Medicina
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Background and Objectives: Quercetin, a member of the flavanol family found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains has been found to have a wide range of biological effects on human physiology. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of quercetin, when administered orally in the form of the water-soluble inclusion complex with hydroxypropyl-b-cyclodextrin (Que-HP-β-CD), in an experimental model of ulcerative colitis in mice. Materials and Methods: Animals received either Dextran Sodium Sulphate (DSS), to induce colitis, + Que-HP-β-CD (Group A), DSS alone (Group B) or no intervention (control, Group C) for 7 days. ⋯ Results: The DAI demonstrated an increase over time for the groups receiving DSS (Groups A and B) compared with the control group (Group C), with a significant degree of protection being observed in the group that also received quercetin (Group A): The DAI over time slope for Group B was higher than that for Group A by 0.26 points/day (95% Cl 0.20−0.33, p < 0.01). Weight calculations and immunohistochemistry results validated the DAI findings. Conclusions: In conclusion, the administration of quercetin in an ulcerative colitis model in mice presents a therapeutic/prophylactic potential that warrants further investigation.
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Case Reports
Takotsubo Syndrome Occurring after mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Graves' Disease.
Cardiovascular events such as myocarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination are increasing. We present a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman with Takotsubo Syndrome and Graves' disease after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. She developed chest pain and shortness of breath one week after vaccination. ⋯ The patient was treated with low-dose bisoprolol, diuretics, carbimazole, and steroid and discharged uneventfully. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccination is still safe and effective to defend against COVID-19 pandemic. However, clinicians should be aware of the possible cardiovascular adverse events other than myocarditis following vaccination.
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Background and Objectives: Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is a disease characterized by cartilage-capped bony protuberances at the site of growth plates of long bones. Functional mutations in the exostosin genes (EXT1 and EXT2) are reported to affect the hedgehog signalling pathways leading to multiple enchondromatosis. However, the exact role of each EXT protein in the regulation of heparan sulphate (HS) chain elongation is still an enigma. ⋯ Interestingly, an alternative open reading frame 3 (ORF3) caused by the frame shift is predicted to encode a protein sequence, identical to the wild type and containing the catalytic domain, but lacking the first 100 amino acids of the wild-type EXT1 protein. Conclusion: Consequently, haploinsufficiency could be the cause of HME in the investigated family as the mutated copy of EXT1 is ineffective for EXT-1/2 complex formation. The predicted ORF3 protein could be of great significance in understanding several aspects of HME pathogenesis.
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Background and Objectives: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a global public health crisis that has had a serious impact on emergency department (ED) utilization trends. The aim of this study was to investigate the collateral effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED utilization trends by patients with mild and severe conditions as well as on 7-day fatality rates. Materials and Methods: We analyzed entries in the Korean National Health Insurance claims database between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020. ⋯ However, the 7-day fatality rate after ED visits for low-acuity diseases and severe acute respiratory infection diseases increased to 0.04% (p < 0.01), and 1.65% (p < 0.01), respectively, in 2020 compared to that in the control period. Conclusions: During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, ED utilization impacted and 7-day fatality rate after ED visit increased. Health authorities and health care providers must strive to ensure prompt delivery of optimal care in EDs for patients with severe or serious symptoms and time-dependent diseases, even during the ongoing COVID-19 or potential future pandemics.
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Backgrounds and Objectives: The spacer block technique in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has still a concern related to the precise position of the component in the coronal and sagittal planes compared to intramedullary guide technique. The purposes of this study were to explore whether the spacer block technique would improve the radiological alignment of implants and clinical outcomes compared with the outcomes of the intramedullary guide technique in fixed-bearing medial UKA. Materials and Methods: In total, 115 patients who underwent unilateral, fixed-bearing medial UKA were retrospectively reviewed and divided into group IM (intramedullary guides; n = 39) and group SB (spacer blocks; n = 76). ⋯ The coronal femorotibial congruence angle was significantly less in group SB (mean 1.9°, range, −3.2°~8.2°) than in group IM (mean 3.4°, range, −9.6°~16.5°) (p = 0.028). Conclusions: In the group SB, the coronal alignment of femoral component was closer to neutral, and outlier was less frequent than in the group IM. The spacer block technique was more beneficial in achieving proper coronal alignment of the femoral component and congruence of femorotibial components compared to the intramedullary guide technique in fixed-bearing medial UKAs.