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The optimal surgical approach for critically ill patients with complex coronary disease remains uncertain. We compared outcomes of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) versus single ITA (SITA) revascularization in critical patients.

METHODS: We evaluated 394 consecutive critical patients with multi-vessel disease who underwent CABG during 1996-2001. Outcomes measured were early mortality, strokes, myocardial-infarctions, sternal infections, revisions for bleeding, and late survival. The critical preoperative state was acknowledged concisely by one or more of the following: preoperative ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, aborted sudden cardiac death, or the need for mechanical ventilation or for preoperative insertion of intra-aortic-balloon counter-pulsation.

RESULTS: During the study period, 193 of our patients who underwent SITA and 201 who underwent BITA were in critical condition. The SITA group was older (mean 68.0 vs. 63.3 years, p = 0.001) and higher proportions were females (28.5% vs. 18.9% p = 0.025), after recent-MI (69.9% vs. 57.2% p = 0.009) and with left-main disease (38.3% vs. 49.3% p = .029); the median logistic EuroSCORE was higher (0.2898 vs. 0.1597, p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between the SITA and BITA groups in 30-day mortality; and in rates of early CVA, MI and sternal infections (13.0% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.148; 4.1% vs. 6.0%, p = 0.49; 6.7% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.32 and 2.1% vs. 2.5%, p>0.99, respectively). Long-term survival (median follow-up of 15 years, interquartile-range: 13.57-15) was better in the BITA group (median 14.39 vs. 9.31± 0.9 years, p = 0.001). Propensity-score matching (132 matched pairs) also yielded similar early outcomes and improved long-term survival (median follow-up of 15 years, interquartile-range: 13.56-15) for the BITA group (median 12.49±1.71 vs. 7.63±0.99 years, p = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, BITA revascularization was found to be a predictor for improved survival (hazard-ratio of 0.419, 95%CI 0.23-0.76, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated long-term survival benefit for BITA revascularization in patients in a critical pre-operative state who presented for surgical revascularization.

PMID:34352035 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255740

Hell J Nucl Med. 2021 Aug 6:s002449912351. doi: 10.1967/s002449912351. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Chromogranin A (CgA) is a soluble polypeptide stored within and released from secretory granules of endocrine and other cell types (including cardiomyocytes); CgA appears to be a marker of overall neuroendocrine activity. Increased levels of serum CgA have been found not only in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms but also with other malignancies, hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart or renal failure.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A population of 307 patients (202 males, 105 females) was enrolled. The study group consisted of 118 individuals (38.4%) with myocardial infarction more than one year old (MI group); the remaining 189 (61.6%) had no known heart disease (control group). All patients underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) after blood withdrawal for serum CgA measurement. To test whether a possible effect of old infarction on serum CgA is mediated by MPS findings, we employed analysis of covariance for three distinct categories of left ventricular (LV) perfusion deficits as dichotomous predictors: (1) any-type deficits (abnormal MPS); (2) reversible deficits (ischemia); and (3) fixed deficits (scar).

RESULTS: In all three MPS conditions, the effect of age, gender, and LV ejection fraction (EFLV) on serum CgA was statistically significant: women exhibited higher CgA levels than men (P=0.008-0.023), whereas increasing age and decreasing EFLV were associated with increasing CgA (all P<0.001). Conversely, no statistically significant differences in mean CgA levels were found between MI patients and normal controls with either abnormal MPS, scar, or ischemia, or their degree and extent.

CONCLUSION: Although serum CgA is significantly associated with age, gender, and EFLV in patients with an old MI, no association was found between CgA levels and either old MI history or MPS findings. The verified involvement of circulating CgA in the acute/subacute phase of infarction appears to be blunted in infarctions older than a year.

PMID:34352046 | DOI:10.1967/s002449912351

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255723. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255723. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to any behavior by either a current or ex-intimate partner or would-be rejected lover that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm. It is the most common form of violence in women’s lives. According to a World Health Organization report, about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience at least one form of IPV from an intimate partner at some point in her life. In the Gambia, about 62% of pregnant women experience at least one form of violence from an intimate partner. IPV has severe physical and mental health consequences on a woman ranging from minor bodily injury to death. It also increases the risk of low birth weight, premature delivery, and neonatal death.

METHODS: A health facility-based cross-sectional study design was carried out to assess the magnitude and factors associated with intimate partner violence among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in the rural Gambia. The study enrolled 373 pregnant women, and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the study participants. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Ver.22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to determine the presence and strength of associated factors with IPV.

RESULT: The study reveals that the prevalence of IPV in The Gambia is 67%, with psychological violence (43%) being the most common form of IPV reported by the respondents. The multivariate logistic regression result reveals that being aged 35 years or older [AOR 5.1(95% CI 1.5-17.8)], the experience of parents quarreling during childhood [AOR 1.7(95% CI 1.0-2.75)], and having cigarette smoking partners [AOR 2.3 (95% CI 1.10-4.6)] were significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that all forms of IPV in rural Gambia are frequent. Women older than 35 years, had experienced parents quarreling, had a partner who smoked, and a partner who fight with others were more likely report IPV compared to other pregnant women in the study. We recommend that IPV screening should be included as an integral part of routine antenatal care services in The Gambia. Community-based interventions that include indigenous leaders, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders are crucial to create awareness on all forms of IPV and address the risk factors found to influence the occurrence of IPV in rural Gambia.

PMID:34352019 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255723

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255808. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255808. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is very essential to achieve a great outcome of drugs via suppressing viral load, preventing multidrug resistance, and reducing mother to a child transmission rate of the Human Immune Virus.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the level of adherence to option B plus PMTCT and associated factors among HIV Positive pregnant and lactating women in public health facilities of Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia, 2020 G.C.

METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study was done on 254 HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women attending the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) follow-up. Participants were selected by simple random sampling. Data collected through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire were cleaned and entered into Epi-data 3.1 and exported to SPSS 20 for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis was done. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done to measure the strength of association between independent and dependent variables using the odds ratio and 95% of confidence interval. A p-value <0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

RESULT: The overall adherence level to option B+ was 224 (88.2%). Respondents in age group of ≤ 25 [AOR = 0.12, 95% CI (0.03, 0.42)], with no formal education [AOR = 0.12, 95% CI (0.03, 0.51)], experienced drug side effects [AOR = 0.11, 95% CI (0.04, 0.32)], have good knowledge of PMTCT [AOR = 3.6, 95% CI (1.16, 11.3)], and get support from partner/family [AOR = 4.5, 95% CI (1.62, 12.4)] were identified associated factors with adherence level.

CONCLUSION: The level of adherence to option B plus PMTCT was 88.2% which is suboptimal. Ages, educational level, knowledge on PMTCT, getting support from partner/family, and drug side effect were significantly associated with adherence. Therefore, educating and counseling on the service of PMTCT to improve their knowledge and encouraging partner/family involvement in care are mandatory to achieve the standard adherence level.

PMID:34352020 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255808

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255727. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255727. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis (TB) incidence and corresponding mortality rates in S. Korea are unusual and unique compared to other economically developed countries. Korea has the highest TB incidence rate in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. TB is known as a disease reflecting socio-economic and environmental conditions of a society. Besides, TB is an infectious disease spread through the air, naturally forming spatial dependence of its incidence. This study investigates TB incidences in Korea in socio-economic and environmental perspectives. Eigenvector spatial filtering applied accounts for spatial autocorrelation in the TB incidence, and Getis-Ord [Formula: see text] statistic tracks the changes of TB clusters at given time. The results show that population composition ratio, population growth rate, health insurance payment, and public health variables are significant throughout the study period. Environmental variables make minor effects on TB incidence. This study argues that unique demographic features of Korea are a potential threat to TB control in the future.

PMID:34352032 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255727

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255661. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255661. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, forensic authorship authentication plays a vital role in identifying the number of unknown authors as a result of the world’s rapidly rising internet use. This paper presents two-level learning techniques for authorship authentication. The learning technique is supplied with linguistic knowledge, statistical features, and vocabulary features to enhance its efficiency instead of learning only. The linguistic knowledge is represented through lexical analysis features such as part of speech. In this study, a two-level classifier has been presented to capture the best predictive performance for identifying authorship. The first classifier is based on vocabulary features that detect the frequency with which each author uses certain words. This classifier’s results are fed to the second one which is based on a learning technique. It depends on lexical, statistical and linguistic features. All of the three sets of features describe the author’s writing styles in numerical forms. Through this work, many new features are proposed for identifying the author’s writing style. Although, the proposed new methodology is tested for Arabic writings, it is general and can be applied to any language. According to the used machine learning models, the experiment carried out shows that the trained two-level classifier achieves an accuracy ranging from 94% to 96.16%.

PMID:34352003 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255661

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255855. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255855. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Reduced-port laparoscopic gastrectomy is currently widely performed for patients with gastric cancer. However, its safety in obese patients has not yet been verified. This is the first study on reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (RpLDG) in obese patients with gastric cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term surgical outcomes and investigate the feasibility and safety of RpLDG in obese patients with gastric carcinoma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 271 gastric cancer patients who underwent RpLDG at our institution were divided into two groups: non-obese [body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2, n = 251; NOG] and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n = 20; OG). The mean age of the enrolled patients was 64.8 ± 11.4 years, with 72.0% being men and 28.0% women. Operative details and short-term surgical outcomes, including hospital course and postoperative complications, were compared by retrospectively reviewing the medical records.

RESULTS: No significant difference in operation time was found between the NOG and OG (205.9 ± 40.0 vs. 211.3 ± 37.3 minutes, P = 0.563). Other operative outcomes in the OG, including estimated blood loss (54.1 ± 86.1 vs. 54.0 ± 39.0 mL, P = 0.995) and retrieved lymph nodes (36.2 ± 16.4 vs. 35.5 ± 18.2, P = 0.875), were not inferior to those in the NOG. There were also no statistical differences in short-term surgical outcomes, including the incidence of surgical complications (13.9% vs. 10.0%, P = 1).

CONCLUSION: RpLDG can be performed safely in obese gastric cancer patients by an experienced surgeon. It should be considered a feasible alternative to conventional port distal gastrectomy.

PMID:34352015 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255855

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255641. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255641. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intestinal parasitic infections are closely associated with low household income, poor personal and environmental sanitation, and overcrowding, limited access to clean water, tropical climate and low altitude. Street dwellers and prisoners are forced to live in deprived situations characterized by inadequate facilities. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasitic infections among street dwellers and prison inmates.

METHOD: Study searches were carried out in Electronic data bases such as PubMed/Medline, HINARI, EMBASE, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. Studies published only in English and have high quality Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) scores were included for analysis using Stata version 14 software. Random-effects meta-analysis model was used for analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane’s Q test and I2 test statistics with its corresponding p-values. Moreover, subgroup, sensitivity analyses and publication bias were computed.

RESULT: Seventeen eligible studies consist of 4,544 study participants were included. Majority of the study participants were males (83.5%) and the mean age of the study participants was 25.7 years old. The pooled prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among street dwellers and prison inmates was 43.68% (95% CI 30.56, 56.79). Sub-group analysis showed that the overall pooled prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among prison inmates and street dwellers was 30.12% (95%CI: 19.61, 40.62) and 68.39% (95%CI: 57.30, 79.49), respectively. There was statistically significant association between untrimmed fingernail and intestinal parasitic infections (AOR: 1.09 (95%CI: 0.53, 2.23).

CONCLUSION: In this study, the pooled prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among street dwellers and prison inmates was relatively high. Fingernail status had statistically significant association with intestinal parasitic infection. The prevention and control strategy of intestinal parasitic infection should also target socially deprived segment of the population such as street dwellers and prison inmates.

PMID:34352000 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255641