Arch Med Sci
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Patients with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) suffer frequent relapse with adverse effects caused by long-term prednisolone treatment. Recently, the chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20 (rituximab - RTX) was observed to be efficacious and safe in the treatment of patients with SDNS. We summarized the scientific literature to evaluate RTX therapy in the clinical management of SDNS. ⋯ In the studies that we considered, we concluded that RTX treatment was effective and safe in the therapy of patients with SDNS. Nevertheless, more randomized controlled trials are required to explore the mechanism of RTX action and verify its efficacy.
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One of the most frequent complications of breast cancer treatment is lymphoedema (LE), with lymphadenectomy and radiotherapy being the main triggers of this pathology in developed countries. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of therapeutic exercise in the prevention of upper limb (UL) lymphoedema evaluated through cirtometry, volumetry, or bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) in women after breast cancer removal surgery. ⋯ A therapeutic exercise program (strength and/or aerobic training) in women operated on for breast cancer contributes to reducing the number of cases that could obtain a greater difference in volume in their upper limbs, compared to a regular care program. However, further research is necessary to affirm that therapeutic physical exercise prevents BCRL.
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Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) are the most common diagnostic modalities of cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer, but few studies have been conducted to compare their diagnostic accuracy, with inconclusive results. ⋯ The diagnostic accuracy of US and CT was comparable. The specificity of these two methods was much higher than the sensitivity.
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Diabetes and osteoporosis are common metabolic diseases. Abnormal high glucose can lead to the apoptosis of osteoblasts. Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process that degrades proteins or organelles. In the present study, we comparatively analyzed the effects of high glucose and glucose fluctuation on apoptosis and autophagy of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. ⋯ High glucose, especially high glucose fluctuation, inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis and autophagy of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. This may occur through inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in the osteoblasts.
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We describe the case of a female child with multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD) who received intravenous (IV) trehalose (15 g/week) for 3 months. ⋯ Future research with a larger MSD population and a longer-term follow-up is warranted to determine whether trehalose can improve MSD patient health and clinical outcomes.