Exp Ther Med
-
Professor George P. Chrousos, Professor Emeritus of Paediatrics and Endocrinology at the University of Athens School of Medicine, in Athens, Greece, is the most distinguished Professor of Paediatrics in the modern history of Hellenic Paediatrics and among the 100 most prominent clinical investigators worldwide. According to Professor Chrousos, viruses frequently interact with the host endocrine signaling pathways, while stress triggers acutely an early inflammatory response termed 'neurogenic inflammation'. ⋯ Professor Chrousos declares that Paediatrics is a very broad scientific field, where paediatric trainees have many avenues to follow beyond clinical practice and into basic, preclinical, translational, clinical, applied, or epidemiologic research. He supports that researching and producing new knowledge to the benefit of humanity is a product of practicing Aristotle's ancient Greek virtues and a worthy cause of life's meaning. He completes our interview calling young paediatricians to 'listen to their minds and hearts' to select a life course that would lead them to acquire personal wisdom and eudaimonia.
-
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious disease that may lead to the occurrence of anxiety and depression; however, at present, little is known about the role of care intervention in the mental health of patients with CRC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Hence, an incremental patient care program (IPCP) was designed and its effects on anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) in patients with CRC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy was assessed. A total of consecutivel 298 patients with CRC who had undergone surgery were recruited for the present randomized, controlled study. ⋯ M0 was decreased (P=0.002) in the IPCP group compared with that in the controls, but no difference was observed in the QLQ-C30 function score between the two groups. Subgroup analysis by tumor-nodes-metastasis stage (II or III) demonstrated similar trends to those mentioned above. In conclusion, participation in the IPCP led to a slight decrease in anxiety, and contributed to a significant reduction in depression and an improvement in QoL in patients with CRC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.
-
The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of serum soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) regarding the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in sepsis patients, and investigate its correlation/association with disease severity, inflammation and mortality in sepsis patients with ARDS. A total of 57 sepsis patients with ARDS and 58 sepsis patients without ARDS were recruited for the present case-control study. Laboratory tests, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were evaluated, and mortality during hospitalization was recorded. ⋯ In sepsis patients with ARDS, serum suPAR levels were positively correlated with the APACHE II score, SOFA score and the levels of CRP, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8. In addition, serum suPAR levels were lower in survivors compared with those in non-survivors, and ROC curve analysis suggested that serum suPAR was able to predict the probability of mortality. In conclusion, serum suPAR independently predicted an elevated risk of ARDS in patients with sepsis, and was correlated/associated with greater disease severity, higher inflammation and increased mortality in patients with sepsis and ARDS.
-
Mache Papanicolaou (Volos, Greece, 1890 - Miami, Florida, USA, 1982) was the soul of absolute dedication to research, science and humanity of her lifelong partner, Dr George N. Papanicolaou (Kymi, Greece, 1883 - Miami Florida, USA, 1962). Her devotion to him, her endless support during their first years in the USA, as well as during the period before the approval of the Pap smear test and her selfless contribution to this revolutionary work were invaluable, indeed. ⋯ Papanicolaou, Maria Kokkori (Trikala, Greece, 1918 - Athens, Greece, 2012), author of the first book in the Hellenic literature on the life of Dr George N. Papanicolaou entitled 'George N. Papanicolaou: through his life and work'.
-
The increasing aging of the world population is accompanied by a rise in the incidence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). There has been a growing interest in shockwave treatment for orthopedic diseases, including KOA. In previous trials, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) was compared to physical therapy or placebo in the treatment of KOA. ⋯ The outcomes regarding pain, ROM, LI and WOMAC were significantly different between the two different groups (P<0.05). The present meta-analysis suggested that ESWT may achieve a better therapeutic effect for patients with KOA as compared to physical therapy. However, high-quality trials with large sample sizes are essential to substantiate these results.