Treatment of Diabetes in Pregnancy With Metformin.

Metformin is a commonly used drug in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and has been used to treat gestational diabetes since the 1970s. In pregnancy, its proven benefits include reduced gestational weight gain and reduced fetal size; some studies have shown reduced risk of cesarean delivery and lower rates of hypertension. Metformin can reduce the need for insulin therapy but does not eliminate such need in many patients.

Unusual Presentations of Dystrophinopathies in Childhood.

X-linked recessive mutations in the dystrophin gene are one of the most common causes of inherited neuromuscular disorders in humans. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common phenotype, and Becker muscular dystrophy are often recognizable by certain clinical features; however, less frequent presentations require a higher degree of suspicion. In this article, we describe a series of 6 children (4 boys, 2 girls) referred to a tertiary pediatric neuromuscular clinic for isolated elevated creatine kinase levels (range: 720-7000 IU/L) identified on initial assessment for otherwise unexplained transaminase elevations ( = 2), a social communication disorder ( = 3), and exertional myalgia and/or rhabdomyolysis ( = 1).

Evaluation of an Internally Controlled Multiplex Tth Endonuclease Cleavage Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (TEC-LAMP) Assay for the Detection of Bacterial Meningitis Pathogens.

Bacterial meningitis infection is a leading global health concern for which rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) offers an effective low-cost diagnostic approach; however, multiplex LAMP is difficult to achieve, limiting its application. We have developed novel real-time multiplex LAMP technology, TEC-LAMP, using endonuclease IV and a unique LAMP primer/probe.

Extended-duration versus short-duration pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in acutely Ill hospitalized medical patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Extended-duration pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, for at least 28 days, is effective for the prevention of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) in high-risk surgical patients but is of uncertain benefit in hospitalized medical patients. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended-duration thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients. We conducted a systematic PubMed, Medline and EMBASE literature search until June 2016 and a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials which compared extended-duration with short-duration thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients.

Focused Versus Bilateral Parathyroid Exploration for Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Focused exploration (FE) and bilateral parathyroid exploration (BE) are the standard surgical options for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. However, the relative risk of recurrence, persistence, overall failure, reoperation, and any complications associated with either surgical approach is unclear. This study compared the outcomes and complication rates after FE and BE for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Non-invasive and label-free detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma using saliva surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis.

Reported here is the application of silver nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a label-free, non-invasive technique for detection of oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) using saliva and desquamated oral cells. A total of 180 SERS spectra were acquired from saliva and 120 SERS spectra from oral cells collected from normal healthy individuals and from confirmed oropharyngeal cancer patients. Notable biochemical peaks in the SERS spectra were tentatively assigned to various components.

Can HbA1c detect undiagnosed diabetes in acute medical hospital admissions?

Objective: To study hyperglycaemia in acute medical admissions to Irish regional hospital.

Research Design And Methods: From 2005 to 2007, 2061 white Caucasians, aged >18 years, were admitted by 1/7 physicians. Those with diabetes symptoms/complications but no previous record of hyperglycaemia (n=390), underwent OGTT with concurrent HbA1c in representative subgroup (n=148).

The cancer glycome: carbohydrates as mediators of metastasis.

Glycosylation is a frequent post-translational modification which results in the addition of carbohydrate determinants, "glycans", to cell surface proteins and lipids. These glycan structures form the "glycome" and play an integral role in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions through modulation of adhesion and cell trafficking. Glycosylation is increasingly recognized as a modulator of the malignant phenotype of cancer cells, where the interaction between cells and the tumor micro-environment is altered to facilitate processes such as drug resistance and metastasis.

The sialyltransferase ST3GAL6 influences homing and survival in multiple myeloma.

Glycosylation is a stepwise procedure of covalent attachment of oligosaccharide chains to proteins or lipids, and alterations in this process, especially increased sialylation, have been associated with malignant transformation and metastasis. The role of altered sialylation in multiple myeloma (MM) cell trafficking has not been previously investigated. In the present study we identified high expression of β-galactoside α-2,3-sialyltransferase, ST3GAL6, in MM cell lines and patients.

Lentiviral vector mediated modification of mesenchymal stem cells & enhanced survival in an in vitro model of ischaemia.

Introduction: A combination of gene and cell therapies has the potential to significantly enhance the therapeutic value of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The development of efficient gene delivery methods is essential if MSCs are to be of benefit using such an approach. Achieving high levels of transgene expression for the required period of time, without adversely affecting cell viability and differentiation capacity, is crucial.