Medicina
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Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic affects various populations worldwide. The discovery of vaccinations was necessary for the prevention and elimination of the disease. Despite the high importance of these vaccinations, they may cause some complications, such as ocular complications. ⋯ Nearly half (42%) of the patients with ocular problems received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. Conclusions: Despite the high importance of the COVID-19 vaccination, it was found that it is associated with the occurrence of some ocular complications. Future projects should come with more extensive prospective studies to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms and risk factors associated with ocular complications following COVID-19 vaccination, thereby enhancing our understanding and guiding appropriate management strategies.
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Background and Objectives: IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common primary glomerulonephritis, has been extensively studied for renal outcomes, with limited data on patient survival, particularly in Eastern Europe. We aimed to investigate the long-term survival rate of patients with IgAN and the associated risk factors in an Eastern European cohort. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 215 IgAN patients (median age 44, 71% male) diagnosed at a Romanian tertiary center between 2010 and 2017. ⋯ Conclusions: We report a 20% mortality rate in our Eastern European IgAN cohort, primarily due to cardiovascular diseases. Death correlates with increased age, comorbidity burden, decreased renal function at diagnosis, and the absence of RASI use. RASI treatment may potentially improve survival, highlighting its importance in managing IgAN.
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Review
Irreversible Electroporation of the Hepatobiliary System: Current Utilization and Future Avenues.
Liver cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide despite numerous advances in treatment. While surgical resection remains the gold standard for curative treatment, it is only possible for a minority of patients. ⋯ IRE produces short pulses of high-frequency energy which opens pores in the lipid bilayer of cells leading to apoptosis and cell death. IRE has been utilized clinically for over a decade in the treatment of liver cancers with multiple studies documenting an acceptable safety profile and high efficacy rates.
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Background and Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficiency of using allografts for sinus lift. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was written under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and recommendation of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Three electronic databases were screened until October 2023. ⋯ Conclusions: The available evidence suggested that allograft bone can be used in sinus lift procedures. The results obtained are insufficient to compare with other types of bone graft, requiring a longer follow-up time. Future clinical trials are needed in order to evaluate the advantages of using allograft bone.
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Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, necessitates long-term medical therapy to manage symptoms and prevent complications. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has emerged as a strategy to optimize treatment efficacy, particularly with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) alpha drugs. This review explores the role of TDM for non-anti-TNF advanced therapies in IBD, focusing on vedolizumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, upadacitinib, risankizumab and ozanimod. ⋯ Limited data on risankizumab suggest a dose-dependent response, while for small molecule therapies (janus kinase inhibitors and ozanimod), the absence of real-world data and commercially available TDM tools pose challenges. Conclusion: At present, with the available data, there is a limited role for TDM in non-anti-TNF biologic and small-molecule therapies. This review underscores the need for further research to delineate the utility of TDM in guiding treatment decisions for these agents.