Injectable platelet-rich fibrin for treatment of female pattern hair loss.

This case series evaluated use of injectable platelet rich fibrin (termed i-PRF+) for the treatment of female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Eleven individuals underwent 3-monthly intradermal injections of i-PRF+ using a mesotherapy gun. The mean number of hair follicles containing hairs per unit area improved at 3- and 6-months follow-up ( < .

Topical growth factor preparations for facial skin rejuvenation: A systematic review.

Background: Cosmeceutical preparations containing growth factors (GFs) are widely used for facial rejuvenation.

Objective: We performed a systematic review to assess the evidence regarding their safety and effectiveness for facial rejuvenation.

Methods: Electronic databases (Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Scopus) were searched from 2000 to October 2022 for prospective trials and case series assessing topical GF preparations for facial rejuvenation in 10 or more participants.

Topical growth factors and home-based microneedling for facial skin rejuvenation.

Background: Cosmeceutical products are an important therapeutic option for facial rejuvenation. Of these, topical application of growth factors has been shown to increase dermal collagen synthesis, improve skin texture, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Limited data exist for the use of growth factors in combination with microneedling.

Injectable platelet-rich fibrin for perioral rejuvenation as assessed by 3D lip volume imaging.

Background: Various injectable autologous platelet aggregate preparations have been developed and used for facial rejuvenation. Limited evidence exists for the use of these for augmentation of the lip.

Objectives: This prospective, uncontrolled, single-center study evaluated the qualitative and quantitative effects of an injectable platelet-rich fibrin preparation (known as i-PRF+) for lip augmentation.

Vascularity of Intra-testicular Lesions: Inter-observer Variation in the Assessment of Non-neoplastic Versus Neoplastic Abnormalities After Vascular Enhancement With Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

The aim of this study is to assess the additional benefit of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) over conventional ultrasonography (US) in identifying intra-testicular abnormalities among observers of different experiences. In this study, 91 focal testicular lesions (46 neoplastic, 45 non-neoplastic) imaged with gray-scale US/Doppler US and CEUS were classified using a 5-point scale. Three experienced and four inexperienced observers rated each lesion using gray-scale/color Doppler US alone and then with the addition of CEUS.

Injectable platelet-rich fibrin for facial rejuvenation: A prospective, single-center study.

Background: Autologous platelet-derived preparations have been used in many surgical fields to improve healing outcomes, with benefits reported in several aesthetic indications.

Aims: This single-center, prospective, uncontrolled study evaluated the efficacy of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) for facial skin rejuvenation using an objective skin analysis system and validated patient-reported outcome measures.

Patients/methods: PRF PROCESS system technology was used to prepare i-PRP.

Strain elastography for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis: A prospective study with histological comparison.

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of strain elastography for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease using Ishak (0-6) histology stage as a reference standard. Ninety-eight consecutive patients with suspected chronic liver disease scheduled for liver biopsy (n = 78) or histologically confirmed cirrhosis (n = 20) were enrolled. Liver fibrosis Index (LF Index) calculated by strain elastography, liver stiffness by transient elastography and serum fibrosis markers (aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and King's Score) were measured.

Reducing the Number of Measurements in Liver Point Shear-Wave Elastography: Factors that Influence the Number and Reliability of Measurements in Assessment of Liver Fibrosis in Clinical Practice.

Purpose To identify the minimum number of measurements required for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis by using point shear-wave elastography (pSWE) and determine whether the use of a reliability indicator such as interquartile range [IQR]-to-median ratio will affect diagnostic performance. Materials and Methods Ten liver shear-wave velocity (SWV) measurements by pSWE were obtained in 232 participants. Interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between the median of the first two through the first nine measurements and all 10 measurements were calculated; the minimum number of measurements with ICC greater than 0.

Reproducibility of 2-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography Assessment of the Liver: A Direct Comparison With Point Shear Wave Elastography in Healthy Volunteers.

Objectives: Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) imaging for the noninvasive assessment of tissue stiffness was assessed for reproducibility in healthy volunteers in quantifying liver elasticity, compared with an established point shear wave elastography (p-SWE) technique also known as virtual touch quantification (VTQ) (SIEMENS).

Methods: Eleven healthy volunteers were examined by four experienced operators on two occasions, separated by two weeks (sessions A and B). Ten 2D-SWE using LOGIQ E9 and p-SWE measurements using VTQ (in meters per second) were consecutively taken from deep portions of liver segments 5 or 6 away from vascular structures, using standard techniques.

Laboratory Monitoring of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Review.

Importance: The non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban are administered in fixed doses without anticoagulant monitoring. Randomized trials show that unmonitored NOAC therapy is at least as effective as and safer than dose-adjusted warfarin for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Subgroup analyses indicate that plasma drug levels or anticoagulant activity of the NOACs predict stroke and bleeding.

Novel oral anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis after orthopaedic surgery.

The direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran, and the selective factor Xa inhibitors, rivaroxaban and apixaban, are new oral anticoagulants that are approved in many countries for prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty. All have a rapid onset of action, a low potential for food and drug interactions and a predictable anticoagulant effect that obviates the need for routine coagulation monitoring. These agents offer a convenient alternative to conventional anticoagulant drug regimens, including parenteral low-molecular-weight heparins and fondaparinux, and oral adjusted-dose vitamin K antagonists, for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in this surgical setting.

Implications of variability in definition and reporting of major bleeding in randomized trials of oral P2Y12 inhibitors for acute coronary syndromes.

Aims: Various definitions of major bleeding have been used to evaluate safety in randomized controlled trials of antiplatelet therapy. We compared the definitions and rates of major bleeding in phase III randomized controlled trials of oral P2Y(12) inhibitors in the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Methods And Results: Electronic searches identified six phase III randomized controlled oral P2Y(12) inhibitor trials published between 2001 and 2010 involving 119 020 patients with ACS.

Novel oral factor Xa and thrombin inhibitors in the management of thromboembolism.

The last decade has seen the evaluation of several new oral anticoagulants that directly target thrombin or activated factor X (FXa). All demonstrate a rapid onset of action, a low potential for food and drug interactions, and a predictable anticoagulant effect that obviates the need for routine coagulation monitoring. Those agents at the most advanced stages of clinical development are a direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran, and direct FXa inhibitors, rivaroxaban and apixaban.

Enoxaparin versus dabigatran or rivaroxaban for thromboprophylaxis after hip or knee arthroplasty: Results of separate pooled analyses of phase III multicenter randomized trials.

Background: Dabigatran and rivaroxaban are novel oral anticoagulants approved for prevention of venous thromboembolism after hip or knee arthroplasty. However, information assessing clinically important efficacy and bleeding outcomes of these 2 new agents versus low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin) is lacking.

Methods And Results: We separately pooled efficacy and safety data from 6 phase III randomized trials (18 405 participants) comparing equivalent durations of treatment with enoxaparin (40 mg once daily [od] or 30 mg twice daily) versus dabigatran (220 mg od) or versus rivaroxaban (10 mg od) after hip or knee arthroplasty.

Major bleeding, mortality, and efficacy of fondaparinux in venous thromboembolism prevention trials.

Background: Bleeding is a strong predictor of death in patients hospitalized for arterial thrombosis who are treated with antithrombotic therapy, but the prognostic importance of bleeding in patients receiving antithrombotic prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism is uncertain.

Methods And Results: Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, we examined the association between major bleeding and death at 30 days using pooled individual patient data from 8 large randomized controlled trials (n=13 085) comparing fondaparinux with control (low-molecular-weight heparin or placebo) for the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized surgical or medical patients. Patients who developed major bleeding were older, were more likely to be male, had a lower body weight and lower creatinine clearance, and were more likely to be receiving fondaparinux.

Comparative pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of oral direct thrombin and factor xa inhibitors in development.

For the past five decades, there has been little progress in the development of oral anticoagulants, with the choices being limited to the vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). The situation is changing with the development of orally active small molecules that directly target thrombin or activated factor X (FXa). The two agents in the most advanced stages of development are dabigatran etexilate and rivaroxaban, which inhibit thrombin and FXa, respectively.

Oral anticoagulants in development: focus on thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.

Current anticoagulant provision is dominated by parenteral heparin and oral warfarin, which act by inhibiting several steps of the coagulation pathway indirectly. Recent research efforts have focused on the identification of small molecule inhibitors of the coagulation enzymes as novel therapies for thrombotic disorders. There has been particular success in developing nonpeptidic, orally available, small molecules to directly inhibit the key proteases, factor IIa and factor Xa.

Risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with common thrombophilia: a systematic review.

The 2 most common genetic polymorphisms that predispose to a first episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are factor V Leiden (FVL) and prothrombin G20210A. However, the effect of these polymorphisms on the risk of recurrent VTE is unclear. We performed a meta-analysis to obtain best estimates of the relative risk of recurrent VTE associated with these genetic polymorphisms.

An electronic tool for venous thromboembolism prevention in medical and surgical patients.

Background And Objectives: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a complex disorder influenced by numerous risk factors, and occurs frequently in at-risk hospitalized patients. Because appropriate prevention with thromboprophylaxis is underused, we wanted to create an electronic tool to provide a simple risk assessment and suggest appropriate prophylaxis.

Design And Methods: To develop the risk matrix, iterative rating of odds ratios was performed for 60 predisposing VTE risk factors, using analytical methods that account for multiple risk factors in a single patient and their non-independence.