Impact of Wood Smoke Exposure on Aortic Valve Mineralization: Microvesicles as Mineral Conveyors in Patients with Coronary Stenosis.

Aortic valve calcification results from degenerative processes associated with several pathologies. These processes are influenced by age, chronic inflammation, and high concentrations of phosphate ions in the plasma, which contribute to induce mineralization in the aortic valve and deterioration of cardiovascular health. Environmental factors, such as wood smoke that emits harmful and carcinogenic pollutants, carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxide (NO), as well as other reactive compounds may also be implicated.

Inbreeding and Gallbladder Cancer Risk: Homozygosity Associations Adjusted for Indigenous American Ancestry, BMI, and Genetic Risk of Gallstone Disease.

Latin Americans have a rich genetic make-up that translates into heterogeneous fractions of the autosomal genome in runs of homozygosity (F) and heterogeneous types and proportions of indigenous American ancestry. While autozygosity has been linked to several human diseases, very little is known about the relationship between inbreeding, genetic ancestry, and cancer risk in Latin Americans. Chile has one of the highest incidences of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in the world, and we investigated the association between inbreeding, GBC, gallstone disease (GSD), and body mass index (BMI) in 4029 genetically admixed Chileans.

KLF2-dependent transcriptional regulation safeguards the heart against pathological hypertrophy.

Background: Our previous single-cell RNA sequencing study in the adult human heart revealed that cardiomyocytes from both the atrium and ventricle display high activities of Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) regulons. However, the role of the transcription factor KLF2 in cardiomyocyte biology remains largely unexplored.

Methods And Results: We employed transverse aortic constriction surgery in male C57BL/6 J mice to develop an in vivo model of cardiac hypertrophy, and generated different in vitro cardiac hypertrophy models in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

IPNA clinical practice recommendations on care of pediatric patients with pre-existing kidney disease during seasonal outbreak of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, instigated by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has profoundly impacted healthcare infrastructures around the globe. While children are usually asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, children with pre-existing kidney conditions require specialized attention. This pivotal report, championed by the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA), delivers precise and actionable recommendations tailored for pediatric patients with kidney ailments in this pandemic landscape.

Clinical impact of DPYD genotyping and dose adjustment in candidates for fluoropyrimidine treatment.

Image 1.

A review of precision medicine in developing pharmaceutical products: Perspectives and opportunities.

Over the next decade, Precision Medicine (PM) is poised to become the standard of care in pharmaceutical therapy, necessitating a fundamental transformation in the design and development of innovative custom-made drug products. To date, a comprehensive review linking PM with practical personalized drug formulations is missing. This review attempts to provide an overview of state-of-the-art formulation approaches capable of translating PM evaluation and resulting recommendations (clinical research) into tailored drug products (non-clinical research) for real-world patients.

Continuation of CDK4/6 Inhibition and Switching of Hormonal Therapy After Progression on Prior CDK4/6 Inhibitors in HR+/HER2- Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study aims to determine the efficacy of maintaining cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibition and switching endocrine therapy (ET) versus ET alone after progression on prior CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) in patients with hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative breast cancer. We identified phase II and III comparative randomized clinical trials through a systematic search across relevant clinical databases. A random effects model was used to determine the pooled hazard ratio (HR) for progression-free survival (PFS) according to the inverse-variance method.

Assessment of Current Practices for Perioperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Kidney Transplantation in China: Results from a Nationwide Survey.

Background: Current guidelines support routine perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) to minimize surgical site infection in kidney transplantation (KT), though data regarding the current practices of PAP is lacking in China.

Objective: To survey the routine PAP strategies in KT, and analyze main clinical considerations associated with adjusted antibiotic dosing regimens in different Chinese hospitals.

Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted on behalf of the National Alliance of Transplant Pharmacists.

Aplastic Anemia: Demographic and Clinical Characteristics in Costa Rica.

Background Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare and heterogeneous hematological disorder defined as pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow in the absence of abnormal infiltration or medullary fibrosis. Various causes of AA have been identified, such as autoimmune factors, bone marrow injuries, viral infections, and genetic disorders. The symptoms of AA are directly linked to pancytopenia and the most common are fatigue, recurrent infections, and bleeding problems.

Neurological Monitoring and Management for Adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients: Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Consensus Guidelines.

Background: Critical care of patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with acute brain injury (ABI) is notable for a lack of high-quality clinical evidence. Here, we offer guidelines for neurological care (neurological monitoring and management) of adults during and after ECMO support.

Methods: These guidelines are based on clinical practice consensus recommendations and scientific statements.

Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children and Older Patients Hospitalized with Asthma: A Seven-Year Longitudinal Population-Based Study in Spain.

(1) Background: To describe hospitalizations due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children and elderly patients with asthma. (2) Methods: We used a nationwide discharge database to select patients with asthma aged 0 to 15 years and ≥65 years admitted to Spanish hospitals from 2016 to 2022. (3) Results: We identified 49,086 children and 471,947 elderly patients hospitalized with asthma (3.

Imperatorin Suppresses Aberrant Hedgehog Pathway and Overcomes Smoothened Antagonist Resistance via STAT3 Inhibition.

Background: Hyperactive Hedgehog (Hh) signaling initiates and drives the progression of various tumors. Despite the clinical success of Hh inhibitors targeting Smoothened (SMO), drug resistance, often stemming from SMO mutations, remains a formidable obstacle in cancer therapy. Here, we investigated the potential of imperatorin (IMP), a Chinese herbal medicine, to overcome drug resistance and revealed the potential mechanisms.

Exosome-mediated Transfer of lncRNA in Liver Associated Diseases; Uncovered Truths.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a diameter ranging from 40 to 160 nm. They are produced by hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and Kupffer cells in liver tissue. The secretion of exosomes might vary in quantity and composition in reaction to multiple triggers and various stages of disease.

Case report: Significant response of alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer from combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Background: Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) represents a particularly aggressive subtype of gastric carcinoma characterized by elevated rates of vascular invasion, lymphatic dissemination, hepatic metastasis, and an unfavorable clinical outcome. Treatment strategies for AFPGC have historically lacked specificity. Herein, a case is presented involving AFPGC in which the patient exhibited a notable response to combined anti-PD-1 antibody immunotherapy and SOX chemotherapy, potentially achieving a cure.

Impact of a multifaceted intervention programme on antibiotic prescribing and dispensing in four patient-centred settings in five European countries. The HAPPY PATIENT project.

Background: The primary cause of antimicrobial resistance is excessive and non-indicated antibiotic use.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of a multifaceted intervention aimed at various healthcare professionals (HCPs) on antibiotic prescribing and dispensing for common infections.

Design And Setting: Before-and-after study set in general practice, out-of-hours services, nursing homes, and community pharmacies in France, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain.

A Novel Insight into Postmenopausal Hypercholesterolemia: Carnitine as a Key Player.

Postmenopausal women (post-MW) are at a heightened risk of cardiovascular diseases, including hypercholesterolemia. This study aimed to investigate metabolomic variations to identify potential markers and targets for postmenopausal hypercholesterolemia. Sixty-two female volunteers aged 40-65 were recruited for this study.

Hospital Admission Trends in Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency: A Sex-Based Analysis from the Spanish National Discharge Database, 2016-2022.

: To analyze the number and clinical characteristics of hospital admissions in Spain between 2016 and 2022 in which alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) was coded; to describe and analyze differences in these parameters between men and women; and to identify variables associated with a worse prognosis. : We used a nationwide discharge database to select all admissions featuring an AATD diagnostic code (ICD-10 code E88.01) in any position.

Sex-related differences in the presentation, management and response to treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis: Cross sectional analysis of EoE CONNECT registry.

Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) predominantly affects males across all ages; however, little is known about sex differences for other aspects of EoE.

Objective: To investigate associations between sex and clinical presentation, endoscopic features, treatment choice and response in EoE patients in real-world practice.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the multicenter EoE CONNECT registry.

Efficacy and safety of asunercept, a CD95L-selective inhibitor, in hospitalised patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19: ASUNCTIS, a multicentre, randomised, open-label, controlled, phase 2 trial.

Background: The phase 2 ASUNCTIS study assessed the efficacy and safety of asunercept, a fully human CD95 (Fas) ligand-binding protein, in hospitalised patients with moderate-to-severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to assess the clinical benefit of CD95 ligand inhibition in this viral disease.

Methods: In this open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial, patients with COVID-19-induced pneumonia and respiratory deterioration were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) in 12 Russian and Spanish hospitals using an interactive web-response system to receive standard of care (SOC) or SOC plus weekly asunercept 25 mg, 100 mg, or 400 mg, administered intravenously for up to 4 weeks, or until hospital discharge or death. The randomisation was stratified according to the respiratory support methods at the time of enrolment, corresponding to categories 4-6 of a clinical severity assessment scale comprising 9 levels that was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the time of the study.

A step further: Antibiotic stewardship programme in home hospital.

Objective: To evaluate the adequacy of empirical antibiotic prescription and the duration of antibiotic therapy for infected patients admitted for conventional hospitalization (CH) and Hospitalization at Home (HaH) after implementation of an antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) in HaH.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Patients: Patients admitted for infection to Emergency Department between October and December 2023.