Mycophenolate and azathioprine efficacy in interstitial lung disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and azathioprine (AZA) are immunomodulatory treatments in interstitial lung disease (ILD). This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of MMF or AZA on pulmonary function in ILD.

Design: Population included any ILD diagnosis, intervention included MMF or AZA treatment, outcome was delta change from baseline in per cent predicted forced vital capacity (%FVC) and gas transfer (diffusion lung capacity of carbon monoxide, %DLco).

Multimodality Imaging Diagnosis in Infective Endocarditis.

Imaging is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis (IE). Echocardiography is an essential examination, especially in native valve endocarditis (NVE), but its diagnostic accuracy is reduced in prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The diagnostic ability is superior for transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE), but a negative test cannot exclude PVE.

Pattern of Antibiotic Use among Hospitalized Patients at a Level One Multidisciplinary Care Hospital.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is one of the world's most serious health issues. Antibiotic resistance, excessive drug expense, and an increased risk of adverse reactions are all common outcomes of incorrect antibiotic prescribing. The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions for inpatients to find areas for improvement.

Myocardial Viability Testing in the Management of Ischemic Heart Failure.

Although major advances have occurred lately in medical therapy, ischemic heart failure remains an important cause of death and disability. Viable myocardium represents a cause of reversible ischemic left ventricular dysfunction. Coronary revascularization may improve left ventricular function and prognosis in patients with viable myocardium.

The extent of B-cell activation and dysfunction preceding lymphoma development in HIV-positive people.

Objectives: B-cell dysfunction and activation are thought to contribute to lymphoma development in HIV-positive people; however, the mechanisms are not well understood. We investigated levels of several markers of B-cell dysfunction [free light chain (FLC)-κ, FLC-λ, immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, IgM and IgD] prior to lymphoma diagnosis in HIV-positive people.

Methods: A nested matched case-control study was carried out within the EuroSIDA cohort, including 73 HIV-positive people with lymphoma and 143 HIV-positive lymphoma-free controls.