Second-Line Treatment for Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Systematic Review With Network Meta-Analysis.

Background & Aims: Approximately 40% of patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) show incomplete response to ursodeoxycholic acid, thus needing second-line treatment to prevent disease progression. As no head-to-head comparison study is available, we used a network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare efficacy and safety of available second-line therapies.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review including randomised, placebo-controlled trials of patients with PBC and incomplete response, or intolerance, to ursodeoxycholic acid, and compared relative risks (RRs) for primary (biochemical response at 52-week) and secondary outcomes [incidence of new-onset pruritus and serious adverse events (SAEs)].

Understanding Cognitive Aging Through White Matter: A Fixel-Based Analysis.

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been frequently used to examine age-related deterioration of white matter microstructure and its relationship to cognitive decline. However, typical tensor-based analytical approaches are often difficult to interpret due to the challenge of decomposing and (mis)interpreting the impact of crossing fibers within a voxel. We hypothesized that a novel analytical approach capable of resolving fiber-specific changes within each voxel (i.

Among the Masses: Multiple Left Atrial Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcomas.

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, an exceedingly rare and aggressive primary cardiac tumor arising from mesenchymal stem cells, is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality despite adequate treatment. A 52-year-old female presented with a 2-month history of angina and dyspnea on exertion. Her clinical history included severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 myocarditis and iron deficiency anemia.

Waldenström Macroglobulinemia-Induced Cardiac Amyloid Light Chain Amyloidosis.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia is a rare cancer of plasma cells characterized by the excessive production of immunoglobulin M (IgM). IgM-associated systemic amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare complication of Waldenström macroglobulinemia, characterized by the misfolding of lambda light chains that deposit in various organs, including the heart. We describe a case of progressive nonischemic cardiomyopathy secondary to Waldenström macroglobulinemia and IgM-associated AL amyloidosis that was refractory to medical therapy and highlight the challenges in diagnosis and management.

I'm Getting a Migraine: A Comparative Evaluation of Patient and Clinician Interpretations of Migraine Symptoms.

Patients and providers vary in how they describe common otolaryngology-related complaints. These differences can lead to miscommunication and frustration that may affect patient outcomes and satisfaction. The aim of this cross-sectional survey-based study was to explore the differences in migraine symptom selection by otolaryngology patients and clinicians.

Antibiotic susceptibility testing and molecular characterization based on whole-genome sequencing of isolates from pediatric infections at the National Regional Medical Center of Southwest China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: is a transmitted respiratory pathogen that causes high morbidity and mortality in children, especially those under 5 years of age. During the implementation of population control measures for COVID-19 in mainland China, the detection rate in pediatric patients decreased. However, with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022), the incidence of pneumococcal disease (PD) and even invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) began to rise again.

Framing diagnostic error: an epidemiological perspective.

Diagnostic errors burden the United States healthcare system. Depending on how they are defined, between 40,000 and 4 million cases occur annually. Despite this striking statistic, and the potential benefits epidemiological approaches offer in identifying risk factors for sub-optimal diagnoses, diagnostic error remains an underprioritized epidemiolocal research topic.

Memory stem CD8T cells in HIV/Mtb mono- and co-infection: characteristics, implications, and clinical significance.

Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and () co-infection presents a significant public health challenge worldwide. Comprehensive assessment of the immune response in HIV/ co-infection is complex and challenging. CD8T cells play a pivotal role in the adaptive immune response to both HIV and .

Emergence of Omicron FN.1 a descendent of BQ.1.1 in Botswana.

Botswana, like the rest of the world, has been significantly impacted by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In December 2022, we detected a monophyletic cluster of genomes comprising a sublineage of the Omicron variant of concern (VOC) designated as B.1.

Assessment of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life in Rosacea Patients: A Case-Control Study.

Rosacea, a chronic facial dermatosis, poses a substantial global prevalence burden. Its impact extends beyond physical symptoms, affecting patient quality of life, self-esteem, and psychosocial functioning. This study aims to assess the health-related quality of life and emotional well-being in Jordanian rosacea patients in comparison to healthy controls.

Baseline urinary ALA and PBG as criteria for starting pharmacologic prophylactic treatment in acute intermittent porphyria treated with givosiran.

Introduction: For patients with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), a true attack could be difficult to distinguish from chronic abdominal pain. This study focused on treatment responses from two patients with confirmed elevated biochemical data (delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), porphobilinogen (PBG)) and clinical evidence for acute attacks before starting givosiran.

Methods: Data from patients who participated in the phase III givosiran trial in Taiwan between May 2018 and May 2021 were reviewed.

Remodeling of tumour microenvironment: strategies to overcome therapeutic resistance and innovate immunoengineering in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) stands as the most complex and daunting subtype of breast cancer affecting women globally. Regrettably, treatment options for TNBC remain limited due to its clinical complexity. However, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising avenue, showing success in developing effective therapies for advanced cases and improving patient outcomes.

Decoding the prognostic landscape of LUAD: the interplay between N-methyladenosine modification and immune microenvironment.

Background: To determine the role of N-methyladenosine (mA) modification in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), as well as their association with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods: Consensus clustering was performed to identify the subgroups with distinct immune or mA modification patterns using profiles from TCGA. A risk score model was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and validated in two independent cohorts and LUAD tissue microarrays.

In silico neoantigen screening and HLA multimer-based validation identify immunogenic neopeptide in multifocal lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Mutations commonly occur in cancer cells, arising neoantigen as potential targets for personalized immunotherapy of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the substantial heterogeneity observed among individuals and distinct foci within the same patient presents significant challenges in formulating immunotherapy strategies. The aim of the work is to characterize the mutation pattern and identify neopeptides across different patients and diverse foci within the same patients with LUAD.

Prevalence of fungal colonization among patients with psoriasis in difficult-to-treat areas: impact of apremilast on mycotic burden and clinical outcomes.

Introduction: Fungi, including , may be a trigger or exacerbate psoriasis, especially in difficult to treat (DTT) areas, through the activation of IL-17/23 axis.

Methods: In this study, seventy patients with DDT psoriasis were enrolled to evaluate species and/or other opportunistic fungi colonization rate at baseline (T0) and the impact of apremilast on fungal load, clinical outcome, serum cytokine levels and biochemical serum profile of patients after 16, 24 and 52 weeks of treatment.

Results: In our population, 33 (47%) patients were colonized by spp.

Prognostic significance of combined PD-L1 expression in malignant and infiltrating cells in hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab.

Background: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is abundant not only in malignant cells but also in infiltrating cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study explored the association between PD-L1 expression in TME and outcomes in HCC patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (AB), emphasizing the implications of PD-L1 expression in both malignant and tumor-infiltrating cells.

Methods: This study included 72 patients with HCC who underwent percutaneous core needle liver biopsy before AB treatment between September 2020 and December 2023.

Diagnostic Value of RDW-Albumin Ratio for the Prediction of Mortality in Sepsis Associated Nonthyroidal Illness Syndrome Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The correlation between RAR is linked to negative outcomes in sepsis, but it remains uncertain if RAR is connected to prognosis in patients with sepsis-related NTIS. So we investigated it in this study.

Methods: Patients with sepsis-associated NTIS admitted to Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, between March 2013 and April 2017 were included in the study.

Identification of Potential Drug Targets for the Treatment of Severe Burn Wounds from a Multi-Omics Perspective.

Purpose: Severe burns result in significant skin damage, impairing its primary role as an infection barrier and presenting substantial treatment challenges. Despite improvements in the treatment of burn patients due to advancements in materials and techniques, there remains a need for novel therapeutic approaches to enhance burn prognosis further.

Patients And Methods: Several types of genomic methods are used in this study, such as differential gene expression analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), machine learning, and Mendelian randomization (MR), to find genes that are linked to severe burns and create a diagnostic nomogram to see how well these genes can predict severe burns.

Predicting recovery in patients with mild traumatic brain injury and a normal CT using serum biomarkers and diffusion tensor imaging (CENTER-TBI): an observational cohort study.

Background: Even patients with normal computed tomography (CT) head imaging may experience persistent symptoms for months to years after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). There is currently no good way to predict recovery and triage patients who may benefit from early follow-up and targeted intervention. We aimed to assess if existing prognostic models can be improved by serum biomarkers or diffusion tensor imaging metrics (DTI) from MRI, and if serum biomarkers can identify patients for DTI.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm-the Mayo Clinic experience and literature review.

Introduction: Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition associated with high mortality. This study aims to review the etiology, clinical manifestations, management, and outcomes of patients diagnosed and treated for HAP at the Mayo Clinic.

Methodology: This study was a retrospective chart review of medical records for patients diagnosed and treated for hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) at the Mayo Clinic (Florida, Minnesota, and Arizona) between September 1, 1998, and June 30, 2022.

A decade of iron overload disorders and hemochromatosis: clinical and genetic findings from a specialized center in Colombia.

Background: Iron overload disorders, including hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), are characterized by excessive iron accumulation, which can cause severe organ damage. HH is most associated with the C282Y mutation in Caucasian populations, but its prevalence and genetic profiles in Latin American populations remain underexplored.

Objectives: To describe the clinical manifestations, genetic profiles, and biochemical characteristics of patients with suspected iron overload disorders in a specialized hematology center in Cali, Colombia.

Determine Complete Blood Count Reference Values Among Healthy Adult Populations.

Background: Complete blood counts (CBC) are commonly used in diagnostic medicine to evaluate normal and abnormal hematological status. Furthermore, reference values (RVs) of CBC supplied by researchers are the most reliable means of the judgment-making stage and can aid interpretation and accurate diagnosis of diseases. Reference values vary between peoples because of differences in lifestyle, dietary habits, ethnicity and environment.

Early warning systems for identifying severe maternal outcomes: findings from the WHO global maternal sepsis study.

Background: Infections and sepsis are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in women during pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period. Using data from the 2017 WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study, we explored the use of early warning systems (EWS) in women at risk of sepsis-related severe maternal outcomes.

Methods: On April 27, 2023, we searched the literature for EWS in clinical use or research in obstetric populations.

Worldwide patterns and trends in ovarian cancer incidence by histological subtype: a population-based analysis from 1988 to 2017.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a heterogeneous malignancy with multiple histological subtypes, showing global variability in incidence. Temporal changes in diagnostic criteria and risk factors might influence the incidence and distribution of OC and its subtypes.

Methods: This study analyzed incidence patterns (2013-2017) and trends (1988-1992 to 2013-2017) of OC and its subtypes across 65 and 40 countries, respectively.

Real-world effectiveness and causal mediation study of BNT162b2 on long COVID risks in children and adolescents.

Background: The impact of pre-infection vaccination on the risk of long COVID remains unclear in the pediatric population. We aim to assess the effectiveness of BNT162b2 on long COVID risks with various strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in children and adolescents, using comparative effectiveness methods. We further explore if such pre-infection vaccination can mitigate the risk of long COVID beyond its established protective benefits against SARS-CoV-2 infection using causal mediation analysis.