Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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Primary immunodeficiencies are disorders resulting from mutations in genes involved in immune defense and immune regulation. These conditions are characterized by various combinations of recurrent infections, autoimmunity, lymphoproliferation, inflammatory manifestations, and malignancy. ⋯ Furthermore, an advanced understanding of the molecular basis of these inherited disorders has led to the implementation of targeted therapies that utilize small molecules and biologics to modulate the activity of impaired intracellular pathways. This article will discuss selected primary immunodeficiencies, the genetic defects of which have been recently studied and are amenable to targeted therapy as a reflection of the potential of precision medicine in the future.
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Nocardiosis is a neglected tropical disease. It has varied geographical presence and a spectrum of clinical presentations. This review aims to focus on the epidemiology of nocardial infections with a systematic approach to their diagnosis and treatment. ⋯ Unless suspected, diagnosis can be easily missed resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Thorough knowledge of local epidemiology, demography, clinical course and presentation, diagnostic modalities, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the prevalent Nocardia species is essential to curb spread of this infection. This is a systematic review in which internet search has been done for citation indices (Embase, PubMed, Ovid, and other individual journals) till March 2020 utilizing the following key words "Nocardia," "taxonomy," "prevalence," "clinical features," "diagnosis," "treatment," and "susceptibility." We selected a total of 87 review articles, case series, and case reports all in English language.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intraoperative Flurbiprofen Treatment Alters Immune Checkpoint Expression in Patients Undergoing Elective Thoracoscopic Resection of Lung Cancer.
This study aimed to determine the effect of intraoperative administration of flurbiprofen on postoperative levels of programmed death 1 (PD-1) in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery. ⋯ Perioperative administration of flurbiprofen attenuated the postoperative increase in PD-1 levels on CD8(+) T cells up to 72 h after surgery, but not after this duration. The clinical relevance of changes in PD-1 levels to long-term surgical outcome remains unknown.
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To compare the diagnostic ability and time efficiency of contrast-enhanced (CE) whole body fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) protocol and non-CE (NCE) protocol. ⋯ The CE FDG PET/MRI protocol enables fast and accurate detection of malignancies compared to the NCE FDG PET/MRI protocol, particularly in the upper abdomen and brain. Diagnostic ability and time efficiency can be increased with the proposed short CE protocol in place of the whole body PET/MRI protocol including both NCE and CE imaging sequences.
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Iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia (IDA) are common in the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The unique genetic and lifestyle factors of the patient population in the region have necessitated the development of recommendations to help educate health-care professionals on appropriate diagnosis and management of ID/IDA. ⋯ This consensus statement proposes recommendations for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of IDA in the GCC region.