Medicine
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Observational Study
T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 is associated with disease activity and progressive joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (TIM-3) is a surface molecule expressed on immune cells which play a role in immune regulation. The aims of the present study were to determine whether circulating soluble T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin-3 (sTIM-3) are elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and investigate the relationships between sTIM-3 and clinical features of RA. The study included 116 patients with established RA and 27 healthy control subjects. ⋯ Whereas, sTIM-3 was significantly correlated with ESR and MMP-3 in RA patients with low ACPA titers (<200 U/mL). Serum sTIM-3 was increased in RA patients, and it was associated with proinflammatory markers and disease activity in RA patients under a particular ACPA status. Our data suggest that circulating sTIM-3 may be a useful biomarker for the determination of disease activity in RA patients.
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Plague is an acute, often fulminating infectious disease caused by Yersinia Pestis transmitted by rodents. It is rarely encountered in clinics, although natural plague foci are widely distributed around the world. ⋯ There are 3 main forms of plague: bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic. Humans can be infected by the bites of bacterium-bearing fleas or direct contact of wild animals that died from plague. Human plague can be transmitted by close contact through coughing droplet. Neglected diagnosis of plague could cause severe consequences. Strict surveillance and protection measures should be taken and the public should be alerted about potential risks when epizootic plague is detected.
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Case Reports
Recurrent trigeminocardiac reflex in percutaneous balloon compression for trigeminal neuralgia: A case report.
Trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) sometimes occurs during the percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) procedure to treat trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and it manifests as transient bradycardia or sinus arrest. However, recurrent intraoperative TCR cases are rarely reported. Meanwhile, the treatment for recurrent TCR is still unclear. ⋯ The elimination of intraoperative TCR may be difficult. Maintaining a high HR intraoperatively by continuous isoproterenol infusion is effective for preventing or mitigating the onset of TCR.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Carbapenems versus alternative β-lactams monotherapy or in combination for febrile neutropenia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.
Febrile neutropenia (FN) in cancer patients can be life threatening and require the timely antimicrobial agents treatment. ⋯ Meropenem and imipenem/cilastatin monotherapy appears to be available treatment for FN compared with β-lactams. Imipenem/cilastatin was related to higher risk of AEs. Balancing the evidence for drug efficacy and side effects, meropenem monotherapy appears to be available treatment for FN. Individual centers should select the best matching therapy regimens according to local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns.