ABSTRACT
Background: The botulinum toxin is an extremely potent substance that impacts the nervous system. There has been a rise in cases of medical poisoning associated with it, particularly in the field of plastic and aesthetic procedures, in recent years. Case description: A 51-year-old woman underwent a facial wrinkle reduction procedure with an unauthorized injection of 100 U of botulinum toxin at an unlicensed medical facility six days prior to hospitalization. Over time, her toxicity symptoms intensified, impacting her respiratory muscles, and she did not receive antitoxin treatment. She was concurrently diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection during this period. Nonetheless, she experienced a full recovery 86 days after the injection. Conclusion: Currently, there is no effective antidote for botulism. Nevertheless, the timely administration of antitoxin can contribute to reducing the duration of the illness, alleviating symptoms, and preventing its recurrence. It is essential to recognize that individual responses may vary, and in this instance, the absence of antitoxin treatment did not significantly prolong the course of the disease. Accurate diagnosis of medical poisoning can be based on injection history and clinical symptoms. Early indications like fatigue and dry mouth warrant particular attention, emphasizing the importance of immediate medical intervention. To address emergencies, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) should maintain an accessible supply of antitoxin. Patients with severe poisoning should be hospitalized until their respiratory muscle strength is fully restored.
ABSTRACT
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a multifunctional pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in cancer development. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the TNF-α promoter region (rs1800629 and rs361525) and susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and melanoma. After database retrieval, article selection, data extraction, and quality assessment, 20 articles comprising 4865 cases and 6329 controls were included in this study. rs1800629 was associated with an increased overall risk of SCC, lung SCC, and oral SCC in the AA vs G and AA vs GG+GA genetic models (all OR>1, Passociation <0.05). No increased risk of skin SCC, skin BCC or melanoma was observed (all Passociation >0.05). Rs361525 was not associated with overall SCC risk in the allele, heterozygote, dominant, recessive, or carrier model (all Passociation >0.05). Begg's and Egger's tests (PBegg>0.05; PEgger>0.05) demonstrated there was no significant publication bias. These data indicate that the AA genotype of TNF-α rs1800629, but not rs361525, is associated with an increased risk of SCC, suggesting it could potentially serve as a prognostic marker for predicting SCC risk.