Int J Med Sci
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Background: Considering transaminase more than the upper limit of normal value as liver injury might overestimate the prevalence of liver involvement in COVID-19 patients. No meta-analysis has explored the impact of varied definitions of liver injury on the reported prevalence of liver injury. Moreover, few studies reported the extent of hypertransaminasemia stratified by COVID-19 disease severity. ⋯ Only a small fraction of COVID-19 patients have clinically significant liver injury. The prevalence of hypertransaminasemia was significantly higher in severe COVID-19 cases compare to non-severe cases. Hence, in severe COVID-19 patients, more attention should be paid to liver function tests.
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Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether routine blood tests on admission and clinical characteristics can predict prognosis in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) combined with extracranial trauma. Methods: Clinical data of 182 patients with TBI combined with extracranial trauma from April 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Based on GOSE score one month after discharge, the patients were divided into a favorable group (GOSE 1-4) and unfavorable group (GOSE 5-8). ⋯ Based on multivariate analysis, independent risk factors associated with unfavorable outcome were age (odds ratio [OR], 1.070; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.018-1.124; p<0.01), admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (OR, 0.807; 95% CI, 0.675-0.965; p<0.05), heart rate (OR, 1.035; 95% CI, 1.004-1.067; p<0.05), platelets count (OR, 0.982; 95% CI, 0.967-0.997; p<0.05), and tracheotomy (OR, 15.201; 95% CI, 4.121-56.078; p<0.001). Areas under the curve (AUC) of age, admission GCS, heart rate, tracheotomy, and platelets count were 0.678 (95% CI, 0.584-0.771), 0.799 (95% CI, 0.723-0.875), 0.652 (95% CI, 0.553-0.751), 0.776 (95% CI, 0.692-0.859), and 0.688 (95% CI, 0.606-0.770), respectively. Conclusions: Age, admission GCS score, heart rate, tracheotomy, and platelets count can be recognized as independent predictors of clinical prognosis in patients with severe TBI combined with extracranial trauma.
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Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune neurological disease that can cause blindness and disability. As the major mediators in the central nervous system, microglia plays key roles in immunological regulation in neuroinflammatory diseases, including NMOSD. ⋯ These processes involving activated microglia ultimately promote the pathological course of NMOSD. In this review, recent research progress on the roles of microglia in NMOSD pathogenesis is summarized, and the mechanisms of microglial activation and microglial-mediated inflammation, and the potential research prospects associated with microglial activation are also discussed.
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Objectives: A significant proportion of discharged COVID-19 patients still have some symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an important role in the treatment of COVID-19, but whether it is helpful for discharged patients is still unknown. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the impacts of TCM treatment on the convalescents of COVID-19. ⋯ Conclusions: This study suggested that TCM treatment would be beneficial for discharged COVID-19 patients. However, long-term medical observation and further study with randomized trial should be done to confirm this result. Besides, the potential molecular mechanisms of TCM treatment should be further revealed.
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Rationale: Previous studies of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were mainly focused on cross-sectional analysis. In this study, we sought to evaluate the dynamic changes of immunological and radiographic features, and the association with the outcome of pulmonary lesions in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Peripheral blood samples and radiographic data were collected longitudinally for up to 8 weeks from 158 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. ⋯ More importantly, the peak expression of IL-6 prior to the aggravated lung injury was mainly found in patients with persistent lesions, and multivariate analysis showed that IL-6 level upon admission was an independent factor associated with the persistent pulmonary injury. Conclusion: Prolonged elevation of IL-6 is associated with persistent pulmonary lesions in COVID-19 patients. Sequential monitoring and timely intervention of IL-6 may favor the clinical management of COVID-19.