Association of C4 Null Alleles and Persistently Low C4 in Asian Indian Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The association between heterozygous C4 deficiency and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is unclear. There is a lack of data in South Asian Indians on any possible association of C4A and C4B null alleles with lupus. We aimed to study the prevalence of C4A and C4B null alleles in a cohort of SLE patients with persistently low C4 levels compared to healthy controls (HC).

Augmentation of Deficient Bone Healing by Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields-From Mechanisms to Clinical Outcomes.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMF) are widely used, with excellent clinical outcomes. However, their mechanism of action has not yet been completely understood. The purpose of this review is to describe current observations on the mechanisms of PEMF, together with its clinical efficacy.

Efficacy of an online self-management program for chronic burn pain: A randomized controlled trial of the Take Charge of Burn Pain program.

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of an online self-management program, "Take Charge of Burn Pain (TCBP)," for 96 individuals living with chronic burn pain. Participants were randomly assigned to either the 7-week TCBP program integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, pain education, and self-management strategies or an attention control group focused on general burn recovery information. Assessments conducted at baseline, post-treatment, and 2- and 5-month follow-ups included measures of pain severity, pain interference, pain self-efficacy, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and depression.

Assessing alexithymia in chronic pain: psychometric properties of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire.

Introduction: Alexithymia is elevated in chronic pain and relates to poor pain-related outcomes. However, despite concerns from other clinical populations, the psychometric properties of alexithymia measures have not been rigorously established in chronic pain.

Objective: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 Item (TAS-20) and the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) in adults with chronic pain.

Consensus Report on the Use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes.

This report represents the conclusions of 15 experts in nephrology and endocrinology, based on their knowledge of key studies and evidence in the field, on the role of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those receiving dialysis. The experts discussed issues related to CGM accuracy, indications, education, clinical outcomes, quality of life, research gaps, and barriers to dissemination. Three main goals of management for patients with CKD and diabetes were identified: (1) greater use of CGMs for better glycemic monitoring and management, (2) further research evaluating the accuracy, feasibility, outcomes, and potential value of CGMs in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis, and (3) equitable access to CGM technology for patients with CKD.