Annals of medicine
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly swept across the world. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the chest CT findings and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Chest CT plays an important role in diagnosing COVID-19. The CT features may vary by age. Different CT features are not only associated with clinical manifestation but also patient prognosis. Key messages The initial chest CT findings of COVID-19 could help us monitor and predict the outcome. Nodules were more common in non severe cases and had a favorable prognosis. The mixed pattern was more common in severe cases and usually had a relatively poor outcome.
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This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of serum LDH to pleural ADA ratio (cancer ratio, CR)for malignant pleural effusion (MPE) through an original study and meta-analysis. ⋯ CR has a high diagnostic accuracy for predicting MPE, especially when used in combination with pleural CEA.
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Meta Analysis
Estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigeria in 2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Targeted public health response to obesity in Nigeria is relatively low due to limited epidemiologic understanding. We aimed to estimate nationwide and sub-national prevalence of overweight and obesity in the adult Nigerian population. ⋯ Our findings suggest a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigeria. This is marked in urban Nigeria and among women, which may in part be due to widespread sedentary lifestyles and a surge in processed food outlets, largely reflective of a trend across many African settings.KEY MESSAGESAbout 12 million persons in Nigeria were estimated to be obese in 2020, with prevalence considerably higher among women. Nutritional and epidemiological transitions driven by demographic changes, rising income, urbanization, unhealthy lifestyles, and consumption of highly processed diets appear to be driving an obesity epidemic in the country.
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The development of effective combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART) led to a significant reduction in the death rate associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. However, recent studies indicate that considerably more than 50% of all HIV-1 infected patients develop HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Microglia are the foremost cells infected by HIV-1 in the central nervous system (CNS), and so, are also likely to contribute to the neurotoxicity observed in HAND. ⋯ KEY MESSAGES Neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity mechanisms are crucial in the pathogenesis of HAND. CNS infiltration by HIV-1 and immune cells through the blood brain barrier is a key process involved in the pathogenicity of HAND. Factors including calcium dysregulation and autophagy are the main challenges involved in HAND.
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Meta Analysis
High diagnostic value of miRNAs for NSCLC: quantitative analysis for both single and combined miRNAs in lung cancer.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are good candidates as biomarkers for Lung cancer (LC). The aim of this article is to figure out the diagnostic value of both single and combined miRNAs in LC. ⋯ We identified several single miRNAs and combined groups with high diagnostic power for NSCLC through pooled quantitative analysis, which shows that specific miRNAs are good biomarker candidates for NSCLC and further researches needed.