Medicine
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Thymosin alpha-1 (Tα1) is an immunomodulatory and antiviral agent with potential effects on chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer. Its impact on solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, so we aimed to investigate the efficacy of Tα1 in solitary HBV-related HCC patients after curative resection. Between May 2010 and April 2016, 468 patients with solitary HBV-related HCC after curative resection were analyzed. ⋯ Patients with Tα1 therapy had better RFS and OS before (P = .018 and P < .001) and after (P = .006 and P < .001) propensity matching. Multivariate analysis revealed that Tα1 therapy was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (P < .001, HR = 0.308, 95% CI: 0.175-0.541) and RFS (P < .001, HR = 0.381, 95% CI: 0.229-0.633). Tα1 as an adjuvant therapy improves the prognosis of solitary HBV-related HCC patients after curative liver resection.
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To evaluate the rib fracture detection performance in computed tomography (CT) images using a software based on a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and compare it with the rib fracture diagnostic performance of doctors. We included CT images from 39 patients with thoracic injuries who underwent CT scans. In these images, 256 rib fractures were detected by two radiologists. ⋯ Based on the JAFROC analysis, the differences in the figure-of-merits between the results obtained via the DCNN software and those by Interns A and B were 0.057 (95% confidence interval: -0.081, 0.195) and 0.071 (-0.082, 0.224), respectively. As the non-inferiority margin was set to -0.10, the DCNN software is non-inferior to the rib fracture detection performed by both interns. In the detection of rib fractures, detection by the DCNN software could be an alternative to the interpretation performed by doctors who do not have intensive training experience in image interpretation.
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Observational Study
Risk factors of postpartum stress urinary incontinence in primiparas: What should we care.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common clinical postpartum complication. It is necessary to explore the risk factors of postpartum SUI in primiparas to provide evidence support for preventing and reducing the occurrence of SUI. Primiparas who were delivered in our hospital from March 2019 to October 2020 were identified, the personal information and related treatment details of SUI and no-SUI primiparas were collected and analyzed. ⋯ Logistic regression analyses indicated that BMI before pregnancy ≥24 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.109, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.042-4.394), diabetes (OR: 2.250, 95% CI: 1.891-3.544), abortion history (OR: 3.909, 95% CI: 1.187-5.739), vaginal delivery (OR: 2.262, 95% CI: 1.042-4.011), newborn's weight ≥3 kg (OR: 1.613, 95% CI: 1.095-2.316), epidural anesthesia (OR: 2.015, 95% CI: 1.226-3.372), and duration of second stage of labor ≥90 minutes (OR: 1.726, 95% CI: 1.084-2.147) were the risk factors of postpartum SUI in primiparas (all P < .05). The clinical incidence of SUI in primiparas is relatively high. In clinical practice, medical staff should conduct individualized early screening for those risk factors, and take prevention measures to reduce the occurrence of SUI.
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Observational Study
Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and vocal fold polyps.
The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and vocal fold polyps (VFPs). This is a Case-Control study and was performed with the help of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Twenty-seven patients with VFP and 20 controls without VFP were recruited between May and October 2018. ⋯ GERD is an important risk factor for VFP. Pepsin may promote the aggregation of immune cells, increase the local cytokines, and promote inflammatory reaction, suggesting a potential new pathogenesis for VFP. The saliva pepsin test is a reliable method for GERD diagnosis.
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Observational Study
Serum electrolytes and renal alterations in HIV-seropositive Mexican subjects.
To examine potential risk factors associated with biochemical alterations in renal function in a population diagnosed with HIV/AIDS undergoing antiretroviral treatment. This is an observational, transversal, and relational design study that included 179 HIV-seropositive subjects. Glucose serum, cholesterol, triglycerides, total proteins, albumin, creatine, urea, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and electrolytes levels were determined for each individual. ⋯ Patient age was associated to both hypophosphatemia (P = .01; OR 2.4; CI 95% 1.1-5.0) and hypermagnesemia (P = .01; OR 2.8; IC 95% 1.1-7.0), and high creatinine levels were associated to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor treatment (P = .001; OR 42.5; CI 95% 2.2-806.9). Lastly, high BUN levels were associated to age (P = .03; OR 3.8; CI 95% 1.0-14.4), while GFR 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2 was associated to dyslipidemia (P = .02; OR 2.2; CI 95% 1.1-4.5). CD4+ T cell and viral load were the main factors associated with renal biochemical alterations.