Medicina
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Case Reports
Therapeutic Effects of Treating COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Anti-TIF1-γ-Positive Dermatomyositis.
An increase in skin-related autoimmune disorders has been reported as an adverse effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. We present the case of a 90-year-old Taiwanese female who was newly diagnosed with anti-transcription intermediary factor 1-gamma (anti-TIF1-γ)-positive dermatomyositis (DM) after receiving a second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. ⋯ Flow cytometry data showed an increase in T cells, while NK cells, B cells (CD19), and plasma blasts all decreased. These findings suggest that standard DM treatment might be beneficial to patients with COVID-19 vaccine-induced DM.
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Review Case Reports
Meigs Syndrome and Elevated CA-125: Case Report and Literature Review of an Unusual Presentation Mimicking Ovarian Cancer.
Background and Objectives: Meigs syndrome is represented by a benign adnexal tumor, ascites, and hydrothorax. Even though the ovarian mass is often characterized by a fibroma-like origin, cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) serum levels could be elevated as in the development of ovarian cancer. Here, we present the case of a patient with Meigs syndrome and increased CA-125. ⋯ Adnexal mass histotypes were: struma ovarii (12 cases), thecomas (two cases), fibrothecomas (five cases), fibromas (five cases), and one sclerosing stromal tumor (SST). Conclusions: In postmenopausal women with elevated CA-125 serum levels and an adnexal mass suspicious for malignancy at ultrasound (US), ascites and pleural effusion, surgery, and histopathological examination are necessary. MS is a diagnostic option, with an excellent prognosis after exeresis of the mass.
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Background and Objectives: We aimed to analyse data on retinal artery occlusion (RAO) patients to explore correlations with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and cardio/cerebrovascular comorbidities. Patients and Methods: Our retrospective cohort study included 169 RAO and 169 age- and gender-matched control patients. We examined the association of AIS, STEMI, and related comorbidities such as hypertension (HT), type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1DM and T2DM, respectively), hyperlipidaemia, and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) with RAO. ⋯ Multiple risk factors together significantly increased the odds of developing AIS and STEMI. Conclusions: Our results suggest that through identifying and treating the risk factors for RAO patients, we can reduce the risk of AIS, STEMI, and RAO of the fellow eye. Considering that ophthalmologists are often the first detectors of these cardiovascularly burdened patients, collaboration with colleagues from internal medicine, cardiology, and neurology is essential to achieve secondary prevention.
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Background and Objectives: The modification of histone acetylation plays a vital role in regulating tumor occurrence and development, but the interaction between histone acetylation modulator genes and the liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) microenvironment, as well as immunotherapy, has not been investigated. Materials and Methods: Analysis of all statistical data was carried out using R software (Version 4.2.0) and the online tool Sangerbox. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, including signature construction and validation, functional analyses, immune and genomic features analyses, and immunotherapy prediction analyses, were performed to explore the prognostic and therapeutic role of histone acetylation modulator genes in LIHC development and progression. ⋯ Additionally, high levels of checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) were also observed in high HARS patients. Meanwhile, TIDE algorithm analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between HARS and immunotherapy response, and submap algorithm analysis was used for the verification of the results, from which we found that high HAPS patients were more likely to respond to immunotherapy. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that the histone acetylation modulator genes, particularly for KAT21, SIRT6, and HAT1, may have the potential to function as a new prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LIHC.
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Review
The Use of Questionnaires in Pain Assessment during Orthodontic Treatments: A Narrative Review.
Pain is a complex multidimensional feeling combined with sensorial and emotional features. The majority of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment report various degrees of pain, which is perceived as widely variable between individuals, even when the stimulus is the same. Orthodontic pain is considered the main cause of poor-quality outcomes, patients' dissatisfaction, and lack of collaboration up to the interruption of therapy. ⋯ Choosing the most appropriate instrument for recording self-reported pain depends on a patient's age and cognitive abilities. Although several such scales have been proposed, and a lot of them are applied, it remains uncertain which of these tools represents the standard and performs the most precise, universal, and predictable task. This review aims to give an overview of the aspects which describe pain, specifically the pain experienced during orthodontic treatment, the main tool to assess self-perceived pain in a better and more efficient way, the different indications for each of them, and their correlated advantages or disadvantages.