The American journal of the medical sciences
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The aim of the current study was to determine whether there is an association between alkaptonuria (AKU) and urinary tract infection (UTI) by exploring the bacterial quality of the urinary tract, as most of the patients with AKU present with frequent occurrence of urinary tract symptoms such as incomplete emptying of urinary bladder, dysuria and nocturia. ⋯ The results deduced that males show symptoms of arthritis early and more severely than females and by this it appears that there is an association between these symptoms and the percentage of bacterial infection in males that requires more accurate diagnosis and treatment to clarify such relationship. In the current study, males (patients, carriers, and controls) were more likely to have bacterial infections than females (64% vs. 36%). The 16 and 2 bacterial isolates, detected in 7 males and 2 females AKU patients, respectively, revealed that male AKU patients had a 2.3-fold greater rate of bacterial infection than female AKU patients. Therefore, further studies are warranted to investigate if there's any relationship between higher incidence of bacterial infections and development of AKU-related clinical symptoms in the male population.
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Previous studies have shown the role of microRNA (miR)-19 in aging-related heart failure. The present study aimed to verify the effects of miR-19 on cardiac fibrosis and its target. ⋯ Upregulating miR-19 can improve cardiac function and attenuate cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting the CTGF and MAPK pathways.
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Vitamin D is an important immune modulator and is associated with susceptibility to infection. However, past studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the association between vitamin D deficiency and mortality in patients with sepsis, and early-stage data regarding septic shock are limited. This study aimed to determine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency on admission to the emergency department (ED) and mortality in patients with septic shock. ⋯ Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in patients with septic shock visiting the ED and was associated with mortality.
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It is unclear whether fluid management goals are best achieved by bolus injection or continuous infusion of loop diuretics. In this study, we compared the effectiveness and safety of a continuous infusion with that of a bolus injection when an increased loop diuretic dosage is required in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. ⋯ Our results indicate that a continuous infusion of loop diuretics may be more effective than a bolus injection and does not increase the risk of acute kidney injury in patients who need an increased diuretic dosage in the ICU.