Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium clinical isolates from Pakistan: a genomic analysis.

Background: Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium (LRE) is a global priority pathogen. Thirteen LRE were reported from clinical specimens between November 2021 and April 2023 at two laboratories in Karachi, Pakistan. We aimed to investigate the strain types and genes associated with linezolid resistance among these isolates.

Patterns and predictors of periodontal disease and tooth loss among users of smokeless tobacco.

Background: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) products of several different types are widely used in several South Asian countries including Pakistan. These products are consumed in different forms and with different names. The study aims to determine adverse effects of the SLT consumption on periodontal tissues.

Structural vaccinology-based design of multi-epitopes vaccine against and validation using molecular modeling and immune simulation approaches.

is an oral bacterium colonizing the dental cavity and leading to plaque formation. This pervasive colonizer is also the etiologic agent of bacterial endocarditis and has a major role in infective endocarditis. The bacteria reach the heart through oral bleeding, leading to inflammation of cardiovascular valves.

Coronavirus Does It Again: Post-COVID-19 Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a hematological disorder that results from an uncontrolled activation of the immune system, which can then lead to multisystem organ failure. Given the nonspecific nature of this illness, it can go undetected for too long, thereby causing permanent damage to organ systems. In adults, HLH has been associated with a number of infectious etiologies, particularly viral infections.

Burden of bone disease in chronic pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Bone disease is an under-recognized cause of morbidity in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Over the past decade, publications of original studies on bone disease in CP has warranted synthesis of the evidence to ascertain the true burden of the problem.

Aim: To quantify the prevalence of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fragility fractures in CP patients and investigate the associated clinical features and outcomes.

Infliximab-Induced Non-specific Interstitial Pneumonitis in a Patient With Ulcerative Colitis (UC).

Infliximab belongs to the family of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitors and since its development, it has revolutionized treatment for both rheumatological diseases and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD specifically, it has shown to result in symptomatic, endoscopic, and histological remission which is why it is one of the most widely used treatments for moderate to severe IBD. While common side effects include infections due to immunosuppression, cytopenias and hepatotoxicity, interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been infrequently reported to result from inflixiamb use.

Transformed Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Responsive to Tafasitamab Plus Lenalidomide: A Case Report.

The histologic transformation (HT) of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) into diffuse large-cell lymphoma is an uncommon but poor-prognostic event for which there is no standard therapy. Knowledge of this entity is mainly derived from largely retrospective studies, which report abysmal average survival rates even with the utilization of first-line chemoimmunotherapy and especially in patients who meet the high-risk criteria based on prognostic indices used for WM. We present the case of a 75-year-old man with high-risk, transformed WM who was ineligible for standard chemoimmunotherapy (due to pancytopenia and multiple comorbidities) and was consequently treated with tafasitabmab, an anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody plus lenalidomide.

Correction: Transformed Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Responsive to Tafasitamab Plus Lenalidomide: A Case Report.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32403.

A Rare Case of Undifferentiated Rhabdoid Carcinoma of the Colon.

Rhabdoid carcinoma of the colon is a rare type of malignancy that belongs to the family of malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs). This is infrequently encountered in clinical settings therefore data regarding treatment is lacking. Herein we discuss an elderly female patient who presented with severe abdominal pain in the setting of a gastrointestinal perforation.

Hemorrhagic Pericardial Effusion From Apixaban Use: Case Report and Literature Review.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have revolutionized therapy for stroke prophylaxis in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. These medications are generally well tolerated and are not associated with the inconvenience of repeat international normalized ratio (INR) checks. While bleeding in general is a common side effect associated with DOACs, especially from a gastrointestinal source, spontaneous hemorrhagic pericardial effusions are not seen frequently.

Recurrence of Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma in a Patient Successfully Treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Case Report.

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a common and potentially curable malignancy that has an overall good prognosis when timely treatment with chemoradiation is delivered. Recurrence of malignancy is one complication seen in patients successfully treated for HL. In most cases, the recurring malignancy can be a solid tumor or leukemia.

Pylephlebitis With Splenic and Mesenteric Vein Thrombosis in a Patient With Diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is a common gastrointestinal complaint that refers to inflammation of colonic diverticula. Its incidence has increased partly due to the increase in prevalence of diverticulosis, which results from poor dietary habits and chronic constipation. An acute diverticulitis episode can vary in severity, ranging from outpatient management of mild abdominal discomfort to inpatient admission requiring emergent surgery.

Recurrent Chylous Pleural Effusions in a Patient Treated With Dasatinib.

Dasatinib is a second-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that is approved for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a myeloproliferative disorder seen commonly in adults over the age of 50. Dasatinib is superior in tolerance and efficacy to first-generation TKIs such as imatinib, given its ability to target mutation products that are resistant to first-generation TKIs. One of the common side effects of dasatinib includes pleural effusion which can be seen in up to 25% of patients on treatment.

An Atypical Presentation of Twiddler's Syndrome: A Case Report.

The prevalence of implanted pacemaker/defibrillator devices continues to rise. Automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) lead displacement (Twiddler's syndrome) is an uncommon form of the device malfunction, usually presenting with cardiac symptoms. We present a case of Twiddler's syndrome with an atypical presentation, accompanied by critical alkalosis on arterial blood gas.

Post-focus compression in Brahvi and Balochi.

Previous research has shown that post-focus compression (PFC) - the reduction of pitch range and intensity after a focused word in an utterance, is a robust means of marking focus, but it is present only in some languages. The presence of PFC appears to follow language family lines. The present study is a further exploration of the distribution of PFC by investigating Brahvi, a Dravidian language, and Balochi, an Indo-Iranian language.

Time for culture conversion and its associated factors in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients at a tertiary level hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the time to sputum culture conversion (SCC) and its determinants among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2019 to January 2020. A total of 252 MDR-TB patients presenting at a tertiary level teaching hospital in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), were included.

Towards an Ensemble Vaccine against the Pegivirus Using Computational Modelling Approaches and Its Validation through In Silico Cloning and Immune Simulation.

Pegivirus, HPgV, which was earlier known as Gb virus and hepatitis G virus, is an enveloped, positive-stranded RNA and lymphotropic virus classified into the family. The transmission routes primarily involve blood products, and infections are worldwide, leading up to 25% of persistent infections. To date, no effective therapeutic means are available to clear Pegivirus infections.

CytomegaloVirusDb: Multi-omics knowledge database for cytomegaloviruses.

Cytomegalovirus infection is a significant health concern and need further exploration in immunologic response mechanisms during primary and reactivated CMV infection. In this work, we evaluated the whole genomes and proteomes of different CMV species and developed an integrated open-access platform, CytomegaloVirusDb, a multi-Omics knowledge database for Cytomegaloviruses. The resource is categorized into the main sections "Genomics," "Proteomics," "Immune response," and "Therapeutics,".

BC-TFdb: a database of transcription factor drivers in breast cancer.

Transcription factors (TFs) are DNA-binding proteins, which regulate many essential biological functions. In several cancer types, TF function is altered by various direct mechanisms, including gene amplification or deletion, point mutations, chromosomal translocations, expression alterations, as well as indirectly by non-coding DNA mutations influencing the binding of the TF. TFs are also actively involved in breast cancer (BC) initiation and progression.

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function and its Role in the Prognosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with structural and mechanical changes in the pulmonary vascular bed that increase right ventricular (RV) afterload and subsequently right heart failure.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to elucidate RV dysfunction at rest by echocardiography in a cohort of COPD patients and to study its impact on prognosis.

Methods: 84 patients of COPD and 40 matching healthy controls were evaluated at baseline.

Rapid Response in a Patient with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma Treated with BRAF/MEK Inhibitors.

Patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma have a poor prognosis. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. Several mutations in this pathway can lead to its constitutive activation leading to oncogenesis.

Real-world evaluation of effectiveness and tolerance of chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer in older women.

Purpose: Older patients with early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) tend to receive less aggressive treatment, have higher mortality rates, and are underrepresented in clinical trials. Outcomes, tolerance and toxicity of chemotherapy are underreported. Thus, we assessed the outcomes of chemotherapy in the real-world in a community oncology setting.

Serum Neurofilament Light, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Tau Are Possible Serum Biomarkers for Activity of Brain Metastases and Gliomas.

Background: Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors and brain metastases (BMs) are major causes of morbidity and mortality, accompanied by low survival rates. Efforts to early discovery of CNS malignancies are critical. However, to date, there are no biomarkers approved for detection of cancer activity in the brain.

Statins everyday versus alternate days: Is there a difference in myalgia rates?

Objective: Statins are widely used drugs, known to cause myalgia, leading to high discontinuation rates. The objective of our study was to determine the frequency of myalgia in patients on everyday-dose (EDD) regimen with those on alternate-day dose (ADD) regimen.

Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.

Efficacy of serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and electrolytes in the diagnosis and mortality risk assessment of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Although blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and electrolytes are not the mainstay of diagnosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients but they may have a role in providing a more detailed view of the complications and mortality rates. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of these parameters in the diagnosis and mortality risk-assessment of patients with ACS.

Methodology: A total of 200 patients with ACS were recruited in this prospective study.