Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The benefit of daily sputum suction via bronchoscopy in patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with ventilators: A randomized controlled trial.
To compare the clinical values of bronchoscopic sputum suction and general sputum suction in respiratory failure patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) combined with sequential invasive-noninvasive mechanical ventilation at the pulmonary infection control (PIC) window (period of lower sputum production, with thinner viscosity and lighter color, and alleviated clinical signs of infection). ⋯ Bronchoscopic sputum suction combined with sequential invasive-noninvasive mechanical ventilation at PIC window showed clinical effects in treating respiratory failure patients with AECOPD.
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Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and a coexisting left brachiocephalic artery originating from the descending aorta is an extremely rare anomaly of unknown etiology. ⋯ PDA coexisting with left brachiocephalic artery originating from the descending aorta is a very rare anomaly. When this variety of PDA is closed, it is important to avoid affecting the blood flow in the left brachiocephalic trunk. For this reason, closure on the side of the pulmonary artery may be the best solution.
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Rare variants, in particular renal salt handling genes, contribute to monogenic forms of hypertension and hypotension syndromes with electrolyte abnormalities. A study by Ji et al (2008) demonstrated this effect for rare loss-of-function coding variants in SLC12A3 (NCCT), SLC12A1 (NKCC2), and KCNJ1 (ROMK) that led to reduction of ∼6 mm Hg for SBP and ∼3 mm Hg for DBP among carriers in 2492 European ancestry Framingham Heart Study (FHS) subjects. These findings support a potentially large role for these variants in interindividual variation in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) in the population. ⋯ We attempted to replicate the findings by Ji et al by applying their criteria to identify putative loss-of-function variants with allele frequency <0.001 and complete conservation across a set of orthologs, to exome sequencing data from 7444 European ancestry participants of the ARIC study. Although we failed to replicate the previous findings when applying their methods to the ARIC study data, we observed a similar effect when we restricted analyses to the subset of variants they observed. These results simultaneously support the utility of exome sequencing data for studying extremely rare coding variants in hypertension and underscore the need for improved filtering methods for identifying functional variants in human sequences.
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This study aimed to determine the role of plasma miR-17-92 cluster level in predicting chemoresistance in patients with gastric cancer (GC) undergoing oxaliplatin/capecitabine (XELOX) chemotherapy. Patients recently diagnosed with advanced GC were chosen as participants based on the inclusion criteria. The plasma levels of miR-17-5p, miR-18a, miR-19a/b, miR-20a, and miR-92-1 (miR-17-92 cluster) were determined through quantitative RT-PCR of blood samples from GC patients and healthy volunteers. ⋯ The miR-17-92 cluster plasma level was decreased in chemosensitive patients, but not in chemoresistant patients, after chemotherapy. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of the miR-17-92 cluster in patients with advanced GC were 100% each. The results suggest that the miR-17-92 plasma level is associated with the progression of advanced GC and effectiveness of XELOX chemotherapy.
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Clinical Trial Observational Study
Epidemiology of lower urinary tract symptoms in a cross-sectional, population-based study: The status in China.
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are reported to affect over half of all adults, and they are associated with significantly impaired quality of life (QOL). We performed a population-based study to evaluate the overall prevalence and impact of LUTS including overactive bladder (OAB) in adults aged ≥40 years in China. Adults aged ≥40 years were eligible to participate in this internet-based survey, provided that they had the ability to access the internet, to use a computer and to read the local language. ⋯ LUTS are associated with impaired QOL and mental health, but fewer than half of individuals in China with LUTS seek healthcare for their symptoms. There is therefore a need to improve awareness and treatment of the condition. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02618421.