Plos One
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Body mass index may predict the response to ipilimumab in metastatic melanoma: An observational multi-centre study.
Immunotherapy is a well-established treatment option in patients with metastatic melanoma. However, biomarkers that can be used to predict a response in these patients have not yet been found, putting patients at risk of severe side effects. ⋯ The BMI correlated with the response to ipilimumab treatment in a cohort of metastatic melanoma patients.
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Commensal gastrointestinal bacteria resist the expansion of pathogens and are lost during critical illness, facilitating pathogen colonization and infection. We performed a prospective, ICU-based study to determine risk factors for loss of gut colonization resistance during the initial period of critical illness. Rectal swabs were taken from adult ICU patients within 4 hours of admission and 72 hours later, and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and selective culture for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). ⋯ Cluster IV/XIVa Clostridia, although a small fraction of the overall gastrointestinal microbiome, drove distinct clustering on PCoA. During initial treatment for critical illness, there was a loss of Cluster IV/XIVa Clostridia within the distal gut microbiome which associated with an expansion of VRE and with a loss of gut microbiome colonization resistance. Receipt of broad-spectrum antibiotics was associated with these changes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Association between six-minute walk distance and long-term outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: Data from the randomized SERAPHIN trial.
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension who achieve a six-minute walk distance of 380-440 m may have improved prognosis. Using the randomized controlled trial of macitentan in pulmonary arterial hypertension (SERAPHIN), the association between six-minute walk distance and long-term outcomes was explored. ⋯ Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension walking >400 m had better long-term prognosis. Although changes in six-minute walk distance were not associated with long-term outcomes, assessing absolute six-minute walk distance values remains important in the clinical management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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Multicenter Study
Effects of night-time and weekend admissions on in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction patients in Japan.
Patients admitted to hospital during off-hours may experience poorer quality of care and clinical outcomes. However, few studies have examined the variations in clinical processes and outcomes across admission times and days of the week in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the effect of weekend and weekday admissions stratified by admission time on in-hospital mortality in AMI patients. ⋯ In-hospital mortality rates were higher in AMI patients admitted during weekend daytime hours when compared with patients admitted during other times. Furthermore, patients admitted during daytime hours had lower prescription rates of guideline-based medications. Our findings indicate that weekend daytime admissions may be a potential target for improvement in the Japanese healthcare system.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Five-week yin yoga-based interventions decreased plasma adrenomedullin and increased psychological health in stressed adults: A randomized controlled trial.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs, e.g. cardiovascular disease) are responsible for high rates of morbidity and the majority of premature deaths worldwide. It is necessary to develop preventative interventions that can reduce the associated risk factors of NCDs. Researchers have found that the biomarker adrenomedullin (ADM) becomes elevated years before the onset of NCDs and might play an important role in their development. ADM has also been linked to psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression, which are known risk factors of NCDs. In this randomized controlled trial, we examined whether participating in a five-week yoga intervention reduces ADM and increases psychological health in middle-aged adults who self-report as moderately to highly stressed, but who otherwise exhibit no physical complaints. ⋯ The five-week Yin yoga-based interventions appeared to reduce both the physiological and psychological risk factors known to be associated with NCDs. The study suggests that incorporating Yin yoga could be an easy and low-cost method of limiting the negative health effects associated with high stress.