Int J Med Sci
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Catheter Ablation in Patients with Paroxysmal Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.
Background: The efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been established, but the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and pulsed field ablation (PFA) remain unclear. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 223 patients with paroxysmal non-valvular AF and HFpEF who underwent their first AF ablation between January 2017 and December 2021 and were divided into RFA (n = 77), CBA (n = 127), and PFA (n = 19) groups. Results: After a mean follow-up of 11.2 ± 1.8 months, no significant differences were observed in the rates of AF recurrence among the groups (P = 0.964). ⋯ RFA and PFA were associated with improved quality of life, improved NYHA functional classification, reversal of atrial remodeling, and increased LVEF. While CBA improved quality of life and NYHA functional status, it did not reverse atrial remodeling or increase LVEF. ALB and NT-pro BNP levels were identified as independent predictors of AF recurrence post-ablation in HFpEF patients.
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Background: Sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP) is characterized by a high recurrence rate and potential for malignant transformation. Although metabolic reprogramming plays a role in benign neoplasms, the specific metabolic pathways and biomarkers involved in SNIP pathogenesis remain unclear. Methods: RNA sequencing on paired SNIP and normal tissues identified altered genes with enzyme annotations and metabolic pathways by intersecting our cohort data (GSE270193, N=2) with the GSE193016 (N=4) dataset using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. ⋯ Validation in an independent cohort confirmed elevated protein levels of these markers, all positively correlated with EGFR in SNIP tissues. Notably, AKR1B10, CYP2C19, and CYP3A5 exhibited specific expression patterns distinguishing SNIP from sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: Altered estrogen biosynthesis signaling plays a role in SNIP pathogenesis, revealing distinct biomarkers that could serve as novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for SNIP management.
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Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health concern, and recent clinical evidence suggests the potential of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to slow CKD progression. This offers alternative strategies for CKD patients, mitigating risks related to polypharmacy and adverse drug reactions. Our self-controlled, prospective study aims to assess the impact of Eefooton (EFT), a TCM-based regimen, on kidney health in stage 3-5 CKD patients. ⋯ EFT decreased IS-induced expression of fibrosis-related proteins (α-smooth muscle actin) without affecting apoptosis-related proteins (Caspase 3). Conclusions: When combined with conventional CKD medications, EFT has shown effectiveness in enhancing kidney function in individuals with stage 3-5 CKD, with no reported safety concerns. The PARP-1 inhibition and anti-fibrosis properties of EFT present potential benefits in the context of CKD.
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Background: The prognostic significance of the red blood cell distribution width to albumin ratio (RAR) spans various diseases, yet its utility as a biomarker for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) remains unclear. Methods: We retrospectively studied 1,413 patients with HBV-HCC. Receiver operating characteristic curves identified optimal RAR cut-offs, stratifying patients into H-RAR and L-RAR groups. ⋯ Stratification by tumour stage revealed substantially lower overall survival for H-RAR than for L-RAR across Tumour, Node, Metastasis I-IV stages. Incorporating RAR into traditional HCC staging systems substantially improved the ability to predict overall mortality risk. Conclusion: RAR is a novel and valuable prognostic indicator for patients with HBV-HCC.
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Background: A multitude of studies have presented inconsistent outcomes regarding the association between maternal folic acid (FA) and/or multivitamin (MV) supplementation and congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. This study aimed to estimate supplementation time and CHD based on a prospective China birth cohort study (CBCS). Methods: In the CBCS, 114,670 singleton pregnant women who had pregnancy outcomes until August 2021 and responded to the early pregnancy questionnaire were recruited. ⋯ The pooled RR from the forest plot was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95-1.01), which is consistent with the findings of this study. Furthermore, the results remained approximately the same in the stratification or sensitivity analyses in different datasets, including performing 1:1 or 1:2 propensity score matching. Conclusions: The present study suggests that FA or MV supplementation before or during early pregnancy may not influence the risk of offspring developing CHD.