Medicine
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Observational Study
Association of C8orf4 expression with its methylation status, aberrant β-catenin expression, and the development of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
Chromosome 8 open reading frame 4 (C8orf4) is an activator of Wnt signaling pathway, and participates in the tumorigenesis and progression of many tumors. The expression levels of C8orf4 and β-catenin were assessed via immunohistochemical staining in 100 cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) tissues, 50 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), 50 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), and 50 normal cervical tissues. Bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to examine the methylation status of the C8orf4 locus in CSCC and normal cervical tissues. ⋯ The Cancer Genome Atlas genomics data also confirmed that the mRNA expression of C8orf4 was positively associated with the copy number alteration of C8orf4 (correlation coefficient = 0.213, P < .001), and negatively correlated with the methylation level of C8orf4 (correlation coefficient = -0.408, P < .001). In conclusion, the expressions of C8orf4 and β-catenin were synergistically increased in CSCCs and HSILs and higher than those in LSILs and normal cervical tissues. The methylation level of C8orf4 is decreased in CSCCs and is responsible for the increased expression of C8orf4.
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Colorectal Adenomatous Polyp (CAP) was one precursor of colorectal cancer (CRC) and having a high chance of developing into CRC. There was a lack of conclusive chemoprevention evidences to prevention new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy. Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction, Chinese National Medical Professor (Zhou Zhongying)'s experience formula, has been used to treat new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy from the 20th century in China. However, clinical research of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of CAP recurrence was lack. We design this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy on colonoscopy. ⋯ This study will provide objective evidences to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction as an adjuvant treatment for new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy.
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Observational Study
Impact of diagnostic bone biopsies on the management of non-vertebral osteomyelitis: A retrospective cohort study.
Optimal antibiotic management of patients with osteomyelitis remains a challenge for many clinicians. Although image-guided bone biopsy (IGB) remains the gold standard, its role in confirming diagnosis and guiding antibiotic management is not clear in patients with non-vertebral osteomyelitis. To determine the diagnostic yield of IGB and its impact on antibiotic management in non-vertebral osteomyelitis. ⋯ Even when empiric treatment was not given, negative cultures did not dissuade clinicians from eventual antibiotic use in a significant number of cases (17/48). In 46/71 patients whose final regimen included vancomycin, there was no evidence of current or past infection with MRSA. In patients with non-vertebral osteomyelitis, the diagnostic yield of image-guided bone biopsy is low, and clinicians frequently make decisions regarding antibiotic management that are not aligned with culture results.
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Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are a heterogeneous population and differ in risk of mortality and low extremity amputation (LEA), which complicates clinical decision-making. This study aimed to develop a simple risk scale using decision tree methodology to guide physicians in managing critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients who will benefit from endovascular therapy (EVT). A total of 736 patients with CLI, Rutherford classification (RC) stage ≥4, and prior successful EVT were included. ⋯ Risk of LEA was significantly higher in the G4, G3, and G2 groups than in the G1 group (P ≤ .05). The G4 group had the highest risk of amputation (odds ratio = 6.84, P < .001). This simple risk scale model can help healthcare professionals more easily identify and appropriately treat patients with CLI who are at different levels of risk for LEA following endovascular revascularization.
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This study means to investigate a combination of noninvasive methods in diagnosis of minimal or mild endometriosis expecting to narrow down the range of laparoscopic exploration for female infertility. It is a retrospective case control study of totally 447 patients suspected unexplained infertility before surgery were eligible from May 2012 to February 2017. Of these, 299 patients were laparoscopy-proved minimal or mild endometriosis group, the remaining 148 patients served as control group (normal pelvis). ⋯ Multivariate logistic regression identified the following factors in decreasing order of importance: (1) vagino-recto-abdominal examinations, (2) CA125, (3) dysmenorrhea, their ORs being 16.148, 3.796, and 2.809, respectively. The spontaneous pregnancy rate (50.8%) in minimal or mild endometriosis was higher than control (35.6%, P = .043). A combination of noninvasive diagnostic methods had certain preoperative diagnostic value of minimal or mild endometriosis, which might benefit some patients from avoiding laparoscopic surgery.