Annals of medicine
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Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), the most common mitochondrial optic neuropathy, causes visual loss, especially in young adults. Due to the absence of epidemiological data in Southeast Asia, we aimed to determine Thai LHON patients' characteristics (demographic data, mutation types, and prognoses) as the first study in this region. ⋯ The leading mutation in Thai LHON patients is the G11778A missense, followed by T14484C, while G3460A was not detected. The vast majority of patients were young adult males. The G11778A mutation, older age, and male gender are associated with poor vision outcomes. Key messageThe G11778A missense mutation is the most common among Thai LHON patients, followed by T14484C, while G3460A was not found. The G11778A mutation, older age, and male gender are associated with poor vision outcomes.
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Patients with type 2 diabetes usually start treatment with oral hypoglycaemic medications once they have been diagnosed. They eventually require insulin injections. We looked into the experiences of such patients with allopathic treatment alternatives over the course of their journey. ⋯ The "life-world" journey of patients with type 2 diabetes with allopathic treatment options was started to be informed of the "unknown" (diabetes), which leads to the "ugly life" (with oral agents), and bridge to and living with the "terrible" (insulin), which was later found to be effective and perceived as "life."KEY MESSAGESPatients with type 2 diabetes believed that life with oral hypoglycaemic medications was "boring."The major reasons for switching to insulin were "uncontrolled blood sugar levels" and "gastrointestinal disturbances" brought on by oral medications.Insulin first terrified type 2 diabetes patients, but they eventually referred to it as "life."
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Faecal calprotectin is an important biomarker used in the evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of this study was to establish the value of faecal calprotectin concentration as a predictor of remission in ulcerative colitis and its correlation with laboratory, endoscopic and clinical findings. ⋯ Our results have shown that faecal calprotectin is an independent predictor of remission in UC patients. The results of our study represent real-life data from a single university centre dealing with FC as a prognostic marker in patients with UC. KEY MESSAGESFaecal calprotectin is an independent predictor of remission in UC patients.Recent studies have suggested that calprotectin correlates well with endoscopic activity of inflammation but correlation of faecal calprotectin in a phase of remission hasn't been evaluated yet.We have found that other inflammatory biomarkers do not correlate well with either endoscopic or clinical activity in ulcerative colitis.
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It is essential to assess the cancer risk for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Comparing gene expression data from patients with lung cancer (a total of 506 samples) and those with cancer-adjacent normal lung tissues (a total of 370 samples), we generated a qualitative transcriptional signature consisting of 2046 gene pairs. The signature was verified in an evaluation dataset comprising 18 subjects with severe disease and 52 subjects with moderate disease (Wilcoxon rank-sum test; p = 7.33 × 10-5). ⋯ KEY MESSAGESA cancer risk assessment signature was identified in patients with COPD. The signature is insensitive to batch effects and is well verified. COPD key genes identified in this study might play a crucial role in TCM treatment and cancer prevention.
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Observational Study
Prognostic analysis of hidradenocarcinoma: a SEER-based observational study.
Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of sweat gland differentiation. Published literature has reported that hidradenocarcinoma has a high recurrence and metastasis rate, and the prognosis is extremely poor. However, the sample sizes included in these studies are insufficient, and therefore, the findings are doubtful. ⋯ Hidradenocarcinoma is a malignant tumour with a good prognosis, which is different from previous views. Tumour size is inversely proportional to patients' overall survival time affecting the OS and CSS of patients. Improving health awareness, initial histological examination and timely surgery are the keys to improving the prognosis.