Corneal ectasia following photorefractive keratectomy: a confocal microscopic case report and literature review / Ectasia corneana após ceratectomia fotorrefrativa: relato de caso de microscopia confocal e revisão da literatura

ABSTRACT The occurrence of corneal ectasia after photorefractive keratectomy is a rare but serious complication of refractive surgery. Possible risk factors are not well assessed, but a probable reason is the failure to detect keratoconus preoperatively. In this report, we describe a case of corneal ectasia after photorefractive keratectomy in a patient who presented a suspicious tomography pattern preoperatively but had no degenerative alterations associated with pathologic keratoconus, as revealed by in vivo corneal confocal microscopy. We also review eligible case reports of post-photorefractive keratectomy ectasia to find similar characteristics.

RESUMO A ocorrência de ectasia corneana após ceratectomia fotorrefrativa é uma complicação rara, porém grave, em cirurgia refrativa. Os possíveis fatores de risco não são bem avaliados, mas a opinião atual é que a falha na detecção de ceratocone pré-operatório possa ser o principal motivo. Neste relato, descrevemos um caso de ectasia corneana após ceratectomia fotorrefrativa em paciente apresentando padrão tomográfico suspeito no pré-operatório, mas sem alterações degenerativas associadas a ceratocone patológico, conforme revelado por microscopia confocal in vivo da córnea. Além disso, revisamos, na literatura, relatos de casos elegíveis de ectasia pós-ceratectomia fotorrefrativa para encontrar características semelhantes.

Femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis for the correction of high myopia in Meesmann corneal dystrophy: a case report / Femto-LASIK para correção de alta miopia na distrofa corneana de Meesmann: relato de caso

ABSTRACT The patient was a 26-year-old woman who had manifest refraction and uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities of -7.00 × -4.50 at 175°, 20/400, and 20/25, respectively, in the right eye, and -3.25 × -5.25 at 179°, 20/200, and 20/25, respectively, in the left eye. In the right and left eyes, the mean corneal thicknesses were 733 and 749 µm, and the maximum epithelial thicknesses were 70 and 68 µm, respectively. Myriads of intraepithelial cysts were observed in the slit-lamp examination. At 30 months after femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (femto-LASIK), the manifest refraction and uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities were respectively 0.00 × -1.25 at 55°, 20/25, and 20/20 in right eye, and 0.00 × -0.50 at 135°, 20/20, and 20/20 in the left eye. In this case of Meesmann dystrophy, myopia was successfully treated with thick flap femto-LASIK without complications or ectasia.

RESUMO A paciente era uma mulher de 26 anos com refração manifesta, acuidade visual para longe não corrigida e corrigida de -7,00 × -4,50 a175°, 20/400 e 20/25 no olho direito e -3,25 × -5,25 a 179°, 20/200 e 20/25 no olho esquerdo. A espessura média da córnea foi de 733 e 749 µm, e a espessura epitelial máxima foi de 70 e 68 µm, respectivamente no olho direito e no esquerdo. Inúmeros cistos intraepiteliais foram observados no exame com lâmpada de fenda. Trinta meses após o femto-LASIK, a refração manifesta, a acuidade visual para longe não corrigida e corrigida eram respectivamente de 0,00 × -1,25 a 55°, 20/25 e 20/20 no olho direito e 0,00 × -0,50 a 135°, 20/20 e 20/20 no olho esquerdo. Neste caso de distrofia de Meesmann, a miopia foi tratada com sucesso com femto-LASIK de retalho espesso sem complicações ou ectasia.

Safflower seed oil, a rich source of linoleic acid, stimulates hypothalamic neurogenesis in vivo / 대한해부학회지

Adult neurogenesis has been reported in the hypothalamus, subventricular zone and subgranular zone in the hippocamp. Recent studies indicated that new cells in the hypothalamus are affected by diet. We previously showed beneficial effects of safflower seed oil (SSO), a rich source of linoleic acid (LA; 74%), on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. In this study, the effect of SSO on hypothalamic neurogenesis was investigated in vivo, in comparison to synthetic LA. Adult mice were treated with SSO (400 mg/kg) and pure synthetic LA (300 mg/kg), at similar concentrations of LA, for 8 weeks and then hypothalamic NSCs were cultured and subsequently used for Neurosphere-forming assay. In addition, serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Administration of SSO for 8 weeks in adult mice promoted the proliferation of NSCs isolated from SSO-treated mice.Immunofluorescence staining of the hypothalamus showed that the frequency of astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein+ cells) are not affected by LA or SSO. However, the frequency of immature (doublecortin+ cells) and mature (neuronal nuclei+ cells) neurons significantly increased in LA- and SSO-treated mice, compared to vehicle. Furthermore, both LA and SSO caused a significant increase in the serum levels of BDNF. Importantly, SSO acted more potently than LA in all experiments.The presence of other fatty acids in SSO, such as oleic acid and palmitic acid, suggests that they could be responsible for SSO positive effect on hypothalamic proliferation and neurogenesis, compared to synthetic LA at similar concentrations.

Biomechanical changes of the common carotid artery and internal jugular vein in patients with multiple sclerosis

Purpose@#Investigations of the hemodynamic changes of the venous system in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have shown contradictory results. Herein, the biomechanical parameters of the internal jugular vein (IJV) and common carotid artery (CCA) of MS patients were extracted and compared to healthy individuals. @*Methods@#B-mode and Doppler sequential ultrasound images of 64 IJVs and CCAs of women including 22 healthy individuals, 22 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, and 20 primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients were recorded and processed. The biomechanical parameters of the IJV and the CCA walls during three cardiac cycles were calculated. @*Results@#The IJV maximum and minimum pressures were higher in the MS patients than in the healthy subjects, by 31% and 19% in RRMS patients and 39% and 24% in PPMS patients. The venous wall thicknesses in RRMS and PPMS patients were 51% and 60% higher than in healthy subjects, respectively. IJV distensibility in RRMS and PPMS patients was 70% and 75% lower, and compliance was 40% and 59% lower than in healthy subjects. The maximum intima-media thicknesses of the CCAs were 38% and 24%, and the minimum intima-media thicknesses were 27% and 23% higher in RRMS and PPMS patients than in healthy individuals, respectively. The shear modulus of CCA walls in RRMS and PPMS patients was 17% and 31%, and the radial elastic moduli were 47% and 9% higher than in healthy individuals. @*Conclusion@#Some physical and biomechanical parameters of the CCA and IJV showed significant differences between MS patients and healthy individuals.

Does Bracing Control the Progression of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Curves Higher Than 40°? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Routinely, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) curves that progress beyond 40° in skeletally immature adolescents require surgery. However, some adolescents with AIS and their parents utterly refuse surgery and insist on wearing a brace. Debate continues regarding the appropriateness of bracing for AIS curves exceeding 40° in patients who have rejected surgical intervention. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to review the literature on the effectiveness of bracing and its predictive factors in largermagnitude AIS curves ≥40°. This study replicated the search strategy used by the PICOS system for formulating study questions, which include consideration of the patient/population (P), intervention (I), comparison (C), outcome (O), and study design (S). The search was conducted up to January 2022 in the following bibliographic online databases only in the English language: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Two assessors reviewed the articles for qualification. Eligible studies were assessed for risk of bias at the study level using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The effect size across the studies was determined using standardized mean differences (Cohen’s d) and 95% confidence intervals for the meta-analysis. Among the eight included moderate quality studies, evidence of potential publication bias (p <0.05) for the trials included was found in the Cobb angle outcome. Results obtained through meta-analysis indicated that the effectiveness of bracing in controlling Cobb angle progression in curves ≥40° is significantly positive. Additionally, initial curve severity, Risser stage, in-brace curve correction, curve type, and apical vertebral rotation were considered risk factors associated with brace effectiveness. This systematic review revealed that bracing could alter the normal course of AIS curves ≥40° in patients refusing posterior spinal fusion (PSF). However, the suggested course for patients refusing PSF remains unclear because of the significant heterogeneity in the risk factors associated with bracing failure.

Cisteína oral N-Acetyl versus indometacina retal para prevenção de pancreatite pós-CPRE: um ensaio controlado randomizado multinacional multicêntrico / Oral n-acetyl cysteine versus rectal indomethacin for prevention of post ercp pancreatitis: a multicenter multinational randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Background This multicenter multinational RCT designed to compare the efficacy of suppository indomethacin and NAC for prevention of PEP. Methods: During a 6-month period, all of the ERCP cases in seven referral centers were randomly assigned to receive either 1200 mg oral NAC, indomethacin suppository 100 mg, 1200 mg oral NAC plus indomethacin suppository 100 mg or placebo 2 hours before ERCP. The primary outcomes were the rate and severity of any PEP. Results: A total of 432 patients included (41.4% male). They were originally citizens of 6 countries (60.87% Caucasian). They were randomly allocated to receive either NAC (group A, 84 cases), rectal indomethacin (group B, 138 cases), NAC + rectal indomethacin (group C, 115 cases) or placebo (group D, 95 cases). The rate of PEP in groups A, B and C in comparison with placebo were 10.7%, 17.4%, 7.8% vs 20% (P=0.08, 0.614 & 0.01 respectively). The NNT for NAC, indomethacin and NAC + indomethacin was 11, 38 and 8 respectively. Conclusion: Oral NAC is more effective than rectal indomethacin when compared to placebo for prevention of PEP and the combination of NAC and Indomethacin had the lowest incidence of PEP and may have synergistic effect in preventing of PEP (IRCT20201222049798N1; 29/12/2020).

RESUMO Contexto: Este estudo randomizado, controlado multicêntrico e multinacional foi projetado para comparar a eficácia da indometacina supositório e N-acetil cisteína (NAC) para prevenção de pancreatite pós colangiografia endoscópica. Métodos: Durante um período de 6 meses, todos os pacientes submetidos à CPRE em sete centros de referência foram aleatoriamente atribuídos para receber 1200 mg de NAC oral, supositório de indometacina 100 mg, 1200 mg de NAC oral mais supositório de indometacina 100 mg ou placebo 2 horas antes do procedimento. Os resultados primários foram a taxa e a gravidade de qualquer pancreatite pós procedimento (PPP). Resultados: Um total de 432 pacientes foram incluídos (41,4% do sexo masculino). Eram originalmente cidadãos de seis países (60,87% caucasianos). Foram alocados aleatoriamente para receber NAC (grupo A, 84 casos), indometacina retal (grupo B, 138 casos), NAC + indometacina retal (grupo C, 115 casos) ou placebo (grupo D, 95 casos). A taxa de PPP nos grupos A, B e C em comparação com o placebo foi de 10,7%, 17,4%, 7,8% vs 20% (P=0,08, 0,614 e 0,01, respectivamente). Conclusão A NAC oral é mais eficaz do que a indometacina retal quando comparado ao placebo para prevenção de PPP e a combinação de NAC e indometacina teve a menor incidência de PPP e pode ter efeito sinérgico na sua prevenção de PPP. (IRCT20201222049798N1; 29/12/2020).

Associação do Genótipo e Fenótipo da Paraoxonase-1 com Angiografia Positiva para Doença Arterial Coronariana / Association of Paraoxonase-1 Genotype and Phenotype with Angiogram Positive Coronary Artery Disease

Resumo Fundamento Tem sido demonstrado que um aumento dos níveis séricos de PON1 é protetor contra vários distúrbios. Foi relatado que vários polimorfismos de nucleotídeo único (SNPs, single nucleotide polymorphisms ) do gene PON1 estão associados a níveis e atividade de proteínas enzimáticas séricas. Objetivos Investigar a associação de SNPs do PON1 e atividade da paraoxonase sérica com a doença arterial coronariana (DAC). Métodos Foram estudados 601 pacientes não relacionados submetidos à angiografia coronária, incluindo aqueles com estenose >50% (N=266) e aqueles com estenose <30% (N=335). Os SNPs rs662 e rs840560 do gene da paraoxonase foram determinados utilizando o método ARMS-PCR e o SNP rs705379 foi genotipado utilizando análise de PCR-RFLP. A atividade da paraoxonase sérica foi medida utilizando paraoxon como substrato. O valor de p<0,05 foi considerado significante. Resultados A atividade da paraoxonase sérica não foi significativamente diferente entre os grupos de estudo. Após ajuste para idade, sexo, hipertensão, diabetes mellitus e dislipidemia, o genótipo GG e o modelo codominante de rs662 foram positivamente associados a uma angiografia positiva (respectivamente, OR = 2,424, IC 95% [1,123-5,233], p <0,05, OR = 1,663, IC 95% [1,086-2,547]). A atividade da paraoxonase sérica foi significativamente maior no alelo G e variante GG do polimorfismo rs662, alelo A e variante AA de rs854560 e alelo C e variante CC de rs705379. A análise de haplótipos mostrou que o haplótipo ATC foi significativamente mais prevalente no grupo com angiografia negativa. A análise entre os grupos indicou que o alelo A de rs662 foi significativamente associado à menor atividade da paraoxonase no grupo com angiografia positiva (p=0,019). Conclusões A presença do alelo G do polimorfismo de nucleotídeo único rs662 está independentemente associada ao aumento do risco de DAC.

Abstract Background It has been shown that increased serum PON1 levels are protective against several disorders. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the PON1 gene have been reported to be associated with serum enzyme protein levels and activity. Objective To investigate the association of SNPs of PON1 and serum paraoxonase activity with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods A total of 601 unrelated patients who underwent coronary angiography including those who had >50% stenosis (N=266) and those with <30% stenosis (N=335) were studied. The Paraoxonase gene rs662 and rs840560 SNPs were determined using the ARMS-PCR method and the rs705379 SNP was genotyped using PCR-RFLP analysis. Serum paraoxonase activity was measured using paraoxon as a substrate. A p value of p<0.05 was considered as significant. Results Serum paraoxonase activity was not significantly different between the study groups. After adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, the GG genotype and co-dominant model of rs662 was positively associated with a positive angiogram (respectively, OR=2.424, 95%CI [1.123-5.233], p<0.05, OR=1.663, 95%CI [1.086-2.547]). Serum paraoxonase activity was significantly higher in the G allele and GG variant of rs662, A allele and AA variant of rs854560 and C allele and CC variant of rs705379. The haplotype analysis has shown that the ATC haplotype was significantly more prevalent among the angiogram negative group. The analysis between groups indicated that the A allele of rs662 was significantly associated with lower paraoxonase activity in the positive angiogram group (p=0.019). Conclusions The presence of the G allele of the rs662 single nucleotide polymorphism is independently associated to increased risk of CAD.

Correction methods for noncontact intraocular pressure measurement in patients with keratoconus and healthy individuals / Métodos de correção para medição sem contato da pressão intraocular em indivíduos normais e com ceratocone

ABSTRACT Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of four different algorithms to correct noncontact intraocular pressure measurement errors in keratoconus patients and normal individuals. Methods: Noncorrected intraocular pressure and corrected intraocular pressures were measured in one eye of 34 patients with keratoconus and 34 age- and gender-matched healthy controls using Corvis Scheimpflug Technology. The correlation of noncorrected intraocular pressure and corrected intraocular pressures with age, axial length, corneal shape, thickness, and biomechanics was calculated. Corrected intraocular pressures were compared with noncorrected intraocular pressure using paired t test and Bland-Altman plots (95% limits of agreement). Results: The noncorrected intraocular pressure correlated with corneal thickness and biomechanical parameters in both groups (all p≤0.047), and front and back mean keratometry in the keratoconus group (r=-0.39, p=0.02, and r=0.39, p=0.02, respectively). After adjustment with different intraocular pressure correction algorithms, biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure showed a minimal correlation with corneal features and a nonsignificant difference with noncorrected intraocular pressure in the healthy group (-0.1 ± 1.1 mmHg, p=0.58; 95% limits of agreement: -2.3 to 2.1 mmHg). Conclusions: Measuring intraocular pressure using noncontact tonometry and its corrected forms with a corneal thickness-based simple linear formula in patients with keratoconus is associated with many errors. Using more complex formulas that take into consideration more corneal stiffness parameters in addition to corneal thickness, such as biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure formula, may be more reliable and beneficial in this group of patients.

RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar a utilidade de quatro algoritmos diferentes para corrigir erros de medição sem contato da pressão intraocular em pacientes saudáveis e com ceratocone. Métodos: A pressão intraocular não corrigida e as pressões intraoculares corrigidas foram medidas em um olho de 34 pacientes com ceratocone e 34 pacientes do grupo controle saudável pareados por idade e gênero usando a tecnologia Corvis Scheimpflug. Foi calculada a correlação da pressão intraocular não corrigida e das pressões intraoculares corrigidas com idade, comprimento axial e formato, espessura e biomecânica da córnea. As pressões intraoculares corrigidas foram comparadas com a pressão intraocular não corrigida usando o teste t pareado, e gráficos de Bland-Altman (limites de concordância de 95%). Resultados: A pressão intraocular não corrigida correlacionou-se com a espessura da córnea e com os parâmetros biomecânicos em ambos os grupos (todos p≤0,047) e a ceratometria média frontal e posterior no grupo com ceratocone (r=-0,39, p=0,02, r=0,39, p=0,02, respectivamente). Após o ajuste com diferentes algoritmos de correção da pressão intraocular, a pressão intraocular corrigida biomecanicamente revelou uma correlação mínima com as características da córnea e uma diferença não significativa com a pressão intraocular não corrigida no grupo saudável (-0,1 ± 1,1 mmHg, p=0,58; limites de concordância de 95%: -2,3 a 2,1 mmHg). Conclusões: A medição da pressão intraocular usando tonometria sem contato e suas formas corrigidas usando fórmulas lineares, simples, baseadas na espessura da córnea em pacientes com ceratocone estão associadas a muitos erros. O uso de fórmulas mais complexas que consideram mais parâmetros de rigidez da córnea além da espessura da córnea, como fórmula de pressão intraocular corrigida biomecanicamente, pode ser mais confiável e benéfico neste grupo de pacientes.

A restrição de alimentos lácteos é obrigatória para pacientes com doença inflamatória intestinal? Estudo transversal multinacional / Is dairy foods restriction mandatory for inflammatory bowel disease patients: a multinational cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background: The role of dairy foods in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been controversial and it is debatable if patients with IBD should avoid milk and dairy products or not, as well as the relationship between these foods and symptoms among those population. Objective: This multi centric cross-sectional study designed to evaluate if it is really necessary to deprive IBD patients from consumption of dairy foods. Methods: A multicenter study with 12 gastroenterology referral centers in four countries was designed to evaluate gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms after consumption of dairy foods from all outpatients with IBD during 6 months and to compare patients treated at the same centers without IBD (non IBD cases). Results: Overall 1888 cases included (872 IBD patients and 1016 non IBD cases). 56.6% of participants were female with average age of 40.1 years. Racially 79.8% participants were Caucasians and originally they were citizens of 10 countries. Relative prevalence of IBD was higher in Africans and Indians and the most frequent prevalence of dairy foods intolerance was seen in Asians. Among IBD patients, 571 cases diagnosed as ulcerative colitis and 189 participants as Crohn's disease. Average duration of diagnosis as IBD was 6.8 years (from 2 months to 35 years). The most prevalent GI symptoms after consumption of all the dairy foods were bloating and abdominal pain. Totally, intolerance of dairy foods and lactase deficiency was more prevalent among IBD patients in comparison with non IBD cases (65.5% vs 46.1%, P=0.0001). But the rate of GI complains among IBD patients who had not any family history of lactase deficiency, history of food sensitivity or both were 59.91%, 52.87% & 50.33% respectively and similar to non IBD cases (P=0.68, 0.98 & 0.99 respectively). Conclusion: The rate of dairy foods intolerance among IBD patients without family history of lactase deficiency or history of food sensitivity is similar to non IBD cases and probably there is no reason to deprive them from this important source of dietary calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients.

RESUMO Contexto: O papel dos alimentos lácteos na doença inflamatória intestinal (DII) tem sido controverso e é discutível se os pacientes com DII devem ou não evitar leite e laticínios, bem como a relação entre esses alimentos e sintomas nesta população. Objetivo: Estudo transversal multicêntrico foi projetado para avaliar se é realmente necessário privar os pacientes com DII do consumo desta classe de alimentos. Métodos: Um estudo multicêntrico com 12 centros de referência em gastroenterologia de quatro países foi projetado para avaliar sintomas gastrointestinais após o consumo de alimentos lácteos em todos os ambulatórios de DII durante seis meses e comparar pacientes tratados nos mesmos centros sem DII. Resultados: No total, foram incluídos 1888 casos (872 pacientes com DII e 1016 casos sem DII. 56,6% dos participantes eram do sexo feminino com idade média de 40,1 anos. 79,8% dos participantes eram caucasianos e originalmente eram cidadãos de 10 países. A prevalência relativa de DII foi maior em africanos e indianos e a prevalência mais frequente de intolerância a alimentos lácteos observada nos asiáticos. Entre os pacientes com DII, 571 casos foram diagnosticados como colite ulcerativa e 189 participantes como doença de Crohn. A duração média do diagnóstico como DII foi de 6,8 anos (de 2 meses a 35 anos). Os sintomas de gastrointestinais mais prevalentes após o consumo de todos os alimentos lácteos foram inchaço e dor abdominal. No total, a intolerância aos alimentos lácteos e a deficiência de lactase foi mais prevalente entre os pacientes com DII em comparação com os casos sem DII (65,5% vs 46,1%, P=0,0001). A taxa de queixas gastrointestinais entre os pacientes com DII que não tinham histórico familiar de deficiência de lactase, histórico de sensibilidade alimentar ou ambos foram de 59,91%, 52,87% e 50,33% respectivamente e semelhantes aos casos sem DII (P=0,68, 0,98 e 0,99, respectivamente). Conclusão: A taxa de intolerância de alimentos lácteos entre pacientes com DII sem histórico familiar de deficiência de lactase ou histórico de sensibilidade alimentar é semelhante aos casos sem DII e provavelmente não há razão para privá-los dessa importante fonte de cálcio dietético, vitamina D e outros nutrientes.

A meta?analysis of prognostic factors in patients with left?sided pancreatic cancer

Background: Patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas usually remain asymptomatic until late in the course of the disease, and the survival of such patients depends on multiple factors, which may affect the therapeutic approach and patient survival. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate such risk factors by pooling various available studies. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2016, using the following databases: Medline, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Studies were selected according to the predesigned eligibility criteria, and information was extracted for demographics, clinical features, and survival outcomes. Data were pooled using fixed- or random-effects models. Results: Sixteen studies were included (5,660 patients) with a median age of 64.8 years and a median survival of 28.5 (range 13–38) months. Identified significant factors for overall survival were higher age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.211), men (HR = 1.182), presence of lymph node metastasis (HR = 1.964), multivisceral resection (HR = 1.947), N stage (1 versus 0; HR = 1.601), surgical margin (R0 versus No R0; HR = 0.519) and tumor size (>3 cm; HR = 1.890). Conclusion: The pooled results of this study revealed several risk factors for overall survival in patients with left-sided pancreatic cancer.

Investigation of Hepatitis B Virus X Gene Mutations in Patients with and without Cirrhosis/Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Chronic HBV (CH) infection and its consequences including cirrhosis (C) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) still represent a major Global health. The relationship between HCC and various mutations of HBx gene has been reported. In the present study, we aimed to determine the sequence variation of HBx gene in patients with Chronic HBV infection or C/HCC. Materials and Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 15 patients with HBV chronic infection and 13 with C/HCC were included. After viral DNA extraction using commercial kit HBX gene was amplified using an in-house nestedPCR. Then, bi-directional sequencing was performed on the PCR product. The data resulting from sequencing were aligned with reference HBV sequence to identify the mutations. Results : The mean age of CH and C/HCC groups was 38.23�.46 and 50.67�.22 years old, respectively. We found 43 and 20 Amino acid substitutions inside the region of 88�4 from HBx protein in CH and C/HCC groups, respectively. In addition, K130M+V131I mutation was found in 13.34% (2/15) and 30.7% (4/13) of patients in the CH and C/HCC groups, respectively (P=0.36). Furthermore, 10 deletion mutations were observed in both groups with no significant difference (P=0.8). Conclusion : The results of the present study indicated the relatively high frequency of Amino acid substitutions and deletion, especially in part of region 88-154 from HBx Protein in patients with CH and C/HCC. The findings should be considered in a larger population

Biometry and intraocular power calculation using a swept-source optical coherence tomography: A repeatability and agreement study

Purpose: To evaluate the repeatability of biometry and intraocular lens (IOL) power using Galilei G6 and to determine the agreement of its measurements with those of IOL Master 700 and IOL Master 500. Methods: Hundred mature cataract eyes were examined twice with Galilei G6 and the results were compared with those of other two devices. Axial length (AL), minimum (K1), maximum (K2), and mean keratometry, anterior chamber depth (ACD), white-to-white (WTW) diameter, lens thickness (LT), and the calculated IOL power were the studied parameters. The correlation coefficient, within-subject standard deviation (Sw), Bland–Altman method, and 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were used for statistical analysis. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was above 0.9 for all indices, and the LoA ranged from a minimum of 0.08 mm for AL to a maximum of 0.50 D for K1. Sw also ranged between a minimum of 0.02 for AL, ACD, and WTW and a maximum of 0.13 for K1. In the Galilei G6–IOL Master 700 pair, the narrowest and widest LoA were calculated for AL (0.07 mm) and K2 (0.49 D), respectively. In the Galilei G6–IOL Master 500 pair, the narrowest and widest widths of LoA were calculated for AL (0.17 mm) and K2 (0.92 D), respectively. In the first pair, the LoA of IOL power (0.57 D) were the best for Haigis formula and in the second pair, the best agreement (LoA: 0.35 D) was observed for Holladay-1. Conclusion: Galilei G6 provided repeatable biometric measurements. The agreement between biometry and IOL power calculation was better in the Galilei G6–IOL Master 700 pair compared to the Galilei G6–IOL Master 500

Effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma for treatment of recurrent pregnancy loss: a randomized controlled trial

Objective@#Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a fertility problem for which no exact mechanism of abortion or efficient treatment has been described. This study was conducted between 2018 and 2019 to investigate the effectiveness of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in improving the live birth rate of women with RPL who required in vitro fertilization (IVF). @*Methods@#A total of 63 patients with at least two previous pregnancy losses and no specific cause detected for the RPL were included and randomly assigned into two groups (PRP and control). Intrauterine infusion of 0.5 mL of autologous PRP was performed 48 hours before embryo transfer in the PRP group. Women in the control group received standard treatment. @*Results@#Forty patients completed the study. The baseline and cycle characteristics of the participants did not differ significantly between the PRP and control groups. The clinical pregnancy rate was higher in the PRP group (35% vs. 20%, P=0.288). The live birth rate was 15% in the PRP group, but no live births were recorded in the control group (P=0.231). @*Conclusion@#This is the first study to show that intrauterine infusion of PRP in patients with RPL who undergo IVF may increase the chance of live birth.

Spatio-temporal Distribution of Suicide Risk in Iran: A Bayesian Hierarchical Analysis of Repeated Cross-sectional Data / 예방의학회지

Objectives@#We aimed to estimate the space-time distribution of the risk of suicide mortality in Iran from 2006 to 2016. @*Methods@#In this repeated cross-sectional study, the age-standardized risk of suicide mortality from 2006 to 2016 was determined. To estimate the cumulative and temporal risk, the Besag, York, and Mollié and Bernardinelli models were used. @*Results@#The relative risk of suicide mortality was greater than 1 in 43.0% of Iran’s provinces (posterior probability >0.8; range, 0.46 to 3.93). The spatio-temporal model indicated a high risk of suicide in 36.7% of Iran’s provinces. In addition, significant upward temporal trends in suicide risk were observed in the provinces of Tehran, Fars, Kermanshah, and Gilan. A significantly decreasing pattern of risk was observed for men (β, -0.013; 95% credible interval [CrI], -0.010 to -0.007), and a stable pattern of risk was observed for women (β, -0.001; 95% CrI, -0.010 to 0.007). A decreasing pattern of suicide risk was observed for those aged 15-29 years (β, -0.006; 95% CrI, -0.010 to -0.0001) and 30-49 years (β, -0.001; 95% CrI, -0.018 to -0.002). The risk was stable for those aged >50 years. @*Conclusions@#The highest risk of suicide mortality was observed in Iran’s northwestern provinces and among Kurdish women. Although a low risk of suicide mortality was observed in the provinces of Tehran, Fars, and Gilan, the risk in these provinces is increasing rapidly compared to other regions.

O Efeito Direto do Índice de Massa Corporal nos Resultados Cardiovasculares entre Participantes sem Obesidade Central pela Estimativa por Máxima Verossimilhança Direcionada / The Direct Effect of Body Mass Index on Cardiovascular Outcomes among Participants Without Central Obesity by Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation

Resumo Fundamento: O índice de massa corporal (IMC) é o índice mais usado para categorizar uma pessoa como obesa ou não-obesa, e está sujeito a limitações importantes. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito direto do IMC nos desfechos cardiovasculares em participantes sem obesidade central. Métodos: Esta análise incluiu 14.983 homens e mulheres com idades entre 45-75 anos do Estudo de Risco de Aterosclerose em Comunidades (ARIC). O IMC foi medido como obesidade geral e a circunferência da cintura (CC), a relação cintura-quadril (RCQ) e circunferência do quadril como obesidade central. A estimativa de máxima verossimilhança direcionada (TMLE, no acrônimo em inglês) foi usada para estimar os efeitos totais (TEs) e os efeitos diretos controlados (CDEs). A proporção de ET que seria eliminada se todos os participantes fossem não obesos em relação à obesidade central foi calculada usando o índice de proporção eliminada (PE). P<0,05 foi considerado estatisticamente significativo. As análises foram realizadas no pacote TMLE R. Resultados: O risco de desfechos cardiovasculares atribuídos ao IMC foi significativamente revertido com a eliminação da obesidade na RCQ (p <0,001). A proporção eliminada dos efeitos do IMC foi mais tangível para participantes não obesos em relação à CC (PE = 127%; IC95% (126,128)) e RCQ (PE = 97%; IC95% (96,98)) para doença arterial coronariana (DAC), e RCQ (PE = 92%; IC95% (91,94)) para acidente vascular cerebral, respectivamente. Com relação ao sexo, a proporção eliminada dos efeitos do IMC foi mais tangível para participantes não obesos em relação a RCQ (PE = 428%; IC95% (408.439)) para DAC em homens e CC (PE = 99%; IC95% (89,111)) para acidente vascular cerebral em mulheres, respectivamente. Conclusão: Esses resultados indicam diferentes efeitos potenciais da eliminação da obesidade central na associação entre IMC e desfechos cardiovasculares em homens e mulheres. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021; 116(5):879-886)

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used index to categorize a person as obese or non-obese, which is subject to important limitations. Objective: To evaluate the direct effect of BMI on cardiovascular outcomes among participants without central obesity. Methods: This analysis included 14,983 males and females aged 45-75 years from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC). BMI was measured as general obesity, and waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and hip circumference as central obesity. Targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) was used to estimate the total effects (TEs) and the controlled direct effects (CDEs). The proportion of TE that would be eliminated if all participants were non-obese regarding central obesity was computed using the proportion eliminated (PE) index. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analyses were performed in the TMLE R package. Results: The risk of cardiovascular outcomes attributed to BMI was significantly reversed by eliminating WHR obesity (p<0.001). The proportion eliminated of BMI effects was more tangible for non-obese participants regarding WC (PE=127%; 95%CI (126,128)) and WHR (PE=97%; 95%CI (96,98)) for coronary heart disease (CHD), and WHR (PE=92%; 95%CI (91,94)) for stroke, respectively. With respect to sex, the proportion eliminated of BMI effects was more tangible for non-obese participants regarding WHR (PE=428%; 95%CI (408,439)) for CHD in males, and WC (PE=99%; 95%CI (89,111)) for stroke in females, respectively. Conclusion: These results indicate different potential effects of eliminating central obesity on the association between BMI and cardiovascular outcomes for males and females. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021; 116(5):879-886)

Pre-treatment by Rosemary Extract or Cell Transplantation Improves Memory Deficits of Parkinson's Disease: When Tradition Meets the Future

ABSTRACT The therapeutic effect of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) or RE on hippocampal neurogenesis and memory in Parkinsonian rats were investigated. Male rats were lesioned by bilateral intra-nigral injections of 6-OHDA and divided into six groups: 1. Lesion 2 and 3: RE and water groups were lesioned rats pretreated with RE or water, from 2weeks before neurotoxin injection and treated once a day for 8weeks post lesion. 4&5: Cell and α-MEM (α-minimal essential médium) received intravenous injection of BrdU-labeled ADSCs or medium, respectively from 10days post lesion until 8weeks later. 6: Sham was injected by saline instead of neurotoxin. Memory was assessed using Morris water Maze (MWM), one week before and at 1, 4 and 8weeks post 6-OHDA lesion. After the last probe, the animals were sacrificed and brain tissue obtained. Paraffin sections were stained using cresyl violet, anti-BrdU (Bromodeoxyuridine / 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine), anti-GFAP (Glial fibrillary acidic protein) and anti-TH antibodies. There was a significant difference of time spent in the target quadrant between groups during probe trial at 4 and 8 weeks' post- lesion. Cell and RE groups spent a significantly longer period in the target quadrant and had lower latency as compared with lesion. Treated groups have a significantly higher neuronal density in hippocampus compared to water, α-MEM and lesion groups. BrdU positive cells were presented in lesioned sites. The GFAP (Glial fibrillary acidic protein) positive cells were reduced in treated and sham groups compared to the water, α-MEM and lesion groups. Oral administration of RE (Rosemary extract) or ADSCs injection could improve memory deficit in the Parkinsonian rat by neuroprotection.

Arthroscopic release in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: a retrospective study with 2 to 6 years of follow-up

Background@#This study aimed to evaluate the response rate to arthroscopic release treatment in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (ACS)for patients with refractory to conservative treatment. @*Methods@#In this retrospective study, 51 patients (age mean, 49.1±5.6 years) with unilateral adherent capsule underwent arthroscopic releasing surgery for the shoulder capsule. Etiologies of the ACS in 30 patients were idiopathic: 10 patients were affected after surgery and 11patients following trauma. The patients were evaluated in terms of shoulder function, satisfaction rate, pain intensity, and joint range ofmotion (ROM) based on a Constant score, a Simple Shoulder Test, the visual analog scale, and four movements, respectively. @*Results@#The mean Constant score before surgery was 48.2±3.5 and reached 74.4±6 and 77.0±6.3 at 6 months and the final follow-up, respectively (p<0.001). The mean scores of pain intensity, a Simple Shoulder Test, and ROM showed significant improvement at all follow-ups(p<0.001). Sex, age, and diabetes did not have any significant effect on patient recovery. However, patients who experienced ACS after surgery had poorer results than others at all follow-up points. @*Conclusions@#Arthroscopic releasing surgery of the shoulder in patients with ACS refractory to conservative treatment produces rare complications and an effective injury response. It seems that patients suffering ACS following surgery have a weaker response to the treatment.

Arthroscopic release in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: a retrospective study with 2 to 6 years of follow-up

Background@#This study aimed to evaluate the response rate to arthroscopic release treatment in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (ACS)for patients with refractory to conservative treatment. @*Methods@#In this retrospective study, 51 patients (age mean, 49.1±5.6 years) with unilateral adherent capsule underwent arthroscopic releasing surgery for the shoulder capsule. Etiologies of the ACS in 30 patients were idiopathic: 10 patients were affected after surgery and 11patients following trauma. The patients were evaluated in terms of shoulder function, satisfaction rate, pain intensity, and joint range ofmotion (ROM) based on a Constant score, a Simple Shoulder Test, the visual analog scale, and four movements, respectively. @*Results@#The mean Constant score before surgery was 48.2±3.5 and reached 74.4±6 and 77.0±6.3 at 6 months and the final follow-up, respectively (p<0.001). The mean scores of pain intensity, a Simple Shoulder Test, and ROM showed significant improvement at all follow-ups(p<0.001). Sex, age, and diabetes did not have any significant effect on patient recovery. However, patients who experienced ACS after surgery had poorer results than others at all follow-up points. @*Conclusions@#Arthroscopic releasing surgery of the shoulder in patients with ACS refractory to conservative treatment produces rare complications and an effective injury response. It seems that patients suffering ACS following surgery have a weaker response to the treatment.

Serum iron level in patients with COVID-19: a case report study

Coronavirus disease emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and led to worldwide pandemic in March 2020. Due to early diagnose, treatment and prevent transmission of COVID-19 disease, we need rapid laboratory tests and develop them. This paper focuses on serum Iron level in patients with COVID-19. We assess the serum Iron level due to the following reasons: I. Iron is a key part of hemoglobin structure in which is essential for providing Oxygen to the body organs, particularly for the patients with pulmonary involvement such as COVID-19. II. Iron deficiency can contribute to muscle weakness and reduction of respiratory capacity, at which increases the risk of deterioration of COVID-19 patients. III. Elevation in Hepcidin level (due to the increase in IL-6 level) in COVID-19 patients inhibits Iron absorption from intestinal lumen and blocks the Iron release from macrophages. IV. Iron is an essential element in infectious suppress and inflammatory process. We noticed that most of the patients, especially admitted to hospital due to the respiratory symptoms, have lower serum Iron level.

Genetic association between HOTAIR gene and the risk of cancer: an updated meta-analysis

Several recent investigations show that HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) play an important role in the pathogenesis of different cancers. HOTAIR polymorphisms has been widely studied in the context of association between with the risk of cancer pathogenesis. However, there is no certain conclusion about the role of HOTAIR polymorphisms in different cancer initiation and progression. Our team has selected eligible studies up to 1 May 2019, from several electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. We have included total number of 102 case–control investigations extracted from 41 eligible articles for the current meta-analysis. We calculated pooled odds ratio (ORs) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using either fixed-effect or random-effect models for quantitative evaluation of the strength for the association between HOTAIR gene polymorphisms and the risk of cancer. Our current meta-analysis investigation showed that HOTAIR rs4759314 polymorphism particularly increased the overall risk of cancer in different models including homozygous, recessive and allele genetic. HOTAIR rs920778 significantly raised the cancer risk only in recessive genetic model. HOTAIR rs12826786 polymorphism was associated with cancer development in heterozygous, homozygous, dominant, recessive and allele genetic models. Also, an increase in cancer risk was observed with rs874945 polymorphism of HOTAIR gene in heterozygous, dominant and allele genetic models. The rs12427129 polymorphism showed correlation with cancer susceptibility only in recessive model. Subgroup analysis based on cancer type suggested that rs4759314 polymorphism significantly increased the risk of gastric and cervical cancers, and the rs920778 polymorphism increased the risk of gastrointestinal, cervical and gastric cancers. In summary, this study found that HOTAIR polymorphisms are significantly associated with cancer development