The American journal of the medical sciences
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The proto-oncogene Myc serves as a paradigm for understanding the dynamics of transcriptional regulation. Myc protein has been linked to immune dysfunction, cancer development and neoplastic transformation. ⋯ However, decreased expression of Myc has been observed in HSCT patients who did not survive. Understanding impaired or inappropriate expression of Myc may present a path for the discovery of new targets for therapeutic applications.
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Comparative Study
Clinical Heterogeneity of Interstitial Lung Disease in Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis Patients With or Without Specific Autoantibodies.
The aim of this study was to compare the heterogeneity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM/DM) according to serological type. ⋯ MDA5-ILD was associated with severe pulmonary manifestations, poor response to treatment and aggravated prognosis. The ARS-ILD group had favorable treatment response and prognosis. MSN-ILD patients had relatively worse treatment response and prognosis compared to the ARS group, even though they expressed milder pulmonary manifestation.
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Major depressive disorder ("depression") has been identified as an independent risk factor for mortality for many comorbid conditions, including heart failure, cancer and stroke. Major depressive disorder has also been linked to immune suppression by generating a chronic inflammatory state. However, the association between major depression and pneumonia has not been examined. The aim of this study was to examine the association between depression and outcomes, including mortality and intensive care unit admission, in Veterans hospitalized with pneumonia. ⋯ For older veterans hospitalized with pneumonia, a concurrent diagnosis of major depressive disorder, and especially untreated depression, was associated with higher mortality. This highlights that untreated major depressive disorder is an independent risk factor for mortality for patients with pneumonia.
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IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized condition defined by characteristic histopathologic findings in affected organs. Serum IgG4 concentration is often but not always elevated. The sensitivity and specificity of serum IgG4 vary greatly across studies and has been anecdotally associated to ethnicity. Our study was conducted to investigate the difference in serum IgG4 levels between Asian and non-Asian patients with IgG4-RD. ⋯ Asian patients with IgG4-RD have more exuberant serum IgG4, IgG and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia than non-Asian patients; the mechanism of this difference requires further study. These findings have significant clinical importance and must be accounted for in the diagnostic workup of patients in multiethnic settings.
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Clinical Trial
Longitudinal Changes in Insulin Resistance, Beta-Cell Function and Glucose Regulation Status in Prediabetes.
The changes in insulin resistance and insulin secretion and their association with changes in glucose regulation status in Asians with prediabetes remain uncertain. ⋯ Although increase in insulin resistance and decrease in beta-cell function both contributed to the progression to type 2 diabetes from prediabetes, longitudinal change in insulin resistance was the predominant factor in Koreans.