Articles: function.
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Periodontal disease is often neglected and overlooking its initial symptoms can lead to tooth loss and systemic diseases. Patients with otitis media are at high risk of vestibular and balance dysfunction, consequently, and vertigo. Vertigo and dizziness are conditions with high reported incidences; they worsen with age and can burden health systems. ⋯ Compared with the controls, the risk of dizziness among patients with periodontal disease was higher for both female (HR: 1.439, 95%: 1.203, 1.720) and male patients (HR: 1.284, 95%: 1.123, 1.468); this risk was higher even when January (HR: 1.302, 95% CI: 1.145, 1.480), February (HR: 1.337, 95% CI: 1.178, 1.518), or March was excluded (HR: 1.308, 95% CI: 1.151, 1.487) and for patients without Ménière disease. Therefore, periodontal disease is not only a risk factor for dizziness but also an independent risk factor for dizziness. Future studies could clarify the mechanisms linking periodontal disease to dizziness.
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S100 family members (S100s) are small molecular EF hand calcium binding proteins and widely expressed in many tissues and organs. S100s are shown to be biomarkers of disease progression and prognosis in various types of cancers. Nevertheless, the expression patterns, function, and prognostic values of S100s and its association with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) patients have not been systematically clarified. ⋯ We found significant correlations among S100s and tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Cox proportional risk models revealed that B cells, Dendritic cells and S100A1/A5/A6/A8/A9/A13/A14 were significantly related with outcomes in PAAD patients. These results suggest that S100A2/A3/A10/A11/A14/A16 may serve as new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PAAD patients and provide new clues for immunotherapy in PAAD patients.
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In South Korea Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) system, the special dementia rating (SDR) is a registration grading for dementia patients who do not have a physical disability or functional restrictions and is the first applicable registration following the diagnosis of dementia. We investigated the differences in age of registration of SDR and age of dementia diagnosis according to the educational level and residential area. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study using the Korean National Health Insurance Service dataset. ⋯ Urban residents were diagnosed with dementia at a significantly lower age and registered for SDR earlier than rural residents (P < .001 for both). Both urban and rural residents consistently showed that a higher educational level was associated with lower age at the dementia diagnosis and SDR registration. Patients who were highly educated and living in urban areas were diagnosed with dementia and registered on SDR when they were relatively younger, indicating that cognitive decline sensitivity and medical accessibility are related to earlier dementia diagnosis and registration.
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To investigate the characteristics of elderly-onset primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) using chest high-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The data of 102 patients with pSS with interstitial lung disease were retrospectively analyzed. The chest high-resolution computed tomography, PFTs, and clinical and laboratory data were evaluated based on the age of onset: elderly-onset pSS (EopSS) (≥65 years) versus adult-onset pSS (AopSS) (<65 years). ⋯ Usual interstitial pneumonia is more common in the EopSS group. Although there is no significant difference in ventilation dysfunction between the EopSS and AopSS groups, small airway disease is more common in the EopSS group, while restrictive ventilatory dysfunction is more common in the AopSS group. Therefore, the EopSS group has its own characteristics and it is worth studying and noting.
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Dysfunctions of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, such as myofascial syndrome, torticollis, and cervical dystonia, have been treated using several invasive procedures. In such situations, it is possible to injure the adjacent nerves. This study aimed to demonstrate the course of these nerves in healthy volunteers using ultrasound. ⋯ The mean TCN proportion was 47% at the anterior border of the SCM. The precise location of the nerves and their relationship with the SCM muscle should be considered during invasive procedures. It is recommended that the procedure be performed in the lower half of the SCM muscle, which refers to 50 to 80% of the proportions in our study.