Stigmatization as a Barrier to Urologic Care: A Review.

Heavy societal stigma of certain conditions has created an environment where individuals may be hesitant to seek professional care. Urology is a specialized field that focuses on many of these conditions that society has deemed taboo to discuss. In this review, we address barriers that have prevented patients from seeking urologic care in order to better understand and elucidate important concerns within development of the physician-patient relationship.

Zebras in the Era of COVID.

Malaria remains a significant global health concern. Non-malarial areas, including North America and Europe, largely report cases in association with recent travel to endemic regions. Though cyclic symptoms and chills are characteristic of the infection, thorough social histories including previous travels is the basic prerequisite for timely diagnosis, treatment initiation, and ultimate prognosis of this potentially life-threatening condition.

A Case of COVID-Associated Nephropathy (COVAN).

Collapsing glomerulopathy is a variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) causing rapid renal failure. There has been an emergence of these cases among African American patients with COVID-19, especially those with the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) allele. We present a case of an African American patient with COVID-19 who tested positive for the APOL1 allele in the setting of acute renal deterioration.

High-risk Coronary Plaque Regression in Cash-based Contingency Management Intervention Among Cocaine Users With HIV-associated Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis.

Background: Cocaine use exacerbates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. We investigated whether cocaine abstinence or reduced use achieved with contingency management (CM) intervention would retard high-risk coronary plaque progression among cocaine users with HIV and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods: Between March 2014 and August 2017, 76 cocaine users with HIV and coronary plaques were enrolled in a study designed to decrease cocaine use and determine whether doing so impacted progression of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis as measured by coronary artery computed tomography examinations.

Lingering Effects: Hashimoto's Encephalopathy.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE), also known as steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), is a rare autoimmune disease that remains poorly understood. Here, we report a patient who experienced numerous comatose relapses early in the disease course. Despite prolonged corticotherapy, cognitive deficits have persisted through the two-year post-diagnosis follow-up.

Empagliflozin-Induced Pancreatitis: A Case Report Pattern.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors have become a great insulin-independent approach for diabetic management. These agents have increasingly been reported to be associated with the onset of acute pancreatitis. Here, we present a suspected case of empagliflozin-induced pancreatitis.

Evidence that the acetyltransferase Tip60 induces the DNA damage response and cell-cycle arrest in neonatal cardiomyocytes.

Tip60, a pan-acetyltransferase encoded by the Kat5 gene, is enriched in the myocardium; however, its function in the heart is unknown. In cancer cells, Tip60 acetylates Atm (Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated), enabling its auto-phosphorylation (pAtm), which activates the DNA damage response (DDR). It was recently reported that activation of pAtm at the time of birth induces the DDR in cardiomyocytes (CMs), resulting in proliferative senescence.

Circulating levels of cardiac troponin T are associated with coronary noncalcified plaque burden in HIV-infected adults: a pilot study.

HIV infection and/or antiretroviral therapy may increase the risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. However, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those without IV access cannot undergo contrast-enhanced coronary CT angiography (CCTA). This study was to explore the relationship between cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels and the extent of coronary plaque burden, as assessed by CCTA in those with HIV infection.

Cocaine use may induce telomere shortening in individuals with HIV infection.

Background: Although cocaine use may induce/accelerate HIV-associated comorbidities in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and that HIV itself may accelerate aging, the issue of whether cocaine use plays a role in HIV-associated aging in HIV-infected cocaine users has not been reported. The goals of this study were (1) to explore factor(s) associated with peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length, a marker of cellular replicative history, and telomere shortening in HIV-infected individuals, and (2) to assess whether cocaine use plays a role in accelerating telomere shortening in cocaine users with HIV infection.

Methods: Between June 2010 and December 2016, 147 HIV-infected participants in Baltimore, Maryland, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study investigating factor(s) associated with telomere length.

Possible association between Helicobacter pylori infection and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Possible association between Helicobacter pylori infection (HPI) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been proposed by several studies with inconsistent conclusions. Here, we studied the association between HPI and NAFLD at 3 levels: (i) genetic level; (ii) small molecular level; and (iii) clinical level. Relation data between diseases, genes, and small molecules were acquired from Pathway Studio ResNet Mammalian database.