Int J Med Sci
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Meta Analysis
Association between HLA-B*46 allele and Graves disease in Asian populations: a meta-analysis.
Graves' disease (GD) is a leading cause of hyperthyroidism, which affects 1.0-1.6% of the general population. Previous studies reported a higher GD prevalence in Asian populations compared to Caucasian populations. The etiology of GD involves complex interactions between predisposing genes and environmental triggers. ⋯ However, there were some limitations to the current meta-analysis, such as heterogeneity (P(heterogeneity )< 0.01 and I(2 )= 68.0%) or the different typing methods (serological and genotyping methods). The meta-analysis indicated that the HLA-B*46 allele is a risk factor for GD in Asian populations. Future studies on the role of the HLA-B*46 allele in GD should consider complications such as periodic paralysis, ophthalmopathy and recurrence.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic use in acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
To assess the clinical value of procalcitonin to guide antibiotic therapy in acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. ⋯ Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy of patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may result in reduced exposure to antibiotics without adversely affecting patient outcomes.
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Infertility is an important aspect of human and animal reproduction and still presents with much etiological ambiguity. As fifty percent of infertility is related to the male partner, molecular investigations on sperm and seminal plasma can lead to new knowledge on male infertility. ⋯ The data from these studies show the impact of sperm proteome studies on identifying different valuable markers for fertility screening. In this article, we review recent development in unraveling sperm fertility related proteins.
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Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) has emerged as a convenient and popular screening tool for osteoporosis. This review aimed to provide basic information on the principle of QUS measurement and discuss the properties of bone reflected by QUS indices. QUS employed high frequency sound waves generated by the device to determine bone health status in humans. ⋯ In humans, QUS indices were found to be associated with BMD as well. In addition, QUS could discriminate subjects with and without fracture history and predict risk for future fracture. In conclusion, QUS is able to reflect bone quality and should be used in the screening of osteoporosis, especially in developing countries where dual-X-ray absorptiometry devices are less accessible to the general population.
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Family, twin, adoption studies show osteoarthritis (OA) has a substantial genetic component. Several studies have shown an association between OA and Growth Differentiation Factor 5 (GDF5), some others have not. Thus, the status of the OA-GDF5 association is uncertain. ⋯ The rs143383 polymorphism was significantly associated with OA [fixed: OR and 95% CI: 1.193 (1.139-1.249), p < 0.001; random: OR and 95% CI: 1.204 (1.135-1.276), p < 0.001], 2) no evidence that this association was accounted for by any one study, and 3) no evidence for publication bias. Although the effect size of the association between OA and GDF5 is small, there is suggestive evidence for an association. Further studies are needed to clarify what variant of GDF5 (or some nearby gene) accounts for this association.