Articles: disease.
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Case Reports
Iodine-125 radioactive particles antagonize hyperprogressive disease following immunotherapy: A case report.
Increasing evidence has shown that immune checkpoint inhibitors are associated with hyperprogressive disease (HPD). HPD usually resulted in dramatically reduced survival duration, which limited the opportunity to administer other therapies. ⋯ Early detection and adequate treatment are essential for prolonged survival when HPD occurs.
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During December 2019, an outbreak of unexplained pneumonia occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The disease was subsequently named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the causative virus as severe acute respiratory syndrome conronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Based on experience, it is vital to exclude or diagnose suspected patients as soon as possible to prevent disease spread. ⋯ We document the development of "suspected ward," a ward that cared for patients with suspected COVID-19, in a large designated hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan City, China, and explain the suspected ward spatial layout, organization structure, diagnosis, and treatment flow chart of suspected cases. The key characteristics of our "suspected ward" is isolation, triage, fast diagnosis, and rapid referral. Our description of this suspected ward provides a reference for further improvements in the care of patients with suspected disease in emergency medical institutions.
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Observational Study
T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 is associated with disease activity and progressive joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (TIM-3) is a surface molecule expressed on immune cells which play a role in immune regulation. The aims of the present study were to determine whether circulating soluble T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin-3 (sTIM-3) are elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and investigate the relationships between sTIM-3 and clinical features of RA. The study included 116 patients with established RA and 27 healthy control subjects. ⋯ Whereas, sTIM-3 was significantly correlated with ESR and MMP-3 in RA patients with low ACPA titers (<200 U/mL). Serum sTIM-3 was increased in RA patients, and it was associated with proinflammatory markers and disease activity in RA patients under a particular ACPA status. Our data suggest that circulating sTIM-3 may be a useful biomarker for the determination of disease activity in RA patients.
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Sternoclavicular joint septic arthritis is an unusual disease in healthy adults, and Staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative pathogen. The current treatment of choice is surgery with sternoclavicular joint resection and pectoralis flap closure, especially when the disease is complicated by osteomyelitis and abscess. ⋯ Besides surgery, medical treatment should also be considered for sternoclavicular joint septic arthritis, depending on patient status and the causative pathogen. Physicians should be aware of this rare disease to facilitate its prompt diagnosis and management.
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Plague is an acute, often fulminating infectious disease caused by Yersinia Pestis transmitted by rodents. It is rarely encountered in clinics, although natural plague foci are widely distributed around the world. ⋯ There are 3 main forms of plague: bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic. Humans can be infected by the bites of bacterium-bearing fleas or direct contact of wild animals that died from plague. Human plague can be transmitted by close contact through coughing droplet. Neglected diagnosis of plague could cause severe consequences. Strict surveillance and protection measures should be taken and the public should be alerted about potential risks when epizootic plague is detected.