Articles: function.
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Lung transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage nonmalignant lung disease. It has become a routine procedure through advances in donor lung preservation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, immunosuppression, intensive care medicine, and follow-up care. ⋯ Despite all the advances in lung transplantation, acute and - above all - chronic graft dysfunction still pose a major challenge for large-volume transplantation centers. Immunosuppression that is individually tailored to prevent both graft rejection and infection is important for these patients' long-term survival. Xenotransplantation and so-called lung bioengineering may become available in the future as alternatives to allotransplantation.
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Review
A Review of JAK Inhibitors for Treatment of Alopecia Areata in the Military Health Care System.
Alopecia areata (AA) is a disease that manifests as patchy hair loss on the scalp and other parts of the body; severe disease may result in disfigurement, functional impairment, and significant psychological distress. This condition is understood to be caused by autoimmunity to the hair follicle and subsequent arrest of hair growth. New medications, baricitinib and ritlecitinib, belong to the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor family and are among the first FDA-approved treatments for severe AA. In this manuscript, we aim to answer the question: What treatment options exist for AA in the military health care system (MHS)? In doing so, we review the pathogenesis, physical and psychosocial impact of AA, conventional treatment of AA, and the efficacy and safety of baricitinib and ritlecitinib. ⋯ Baricitinib and ritlecitinib are effective treatments for widespread, progressive, and refractory AA. Although JAK inhibitors demonstrate improved effectiveness compared to non-immunomodulator treatments, their use in the MHS for this purpose is limited.
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Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease, with its own clinical, radiological, and histopathological characteristics, which mainly affects premature newborns (NBs), resulting from a combination of factors that include immaturity, inflammation, and lung injury, in addition to therapy with mechanical ventilation and exposure to high concentrations of oxygen. However, even with advances in care for critically ill NBs, BPD continues to be a challenge for the care team and family members. This has been identified as one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality due to prematurity and can have significant impacts on the quality of life of the affected patients. ⋯ Genetic variants in the glutathione S-transferase Mu-1/glutathione S-transferase theta-1-null (GSTM1/GSTT1) genes may be associated with a greater risk of developing BPD in premature NBs, as they affect the function of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) enzymes and, consequently, the body's ability to eliminate toxic or harmful pro-inflammatory substances. GSTM1/GSTT1-null individuals, due to the absence of gene expression, present loss of enzymatic activity of the respective GST enzymes, triggering failures in the detoxification process and the consequent development of numerous diseases resulting from oxidative damage such as infertility, chronic kidney disease, eryptosis, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, periventricular leukomalacia, intraventricular hemorrhage. The objective of this narrative review was to highlight the role of genetic variants in the GSTM1/GSTT1 genes in the onset of BPD.
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Meta Analysis
Percutaneous Electrical Stimulation Improves Chronic Knee Pain and Function. A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses.
The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous electrical stimulation in the modulation of pain and its implication in the function of patients with a painful knee condition. ⋯ This review showed a positive effect of applying the percutaneous electrical stimulation for reducing pain and improving function in adults with a painful knee.
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Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection carry an increased risk of cardiovascular disease encompassing various implications, including acute myocardial injury or infarction, myocarditis, heart failure, and arrhythmias. A growing volume of evidence correlates SARS-CoV-2 infection with myocardial injury, exposing patients to higher mortality risk. SARS-CoV-2 attacks the coronary arterial bed with various mechanisms including thrombosis/rupture of preexisting atherosclerotic plaque, de novo coronary thrombosis, endotheliitis, microvascular dysfunction, vasculitis, vasospasm, and ectasia/aneurysm formation. ⋯ In patients presenting with coronary vasospasm, nitrates and calcium channel blockers are preferred, while treatment of coronary ectasia/aneurysm mandates the use of antiplatelets/anticoagulants, corticosteroids, immunoglobulin, and biologic agents. It is crucial to untangle the exact mechanisms of coronary involvement in COVID-19 in order to ensure timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We have reviewed the current literature and provide a detailed overview of the pathophysiology and clinical spectrum associated with coronary implications of SARS-COV-2 infection.