BioMed research international
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To investigate the immune status of people who previously had COVID-19 infections, we recruited two-week postrecovery patients and analyzed circulating cytokine and lymphocyte subsets. We measured levels of total lymphocytes, CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD19+ B cells, and CD56+ NK cells and the serum concentrations of interleukin- (IL-) 1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by flow cytometry. We found that in most postrecovery patients, levels of total lymphocytes (66.67%), CD3+ T cells (54.55%), CD4+ T cells (54.55%), CD8+ T cells (81.82%), CD19+ B cells (69.70%), and CD56+ NK cells (51.52%) remained lower than normal, whereas most patients showed normal levels of IL-2 (100%), IL-4 (80.88%), IL-6 (79.41%), IL-10 (98.53%), TNF-α (89.71%), IFN-γ (100%), and IL-17 (97.06%). ⋯ By ROC curve analysis, postrecovery decreases in lymphocyte subsets and increases in cytokines were identified as independent predictors of rehabilitation efficacy. These findings indicate that the immune system gradually recovers following COVID-19 infection; however, the sustained hyperinflammatory response for more than 14 days suggests a need to continue medical observation following discharge from the hospital. Longitudinal studies of a larger cohort of recovered patients are needed to fully understand the consequences of the infection.
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The dynamic hip screw (DHS) with the addition of an angular stable trochanter-stabilizing plate (TSP) has been considered the ideal treatment for the unstable intertrochanteric fracture type. However, there have been few comparisons between DHS+TSP augmentation with intramedullary (IM) nailing. The aim of this retrospectively registered study was to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with the unstable type of intertrochanteric fractures treated with DHS+TSP or IM nailing (proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA)). ⋯ We found that DHS+TSP was associated with less operation time and less postoperative decrease in hemoglobin but more residual pain and implant irritation than those of PFNA. As a treatment for unstable intertrochanteric fracture, DHS+TSP provided ideal surgical outcomes which were not inferior to the PFNA.
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To evaluate the surgical efficacy of bone transport (Ilizarov technique) plus "shortening-lengthening," "flap surgery," and "open bone transport" as individualized treatments for traumatic composite tibial bone and soft tissue defects. ⋯ The Ilizarov technique yields satisfactory efficacy for composite tibial bone and soft tissue defects when combined with "shortening-lengthening technique," "flap surgery," and "open bone transport" with appropriate individualized treatment strategies.
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Observational Study
Altered Gut Microbiota and Shift in Bacteroidetes between Young Obese and Normal-Weight Korean Children: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.
Emerging data suggest that the gut microbiome is related to the pathophysiology of obesity. This study is aimed at characterizing the gut microbiota composition between obese and normal-weight Korean children aged 5-13. We collected fecal samples from 22 obese and 24 normal-weight children and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. ⋯ Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) analysis revealed that the functions related to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the microbiota were more enriched in the normal-weight group than in the obese group. Our data may contribute to the understanding of the gut microbial structure of young Korean children in relation to obesity. These findings suggest that Bacteroidetes may be a potential therapeutic target in pediatric obesity.
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In our study, we aimed to screen the risk factors that affect overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in adult glioma patients and to develop and evaluate nomograms. ⋯ We developed nomograms to predict 3- and 5-year OS rates and 3- and 5-year CSS rates in adult high-grade glioma patients. Both the training set and the validation set showed good calibration and validation, indicating the clinical applicability of the nomogram and good predictive results.