Annals of medicine
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Comparative Study
Comparison of androgen receptor mutation detection between plasma extracellular vesicle DNA and cell-free DNA and its relationship to prostate cancer prognosis.
In liquid biopsy, mutation detection is primarily performed using cell-free DNA (cfDNA). However, the numerous advantages of extracellular vesicle (EV) DNA for mutation detection have gradually garnered the attention of researchers in recent years. This study aimed to compare the differences between EV DNA and cfDNA in mutation detection and explore the role of plasma androgen receptor (AR) mutations in the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). ⋯ Mutation detection using either EV DNA or cfDNA is both feasible in PCa liquid biopsies, and EV DNA AR mutations have an advantage in prognostic assessment for PCa. This study lays the foundation for future research on EV DNA-related biomarkers.
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To investigate the prognostic implications of histology among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using the data from a Chinese cohort and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. ⋯ Our study demonstrates the significant influence of histological subtypes on outcomes in NPC among various populations, highlighting substantial disparities between the WHO II and WHO III subtypes.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has affected patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Whether dialysis parameters have a prognostic value in ESKD patients with Covid-19 remains unclear. ⋯ Acute Covid-19 illness is associated with variations in dialysis parameters of volume status in patients with ESKD. Furthermore, increases in predialysis BP during acute Covid-19 illness are associated with an adverse prognosis in Covid-ESKD patients.
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Increased diagnostic awareness and specific disease treatments have changed the landscape of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR). Patients with wild-type ATTR (ATTRwt) are increasingly being diagnosed, potentially changing the clinical profile and prognosis compared with existing retrospective data. We aimed to study the clinical characteristics, distribution of red flags and prognosis of contemporary ATTRwt patients. ⋯ Increased diagnostic awareness resulted in a 37% increase in newly diagnosed patients in 2020-2022 vs. 2017-2019. As expected all-cause mortality but also the morbidity in terms of risk of hospitalization with WHF were significantly lower in patients with NAC disease stage I, as well as in those with low NT-proBNP levels <1000 ng/L. These findings underline the importance of continuous attention to diagnostic awareness, as early diagnosis is critical for initiating both general and specific ATTR treatment, thus improving prognosis.
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Comparative Study
Academic performance among pharmacy students using virtual vs. face-to-face team-based learning.
This study compares pharmacy students' performance using face-to-face (FTF) team-based learning (TBL) vs. virtual TBL across multiple courses and different academic levels while accounting for student demographic and academic factors. ⋯ Students' performance in virtual TBL vs. FTF TBL in the pharmacy didactic curriculum varies depending on the course content, academic year, and type of assessment.