A systematic review and meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometric studies of fibromyalgia.

Objective: Although neuroimaging investigations have revealed significant changes in brain structure in fibromyalgia (FM) patients, these findings are inconsistent. The current study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometric studies in order to comprehend those alterations in brain structure in FM patients.

Methods: Voxel-based morphometric (VBM) studies published up to January 17, 2023 were searched in the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP, Wanfang Database.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Combined With Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Protect Ischemic Myocardium by Regulating miR-20a-5p/E2F1/p73 Signaling.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a serious threat to human health. Although monotherapy with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) or adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) has been reported to have positive effect on the treatment of MI, a satisfactory outcome has not yet been achieved. In recent years, combination therapy has attracted widespread interest.

Montelukast prevents mice against carbon tetrachloride- and methionine-choline deficient diet-induced liver fibrosis: Reducing hepatic stellate cell activation and inflammation.

Aims: Montelukast is an antagonist of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 (CysLTR1) that protects against inflammation and oxidative stress. However, the function of montelukast in liver fibrosis remains unknown. In this study, we examined whether the pharmacological inhibition of CysLTR1 could protect mice against hepatic fibrosis.

Inflammation and endothelial function-related gene polymorphisms are associated with carotid atherosclerosis-A study of community population in Southwest China.

Objectives: To investigate the relationships between 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms with carotid atherosclerosis and whether interactions among these genes were associated with an increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods: Face-to-face surveys were conducted with individuals aged 40 or older in eight communities. A total of 2377 individuals were included in the study.

Seminal plasma biomarkers for predicting successful sperm retrieval in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia: a narrative review of human studies.

Background: Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is considered to be the most severe form of male infertility. Before the emergence of surgical testicular sperm extraction and assisted reproductive technology, NOA patients could hardly become biological fathers of their children. However, failure of the surgery could cause physical and psychological harm to patients such as testicular damage, pain, hopeless of fertility and additional cost.

The therapeutic window of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and its correlation with clinical outcomes in Kawasaki disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal therapeutic window to start intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for Kawasaki disease (KD) is highly debatable. We aimed to summarize the existing literature to evaluate the therapeutic window of IVIG treatment and its correlation with clinical outcomes in KD patients.

Methods: We searched the databases from inception to August 26, 2022, without language restrictions.

The largest and heaviest giant juvenile fibroadenoma of the breast in the Chinese population: A case report.

Rationale: Fibroadenoma is the most common benign tumor of the breast, but giant juvenile fibroadenoma exceeding 20 cm is much rare. This report presents the largest and heaviest giant juvenile fibroadenoma in an 18-year-old Chinese girl.

Diagnosis And Interventions: An 18-year-old adolescent girl with a 2-year history of a large left breast mass with progressive expansion over 11 months.

Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine Monomers in Reversing Multidrug Resistance of Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is a malignant disease with an increasing incidence. Chemotherapy is still an important means for breast cancer treatment, but multidrug resistance (MDR) greatly limits its clinical application. Therefore, the high-efficiency MDR reversal agents are urgently needed.

Peripheral and tumor-infiltrating immune cells are correlated with patient outcomes in ovarian cancer.

Objective: At present, there is still a lack of reliable biomarkers for ovarian cancer (OC) to guide prognosis prediction and accurately evaluate the dominant population of immunotherapy. In recent years, the relationship between peripheral blood markers and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) with cancer has attracted much attention. However, the relationship between the survival of OC patients and intratumoral- or extratumoral-associated immune cells remains controversial.

Predictive value of novel inflammatory markers platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio in arterial stiffness in patients with diabetes: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Increased arterial stiffness is common in patients with diabetes, and inflammation is one of the main causes of increased arterial stiffness. Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are novel inflammatory markers that are reproducible, widely available, and easy to measure, and are associated with low costs. This study sought to investigate the predictive value of these novel inflammatory markers in patients with diabetes having arterial stiffness.

The impact of triglyceride-glucose index on ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Strokes significantly impair quality of life and incur high economic and societal burdens. The triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index is a biochemical marker of insulin resistance (IR) and may have important value in the prediction of strokes, especially ischemic stroke (IS). Our study aims to investigate the relationship between TyG index and IS and ascertain whether TyG index is independently associated with IS adverse outcomes.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of sintilimab plus pemetrexed and platinum versus chemotherapy alone as first-line treatment in metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer in China.

Objective: In frst-line treatment of advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the ORIENT-11 study demonstrated a signifcant progression-free survival and overall survival for sintilimab plus chemotherapy in comparison with chemotherapy alone. But the cost-effectiveness of the two treatment schemes is unclear in China. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the cost efectiveness of sintilimab plus chemotherapy versus Platinum-based chemotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC in China.

CD44 promotes angiogenesis in myocardial infarction through regulating plasma exosome uptake and further enhancing FGFR2 signaling transduction.

Background: Since angiogenesis occurs as the pathological process following myocardial infarction to alleviate ischemia, therapeutic angiogenesis has been proposed to be a cardioprotective strategy. CD44 has been implicated in endothelial cell functions and its role has been well established in angiogenesis for years. Although recent studies indicate the close correlation between CD44 and exosome, as well as the two being implicated in myocardial ischemia pathological processes, the effect and the underlying mechanism of CD44 and its regulated plasma exosome in pathological angiogenesis post-myocardial infarction have not been fully elucidated.

Estradiol pretreatment in GnRH antagonist protocol for IVF/ICSI treatment.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all published data to determine the impact of estradiol pretreatment on reproductive outcomes and ovary stimulation characteristics for fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched, and any randomized controlled trials associated with estradiol pretreatment in GnRH antagonist protocol were included. Seven studies (1,236 patients) were included in the present study.

The Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Introduction: As a severe and specific neurovascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains the leading cause of vision loss and preventable blindness in adults aged 20 to 74. The pathogenesis of DR is not completely understood, however, studies indicate that chronic inflammation plays a significant role. Emerging evidence suggests that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are novel potential inflammatory response markers.

Anesthesia management of an aged patient with giant abdominal tumor and large hiatal hernia: A case report and literature review.

Introduction: A giant abdominal tumor with a large hiatal hernia remains a rare disease with few studies regarding its implications in anesthesia. A large hiatal hernia may compress the heart and cause arrhythmia and even cardiac arrest, which greatly increases the risks and challenges of anesthesia management.

Case Description: We present a case in which a patient with a giant abdominal desmoid tumor and large hiatal hernia experienced a critical situation during anesthesia and surgery.

Impact of myeloid differentiation protein 1 on cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide and a significant global burden. Many lines of evidence suggest complex remodeling responses to cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial ischemia, hypertension and valve disease, which lead to poor clinical outcomes, including heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD). The mechanisms underlying cardiac remodeling are closely related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation.

The traditional Chinese medicine Qiangjing tablet prevents blood-testis barrier injury induced by CdCl through the PI3K/Akt/Rictor signaling pathway.

Objective: Environmental contaminants such as cadmium (Cd) may have a deleterious impact on sperm and reduce male fertility by compromising the blood-testis barrier (BTB). Hence, the effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Qiangjing tablet (QJP) on sperm quality and BTB alterations induced by Cd in mouse testes were examined.

Methods: Adult KM mice challenged with Cd chloride were examined, QJP was administered to mice as an oral drug by gavage, and the experiments lasted 2 weeks.

Role of Estrogen Receptor-Positive/Negative Ratios in Regulating Breast Cancer.

The alpha estrogen receptor (ER) contributes to breast cancer progression and recent guidelines define ER positivity as ≥1% stained cells, and a few tumor tissues show no ER expression at all or are at 100%. Although ER and aromatase inhibitors are widely used to treat hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer, their effect on tumor activity at different ER levels remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of ER+/ER- ratios in determining the ER level.

Mitophagy: A potential therapeutic target for insulin resistance.

Glucose and lipid metabolism disorders caused by insulin resistance (IR) can lead to metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome. Early and targeted intervention of IR is beneficial for the treatment of various metabolic disorders. Although significant progress has been made in the development of IR drug therapies, the state of the condition has not improved significantly.

Frailty and risks of all-cause and cause-specific death in community-dwelling adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The associations of frailty with all-cause and cause-specific mortality remain unclear. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to fill this gap.

Methods: We searched the PubMed and Embase databases through June 2022.