Postgraduate medical journal
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Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in many key bioprocesses, including the occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to analyze the association of genetic variants of long non-coding RNA LOC553103 and its peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) expression with RA. ⋯ This study provides the first evidence supporting an association between LOC553103 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility of RA and a relationship of PBMC level of LOC553103 with clinical manifestations and laboratory indicators of RA patients.
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Historical Article
A Journey of Innovation: 40 years of Pioneering Medical Education at the Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan.
This article presents an overview of Aga Khan University's (AKU) pioneering medical education initiatives over the past 40 years, exploring its impact on healthcare in the region and its commitment to advancing medical education and research in the developing world. Established in 1983 as the first private university in Pakistan, AKU has evolved into a global institution with a focus on improving healthcare standards and addressing healthcare needs in the developing world. The article also discusses the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programs at AKU Medical College, Pakistan, highlighting their unique features and pioneering approaches to medical education. The institution's journey highlights its ability to adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape while maintaining a focus on quality and excellence, offering a model for other institutions striving to meet healthcare needs in low- and middle-income countries.
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Providing family updates is a common clinical task for medical trainees and practitioners working in hospital settings. Good clinical communication skills are essential in clinical care as it is associated with improved patient satisfaction, understanding of condition, treatment adherence, and better overall clinical outcomes. Moreover, poor communications are often the source of medical complaints. ⋯ In fact, in Asian populations with more collectivistic cultures, families are generally highly involved in patient care and decision-making. Therefore, effective clinical communications and regular provision of family updates are essential to build therapeutic rapport, facilitate familial involvement in patient care, and also provide a more holistic understanding of the patient's background and psychosocial set-up. In this article, we herein describe a seven-step understand the clinical context, gather perspectives, deliver medical information, address questions, concerns and expectations, provide tentative plans, demonstrate empathy, postcommunication reflections model as a practical guide for medical trainees and practitioners in provision of structured and effective family updates in their clinical practice.