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Objective:To explore the early predictors for clinical cure by sequential combined interferon therapy in nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) experienced patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods:CHB patients received NAs treatment≥one year with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) ≤1 500 IU/mL, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA <100 IU/mL in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2016 to September 2019 were included. According to the different treatment regimens, the patients were divided into interferon alone for 48 weeks group (group A), interferon combined with NAs for 12 weeks and continued NAs treatment for 48 weeks group (group B), interferon combined with NAs for 48 weeks group (group C). Basic data such as age and gender of patients were collected. HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were monitored at week 4, 8, 12, 24, 36 and 48. The decline of HBsAg from baseline, and the rates of clinical cure at 48 weeks were analyzed. The independent sample t test, chi-square test and rank sum test were used for statistical analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to achieve the early prediction index of clinical cure at week 48. Results:A total of 1 020 CHB patients were followed up regularly for at least five time points. The rates of clinical cure at week 48 in group A, B and C were 34.6%(157/454), 32.7%(69/211) and 33.5%(119/355), respectively, with no statistical significance ( χ2=0.25, P=0.883). Patients were divided into the cured group (345 cases) and the uncured group (675 cases) according to the clinical outcomes at week 48. The age ((38±13) years old vs (43±12) years old), baseline HBsAg (131.00(359.80) IU/mL vs 437.60(531.50) IU/mL) and the proportion of male patients (81.7%(282/345) vs 89.5%(604/675)) of patients in the cured group were all lower than those of patients in the uncured group. The differences were all statistically significant ( t=6.32, Z=12.67, χ2=11.99, respectively, all P<0.050). There were 212 patients in the cured group who achieved clinical cure within 24 weeks of treatment. The rate of clinical cure at 48 weeks in patients whose HBsAg at week 4 decreased from baseline was higher than that in patients with increased HBsAg (41.6%(149/358) vs 28.2%(108/383)). The difference was statistically significant ( χ2=14.13, P<0.001). The rate of clinical cure at week 48 in patients with HBsAg at week 12 decreased ≤34.03% of baseline was only 6.9%(13/188). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio ( OR)=0.962, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.936 to 0.989, P=0.006), HBsAg level at week 24 ( OR=0.950, 95% CI 0.934 to 0.966, P<0.001) and anti-HBs level at week 24 ( OR=1.012, 95% CI 1.005 to 1.019, P=0.001) were early predictors for clinical cure at week 48 of treatment in NAs experienced CHB patients. Conclusions:Clinical cure of NAs experienced CHB patients received sequential combined interferon therapy mostly occurs in the early stage (within 24 weeks). Age, HBsAg level at week 24, and anti-HBs level at week 24 are early predictors for clinical cure of 48-week sequential combined interferon treatment.
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Background: Dengue is an acute viral infection with potentially fatal complications. This study was done to describe the correlation of Gall bladder wall thickness with severity of Dengue fever and to predict the fatal outcome of Dengue fever at the earliest to prevent serious consequences by timely interventions.Methods: This was a hospital based prospective observational study conducted at Niloufer Hospital, a tertiary care pediatric hospital attached to Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India from October 2017 to November 2018. All children between 1 year to 12 years of age that had clinical features of dengue and who were serologically confirmed were included in this study.Results: Age group most commonly affected was 5-8 years with maximum number of dengue cases without warning signs (55.7%). Majority of severe dengue cases (64.3%) had gall bladder wall thickness >5mm. The correlation between severity of dengue and gall bladder wall thickness was found to be highly significant indicating the higher the severity of dengue more the gall bladder thickness.Conclusions: This study concludes gallbladder wall thickness (GBWT) measured by ultrasonography can be used in children for early prediction of the severity of DHF in children and authors can include gall bladder wall thickness as an admission criteria during epidemics.
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OBJECTIVE: Despite recent technical advances in neurological surgery and medical management, patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) who underwent surgery have been still at high risk of morbidity and mortality. For early prediction of postoperative outcome and proper management, we analyzed brain computed tomography(CT) findings taken at three days after cerebral aneurysm surgery. METHODS: Focusing on the relationship between the surgical outcomes and postoperative brain CT findings, the authors studied 153 consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who had been treated surgically between January 1993 and December 1996. RESULTS: Brain CT findings were classified into following categories; non-specific(49 cases, 32.0%), hematoma at operation site(14 cases, 9.2%), ventricular dilatation(10 cases, 6.5%), subdural hygroma(27 cases, 17.6%), low density (28 cases, 18.3%), hemorrhage at remote site(0 cases, 0%) and combined lesions(25 cases, 16.3%). The poor surgical outcomes were 6% in normal CT finding group and 36% in abnormal CT finding group(p=0. 00011, Chi-square test). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that postoperative third day brain CT findings could be used for an early predictor of outcomes and proper active managements could improve the poor outcome.