Prevalence of depression among drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in South Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) significantly increases the risk of depression, yet research on mental health in this population remains limited.

Aim: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression among multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients, emphasizing the necessity for integrated mental health care.

Methods: A systematic search across PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar identified 536 articles, which were screened for eligibility after removing duplicates.

Ethical considerations in surgical research conducted in African LMICs: a comprehensive narrative review.

Introduction: Surgical research has revolutionized healthcare by improving the efficacy, safety, and efficiency of surgical interventions. This research has the potential to significantly impact healthcare delivery in Africa, where surgical diseases pose a major public health burden. Studies suggest surgery alone could reduce the global disease burden by 11%, with a substantial portion stemming from conditions prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa like traumatic injuries, childbirth complications, and surgical infections.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Healthcare Workers: A Phenomenological Study of Skepticism.

Rationale:  Despite the prioritizing the healthcare workers (HCWs) for COVID-19 in a systematized manner the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy was observed in them. HCWs are presumed to be pre-emptive in up-taking the vaccine due to their closest association and having reasonable background information. Hence, we intended to explore and investigate the phenomenology of skepticism and hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine among HCWs.

LRIG1 engages ligand VISTA and impairs tumor-specific CD8 T cell responses.

Immune checkpoint blockade is a promising approach to activate antitumor immunity and improve the survival of patients with cancer. V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) is an immune checkpoint target; however, the downstream signaling mechanisms are elusive. Here, we identify leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 1 (LRIG1) as a VISTA binding partner, which acts as an inhibitory receptor by engaging VISTA and suppressing T cell receptor signaling pathways.

VISTA promotes the metabolism and differentiation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by STAT3 and polyamine-dependent mechanisms.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) impair antitumor immune responses. Identifying regulatory circuits during MDSC development may bring new opportunities for therapeutic interventions. We report that the V-domain suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) functions as a key enabler of MDSC differentiation.

Phase II Clinical Trial of Pembrolizumab and Chemotherapy Reveals Distinct Transcriptomic Profiles by Radiologic Response in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Purpose: A single arm, phase II trial of carboplatin, nab-paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab (CNP) in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) was designed to evaluate overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), safety/tolerability, overall survival (OS), and identify pathologic and transcriptomic correlates of response to therapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with ≤2 prior therapies for metastatic disease were treated with CNP regardless of tumor programmed cell death-ligand 1 status. Core tissue biopsies were obtained prior to treatment initiation.

Abortion assistance fund staff and volunteers as patient navigators following an abortion ban in Texas.

Context: Abortion assistance funds constitute an important part of the healthcare safety net by covering some of abortion patients' out-of-pocket costs. Few studies have examined the other ways abortion assistance fund staff and volunteers support callers who need help obtaining care.

Methods: Between June and September 2020, we conducted in-depth interviews with 23 staff and volunteers at 11 local abortion assistance funds that helped Texans seeking abortion care following a March 2020 state executive order that prohibited most abortions.

Immunotherapy with IL12 and PD1/CTLA4 inhibition is effective in advanced ovarian cancer and associates with reversal of myeloid cell-induced immunosuppression.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) in ovarian cancer (OC) is characterized by immune suppression, due to an abundance of suppressive immune cells populations. To effectively enhance the activity of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI), there is a need to identify agents that target these immunosuppressive networks while promoting the recruitment of effector T cells into the TME. To this end, we sought to investigate the effect of the immunomodulatory cytokine IL12 alone or in combination with dual-ICI (anti-PD1 + anti-CTLA4) on anti-tumor activity and survival, using the immunocompetent ID8-VEGF murine OC model.

Dermatological manifestations of tick-borne viral infections found in the United States.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases transmitted by ticks. Viral TBDs have increased in prevalence over the last decade with many new pathogenic viruses being discovered. Doxycycline is often empirically prescribed by clinicians to treat symptomatic patients following tick bites due to suspicions of bacterial TBDs such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis.

Molecular Detection of Rickettsia felis in Fleas of Companion Animals in East Texas.

Flea-borne spotted fever is an emerging insect-borne rickettsial infection caused by Rickettsia felis and has been identified worldwide. This study sought to explore the prevalence of rickettsiae associated with fleas on companion dogs and cats from Walker and Montgomery Counties in East Texas. Fleas were collected from animals entering local veterinary clinics for routine checkups.

Metreleptin therapy for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: Open-label therapy interventions in two different clinical settings.

Background: Recombinant leptin therapy reverses nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in leptin-deficient lipodystrophy. We inquired if leptin therapy would improve nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in more common forms of this heterogeneous condition.

Methods: Nine male patients with relative leptin deficiency (level < 25th percentile of body mass index- and gender-matched United States population) and biopsy-proven NASH and 23 patients with partial lipodystrophy and NASH were recruited for two distinctive open-label trials.

Diagnostic Differences in Expert Second-Opinion Consultation Cases at a Tertiary Sarcoma Center.

Soft tissue tumors are diagnostically challenging, and it is recommended that these are reported or reviewed by specialist soft tissue pathologists. We present our experience with second-opinion (consultation) cases in a specialist tertiary sarcoma center. The aim of this study was to determine areas of diagnostic difficulty in soft tissue pathology.

The SRG rat, a Sprague-Dawley Rag2/Il2rg double-knockout validated for human tumor oncology studies.

We have created the immunodeficient SRG rat, a Sprague-Dawley Rag2/Il2rg double knockout that lacks mature B cells, T cells, and circulating NK cells. This model has been tested and validated for use in oncology (SRG OncoRat®). The SRG rat demonstrates efficient tumor take rates and growth kinetics with different human cancer cell lines and PDXs.

Potential association of LMNA-associated generalized lipodystrophy with juvenile dermatomyositis.

Background: Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is an auto-immune muscle disease which presents with skin manifestations and muscle weakness. At least 10% of the patients with JDM present with acquired lipodystrophy. Laminopathies are caused by mutations in the lamin genes and cover a wide spectrum of diseases including muscular dystrophies and lipodystrophy.

Spectrum of disease associated with partial lipodystrophy: lessons from a trial cohort.

Context: Partial lipodystrophy (PL) is associated with metabolic co-morbidities but may go undiagnosed as the disease spectrum is not fully described.

Objective: The objective of the study was to define disease spectrum in PL using genetic, clinical (historical, morphometric) and laboratory characteristics.

Design: Cross-sectional evaluation.

Bednar Tumor: An Uncommon Entity.

Bednar tumor is an uncommon variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Also known as pigmented dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, this tumor is of intermediate grade. It is seen in adults and has a predisposition to affect the shoulder region.

Lymphomas Associated with Breast Implants: A Review of the Literature.

Background: Recently there have been concerns raised about anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) associated with breast implants.

Objectives: The main aim of this article was to review and analyze the published literature specifically for hematopoietic malignancies associated with breast implants and postulate a hypothesis for their etiology and pathogenesis.

Methods: The PubMed database was searched using key words "lymphoma" and "breast implants" for published papers and abstracts on implant-associated hematopoietic malignancies.

Study of optical properties and proteoglycan content of tendons by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography.

The highly orientated collagen fibers in tendons play a critical role for transferring tensile stress, and they demonstrate birefringent optical properties. However, the influence that proteoglycans (PGs) have on the optical properties of tendons is yet to be fully elucidated. PGs are the essential components of the tendon extracellular matrix; the changes in their quantities and compositions have been associated with tendinopathies.

Osteoblast activity on carbonated hydroxyapatite.

Hydroxyapatite (HA), has been used commonly as a bone substitute and as a scaffold in bone tissue engineering. However it has certain drawbacks such as limited biodegradability and osteointegration properties. Other forms of HA, for example, carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) could prove to have enhanced bioactivity as they more closely mimic the chemical composition of the apatite found in human bone.

Ligament tissue engineering and its potential role in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Tissue engineering is an emerging discipline that combines the principle of science and engineering. It offers an unlimited source of natural tissue substitutes and by using appropriate cells, biomimetic scaffolds, and advanced bioreactors, it is possible that tissue engineering could be implemented in the repair and regeneration of tissue such as bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament. Whilst repair and regeneration of ligament tissue has been demonstrated in animal studies, further research is needed to improve the biomechanical properties of the engineered ligament if it is to play an important part in the future of human ligament reconstruction surgery.

Correlation of elevated troponin and echocardiography in acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Previous research has revealed a higher prevalence of elevated cardiac troponin T or I levels amongst patients admitted with stroke, which has been associated with increased cardiovascular events, higher mortality rates, and poor inpatient prognosis. Because cardiac comorbidities account for almost 20% of deaths after ischemic stroke, it is important to understand the relationship between troponin elevation, cardiac events, and acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: We evaluated 137 consecutive patients ≥ 18 years of age who presented within 48 hours of AIS onset.

Eosinophillic myocarditis and coronary arteritis in a fatal case of asthma.

Mortality is very unusual in the case of asthma. We recently came across a fatal case of asthma which showed a rare combination of unusual complications like eosinophilic myocarditis, coronary arteritis, biventricular cardiac hypertrophy, eosinophilic pneumonitis and pulmonary hypertension.