Medicine
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Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a reduced cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels and decreased pulmonary function test (PFT) indexes. This study investigated the value of small pulmonary vessel CSA in diagnosing and evaluating the severity of COPD and its correlation with PFT. This retrospective case-control study included patients with COPD who underwent multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) between March 2015 and December 2018. ⋯ Both %CSA <5 and %CSA5-10 were positively correlated with all PFT indexes (r = 0.180-0.462, all P < .05). CSA was positively correlated with PFT. Analysis of small pulmonary vessel CSA based on CT images contributes to diagnosing and assessing the severity of COPD.
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Identification of advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients should be a mainstay before starting treatment; however, the limited access of many centres to transient elastography (TE) is often a barrier for early assessments. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serum indexes for predicting liver stiffness. Retrospective analysis of HCV patients (with or without HIV coinfection) routinely assessed in 7 centres in Spain. ⋯ Globally, this approach would avoid the need for TE in 53% of patients. HIV coinfection did not influence diagnostic accuracy. Inexpensive and simple serum indexes confidently allowed identifying the absence of cirrhosis and the presence of advanced fibrosis in 53% of a heterogeneous series of real-world HCV patients with or without HIV infection.
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Case Reports
Multiple organ failure leading to death after ingestion of Caltha palustris: A case report.
Studies have previously reported misidentifying Caltha palustris (C. palustris) as Ligularia fischeri and its subsequent ingestion leading to abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms, which are alleviated immediately. Bradycardia and hypotension may persist for several days, and an infusion of dopamine can restore a healthy state without complications. We report a case of C. palustris poisoning with protein-losing enteropathy that has not been reported previously. The patient died of multiple organ failure, and exhibited more severe clinical deterioration than previous cases due to prolonged shock. ⋯ For many poisonous wild plants, the precise profile of toxic compounds and mechanisms of action remain to be identified; when there is insufficient literature reporting on suspected plant poisoning, the medical personnel providing the treatment should consider the various side effects that differ from the reported ones and the possibility of more severe clinical progress and poor prognosis.
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The inhibitor of apoptosis family proteins (IAPs) plays a crucial role in the process of carcinogenesis by regulating apoptosis and maintaining the tissue balance. In this study, a transcriptomic analysis of IAP-encoding genes in colon cancer was performed using oligonucleotide microarrays. Adenocarcinoma and healthy colon tissue samples were collected from 32 patients (16 females and 16 males) who underwent surgery due to colon cancer. ⋯ The transcriptional activity of IAP-encoding genes varied, depending on the severity of colon cancer. The concentration of mRNA, encoding BIRC5 was elevated in samples obtained from more advanced colon cancer. Hence BIRC5 could be used as a complementary parameter for the diagnosis and prognosis of colon cancer.
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Gliomas are the most intrinsic type of primary intracranial tumors. The protein encoded by The calponin 3 (CNN3) has been proven to be a member of the calponin family. Its relationships with cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and colon cancer have been emphasized by several studies. Our research aims to explore the prognosis value and immunotherapeutic targetability of CNN3 in glioma patients using bioinformatics approach. ⋯ Our results indicate that high CNN3 expression levels predict poor prognosis, and CNN3 may be a promising immunotherapy target.