Medicine
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000001800.].
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The incidence of Sjögren syndrome (SS) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients is high. The influence of SS on the clinical outcomes of PBC patients, however, remains unclear. Our study retrospectively collected data on PBC-only patients and PBC patients with concomitant SS (PBC-SS) to compare the clinical differences of long-term outcomes between them. ⋯ Although the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, end-stage renal disease, variceal bleeding, and hypothyroidism were all higher in the PBC-SS group than in the PBC-only group, the differences were not significant. Our study suggests that PBC-SS patients have a higher risk of developing interstitial lung disease and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and have a poor prognosis. Aggressive surveillance of thyroid and pulmonary functions should therefore be performed in these patients.
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Observational Study
Early Life Bereavement and Schizophrenia: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Denmark and Sweden.
We aimed to examine whether early life bereavement, as indicator of severe stress, was associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life. Based on population registers, we established a cohort of all children born in Denmark (N = 1 686 416) and Sweden (N = 2 563 659) from 1973 to 1997. Children were categorized as exposed if they lost a first-degree relative during the first 18 years of life. ⋯ Children who experienced >1 death during the first 18 years of life (aIRR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.46-2.19) had a higher risk than those with a single death (aIRR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.30-1.45). The study suggested that exposure to death of a first-degree relative before 18 years was associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia in later life. The complex mechanisms behind these associations remain to be elucidated.
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Outcome after surgery in patients with asthma remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate postoperative major complications and mortality in surgical patients with asthma. Using reimbursement claims from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, the authors identified 24,109 surgical patients with preoperative asthma and 24,109 nonasthma patients undergoing major surgeries using matching procedure with propensity score by sociodemographics, coexisting medical conditions, and surgical characteristics. ⋯ Preoperative emergency service, hospitalizations, admission to intensive care unit, and systemic use of corticosteroids for asthma were also associated with higher postoperative complication rates for asthmatic patients. Postoperative complications and mortality were significantly increased in asthmatic patients. We suggest urgent efforts to revise protocols for asthma patients' perioperative care.
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Observational Study
Association Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in DNA Polymerase Kappa Gene and Breast Cancer Risk in Chinese Han Population: A STROBE-Compliant Observational Study.
DNA polymerases are responsible for ensuring stability of the genome and avoiding genotoxicity caused by a variety of factors during DNA replication. Consequently, these proteins have been associated with an increased cancer risk. DNA polymerase kappa (POLK) is a specialized DNA polymerase involved in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) that allows DNA synthesis over the damaged DNA. ⋯ Furthermore, our results indicated that rs5744533 SNP has a protective role in the postmenopausal women. However, we failed to find any associations between rs3213801 polymorphism and susceptibility to BC. Our results indicate that POLK polymorphisms may influence the risk of developing BC, and, because of this, may serve as a prognostic biomarker among Chinese women.