Trending Articles
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Paraoxonase 1 (PON1), a liver-induced glycoprotein enzyme responsible for antioxidant defense against reactive oxygen species and anti-inflammatory, has been linked to various cancers. The objective of this study was to explore the association of PON1 rs662 and rs705382 with the risk of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients living in the Guangxi region of southern China. The PON1 rs662 and rs705382 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 99 CHB patients, 84 LC patients, 258 HCC patients, and 221 healthy controls. ⋯ Moreover, a decreased risk of LC was associated with the rs705382 CG and the combined GG + CG genotypes among women, with borderline statistical significance. In haplotype analyses, the haplotype GA was associated with a 1.68-fold increase in the risk of HCC. Our results showed that the PON1 rs705382 SNP might be a risk factor for CHB in Guangxi populations.
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The purpose of this article is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count to discriminate between urgent and nonurgent conditions in patients with acute abdominal pain at the emergency department, thereby guiding the selection of patients for immediate diagnostic imaging. Data from 3 large published prospective cohort studies of patients with acute abdominal pain were combined in an individual patient data meta-analysis. CRP levels and WBC counts were compared between patients with urgent and nonurgent final diagnoses. ⋯ A high CRP level (>50 mg/L) combined with a high WBC count (>15 ×10/L) leads to the highest PPV. However, this applies only to a small subgroup of patients (8.7%). Overall, CRP levels and WBC count are insufficient markers to be used as a triage test in the selection for diagnostic imaging, even with a longer duration of complaints (>48 hours).
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Cost-effectiveness of telephone or surgery asthma reviews: economic analysis of a randomised controlled trial.
Only about a third of people with asthma attend an annual review. Clinicians need to identify cost-effective ways to improve access and ensure regular review. ⋯ Telephone consultations enable a greater proportion of asthma patients to be reviewed at no additional cost to the health service. This mode of delivering care improves access and reduces cost per consultation achieved.
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Comparative Study
[Breast-feeding: can health staff positively affect its duration?].
Mother's milk is the ideal meal for the baby during the first six months of life. A good health education (before and after birth) helps to prolong breastfeeding (BF). ⋯ The prevalence of BF increases among the women that got health education and support from the health professionals.