Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Congenital TORCH (toxoplasmosis, other viruses [varicella-zoster virus, VZV, etc.], rubella, cytomegalovirus [CMV], Herpes simplex virus [HSV]) infections are major causes of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal morbidity and mortality. Although treatment or prevention strategies are available for these pathogens, all drugs may not be safe during the pregnancy. The aim of this study is to measure the antibodies (Abs) concentration in the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparation to evaluate the therapeutic potential for TORCH infection. ⋯ There was high activity against T. gondii, VZV, EBV, measles, mumps, rubella, CMV, HSV-1, and HSV-2 in all IVIG batches. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the efficacy of IVIG from Taiwanese for congenital TORCH infections.
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The objective of this study is to evaluate the hormone profile of young men with the chief complaint of erectile dysfunction (ED) and determine the comorbidities in this population. ⋯ The majority of men under the age of 40 with ED exhibit a normal hormonal milieu. Young ED men with BMI > 28.2 kg/m, age >34 years, cancer diagnosis, or depression are at risk for hypogonadism.
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Although current neuropathic pain treatment guidelines do not recommend the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), whether NSAIDs can serve as a useful adjuvant to conventional multimodal therapy remains unclear. ⋯ Our data demonstrated that an NSAID alone failed to relieve spontaneous or evoked pain behaviors in the rat SNI model, but when combined with a weak opioid and α-2-δ-ligand produced a profound synergistic analgesic effect on cold allodynia and discrepant efficacy for mechanical allodynia and spontaneous pain.
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Review
The role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in prognostic evaluation of heart failure.
Heart failure (HF) is a growing challenge in the Asia Pacific region. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a well-established tool for diagnosis of HF; however, it is relatively underutilized in predicting adverse outcomes in HF. Multiple studies have demonstrated the prognostic role of NT-proBNP in HF. ⋯ NT-proBNP provides the same prognostic information in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) as in those with HFrEF. An expert panel composed of cardiologists mainly from Asia Pacific region was convened to discuss the utility of NT-proBNP in HF prognostication. This article summarizes available scientific evidence and consensus recommendations from the meeting.
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CYP2C19 loss-of-function single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with poor responses of clopidogrel in secondary prevention of ischemic stroke (IS). It is still unclear whether these SNPs, which may result in poor cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) enzymatic activity, affect the occurrence of IS and its subtypes. The present study evaluated the relationship between the CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles and IS. ⋯ The CYP2C19 poor metabolizer is not associated with IS and its subtypes. Furthermore, CYP2C19*3 may be a protective factor for SVO and its mechanism warrants further investigation.