Medicine
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The issue of obesity has emerged as a significant global health challenge; nevertheless, the association between Bell's palsy (BP) and obesity remains ambiguous. In this study, the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to investigate their relationship, while network pharmacology methods were utilized to unveil the underlying mechanisms. ⋯ Our study findings suggest that obesity may increase the risk of BP, and its underlying mechanism may potentially involve regulating chemical synaptic transmission through the EFGR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Observational Study
Prediction potential of serum sulfatide levels at diagnosis for end-stage kidney disease progression in ANCA-associated vasculitis.
The aim was to investigate the ability of serum sulfatide levels at diagnosis to reflect the cross-sectional activity and further longitudinally predict the occurrence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) during the follow-up period in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), regardless of kidney involvement at diagnosis. This study included 67 patients first diagnosed with AAV with available clinical data, including Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and blood samples at diagnosis. Serum sulfatide levels were assessed using stored serum samples at the time of diagnosis. ⋯ However, no significant cutoff of serum sulfatide levels for all-cause mortality was obtained. Patients with serum sulfatide levels ≤ 332.5 pg/mL at diagnosis exhibited both significantly higher frequency of ESKD progression (22.7% vs 0%, P = .012) and lower ESKD-free survival rate than those without (P = .011). This study highlighted the clinical usefulness of measuring serum sulfatide levels at the time of diagnosis as a biomarker to predict ESKD progression in patients with AAV regardless of kidney involvement at diagnosis.
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Previous investigations through observation have found that matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) has benefits for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) but it is uncertain whether there is a true positive causal connection. Our goal was to demonstrate the relationship between AS and MMP-3. We executed Mendelian randomization (MR) research utilizing genome-wide association studies genetic data (n = 21,758) for MMP-3 publicly available from IEU Open and genome-wide association studies data for AS (n = 297,932) from FinnGen Biobank. ⋯ The IVW method demonstrated that MMP-3 had a causal effect on AS (odds ratio, 0.9047 [95% confidence interval, 0.8080-1.0129]; P = .0823). Certainly, other MR techniques were in accordance with the tendency of the IVW method (P < .05), and sensitivity testing verified the reliability of this MR result. This MR study substantiates the causal role of MMP-3 in the development of AS, offering valuable insights into the disease mechanism and potential therapeutic targets.
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Cardiac arrest (CA) is a life-threatening event with a high mortality rate, and neurological injury following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a leading cause of death and disability in survivors. While prolonged CPR is often associated with poor neurological outcomes, there is limited evidence of successful recovery following extended resuscitation efforts. This study aims to highlight the potential for recovery after prolonged CPR by reporting a case of a patient who underwent 152 minutes of CPR, regained consciousness, and made a full recovery. The purpose is to explore whether advanced life-support techniques, such as extracorporeal CPR (ECPR), can improve survival and neurological outcomes even after prolonged CA. ⋯ This case demonstrates that prolonged CPR, when combined with advanced interventions such as ECPR, can result in favorable outcomes, including survival and neurological recovery. The findings suggest that with timely and appropriate treatment, even patients with extended resuscitation efforts may achieve full recovery, thus underscoring the potential of ECPR as a critical life-saving intervention in cases of prolonged CA.
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Observational Study
Identification of DNA damage repair-related genes in sepsis using bioinformatics and machine learning: An observational study.
Sepsis is a life-threatening disease with a high mortality rate, for which the pathogenetic mechanism still unclear. DNA damage repair (DDR) is essential for maintaining genome integrity. This study aimed to explore the role of DDR-related genes in the development of sepsis and further investigated their molecular subtypes to enrich potential diagnostic biomarkers. ⋯ A notable difference in the immune microenvironment landscape was discovered between sepsis patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, all 3 genes were significantly associated with various immune cells. Our findings identify potential new diagnostic markers for sepsis that shed light on novel pathogenetic mechanism of sepsis and, therefore, may offer opportunities for potential intervention and treatment strategies.