Impact of patient characteristics on ASDAS disease activity state cut-offs in axial spondyloarthritis: results from nine European rheumatology registries.

Objectives: To re-evaluate cut-offs for disease activity states according to the Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), and study the impact of sex, age, calendar time, disease and symptom duration on ASDAS and ASDAS cut-offs in a large contemporary cohort.

Methods: Data from 2939 patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) starting their first tumour necrosis factor inhibitor in nine European registries were pooled and analysed. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to identify cut-offs against external criteria.

Functional brain networks in clinical high-risk for bipolar disorder and psychosis.

Abnormal connectivity in the brain has been linked to the pathophysiology of severe mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The current study aimed to investigate large-scale functional networks and global network metrics in clinical high-risk for bipolardisorder (CHR-BD, n = 25), clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P, n = 30), and healthy controls (HCs, n = 19). Help-seeking youth at CHR-BD and CHR-P were recruited from the early intervention program at Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey.

Retina in Clinical High-Risk and First-Episode Psychosis.

Background And Hypothesis: Abnormalities in the retina are observed in psychotic disorders, especially in schizophrenia.

Study Design: Using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, we investigated structural retinal changes in relatively metabolic risk-free youth with clinical high-risk (CHR, n = 34) and first-episode psychosis (FEP, n = 30) compared with healthy controls (HCs, n = 28).

Study Results: Total retinal macular thickness/volume of the right eye increased in FEP (effect sizes, Cohen's d = 0.

Secukinumab May Be an Effective Treatment Option for Axial Spondyloarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients with a History of Malignancy: Multicenter Real-Life Experience from Turkey.

: Secukinumab is a monoclonal antibody against interleukin 17 approved for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and psoriasis. Treating axSpA and PsA patients with a history of malignancy is a challenge. While initial results on the applicability of secukinumab in this patient group are positive, the number of studies on this topic remains limited.

Assessment of Genetic Variants Linked to Susceptibility to Mechanical Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a critical and life-threatening condition driven by multifactorial etiologies, including genetic predispositions. The study was designed as a single-center retrospective manner. Echocardiographic features and genetic test including factor II/prothrombin (G20210A), factor V Leiden (G1691A), factor V R2 (A4070G), apolipoprotein (Apo) B-100 (G10708A), ApoE (C112R), ApoE (R158C), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, MTHFR A1298C, factor XIII G103T (V34L), β-fibrinogen (455G>A), PAI-1 4G/5G, and HPA-1 GPIIIa (T196C) genotyping variations were assessed.

Therapeutic implications of etiology-specific diagnosis of early-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (EO-DEEs): A nationwide Turkish cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the etiology-specific diagnosis of early-onset developmental epileptic encephalopathies (EO-DEEs) in a nationwide Turkish cohort to determine the implications for therapeutic management.

Methods: The cohort comprised 1450 patients who underwent EO-DEE. The utility of genetic testing was assessed with respect to the initial phases of next generation sequencing (NGS) (2005-2013) and the current NGS era (2014-2022).

Supplemental oxygen alters the pentose phosphate pathway in the developing mouse brain through SIRT signaling.

Oxygen support plays a critical role in the management of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units. On the other hand, the possible effects of oxygen supplementation on cellular functions, specifically glucose metabolism, have been less understood. PURPOSE: of the study is to investigate whether supplemental oxygen alters glucose metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) activity in the brain tissue and its relevance with silent information regulator proteins (SIRT) pathway.

Utility of Optical Genome Mapping in Repeat Disorders.

Genomic repeat sequences are patterns of nucleic acids that exist in multiple copies throughout the genome. More than 60 Mendelian disorders are caused by the expansion or contraction of these repeats. Various specific methods for determining tandem repeat variations have been developed.

Takotsubo Syndrome: An International Expert Consensus Report on Practical Challenges and Specific Conditions (Part-2: Specific Entities, Risk Stratification and Challenges After Recovery).

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) still remains as an enigmatic phenomenon. In particular, long-term challenges (including clinical recurrence and persistent symptoms) and specific entities in the setting of TTS have been the evolving areas of interest. On the other hand, a significant gap still exists regarding the proper risk-stratification of this phenomenon in the short and long terms.

Takotsubo Syndrome: An International Expert Consensus Report on Practical Challenges and Specific Conditions (Part-1: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges).

In the recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), which is renowned as a specific form of reversible myocardial dysfunction. Despite the extensive literature available on TTS, clinicians still face several practical challenges associated with the diagnosis and management of this phenomenon. This potentially results in the underdiagnosis and improper management of TTS in clinical practice.

The efficacy and safety of CDK4/6 inhibitors combined with endocrine therapy versus endocrine therapy alone in the adjuvant treatment of patients with high-risk invasive HR+/HER2-early breast cancer: A comprehensive updated meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: This paper aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating CDK 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) into ET for the adjuvant treatment of HR + HER2-resected early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) patients, employing meta-analysis.

Methods: In this paper, we compiled randomized clinical trials focusing on CDK4/6i used in the adjuvant treatment of high-risk invasive HR-positive and HER2-ESBC patients. A meta-analysis was performed in line with the PRISMA guidelines.

Carbohydrate Counting: A Bibliometric Analysis with a Focus on Research.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to impaired insulin secretion, activity, or both. Carbohydrate counting, known for optimal metabolic control, plays in the therapeutic strategy in diabetes. In the last decade, an increasing amount of research has been conducted on carbohydrate counting, and the literature on this topic has been published in academic journals.

Inflammation-Associated Long Non-Coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in Chronic Viral Hepatitis- Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the expression profile and prognostic significance of inflammation-associated lncRNAs in chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) and CVH-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (CVH-HCC).

Material And Methods: In the first step, lncRNA expression analysis was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using an array panel of 84 inflammation-associated lncRNAs in 48 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples (12 CVH-HCC, 12 peritumoral cirrhotic parenchyma, 12 nontumoral cirrhotic CVH parenchyma, 12 normal liver samples). In the second step, 7 lncRNAs (DLEU2, HOTAIR, LINC00635, LINC00662, RP11-549J18.

The efficacy and safety of isotonic and hypotonic fluids in intravenous maintenance fluid therapy in term newborns: national multicenter observational "neofluid" study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of isotonic and hypotonic intravenous fluids in maintenance fluid therapy for term infants.

Methods: This was a multi-centre, prospective, observational study conducted in 21 participating centres from December 30, 2020, to June 30, 2023. The study included term newborns requiring parenteral fluid therapy for maintenance (NCT04781361).

The Impact of Hormone Replacement Therapy on the Risk of Heart Failure in Postmenopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Observational Studies.

Purpose: The relationship between heart failure (HF) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women remains unclear. This paper aimed to elucidate the association between HRT and HF outcomes in postmenopausal women by scrutinizing evidence from clinical trials and observational studies.

Methods: The meta-analysis was systematically executed following the PRISMA guidelines to include studies identified from the electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, ICTRP, and NIH clinical trials.

Comparison of Tissue and Urine Microbiota in Male, Intervention Naive Patients with and without Non-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Introduction: To investigate the presence of dysbiosis in patients with naive bladder cancer.

Methods: Twelve male patients with non-invasive bladder cancer and twelve age-matched healthy males had midstream urine and tissue samples taken. A history of endourological interventions was determined as an exclusion criterion, ensuring that the study was designed solely with naïve participants.

Preferences for albumin use in adult intensive care unit patients with shock: An international survey.

Introduction: Use of albumin is suggested for some patients with shock, but preferences for its use may vary among intensive care unit (ICU) physicians.

Methods: We conducted an international online survey of ICU physicians with 20 questions about their use of albumin and their opinion towards a randomised trial among adults with shock comparing the use versus no use of albumin.

Results: A total of 1248 respondents participated, with a mean response rate of 37%, ranging from 18% to 75% across 21 countries.

Can volumetric magnetic resonance imaging evaluations be helpful in the follow-up of cognitive functions in cognitively normal Parkinson's disease patients?

Background/aim: In this study, besides the evaluation of gray and white matter changes in cognitively normal Parkinson's disease (PD-CN) patients with volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters, it was tried to show that some neuropsychological tests may be impaired in PD-CN patients.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-six PD-CN patients and 26 healthy elderly (HC) participants were included in the current study. Global cognitive status was assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and the Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA).