Medicine
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Case Reports
Case Report: Human Bocavirus Associated Pneumonia as Cause of Acute Injury, Cologne, Germany.
Although the human bocavirus (HBoV) is known since a decade, limited information about its pathogenesis is available due to the lack of an animal model. Thus, clinical cases and studies are the major source of novel information about the course of infection and the related pathophysiology. ⋯ During the initial phase, an acute active HBoV infection was confirmed by positive polymerase chain reactions from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum. The case further demonstrates that HBoV can cause severe pneumonia, induce secondary disease also in adults, and may be associated with neurological symptoms as previously assumed.
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Review Meta Analysis
NF-κB Expression and Outcomes in Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) is a key inflammatory transcription factor expressed frequently in tumors. Numerous studies have investigated the correlation between NF-κB expression and prognosis in solid tumors, but the conclusions are still in contradiction. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to explore the overall association of NF-κB overexpression and survival in human solid tumors. ⋯ There is no correlation between cellular localization of NF-kB overexpression and OS of solid tumors. Among the tumor types, NF-κB was associated with worse 3 year-OS of colorectal cancer (OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.64-4.46, P < 0.0001), esophageal carcinoma (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 3.29-10.94, P < 0.0001) and worse 5 year-OS of colorectal cancer (OR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.92-3.85, P < 0.00001), esophageal carcinoma (OR = 5.96, 95% CI = 3.48-10.18, P = 0.03), and nonsmall cell lung cancer (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.20-2.38, P = 0.002). Expression of NF-κB is associated with worse survival in most solid tumors irrespective of NF-κB localization.
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with a poor prognosis. A number of studies reported the association between MUC5B promoter polymorphism rs35705950 and IPF, but substantial inconsistent findings were observed and the strength of association remains unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between rs35705950 and IPF in different ethnic populations. ⋯ The strength of association was more remarkable in the Caucasian population than in the Asian population, and no homozygous TT genotype was detected in the Asian population in our study. Our study revealed strong association between the MUC5B promoter rs35705950 polymorphism and the risk of IPF. The strength of association between rs35705950 minor T allele and IPF susceptibility was particularly evident in the Caucasian population, and milder but still significant in the Asian population.
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Meta Analysis
Effect of Probiotics on Blood Lipid Concentrations: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Previous clinical studies have reported mixed results regarding the effect of probiotics on lipid metabolism. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to quantify the direction and magnitude of the potential effect of probiotics on blood lipid concentrations. Eligible studies were randomized, placebo-controlled trials whose interventions were probiotic products containing live bacteria. ⋯ In addition, industry sponsorship may affect study findings. These results suggest that the use of probiotics may improve lipid metabolism by decreasing total and LDL cholesterol concentrations. However, both the efficacy of probiotics for cholesterol lowering and safety should be investigated further in well-designed clinical trials.
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The evidence for optimal endoscopic management of bleeding gastric varices is lacking. The clinical outcome is controversial in trials comparing cyanoacrylate injection and band ligation. To help guide endoscopic decisions regarding acute gastric variceal bleeding, a meta-analysis was conducted. ⋯ The major limitation of this meta-analysis is the small number of studies/patients included. Compared with band ligation, injection cyanocrylate have an advantage in the control of acute gastric variceal bleeding, also with lower recurrence rate and rebleeding (except GOV2). The limited amount of studies included attenuates the strength of this meta-analysis; therefore, more high-quality RCTs are needed.