Articles: disease.
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Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder has complex and diverse clinical manifestations, including the simplest abnormalities of calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone detected in blood, abnormalities of bone transformation and mineralization in bone, and calcification of blood vessels or other soft tissues detected on imaging. Patients with CKD-MBD combined low bone mineral density and fragility fractures are referred to as CKD-MBD with low bone mineral density. Vascular calcification refers to ectopic deposition of calcium phosphate in the blood vessel walls and heart valves. ⋯ Activation and alteration of the Wnt signaling pathway are central to the treatment of vascular diseases in uremia. Vitamin D supplementation can prevent secondary hyperparathyroidism, activate osteoblasts, relieve muscle weakness and myalgia, and reduce vascular calcification. Nutritional vitamin D may improve vascular calcification in uremia patients by regulating Wnt signaling pathway.
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S100 protein family, which represents 25 relatively small calcium binding proteins, is involved in many intracellular and/or extracellular processes, including differentiation, apoptosis, migration/invasion, Ca2+ homeostasis, inflammation, and tissue repair. As an important member, S100A4 was reported to have an abnormal expression in several lung diseases, such as lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), etc. For example, in lung cancer, S100A4 was demonstrated to be associated to metastatic tumor progression and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). ⋯ Various studies in recent years focused on the S100A4 function in lung diseases, showing researchers' interests on this protein. It is necessary to focuses on relative studies, and make a comprehensive understanding of S100A4 in common pulmonary diseases. By doing this, this paper provides a review of the evidence for S100A4 in lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, IPF and pulmonary hypertension.
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Recent studies have reported that the lower airway microbiome may play an essential role in the development and progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the characteristics of the respiratory microbiome and intrasubject variation in patients with ILD. Patients with ILD were recruited prospectively for 12 months. ⋯ We did not detect site-specific dysbiosis in the ILD lung. BALF was an effective respiratory specimen type for evaluating the lung microbiome in patients with ILD. Further studies are needed to evaluate the causal links between the lung microbiome and the pathogenesis of ILD.
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Case Reports
Hybrid stent in management of malignant airway obstruction with carina esophageal fistula: A case report.
Airway stents have been developed rapidly to treat airway stenosis and fistula caused by various reasons. Malignant conditions that lead to central airway obstruction, especially the invasion of trachea carina and formation of esophageal fistula, are still a challenge for clinicians. ⋯ Hybrid stent can be used as 1 of options for airway reconstruction and palliative treatment for patients with complex airway diseases caused by malignant tumors.
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Meningoencephalomyelitis and visceral dissemination infection are rare but life-threatening complications of either the primary infection or reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in immunocompromised patients. To date, few studies have reported the co-existence of VZV meningoencephalomyelitis and the visceral dissemination of VZV infection. ⋯ Patients with autoimmune diseases receiving immunosuppressive therapy should be warned about the possibility of developing serious neurological infections and visceral disseminated VZV infections as side effects. Early diagnosis and the early initiation of intravenous acyclovir therapy are important for such cases.