Int J Med Sci
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Artificial intelligence (AI), as an advanced science technology, has been widely used in medical fields to promote medical development, mainly applied to early detections, disease diagnoses, and management. Owing to the huge number of patients, kidney disease remains a global health problem. ⋯ Here, we review the current studies of AI applications in kidney disease in alerting systems, diagnostic assistance, guiding treatment and evaluating prognosis. Although the number of studies related to AI applications in kidney disease is small, the potential of AI in the management of kidney disease is well recognized by clinicians; AI will greatly enhance clinicians' capacity in their clinical practice in the future.
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Descurainia sophia Webb ex Prantl has been used in traditional medicine globally. It has been shown that Descurainia sophia, together with many other bioactive compounds, can modulate the biological functions of various genes. We have viewed the clinical benefits and mechanisms of action of Descurainia sophia associated with its current uses and outlined potential further applications. ⋯ Further, Descurainia sophia has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anthelmintic activities. The clinical studies did not indicate any significant adverse effects of Descurainia sophia, demonstrating that it is a safe and effective herbal medicine. However, more clinical studies demonstrating the therapeutic effects of Descurainia sophia are still warranted.
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Objective: The proportion of hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in China has increased rapidly. However, the response of these patients to peginterferon (peg-IFN) treatment is poor, and the antiviral treatment strategies are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in early prediction of response in HBeAg-negative CHB patients receiving peg-IFN α-2a. ⋯ The HBV DNA <2.0 log10IU/ml at week 24 (PPV = 96.9%, NPV = 66.7%, P = 0.018) was an independent predictor of HBV DNA undetectable at week 48. The HBsAg <800 IU/ml at baseline (PPV = 92.1%, NPV = 69.7%, P = 0.054) and HBsAg decline >5.00-fold at week 24 (PPV = 83.3%, NPV = 77.8%, P = 0.038) were independent predictors of HBsAg <100 IU/ml and HBV DNA undetectable at week 48. Conclusion: Early on-treatment quantification of HBV DNA and HBsAg in patients with HBeAg-negative CHB treated with peg-IFN α-2a may help identify those likely to be cured by this method and optimize therapy strategies.
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The scientific community continuously strives to get new disease models, to discover early markers or novel therapeutic approaches, improving the diagnosis and prognosis of several human pathologies. Parkinson's Disease (PD) is characterized by a long asymptomatic phase, characterized by a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Recently, the human Periapical Cyst-Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hPCy-MSCs) have been differentiated in functional dopaminergic neurons: such oral-derived MSCs and the hPCy-MSCs-derived exosomes may represent a strategic and useful in vitro study-model, as well as intriguing therapeutic carriers. ⋯ This review aims to describe the crosstalk among some aspects of circadian rhythm related to the onset of PD and the exosomes released by cells of PD patients. More in detail: the first part of this article will describe the main characteristics of circadian rhythm and the involvement of the exosomes found to be effective in the pathogenesis of PD. Finally, the authors will suggest how those exosomes derived from dopaminergic neurons, obtained by oral-derived stem cells (hPCy-MSCs) may represent a smart model for the in vitro research on PD, to find new biomarkers, to test new drugs or, fatally, to find new pathways applicable in future therapeutic approaches.
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Background: During the outbreak period of COVID-19 pneumonia, cancer patients have been neglected and in greater danger. Furthermore, the differential diagnosis between COVID-19 pneumonia and radiation pneumonitis in cancer patients remains a challenge. This study determined their clinical presentations and radiological features in order to early diagnose and separate COVID-19 pneumonia from radiation pneumonitis patients promptly. ⋯ After repeated pharyngeal swab nucleic acid tests, 1 case was confirmed and 3 cases were excluded from COVID-19 pneumonia. Despite the comparable morphologic characteristics of lung CT imaging, the location, extent, and distribution of lung lesions between COVID-19 pneumonia and radiation pneumonitis differed significantly. Conclusions: Lung CT imaging combined with clinical and laboratory findings can facilitate early diagnosis and appropriate management of COVID-19 pneumonia with a history of malignancy and radiation therapy.