Medicine
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Observational Study
Makorin Ring Finger Protein 1 as Adjunctive Marker in Liquid-based Cervical Cytology.
To assess the utility of makorin ring finger protein 1 (MKRN1) as a marker of cervical pathology. A PROspective specimen collection and retrospective Blinded Evaluation study was conducted. Liquid-based cytology samples were collected from 187 women, embedding all residuals as cell blocks for immunohistochemical staining of MKRN1 and P16. ⋯ Makorin ring finger protein 1 displayed greater sensitivity and specificity than liquid-based cytology and proved more specific than HPV assay. In combination testing, MKRN1 + HPV showed the highest sensitivity and specificity levels. The MKRN1 biomarker may be a useful adjunct in primary cervical cytology screening.
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Observational Study
General and Abdominal Adiposity and Risk of Death in HBV Versus Non-HBV Carriers: A 10-Year Population-based Cohort Study.
Both obesity and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection increase the risk of death. We investigate the association between general and central obesity and all-cause mortality among adult Taiwanese HBV versus non-HBV carriers. A total of 19,850 HBV carriers and non-hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers, aged 20 years and older at enrollment in 1998 to 1999 in Taiwan, were matched to 79,400 non-HBV and non-HCV carriers (1:4). ⋯ For those with pre-existing liver disease among HBV carriers, patients with underweight have higher risk of death than those with obesity. Hepatitis B virus carriers with underweight have higher risk of death than non-HBV carriers. HBV carriers with mild abdominal obesity have the lowest risk of death, but not in the non-HBV carriers.
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The incidence of Sjögren syndrome (SS) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients is high. The influence of SS on the clinical outcomes of PBC patients, however, remains unclear. Our study retrospectively collected data on PBC-only patients and PBC patients with concomitant SS (PBC-SS) to compare the clinical differences of long-term outcomes between them. ⋯ Although the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, end-stage renal disease, variceal bleeding, and hypothyroidism were all higher in the PBC-SS group than in the PBC-only group, the differences were not significant. Our study suggests that PBC-SS patients have a higher risk of developing interstitial lung disease and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and have a poor prognosis. Aggressive surveillance of thyroid and pulmonary functions should therefore be performed in these patients.
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This study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance medical claims to investigate the predictors for operative modes chosen by early-stage breast cancer patients; as well as to assess whether operative modes are associated with risk of mood disorder. We included 36,377 patients with breast cancer who received surgery between 2000 and 2008, and were followed to the end of 2010; they were further classified into 3 groups: mastectomy alone (n = 34,900), along with early reconstruction (n = 1080), and along with delayed reconstruction (n = 397). ⋯ Breast cancer patients with mastectomy alone, early reconstruction, and delayed reconstruction showed a cumulative incidence rate of mood disorder of 36.90%, 41.56%, and 33.89%, respectively. The multiple cox proportional model further revealed that early (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.93-1.21) and delayed (HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.96-1.42) reconstruction were associated with a slightly higher but insignificant risk of mood disorder, as compared to the patients received no reconstruction.
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Observational Study
Association Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in DNA Polymerase Kappa Gene and Breast Cancer Risk in Chinese Han Population: A STROBE-Compliant Observational Study.
DNA polymerases are responsible for ensuring stability of the genome and avoiding genotoxicity caused by a variety of factors during DNA replication. Consequently, these proteins have been associated with an increased cancer risk. DNA polymerase kappa (POLK) is a specialized DNA polymerase involved in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) that allows DNA synthesis over the damaged DNA. ⋯ Furthermore, our results indicated that rs5744533 SNP has a protective role in the postmenopausal women. However, we failed to find any associations between rs3213801 polymorphism and susceptibility to BC. Our results indicate that POLK polymorphisms may influence the risk of developing BC, and, because of this, may serve as a prognostic biomarker among Chinese women.