Annals of medicine
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and inflammation are closely related. This study aimed to evaluate the associations and causal effect between C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels andOSA. ⋯ Increased CRP and TNF-α were associated with OSA severity and sensible to CPAP treatment. Also, OSA had a suggestive causal effect on elevated CRP.
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Cardiorenal syndrome type I (CRS I) is defined as the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) following acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). The clinical significance of endothelial markers in ADHF-associated AKI has yet to be clarified. This study therefore investigated the biological processes linking ADHF and AKI with the aim of determining whether the plasma markers of endothelial injury and activation are associated with AKI in patients with ADHF. ⋯ This study revealed that markers of endothelial injury (i.e. plasma soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) levels) were higher in ADHF patients with AKI than in those without AKI. Multivariate analysis identified sTM level > cutoff value of 4,855.2 pg/mL as an independent factor associated with the development of AKI. sTM could potentially be used as a biomarker to predict the development of AKI in patients with heart failure. These findings suggest a novel approach to dealing with kidney injury in the context of ADHF, involving the use of baseline biomarker profiles to identify individuals at risk of developing AKI.
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Observational Study
Risk factors for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography cholangitis in patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis-an observational study.
Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) is considered to be one of the most deadly chronic parasitic diseases in the world. We have shown that the incidence of cholangitis in patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was increased significantly. On this finding, we carried out, a preliminary study on the risk factors for cholangitis after ERCP. ⋯ Patients with hilar bile duct compression or endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage appeared to be more likely to develop post-ERCP cholangitis. The number and diameter of biliary stents may influence post-ERCP cholangitis. Sample size and clinical heterogeneity are two insurmountable difficulties, and a larger sample size needs to be collected to verify the risk factors for screening. KEY MESSAGESMany studies reported the post-ERCP complications in patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis and found that the incidence of post-ERCP cholangitis was significantly high. Therefore, we conducted a preliminary study on the risk factors of postoperative cholangitis in patients who underwent ERCP.The incidence rate of cholangitis after ERCP was 9.8%. We found that hilar bile duct stenosis, and endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage, were risk factors for cholangitis, and stent diameter and the number of stent implantation may influence the incidence rate of cholangitis after ERCP.Sample size and clinical heterogeneity are two insurmountable difficulties, and a larger sample size needs to be collected to verify the risk factors of screening.
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Multiple assessment tools are used in arthroscopic training and play an important role in feedback. However, it is not fully recognized as to the standard way to apply these tools. Our study aimed to investigate the use of assessment tools in arthroscopic training and determine whether there is an optimal way to apply various assessment tools in arthroscopic training. ⋯ Level III, systematic review of level I to III studies. Key messagesBoth subjective and objective assessment tools can be used as feedback for basic arthroscopic skill training.Combined use of subjective and objective assessment tools can be applied to more situations and skills and can be the optimal way for assessment.
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition of the female reproductive system and it remains imperative to identify target genes responsible for its pathogenesis and develop therapeutic drugs capable of effectively treating it. ⋯ PGR, SIRT1 and ADAMTS1 were found to be down-regulated in oocytes, ovulation and female pregnancy. These 3 genes are likely biomarkers important in the treatment of PCOS. Insulin sensitiser in combination with oral contraceptive administration were found to significantly improve PCOS.Key messagesOur study used a new bioinformatics approach to find target genes for the treatment of PCOS.Our study sought to identify target genes that affect human oocyte quality by analysing single-cell sequencing data from oocytes.We testified to our data by analysing a subset of clinical data.