Medicine
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To investigate the characteristics and factors that impact the prognosis of Ewing sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES/pPNET) patients. We retrospectively analyzed ES/pPNET patients diagnosed at our hospital from January 2011 to December 2020. We used 1-way analysis of variance to investigate whether the age differences between different subgroups were statistically significant and used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model for the survival analysis. ⋯ The multivariate survival analysis also showed that the treatment method and metastasis at diagnosis were related factors affecting OS (P = .025 and 0.001, respectively). The prognosis of patients with primitive neuroectodermal tumors is poor. The treatment method and metastasis at the time of diagnosis influences ES/pPNET patient survival time, but there is no significant tumor site-dependent correlation with patient age or sex.
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Patients with trauma may develop thrombocytopenia. We encountered cases wherein patients experienced symptoms resembling thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) following severe trauma. As the condition of these patients did not meet the diagnostic criteria of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and there was no mention of trauma among the several causes of TMAs, it was termed as "trauma-induced thrombotic microangiopathy-like syndrome" (t-TMAS). ⋯ Multivariate analysis revealed age, ISS, and LDH level (day 2) to be independent predictors of t-TMAS. Trauma surgeons should consider the possibility of t-TMAS if thrombocytopenia persists without any evidence of bleeding, particularly among older patients with multiple severe torso injuries who have high LDH levels on day 2. Early diagnosis and treatment of t-TMAS could improve patients' prognosis.
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The quality of an oocyte is influenced by its microenvironment, which includes cumulus cells and follicular fluid, as well as cells of the immune system and their products. The ovarian interleukins, which are secreted by the granulosa cells and other immune cells within the ovaries and follicles, regulate various functions between the cells. IL-6 is a cytokine that is present in the follicular fluid and may affect the quality of oocytes. ⋯ The concentration of IL-6 in the follicular fluid was higher in patients with confirmed pregnancy (9.55 ± 7.47 ng/ml). Based on our results, we conclude that the concentration of IL-6 affects the outcome of IVF. If the range of IL-6 concentration is between 3,67 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml, we can expect good IVF outcome with vital pregnancy.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Association between smoking and COVID-19 severity: A multicentre retrospective observational study.
The relationship between smoking and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of smoking status (current smoking and a smoking history) on the clinical severity of COVID-19. Data of all enrolled 588 patients, who were referred to 25 hospitals in Jiangsu province between January 10, 2020 and March 14, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. ⋯ In the random forest model, smoking history was ranked sixth in mean decrease accuracy. Active smoking may be significantly associated with an enhanced risk of COVID-19 progression towards severe disease. However, additional prospective studies are needed to clarify the complex relationship between smoking and COVID-19 severity.
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Case Reports
Renal amyloidogenic leukocyte chemotactic factor 2 combined with IgA nephropathy: A case report.
Amyloidogenic leukocyte chemotactic factor 2 (ALECT2) was recently considered as a new clinicopathologic type of amyloid, which frequently affects kidney in adults and results in different degrees of renal insufficiency and failure with or without proteinuria. Here, we present a case of combining LECT2-associated renal amyloidosis with immunoglobulin (Ig)A nephropathy. ⋯ To date, ALECT2 has still not been comprehensively investigated. The findings of this research provide insights for concurrent IgA nephropathy with ALECT2.