Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes common infections in immunocompromised and cystic fibrosis patients. However, drug resistance capability and release of virulence factors play a key role in bacterial pathogenicity. ⋯ In the current study, pigment display, biofilm formation, and virulence genes were detected in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. Such factors could be crucial in the development of drug resistance.
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Platelet count (PC) and fatty liver are both associated with metabolic syndrome (MS), obesity, and type 2 diabetes. While PC increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes, the severity of hepatic fibrosis caused by fatty liver reduces PC. We aimed to investigate the correlation of PC and MS in patients with and without fatty liver. ⋯ There is a significant correlation between PC and MS, and the correlation exists independent of gender, age, and fatty liver. PC may act as a surrogate marker for MS, and physicians should be concerned with the presence of MS among patients with high PC.
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Aggressive and early thrombus removal strategy has been widely used as a treatment for iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT). We compared the long-tem venous outcome, including postthrombotic syndrome (PTS), in patients undergoing catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) and pharmacomechanical thrombectomy (PMT). ⋯ CDT and PMT have similar venous outcomes in patients with acute iliofemoral DVT, although PTS is less severe following PMT than after CDT. We propose that early and thorough removal of thrombus, using either CDT or PMT, is beneficial to prevent PTS.
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Immune checkpoint inhibition with blocking antibodies that target cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway [PD-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)] have demonstrated promise in a variety of malignancies. While ipilimumab has been approved as a CTLA-4 blocking antibody by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of advanced melanoma, it is still not approved for lung cancer treatment. In contrast, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, both PD-1 blocking antibodies, have been approved for second-line treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer in 2015 because of their high potency and long-lasting effects in some patient subgroups. ⋯ Treatment with such immune checkpoint inhibitors is associated with a unique pattern of immune-related adverse events or side effects. Combination approaches involving CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade or checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy or radiotherapy are being investigated to determine whether they may enhance the efficacy of treatment. Despite many challenges ahead, immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors has already become a new and important treatment modality for lung cancer in the last decade following the discovery of targeted therapy.
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Meta Analysis
Relationship between birth weight and total cholesterol concentration in adulthood: A meta-analysis.
Although a substantial number of studies have investigated the relationship between birth weight and serum cholesterol later in life, the results vary extensively. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between birth weight and total cholesterol concentration in adulthood. ⋯ Based on our results, lower birth weight was found to be associated with higher concentrations of total cholesterol in men aged >18 years and in women aged <50 years.