Int J Med Sci
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Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in recent years. Most lung cancers are often asymptomatic until advanced or metastatic stage. Therefore, looking for the diagnostic biomarker for early-stage lung cancer is quite significant. ⋯ Furthermore, miR-342-5p and miR-574-5p, but not miR-222-3p, had a significantly elevated expression level in carcinoma tissue compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissue (n = 8). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed the area under the curve (AUC) of combined miR-342-5p and miR-574-5p was 0.813 (95% CI: 0.7249 to 0.9009) with sensitivity and specificity of 80.0% and 73.2% respectively. In summary, circulating exosomal miR-342-5p and miR-574-5p have potential to serve as novel diagnostic biomarkers for early-stage LA.
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Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic condition resulting from insulin resistance and insufficient β-cell secretion, leading to improper glycaemic regulation. Previous studies have found that excessive fat deposits in organs such as the liver and muscle can cause insulin resistance through lipotoxicity that affects β-cell function. The relationships between fat deposits in pancreatic tissue, the function of β-cells, the method of visceral fat evaluation and T2DM have been sought by researchers. ⋯ Similarly, after adjustment for sex, age and body mass index, only estimated liver fat was correlated with HOMA-IR and AUCINS. Conclusions: This study suggests no significant correlation between pancreatic fat deposition and β-cell dysfunction in the early stages of T2DM using QCT as a screening tool. The deposits of fat in the pancreas and the resulting lipotoxicity may play an important role in the late stage of islet cell function dysfunction as the course of T2DM progresses.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Comprehensive Transcriptome Profiling of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Sepsis.
Background: Sepsis, as a clinical emergency, usually causes multiorgan dysfunction and can lead to high mortality. Establishment of specific and sensitive biomarkers for early diagnosis is critical to identify patients who would benefit from targeted therapy. In this study, we investigated this syndrome by analyzing the transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with sepsis and identified sepsis-specific biomarkers. ⋯ External validation of the four genes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was consistent with the results of mRNA sequencing, revealing their potential in sepsis diagnosis. Conclusions: The transcriptome characteristics of PBMCs, which were significantly altered in sepsis patients, provide new insights into sepsis pathogenesis. The four identified gene expression changes differentiated patients with sepsis from healthy subjects, which could serve as a convenient tool contributing to sepsis diagnosis.
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Sepsis is the leading cause of death worldwide. Timely administration of antibiotics is recognized as the cornerstone in the management of sepsis. However, inappropriate use of antibiotics may lead to adverse effects and the selection of drug-resistant pathogens. ⋯ Despite a good negative predictive value for bacterial infection, the utility of PCT-guided antibiotic initiation is conflicting at best. On the other hand, the use of PCT-guided antibiotic discontinuation has shown to reduce the duration of antibiotic use, the associated adverse effects, and to decrease the overall mortality. The current review discusses the history and pathophysiology of procalcitonin, synthesizes its utility in the diagnosis and management of sepsis, highlights its limitations and compares it with other biomarkers in sepsis.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
A predictive model of offspring congenital heart disease based on maternal risk factors during pregnancy: a hospital based case-control study in Nanchong City.
Objective: Based on epidemiological field data, this study was to develop a prediction model which can be used as a preliminary screening tool to identify pregnant women who were at high risk of offspring congenital heart disease (CHD) in Nanchong City, and be beneficial in guiding prenatal management and prevention. Methods: A total of 367 children with CHD and 367 children without congenital malformations aged 0 to 14 years old were recruited from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College and Nanchong Central Hospital between March 2016 and November 2018. Using the SPSS 22.0 case-control matching module, the controls were matched to the cases at a rate of 1:1, according to the same gestational age of child (premature delivery or full-term), the maternal age of pregnancy (less than 1 year). 327 matched case-control pairs were analyzed by SPSS 22. ⋯ Area under the ROC curve was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.681~0.759), which means that the predictive power of the model set fitted the data. Conclusion: In Nanchong city, more attention should be paid to mother who had a history of respiratory infections, exposure to polluted water, adverse emotions during pregnancy and nutritional deficiency. The risk model might be an effective tool for predicting of the risk of CHD in offspring by maternal experience during pregnancy, which can be used for clinical practise in Nanchong area.