Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Although cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) was first reported more than 15 years ago, it still remains an unfamiliar clinical entity among physicians worldwide. CHS is categorized by Rome IV classification as a functional gastroduodenal disorder. It is characterized by stereotypical episodic vomiting in the setting of chronic, daily cannabis use, with cycles decreasing by the cessation of cannabis. ⋯ In addition, counseling to achieve marijuana cessation, accompanied by antianxiety medications, is necessary for sustaining clinical outcomes. Once the patient is in remission and off marijuana for a period of 6-12 months, then tapering the dose of amitriptyline can be implemented, with the goal of no therapy being achieved in the majority of patients over time. With the legalization of marijuana in many states, CHS will become an increasingly prevalent clinical entity, so educating about CHS is an important goal, particularly for emergency department physicians who generally first encounter these patients.
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Believed to have originated from a local Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China, the COVID-19 has had an unprecedented and catastrophic impact on humanity, with the WHO declaring it a global pandemic. Although the first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019, the primary source and intermediate host have not been confirmed, but human-to-human transmission has been universally accepted. The main mode of transmission of the virus is through respiratory droplets along with prominent respiratory system involvement. ⋯ Through this literature review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge of immunological pathways that contribute to the disease with a focus specifically on the GI tract involvement. We direct attention to the pathophysiological mechanism of involvement of the GI tract leading to symptomatic manifestations, track GI organ-specific viral loads to compare and contrast with other organ systems. We briefly detail specific treatment strategies from a GI disease standpoint and mention special considerations when there is involvement of the GI tract.
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COVID-19 has posed an extraordinary burden on health and the economy worldwide. Patients with cardiovascular diseases are more likely to have severe illness due to COVID-19 and are at increased risk for complications and mortality. We performed a narrative literature review to assess the burden of COVID-19 and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Echocardiography is an effective and accessible tool to evaluate left and right ventricular functions and risk stratify patients with COVID-19 infection. Cardiac MRI has detected and characterized myocardial injury, with changes compatible with other inflammatory cardiomyopathies. The long-term consequences of these inflammatory changes are unknown, but accumulating data will provide insight regarding the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 infection on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
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Accumulating studies have shown that the dysregulation of microRNAs is related to the carcinogenesis and development of gastric cancer (GC), and the role of miR-635 in GC remains largely unknown. miR-635 and Kinesin Family Member C1 (KIFC1) mRNA expression in GC tissues and paracancerous tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. KIFC1 protein expression in GC tissues and paracancerous normal tissues and cells was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Cell proliferation was monitored by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine assay. ⋯ Meanwhile, KIFC1 expression was significantly increased, and the Kaplan-Meier Plotter database showed that its high expression was remarkably associated with poor prognosis. Additionally, miR-635 can negatively regulate KIFC1. miR-635 can target KIFC1 to inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells. Collectively, miR-635 is lowly expressed in GC, and it inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells via regulating KIFC1.
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Cardiac damage from chemotherapy is a known phenomenon leading to significant morbidity and mortality in the cancer surviving population, and identifying high-risk pediatric patients early is challenging. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate whether echo strain, cardiac MRI (CMR), and serum biomarkers are more sensitive methods for detecting cardiac toxicity than standard echo and to examine the relationship between biomarkers in patients without decreased systolic function as determined by standard echo. In this pilot study, we prospectively enrolled pediatric subjects after completion of anthracycline inclusive chemotherapy. ⋯ There was also a significant correlation of NT-pro-BNP with CMR ECV and ALS. Combining these parameters with standard echo has the potential to identify high-risk patients early. Further studies are needed for long-term follow-up and management in this vulnerable population.