Medicine
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Vaginal stone is a rare condition that is often misdiagnosed due to its low incidence. It can be divided into 2 types, primary vaginal and secondary vaginal, based on the etiology of the disease. Vaginal stones involve pathologic calcification. The formation of vaginal stones is mainly due to stasis and urine infection. We describe a procedure for the safe extraction of vaginal stones. ⋯ Although vaginal stones are rare, we must pay attention to this disease, especially in patients with congenital genitourinary malformations and urethrovaginal or vesicovaginal fistulas. Obstruction of urine discharge combined with repeated urinary tract infection is the main cause of vaginal stone formation. For these patients, follow-up every 3 months, including a physical examination, B-mode ultrasonography of the urinary system and cystoscopy if necessary, can avoid the occurrence of the disease.
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Observational Study
Predictors affecting anterolateral thigh flap in reconstruction of upper extremity.
Our study is aim to explore predictors for failure of anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap in the reconstruction of upper extremity. We performed a retrospective study for 509 patients who underwent ALT flap in the reconstruction of upper extremity. Among them, 27 patients suffered from necrosis of ALT flap (necrosis group, NG) and 482 gained survival of this flap (survival group, SG). ⋯ Multivariate and Kaplan-Meier method implied the same results. In summary, many factors were related with failure of ALT in the reconstruction of upper extremity. Postmenopausal, D-dimer, and PLT were the first considered as risk factors for ALT flap repairing upper extremity.
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To investigate the effect of combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment on the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in chronic periodontitis. A total of 60 patients with periodontitis who received combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment and 32 healthy individuals as normal controls were recruited in this study. Periodontal parameters were recorded. ⋯ The periodontal parameters and GCF levels of HMGB1 and NLRP3 in periodontitis patients were significantly higher before treatment, and observably decreased after 6 months of treatment as compared with the healthy group. However, significant positive correlations were observed between HMGB1, NLRP3, and periodontal parameters in chronic periodontitis patients. Patients with chronic periodontitis showed higher levels of HMGB1 and NLRP3 in GCF.
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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding class of RNAs with functions in the regulation of genes expressions. Dysregulated expressions of miRNAs play important roles in carcinogenesis and cancer progression by targeting various oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes. miRNAs represent a new field for molecular diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) due to their high tissue specificity, their stability, and their dysregulated expression in tumor development. This study aimed to investigate using the qRT-PCR method the expression profile and prognostic value of 11 mature miRNAs in a cohort of 82 Romanian patients diagnosed with CRC. ⋯ The univariate and multivariate Cox-proportional hazard regression for all variables revealed that the nodal status, distant metastasis, miR-21, miR-141, miR-182, and miR-183 were independent prognostic markers of CRC. In conclusion, altered expressions of miR-21, miR-141, miR-182, and miR-183 in CRC varies at different stages of CRC development and may serve as potential diagnosis molecular biomarkers in Romanian patients with CRC. Further investigations are needed to confirm our findings.
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Observational Study
Prevalence and association of medication nonadherence with major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial infarction.
Current study was to evaluate the prevalence of guideline recommended medications adherence in myocardial infarction (MI) patients postpercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the association of medication nonadherence and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). MI patients who underwent PCI in the last 12 months were enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected and guideline recommended medications were evaluated. ⋯ In unadjusted model, medication nonadherence was associated with 2-fold higher odds of MACEs. After adjustment for demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, and peri-PCI characteristics, medications nonadherence remained independently associated with MACEs, with odds ratio of 1.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.29-1.87). Medications adherence rate among MI patients post-PCI is suboptimal in China, which is independently associated with MACEs.