Annals of medicine
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A large proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience IBD-related inflammatory conditions outside of the gastrointestinal tract, termed extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) which further decreases quality of life and, in extreme cases, can be life threatening. The pathogenesis of EIMs remains unknown, and although gut microbiota alterations are a well-known characteristic of patients with IBD, its relationship with EIMs remains sparsely investigated. This study aimed to compare the gut microbiota of patients with IBD with and without EIMs. ⋯ The fecal microbiota in IBD patients with EIMs is distinct from that in IBD patients without EIM and could be important for EIM pathogenesis.
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Optimizing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) can enhance treatment efficacy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study compares modified TACE (M-TACE), which combines a lipiodol-based emulsion and drug-eluting beads, with drug-eluting bead TACE (DEB-TACE) as initial therapies for solitary HCC. ⋯ M-TACE showed higher initial CR rates, lower LTP rates, and extended time to LTP compared to DEB-TACE, indicating its potential to enhance TACE effectiveness for solitary HCC.
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Comparative Study
Improvement in signs and symptoms of severe dry eye disease after dual therapy with high-potency steroids and 0.05% cyclosporine.
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combining 0.05% cyclosporine A (CsA) with high-potency steroids for treating severe dry eye disease (DED). ⋯ Dual therapy combining high-potency steroids and 0.05% CsA significantly improved the signs and symptoms of severe DED compared with 0.05% CsA monotherapy, without severe complications.
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Our recently developed Coronary Artery Tree description and Lesion EvaluaTion (CatLet) angiographic scoring system is unique in its description of the variability in the coronary anatomy, the degree of stenosis of a diseased coronary artery, and its subtended myocardial territory, and can be utilized to predict clinical outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) presenting ≤12 h after symptom onset. The current study aimed to assess whether the Clinical CatLet score (CCS), as compared with CatLet score (CS), better predicted clinical outcomes for AMI patients presenting >12 h after symptom onset. ⋯ CCS was better than CS to be able to risk-stratify long-term outcomes in AMI patients presenting >12 h after symptom onset. These findings have indicated that both anatomic and clinical variables should be considered in decision-making on management of patients with AMI presenting later.
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Thalassemia is the most prevalent hereditary anaemia worldwide. Severe forms of thalassemia can lead to reduced life expectancy due to disease-related complications. ⋯ Our study highlights the primary contributors to mortality in patients with thalassemia as infection-related issues and cardiac complications. It also underscores the significant impact of TDT and elevated serum ferritin levels on the survival of thalassemia patients.