Irish journal of medical science
-
Increasing data are available on the use and efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in patients with anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-positive myasthenia gravis (MG), especially those steroid-dependent or unresponsive to traditional immunotherapies. ⋯ RTX is an effective treatment in anti-MuSK-positive MG. Furthermore, our results support the inhibition of antibody production by RTX and we recommend monitoring anti-MuSK antibody titers to follow disease progression and treatment response.
-
Double diabetes is a term used to describe people with type 1 diabetes who are overweight, show signs of insulin resistance, or have a family history of type 2 diabetes. Asprosin is a novel glucogenic adipokine; Asprosin regulates appetite and glucose metabolism. The study aimed to investigate the level of asprosin in people with double diabetes with and without hypothyroidism and its association with markers of insulin resistance. ⋯ Elevated asprosin levels might be a potential biomarker for the alteration in glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and double diabetes. It may be the missing link between metabolic and endocrine disorders.
-
Long Covid (LC) is the continuation or development of new symptoms after initial COVID-19 infection. Little is known about General Practitioners' (GP) experience of managing patients with LC. ⋯ There was a lack of confidence in the diagnosis and management of LC, and in the interface with secondary care. There is demand for educational interventions to assist GPs with their care of patients with this emerging condition.
-
Glucometrics utilisation in an urban teaching hospital in ireland: current practice and future aims.
Dysglycaemia in hospitalised patients is associated with poorer clinical outcomes, including cardiovascular events, longer hospital stays, and increased risk of mortality. Therefore, glucose monitoring is necessary to achieve best outcomes. ⋯ Increased adherence to hospital protocols for testing HbA1C in adults with persistent hyperglycaemia could improve treatment and clinical outcomes. Increased diabetes team consultation could facilitate appropriate treatment and improve patient outcomes in persistently hyperglycaemic adult patient populations.
-
Vitiligo is an inflammatory, autoimmune disorder. Its pathogenesis is unclear. A neutrophil activation marker (calprotectin) is a protein complex present in many different types of cells and may be used as an indicator of inflammation. ⋯ Elevated levels of serum calprotectin in non-segmental vitiligo patients relative to healthy individuals with high sensitivity indicated that it may have a role in the vitiligo pathophysiology and can act as a marker for disease monitoring.