Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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This study aims to determine fibroblast growth factor-23 and soluble α-Klotho levels in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. A total of 76 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and 32 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Serum fibroblast growth factor-23 and soluble α-Klotho levels were measured with ELISA kits. ⋯ Fibroblast growth factor-23 (r=-0.251, p=0.034) and soluble α-Klotho levels (r=-0.251, p=0.034) were found to be negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate. This study shows increased fibroblast growth factor-23 levels in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease which is in harmony with the general trend in patients with chronic kidney disease of other aetiologies, but, unlike them, also a significant increase in serum soluble α-Klotho levels in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease suggesting an aberrant production or a decreased clearance of α-Klotho molecule. Considering the unique increases in erythropoietin levels due to erythropoietin production in renal cysts, we assume, patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease may potentially have different soluble α-Klotho production/clearance characteristics than the patients with other parenchymal renal diseases.
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Review Meta Analysis
EGFR gene copy number as a predictive/biomarker for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene copy number has been proposed as a candidate biomarker for predicting treatment response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases were searched until October 21, 2015 using the following search terms: lung neoplasms/lung cancer/non-small cell lung cancer/NSCLC, EGFR, gene amplification, copy number, erlotinib, gefitinib, tyrosine-kinase inhibitor/TKI, predictor. 17 studies were included in the analysis with a total of 2047 patients. The overall analysis found that increased EGFR gene copy number was associated with higher overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS; p values ≤0.008) compared with patients without a high EGFR gene copy number. ⋯ The results were similar in a population of Asian patients, except that a higher EGFR gene copy number was not associated with improved OS (p=0.248). Sensitivity analysis indicated that no one study overly influenced the results and that the findings are robust. The result of the analysis found that EGFR gene copy number was associated with increased OS and PFS, supporting the idea that EGFR gene copy number is a biomarker for response to EGFR-TKI therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC.
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Review Meta Analysis
Team science as interprofessional collaborative research practice: a systematic review of the science of team science literature.
The National Institute of Health's concept of team science is a means of addressing complex clinical problems by applying conceptual and methodological approaches from multiple disciplines and health professions. The ultimate goal is the improved quality of care of patients with an emphasis on better population health outcomes. Collaborative research practice occurs when researchers from >1 health-related profession engage in scientific inquiry to jointly create and disseminate new knowledge to clinical and research health professionals in order to provide the highest quality of patient care to improve population health outcomes. ⋯ In this study, we hypothesized that team science is an example of effective and impactful interprofessional collaborative research practice. To assess this hypothesis, we examined the contemporary literature on the science of team science (SciTS) produced in the past 10 years (2005-2015) and related the SciTS to the overall field of interprofessional collaborative practice, of which collaborative research practice is a subset. A modified preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach was employed to analyze the SciTS literature in light of the general question: Is team science an example of interprofessional collaborative research practice? After completing a systematic review of the SciTS literature, the posed hypothesis was accepted, concluding that team science is a dimension of interprofessional collaborative practice.
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A major impediment to improving the health of communities is the lack of qualified clinical and translational research (CTR) investigators. To address this workforce shortage, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed mechanisms to enhance the career development of CTR physician, PhD, and other doctoral junior faculty scientists including the CTR-focused K12 program and, subsequently, the KL2-mentored CTR career development program supported through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs). Our evaluation explores the impact of the K12/KL2 program embedded within the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), a consortium linking Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology. ⋯ Among the 43 scholars who have completed the program, 39 (91%) remain engaged in CTR and received over $89 000 000 as principal investigators on federally funded awards. The K12/KL2 funding provided the training and protected time for successful career development of CTR scientists. These data highlight the need for continued support for CTR training programs for junior faculty.
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To study differences related to pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care among hospitals that were stratified based on annual case volume. This is a cross-sectional study using data from the United States Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). IBD-related hospitalizations were identified using International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification codes. ⋯ The incidence of postoperative complications was not significantly different. There were significantly greater hospital costs (median US$11,000 vs US$6,000, p<0.001) and lengths of stay (median 5 days vs 4 days, p<0.001) associated with HVCs compared to LVCs. Pediatric admissions to HVCs for IBD undergo a greater number of medical and surgical procedures and are associated with higher costs and lengthier hospital stays.