Medicine
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Review Case Reports
Group B Streptococcus infection-induced ovarian vein thrombosis identified during cesarean section: A case report and a literature review.
Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a rare yet potentially life-threatening condition associated with thromboembolic events. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a type of β-hemolytic Gram-positive bacterium known for asymptomatic colonization in the lower genital and gastrointestinal tracts. Here we reported a 35-year-old multiparous woman with gestational diabetes who suffered from placental abruption, stillbirth, OVT, septic shock, and renal failure due to severe GBS infection. ⋯ This case underscores the need for early initiation of anticoagulant protocols in cases of OVT, particularly when GBS infection is identified as a predisposing factor. Further research and awareness are warranted to better understand the relationship between GBS infection and OVT and to optimize management strategies in such cases.
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Multicenter Study
Is the serum level of survivin, an antiapoptotic protein, a potential predictive and prognostic biomarker in metastatic pancreatic cancer?
In the present study, we aimed to assess the association between the serum survivin level and overall survival and treatment response rates in metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC). Serum samples were prospectively collected from 41 patients with newly diagnosed MPC patients and 41 healthy individuals (control group) to assess the survivin levels. The median survivin level was 136.2 ng/mL in patients with MPC and 52 ng/mL in healthy individuals (P = .028). ⋯ Patients with higher serum survivin levels had significantly worse response rates (P = .007). The baseline high level of serum survivin in patients with MPC may be associated with treatment resistance and poor prognosis. A confirmation will be needed for these results in future large multicenter prospective studies.
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Observational Study
Mining of clinical and prognosis related genes in the tumor microenvironment of endometrial cancer: A field synopsis of observational study.
Endometrial cancer (EC) is the sixth most common malignant tumor in women worldwide, and its morbidity and mortality are on the rise. The purpose of this study was to explore potential tumor microenvironment (TME)-related biomarkers associated with the clinical features and prognosis of EC. The Estimating Stromal and Immune Cells in Malignancy Using Expression Data (ESTIMATE) algorithm was used to calculate TME immune and stromal scores of EC samples and to analyze the relationship between immune/stromal scores, clinical features, and prognosis. ⋯ Thirty core genes with more than 7 nodes were identified using protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Six independent prognostic genes of EC were identified using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox analysis, namely CD5, BATF, CACNA2D2, LTA, CD52, and NOL4, which are all immune-infiltrating genes that are closely related to clinical features. The current study identified 6 key genes closely related to immune infiltration in the TME of EC that predict clinical outcomes, which may provide new insights into novel prognostic biomarkers and immunotherapy for patients with EC.
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Controlled Clinical Trial Observational Study
COVID-19 mortality and risk factors in patients with cancer in Ecuador: A retrospective, non-randomized, controlled study.
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected different human populations since March 2020 and challenged healthcare systems, especially in chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the mortality, risk factors, and symptoms of cancer patients and control subjects, diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). This retrospective, observational, non-randomized, controlled study of patients admitted to ICU was conducted between March and August 2020 in an Ecuadorian oncology center. ⋯ In terms of mortality, not statistically significance difference was reported between groups. The study showed that high ferritin (Absolute Odds Ratio of 3.9; 95% CI 1.1-14.6) and mechanical ventilation (Absolute Odds Ratio of 4.9; 95% CI 1.3-18.6) were independent COVID-19 mortality risk factors. COVID-19 infection did not represent an increased risk of mortality in cancer patients, but elevated ferritin levels and the need for mechanical ventilation were identified as mortality risk factors.
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Cyberbullying represents a major concern worldwide, especially among teenagers with major negative psychological impact. We performed a prospective online questionnaire-based study on 316 teenagers in order to assess the prevalence of cyberbullying in Romania, evaluate its psychosocial consequences, and examine the factors that may predispose them to bullying. Almost 50% of the responders stated that they have been previously bullied, with females having a higher risk of being harassed (P = .0043). ⋯ Cyberbullying had a negative impact also on the harasser, and previous victims of cyberbullying had a significantly higher risk of becoming bullied (P < .0001). Also, we found a significant association between the type of substance and the perpetration of aggression (P < .0001). Further studies should focus on designing effective strategies in order to decrease the incidence of this harmful online act of bullying.