Medicine
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Hypertension is a serious health concern, especially in developing countries, and assessing people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) is important for its awareness and management. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the KAP on hypertension among students and staff from the Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Faculty of the University of Namibia. A cross-sectional study design was conducted on adult participants who completed the KAP questionnaire while resting, and thereafter their blood pressure (BP) was measured. ⋯ Only approximately 39% of the participants regularly monitored their BP. Just above 50% of the participants regularly engaged in physical activities and made dietary modifications to maintain a healthy heart. It is important to host regular hypertension campaigns among health science personnel, as this would help refresh and improve their KAP in prevention and management.
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Observational Study
Influence of sarcopenia as determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis in acute pancreatitis.
Sarcopenia can be defined as the loss of muscle mass and strength. It is a poor prognostic factor for many diseases. Our study aims to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with acute pancreatitis using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and hand dynamometry while also investigating its impact on acute pancreatitis. ⋯ In the sarcopenic group, the mean age, Glasgow-Imrie score and number of cases with severe acute pancreatitis according to the Atlanta classification were significantly higher; body mass index, upper arm circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, and grip strength were significantly lower (P < .05). This study is the first to evaluate sarcopenia in acute pancreatitis cases using BIA and hand dynamometry. Sarcopenia may play a significant role in predicting the prognosis of acute pancreatitis.
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Case Reports
Calcifediol and paricalcitol as adjunctive therapies for HSV-1 keratitis and corneal perforation: A case report.
Herpes simplex virus 1 establishes a latent infection in trigeminal ganglia. Reactivation causes cold sores, as well as viral keratitis. The purpose of this study was to report potential benefits of using active vitamin D receptor ligands (VDR-agonists) as adjunctive therapies for the treatment of infectious corneal perforations, and prevention of HSV recurrence. ⋯ Corneal stabilization avoided a high-risk, full-thickness corneal transplantation, facilitating future cataract surgery, and allowing for some degree of visual recovery in this eye.
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Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2), an enzyme involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, in PMF pathogenesis. Analysis of bone marrow cells from PMF patients revealed significantly elevated LOXL2 mRNA expression compared to healthy controls, which was further validated using 2 independent Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (GSE26049 and GSE12234). ⋯ Gene set enrichment analysis revealed LOXL2's association with multiple biological processes, including extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammatory responses, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Using CellMiner drug prediction analysis, we identified several FDA-approved drugs, particularly kinase inhibitors, as potential LOXL2-targeting therapeutics. Our findings demonstrate LOXL2's critical role in PMF pathogenesis and suggest its potential as both a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in PMF treatment.