Clin Lab
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Background: Emerging evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as potential biomarkers for a wide range of cancers. Herein, the prognostic value of lncRNA taurine upregulated gene (TUG1) was analyzed using meta-analysis in different kinds of cancers. Methods: Databases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for epidemiological studies up to March 2018. Hazard ratio (HR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to probe the relationship between TUG1 expression and overall survival of various cancer patients. ⋯ In the subgroup analysis, cancer type, sample size, and TUG1 expression levels affected the association between TUG1 expression and cancer prognosis. No evidence of publication bias was detected. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis revealed that a high expression of the lncRNA TUG1 was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with various cancers. Therefore, lncRNA TUG1 could be considered as a potential prognostic factor in different cancer types.
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The CURB-65 scoring system is a simple tool in assessment and prognosis prediction for communityacquired pneumonia (CAP) patients. However, the variations in performance of CURB-65 in young and elderly patients, underestimation or overestimation of the severity, and mortality have often been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of serum high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) combined with CURB-65 in predicting ICU admission and 30-day mortality in CAP patients. ⋯ Measurement of serum hs-CRP in addition to the CURB-65 model improved the clinical usefulness in predicting ICU admission and mortality in CAP patients.
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Detection of new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) levels by screening, special and global tests, and liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is important in clinical situations when the cause of bleeding needs to be determined. ⋯ In the normal practice of the coagulation laboratory, it is advisable to use specific tests for NOAC determination as screening and global assays are not sufficiently specific. The dTT test is the optimal choice for dabigatran determination and for xabans to determine anti-Xa activity. The LC-MS/MS method is suitable as an arbitration method for serious conditions.