Disease activity indices used in axial spondyloarthritis perform similarly in real-life clinical settings.

Objective: Monitoring of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) activity using validated indices (BASDAI/ASDAS) is widely recommended but rarely followed in practice. The reasons, although varied, may be found in the scarcity of studies comparing the performance of these indices in daily practice. Here we compare the performance of activity indices in clinical practice.

Hormonal Function of Undescended Testes Before Orchidopexy in Prepubertal Boys.

The hormonal aspect of undescended testes (UDTs) in prepubertal boys, i.e., after mini-puberty, is poorly understood.

The Clinical and Economic Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease in Poland: Inside Patient-Level Microsimulation Modelling of CKD.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased annual costs, with the highest costs attributable to renal replacement therapy (RRT). These costs will rise as prevalence increases. Therefore, forecasting the future prevalence and economic burden of CKD, particularly in underdiagnosed populations, may provide valuable insights to policymakers looking at strategies to implement interventions to delay CKD progression.

Sperm recovery from urine in men with retrograde ejaculation.

Introduction: Retrograde ejaculation (RE) consists of the reflux backwards, towards the bladder, of the ejaculate, during the emission phase of ejaculation, causing a total or partial absence of sperm emission, with the consequent diversion of semen into the bladder during the emission phase of ejaculation. Evaluating the ejaculate may not be sufficient for identifying RE in some patients. Hence, the management of infertility may involve the use of invasive methods such as epididymal fluid retrieval or testicular biopsy.

Faecal Metabolome Profiles in Individuals Diagnosed with Hyperplastic Polyps and Conventional Adenomas.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) development is a gradual process in which progressive histological alterations of the intestinal mucosa damage occur over years. This process can be influenced by modifiable external factors such as lifestyle and diet. Most CRC cases (>80%) originate from conventional adenomas through the adenomatous pathway and usually harbour dysplastic cells, whereas the serrated pathway is less frequent (<20% cases) and comprises hyperplastic polyps and other polyps containing dysplastic cells.

The Effect of Muscle Cramps During Hemodialysis on Quality of Life and Habitual Physical Activity.

: This study aimed to evaluate the association between QoL, self-assessed physical activity, and the presence and severity of muscle spasms in chronic hemodialysis patients. Patients undergoing regular in-center hemodialysis (HD) have much lower quality of life (QoL) than healthy individuals. However, there is limited knowledge about the impact of specific common complications of hemodialysis, particularly muscle spasms on the overall well-being of patients.

Elastic static power, its correlation with acute respiratory distress syndrome severity: A Bayesian post-hoc analysis of the Mechanical Power Day cross-sectional trial.

Objective: The relationship between different power equations and the severity of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate various power equations: total mechanical power, total elastic power (comprising elastic static and elastic dynamic power), and resistive power, in a cohort of mechanically ventilated patients with and without ARDS. Bayesian analysis was employed to refine estimates and quantify uncertainty by incorporating a priori distributions.

Challenges of equitable access to device-aided therapies for advanced Parkinson's Disease in Poland - expert consensus and treatment recommendations.

Introduction: In Poland, not all forms of device-aided therapies for advanced Parkinson's Disease (APD) are currently available.

Material And Methods: We aimed to produce a consensus recommendation from Polish movement disorders experts after discussing gaps in the APD care pathway in Poland.

Results: Rescue therapy with apomorphine (APO) PEN injection and levodopa-entacapone-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion are not included in Poland's Specialist Therapeutic Programme, and are thus not reimbursed.

Evaluation of the Learning Curve of Endotracheal Intubation with Videolaryngoscopes: McGrathMAC, UESCOPE, and Airtraq by Young Anesthesiology Residents - Randomized, Controlled, Blinded Crossover Study.

Background: Videolaryngoscopes increased the safety of patients requiring endotracheal intubation. Their particular beneficiaries are healthcare providers inexperienced in intubation. We compared the learning curve of McGrath, UESCOPE, and Airtraq VLs among the first-year anesthesiology residents.

Optimal Sample Preparation Workflow for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry-Based Studies in the Low Range.

Mass spectrometry (MS) enables the high-throughput characterization of thousands of proteins in one single run. Nowadays, advances in the field have allowed for deep analysis of low cell numbers, even reaching the single-cell level. However, standardized protocols are still needed in this regard, especially oriented for non-proteomics specialists.

C-reactive protein thresholds for discriminating active disease in psoriatic arthritis may be different in early versus established disease.

Objectives: Inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) lack discriminatory capacity to detect active disease in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Our aim was to find CRP thresholds capable of discriminating active disease in both early and established PsA.

Methods: We included a total of 345 PsA patients (215 early-onset not exposed to high-impact therapies and 130 with established disease under biologics and oral targeted therapies).

Analysis of dosimetry and clinical variables in treatments of neuroendocrine tumours with [Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE.

Purpose: The main objectives were to study differences between the first and the fourth cycle in dosimetry variables in patients treated for neuroendocrine tumours with four cycles of [Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE, as well as to look for absorbed dose-effect correlations aiming to help individualise and optimise this therapy for future patients.

Material And Methods: SPECT/CT based dosimetry of tumour lesions and kidneys was performed in the first and the fourth cycles of the [Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE treatments for 17 patients from 2020 to 2023. Clinical variables of interest were collected in order to look for correlations with some dosimetry variables.

Early vs Late Anticoagulation After Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Covert Brain Infarcts.

Background And Objectives: Covert brain infarcts (CBIs) in patients with first-ever ischemic stroke (IS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence. We aimed to assess whether CBIs modify the treatment effect of early vs late initiation of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with IS and AF.

Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the international, multicenter, randomized-controlled ELAN trial, which compared early (<48 hours after ischemic stroke for minor and moderate stroke, 6-7 days for major stroke) vs late (>48 hours for minor, 3-4 days for moderate, 12-14 days for major stroke) initiation of DOACs in patients with IS and AF.

Diagnostic Performance of Clinical and Routine Laboratory Data in Acute Mesenteric Arterial Occlusion-An International Multicenter Study.

Background: There are no clinical or laboratory markers that can diagnose acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) accurately. This study aimed to find differences in clinical and laboratory markers between arterial occlusive AMI and other acute abdominal diseases where AMI was initially suspected.

Methods: This was a post hoc study of an international prospective multicenter study where data on patients with suspected AMI were collected.

Executive summary: Clinical practice guidelines on the management of resistant tuberculosis of the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) and the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC).

The Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) and the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) have developed together Clinical Practice Guidelines (GPC) on the management of people affected by tuberculosis (TB) resistant to drugs with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These clinical practice guidelines include the latest updates of the SEPAR regulations for the diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant TB from 2017 to 2020 as the starting point. The methodology included asking relevant clinical questions based on PICO methodology, a literature search focusing on each question, and a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the evidence, with a summary of this evidence for each question.

The efficacy of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the prevention of surgical site occurrences in open abdominal surgery: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: The secondary consequences of surgical site occurrences, especially surgical site infections, worsen the patient's outcomes while significantly increasing health care costs. The implementation of preventive measures to reduce this complication rate should be one of the priorities to improve health care.

Methods: A randomized, open-label clinical trial was conducted between March 2019 and March 2021 in a general surgery department.

D-Dimer in Acute Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis: A Prospective Case-Control International Multicenter Study.

Background: Acute mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is rarely suspected as primary diagnosis in emergency departments and still carries an in-hospital mortality rate of above 20%.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to find differences in clinical and laboratory markers between patients with acute MVT and a control group of suspected but confirmed as not having any type of acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI).

Design: Data was retrieved from the AMESI (Acute MESenteric Ischaemia) study.

Do the Activity Indices Used in Axial Spondyloarthritis Capture the Relationships Between Obesity, Smoking and Disease Activity in the Same Way?

Obesity and smoking have been related to increased disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but these associations might vary depending on the composite index chosen to assess disease activity. We aimed to check this possibility. Three hundred and thirty consecutive patients were recruited from the monographic axSpA unit of a university center.

Detailed Pathophysiology of Minimal Change Disease: Insights into Podocyte Dysfunction, Immune Dysregulation, and Genetic Susceptibility.

Minimal Change Disease (MCD) is a predominant cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in the pediatric population, yet presents significant clinical challenges due to its frequent relapses and steroid resistance. Despite its relatively benign histological appearance, MCD is characterized by severe proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and edema, which may affect patient outcomes. Current treatment strategies primarily rely on corticosteroids, which are effective in inducing remission but are associated with high relapse rates, steroid resistance, and numerous long-term side effects, underscoring the need for more targeted and effective therapeutic approaches.

Novel Gene Variants in a Nationwide Cohort of Patients with Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

Pheochromocytomas (PCCs) and paragangliomas (PGLs), denoted PPGLs, are rare neuroendocrine tumours and are highly heterogeneous. The phenotype-genotype correlation is poor; therefore, additional studies are needed to understand their pathogenesis. We describe the clinical characteristics of 63 patients with PPGLs and perform a genetic study.

International practice patterns and perspectives on endovascular therapy for the treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis.

Background: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) accounts for 0.5-1% of all strokes. The role of endovascular therapy (EVT) in the management of CVT remains controversial and variations in practice patterns are not well known.

Exploring differential miRNA expression profiles in muscular and visceral adipose tissue of patients with severe obesity.

Background: This study aims to investigate the differential miRNA expression profile between the visceral white adipose tissue and the skeletal muscle of people with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery.

Methods: Skeletal muscle and visceral adipose tissue samples of 10 controls and 38 people with obesity (50% also with type 2 diabetes) undergoing bariatric surgery were collected. miRNA expression profiles were analyzed using Next-Generation Sequencing and subsequently validated using RT-PCR.