Arch Med Sci
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The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factors for cervical instability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ There are many risk factors for cervical instability in RA. In clinical practice, special attention should be paid to patients who are male, have a longer course of disease, have long-term glucocorticosteroid use, have previous joint surgery, have peripheral joint damage, and develop disability in Steinbrocker stage I-IV. Attention should be paid to the high-risk groups mentioned above, and effective measures such as early screening and full monitoring should be taken to prevent the occurrence of cervical instability in RA.
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Review
Association of the MMP-3, MMP-9 and MMP-12 gene polymorphisms with COPD risk: a meta-analysis.
Given the evidence that the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a number of case-control studies have attempted to assess the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in MMP genes and COPD risk. However, reliable measures of these results are lacking. ⋯ The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that there is a risk of COPD associated with the MMP-9 rs3918242 and MMP-12 rs2276109 polymorphisms in certain ethnic groups.
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Review
Erectile dysfunction in testicular cancer survivors: a meta-analysis of case-control studies.
Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent cancer among men aged 14-44 years. The risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in TC patients varied within a wide range across different studies. This study aims to estimate the risk of ED in TC patients by conducting a meta-analysis of case-control studies. ⋯ TC patients experienced an increased risk for ED compared with healthy men. The long-term risk for ED in TC patients was lower than the short-term risk.
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The aim of the present study was to explore the correlation between cough variant asthma (CVA) and repeated episodes of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. ⋯ This study demonstrated a correlation between cough variant asthma and mycoplasma pneumonia.
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Ox-LDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein)-induced endothelial cell injury and dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells play critical roles in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Tropomyosin 2 (TPM2) has been implicated in cardiac diseases, but its critical role and regulatory mechanism in AS progression have not yet been elucidated. ⋯ TPM2 had an advantageous impact on ox-LDL-induced AS progression in vitro by mediating the RhoA pathway. This evidence might contribute to the therapy of AS.