The American journal of the medical sciences
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Organizing pneumonia (OP) is an interstitial lung disease, and can be cryptogenic, if no cause is identified, or secondary to several conditions. COVID-19-induced persistent inflammation can be associated with interstitial lung disease. We present a review of literature of OP and COVID-19-induced OP with an illustrative case. ⋯ A new chest CT scan also showed extensive diffuse areas of consolidation and ground-glass opacity. OP was hypothesized and 40 mg/day prednisone initiated and continued for six months with resolution of lung functional and image abnormalities. Organizing pneumonia should be included in the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 patients with respiratory symptoms after partial pulmonary recovery.
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Previous research in the general population suggests that the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of vascular events, such as stroke. Thus, psoriasis may also represent a risk factor for stroke in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. ⋯ Contrary to prior research in the general population, psoriasis in ESRD patients was not associated with the risk of stroke after controlling for various demographic and clinical parameters. Our finding emphasizes the importance of controlling for a variety of factors in population studies examining associations of diseases and risk factors.
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Carbonic anhydrases (CA) are metalloenzymes with wide tissue distribution, involved in many important physiological processes, and in some rheumatic diseases, autoantibodies are formed against these enzymes. Recent studies have suggested that oxidative stress triggers anti-CA antibody formation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of modification with oxidative/nitrosative stress end products on CA antigenicity in mice and the relationship between the modified CA autoantibodies and oxidant-antioxidant status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjögren's syndrome (SjS). ⋯ PN modifications can also trigger an immune response against CA isoenzymes in mice, and PN-modified CA I and CA II autoantibody titers were found at a significantly high level in both RA and SjS patients.
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Editorial
Hyoro-zeme in the Battle for Tottori Castle: The first description of refeeding syndrome in Japan.
Eating after a period of starvation can cause refeeding syndrome, a fatal condition caused by a shift in fluids and electrolytes that can result in sudden death. The Battle for Tottori Castle (1581) during the Warring States Period of Japan, which witnessed the use of hyoro-zeme, the tactic of intentionally starving a besieged enemy, was followed by a dramatic episode of mass death among starving soldiers not from fighting but from eating; accounts from the period relate that many of the besieged soldiers survived the hyoro-zeme only to die soon afterwards when they were fed immediately after surrendering. We herein reviewed the Japanese historical records of the Battle for Tottori Castle and hypothesized that the hyoro-zeme episode they recount is possibly the oldest description of refeeding syndrome to be documented in Japan. Our investigation revealed sufficient evidence that refeeding syndrome was the cause of the mass deaths reported after the famous battle.
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Hepatic fibrosis is a common pathological process in many chronic liver diseases. TXNDC5 has been shown to be involved in the progression of renal and pulmonary fibrosis. However, the role of TXNDC5 in hepatic fibrosis is unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore the role and mechanism of TXNDC5 in hepatic fibrosis. ⋯ Knockdown of TXNDC5 may reduce hepatic fibrosis by regulating ERs, and targeting TXNDC5 seems to be a candidate treatment for hepatic fibrosis.