Hemodiafiltration May Be Associated with Senescence-Related Phenotypic Alterations of Lymphocytes, Which May Predict Mortality in Patients Undergoing Dialysis.

Senescence-resembling alterations on the lymphocytes of patients undergoing dialysis have been widely described. However, the pathophysiology behind these phenomena has not been clarified. In this study, we examined the impact of dialysis prescription on T and B lymphocytes, in patients undergoing dialysis.

DNA Methylation as Drug Sensitivity Marker in RCC: A Systematic Review.

Patient response after treatment of renal cell cancer (RCC) with systemic agents, which include various drug categories, is generally poor and unpredictable. In this context, the ideal drug administration includes tools to predict the sensitivity of the disease to therapy. The aim of this study was to systematically summarize the reports on the predictive value of the methylation status in the systemic therapy of RCC.

Central nervous system multiple myeloma: A real-world multi-institutional study of the Greek Myeloma Study Group.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is a rare and aggressive complication of multiple myeloma (MM). We identified 54/4352 MM patients (1.2%), who developed CNS-MM between 2000 and 2022.

Results of esketamine administration in a Greek population; A case series.

Esketamine is a non-selective, competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain. Through NMDA receptor antagonism, esketamine causes a transient increase in glutamate release, leading to increases in neurotrophic signaling and restoration of synaptic function in brain regions involved in mood regulation and emotional behavior. Several randomized clinical trials have shown its effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of depression in some people, despite its short-term side effects that include mainly disorientation, dizziness, nausea, and increased blood pressure.

Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Venous Thromboembolism with JAK Inhibitors versus TNF Inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) and venous thromboembolic events (VTE) between tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: We researched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov until December of 2023 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies.

A Methodological Framework for Meta-analysis and Clinical Interpretation of Subgroup Data: The Case of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events With GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and SGLT2 Inhibitors in Type 2 Diabetes.

We present a methodological framework for conducting and interpreting subgroup meta-analyses. Methodological steps comprised evaluation of clinical heterogeneity regarding the definition of subpopulations, credibility assessment of subgroup meta-analysis, and translation of relative into absolute treatment effects. We used subgroup data from type 2 diabetes cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOTs) with glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for patients with established cardiovascular disease and those at high cardiovascular risk without manifest cardiovascular disease.

Interventions used to mitigate muscle fatty degeneration following the repair of massive rotator cuff tears. A systematic review of animal studies.

Background: Muscle fatty degeneration following rotator cuff tears has been unequivocally associated with poorer functional outcomes and increased risk for retear following rotator cuff repair. Promising results have emerged from animal studies, with the implementation of various interventions for biologic inhibition of this fatty muscle degeneration. The lack of high quality randomized human evidence on this topic, increases the impact of pooled results from animal literature.

Total Atrial Conduction Time as a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the predictive value of total atrial conduction time (TACT) assessed by tissue Doppler echocardiography (PA-TDI) in atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence in patients following a rhythm-control strategy. A systematic approach following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines was applied in electronic databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science), supplemented by scanning through studies' references. TACT was compared using a random-effects model and presented as a difference in means (MD).

Long-term effectiveness of non-surgical open-bite treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The etiology of open bite is complex, involving various genetic or environmental factors. Several treatment alternatives have been suggested for the correction of open bite, yet their long-term effectiveness remains controversial.

Objective: To assess the long-term effectiveness of open-bite treatment in treated with non-surgical approaches versus untreated patients, through lateral cephalometric radiographs.

The Effects of a Visual Stimuli Training Program on Reaction Time, Cognitive Function, and Fitness in Young Soccer Players.

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether a visual stimuli program during soccer training can affect reaction time (RT), cognitive function, and physical fitness in adolescent soccer players. Thirty-eight male soccer players aged 10−15 were randomly assigned to either the intervention (Group A) or the control group (Group B). At baseline and at the end of the 6-month study FITLIGHT Trainer, the Cognitive Function Scanner Mobile Test Suite, a Virtual Reality (VR) game, and the ALPHA—Fitness and the Eurofit test batteries were used to measure participants’ abilities.

Embryo Quality May Be Associated With Serum Inhibin B Levels but Not With Serum or Follicular Fluid Levels of Other Components of the Activin-Follistatin-Inhibin Axis.

Objective: We investigated the potential associations of embryo quality with serum and/or follicular fluid (FF) concentrations of the molecules of the activin-follistatin-inhibin (AFI) axis and antimüllerian hormone and aimed to identify molecules that could predict a positive assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcome.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we measured AFI hormone and antimüllerian hormone levels in the serum and FF of follicles (n = 101) obtained from healthy oocyte donors who underwent an assisted reproductive technology course (n = 32). After egg retrieval, embryos were characterized as good or bad quality according to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology criteria.

Translation of the Pasieka's Parathyroid Assessment of Symptoms Questionnaire (PAS-Q) for Use in the Greek Population.

Introduction: In Europe, primary hyperparathyroidism is mainly considered an asymptomatic disorder, although there is evidence that patients' health-related quality of life is impaired. This aspect is mostly evaluated using Pasieka's Questionnaire: a disease-specific diagnostic tool. The purpose of this study was to translate the Pasieka's Questionnaire into the Greek language and adapt it to the Greek population.

Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome Is Not Associated With an Early Bacterial Translocation.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate bacterial translocation and its possible role in the development of post-resuscitation inflammatory response following Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest.

Methods: Munich female swine were employed for a model of cardiac arrest via application of electrical current. After 7 min, CPR was initiated, and animals were either successfully return to spontaneous circulation (ROSC) within 40 min or not (no-ROSC).

Benefits and Limitations of TKIs in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been used in patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC); however, data on their effectiveness and safety are limited. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to document clinical response and toxicities of TKIs in advanced MTC.

Methods: We systematically searched major databases for articles or abstracts on TKI use in MTC patients until May 2018.

Quality of Life in Patients With Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathyroidism After Parathyroidectomy: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study.

Objective: Impaired quality of life (QoL) is considered as a nonclassical manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). This study aimed to detect and compare changes in the QoL of patients with asymptomatic PHPT who had successful curative parathyroidectomy (PTX) 3 months and 3 years after the procedure.

Methods: Patients with diagnosed PHPT were eligible for the study.

Bisphosphonates as Supplement to Dental Treatment: A Network Meta-Analysis.

The objective of this study was to assess clinical measurements related to the effectiveness of bisphosphonate (BP) administration as a supplement to conventional dental treatment in patients free of bone-related diseases using a network meta-analysis. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included that provided dental clinical measurements on human patients treated with BPs with or without similar untreated controls or treated with placebo. Information sources included a systematic search of 17 electronic databases up to August 2020, complemented by manual searches.

Achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets as assessed by different methods in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: an analysis from the HELLAS-FH registry.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. FH patients often have increased lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels, which further increase CVD risk. Novel methods for accurately calculating LDL-C have been proposed.

What opportunities do European early career psychiatrists have?

In the past century, biological, psychological and social sciences have brought significant progresses to psychiatry, building it is a broad medical specialty, closely linked to somatic medicine, psychology and society. Many psychiatrists early in their career have understood that it is easier to face these challenges in a collaborative way, and therefore there has been in the last decades a growth of local and national associations of psychiatric trainees and early career psychiatrists across Europe. In 2007, the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) has integrated in its program the "Young Psychiatrists Committee", an informal network of young psychiatrists.

Chronic Therapy with Sucroferric Oxyhydroxide Does Not Affect Iron and Anemia Markers in Dialysis Patients.

Introduction: Sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SOH) is an iron-based phosphate binder (PB), and its use has been widely expanded since its initial approval in 2014. Based on the existing data, however, it remains yet unclear whether its long-term administration is followed by iron overload in dialysis patients. The purpose of this observational study was to evaluate the longstanding effects of SOH on the anemia and iron indices in patients on dialysis.

Hospital-wide antifungal prescription in Greek hospitals: a multicenter repeated point-prevalence study.

The aim of the study was to evaluate antifungal prescriptions among hospitalized adult patients in Greek hospitals. This multicenter two-times, 1-day, point-prevalence study was carried out in 2015 and 2017 in five and six hospitals, respectively. Among the 5812 patients screened in both periods, antifungals were prescribed in 129 patients (73 in 2015 and 56 in 2017); antifungals were used as prophylaxis in 31 patients (24%), pre-emptively in 32 (25%), empirically in 38 (30%), and as targeted therapy in 28 (22%).

Saksenaea vasiformis infections: A case of an immunocompetent adult after mild injury and a literature review.

Saksenaea vasiformis is an emerging human pathogen, belonging to the order Mucorales of the subphylum Mucormycotina, most often associated with rhino-cerebral, cutaneous and subcutaneous infections following trauma. A review of the published literature was attempted on the occasion of a cutaneous leg infection with favorable outcome in a young immunocompetent man after mild injury. The overall aim was the facilitation of the study and the integrated understanding of this kind of fungal infections.