Trends in nutritional status and factors affecting prognostic nutritional index in ovarian cancer patients during chemotherapy: a prospective longitudinal study based on generalized estimating equations.

PURPOSE: Numerous studies have investigated the relationships between nutritional status and the prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC). However, the majority of these studies have focused on pre-chemotherapy malnutrition, with limited attention given to dynamic changes in nutritional status during chemotherapy and the associated risk factors affecting the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in OC women. This study aims to explore the variation trend in the nutritional status of OC women over time during chemotherapy and assess its predictive factors. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted from January 2021 to August 2023. Body mass index (BMI), PNI, Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) 2002, serum albumin, and prealbumin measurements were utilized to assess the nutritional status of OC women. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews before initial chemotherapy (T0) and during the first (T1), third (T2), and fifth (T3) cycles of chemotherapy. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were employed for the analysis of potential predictive factors. RESULTS: A total of 525 OC women undergoing chemotherapy completed the study. Significantly varied levels of BMI, PNI, and serum concentrations of hemoglobin, albumin, prealbumin, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium were observed in these patients (p < 0.05). The prevalence of nutritional risk decreased over time during chemotherapy (p < 0.05). Nutritional parameters, including BMI, PNI, and the serum concentrations of albumin and prealbumin, exhibited an upward trend in nutritional status throughout the chemotherapy cycles (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that higher levels of BMI, serum albumin, prealbumin, absolute lymphocyte count, and hemoglobin ≥ 110 g/L at admission were associated with elevated PNI after chemotherapy (ß = 0.077, p = 0.028; ß = 0.315, p < 0.001; ß = 0.009, p < 0.001; ß = 1.359, p < 0.001; ß = - 0.637, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Patients consistently demonstrated improvements in nutritional risk and status from the initiation to the completion of chemotherapy cycles. Nutritional monitoring of OC women, particularly those exhibiting abnormalities at the commencement of chemotherapy, is crucial. Targeted nutritional support programs should be developed to enhance the prognosis of OC women.

A randomized controlled clinical study on amniotic stent and silicone tube implantation through nasolacrimal duct for the treatment of lacrimal duct obstruction disease / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and side effects of amnion stent implanted in lacrimal duct for the lacrimal duct obstruction diseases (LDOD).Methods:A randomized controlled clinical trial was adopted.Seventy-two eyes of 72 patients with LDOD treated in Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital from June 2014 to January 2015 was randomized into the experiment group and the control group with amnion stent or silicone tube retrogradely implanted according to grouping in accordance with block randomization with 36 eyes in each group.All patients were performed irrigation of lacrimal passage at 3 and 6 months postoperatively to compare the patency rate of lacrimal duct and side effects between the two groups.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering the study cohort.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital (No.2014-002).Results:The patency rate of lacrimal duct was 91.7%(33/36) and 80.6%(29/36) at 3 months postoperatively in the experimental and control group, respectively.Although the difference was obvious, there was no statistical significance ( P=0.307). The patency rate of lacrimal duct was 88.9%(32/36) and 75.0%(27/36) at 6 months postoperatively in the experimental and control groups, respectively.Similarly, the difference was obvious, however there was no statistical significance ( P=0.220). At 3 months and 6 months postoperatively, the incidence of epiphora in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group, it was significantly different ( Z=2.729, P=0.006), and there was no significant difference at 6 months postoperatively ( Z=1.921, P=0.055). At 6 months follow-up period, the attack rate of side effects, such as dacryon congestion and exudation, was 2.8%(1/36) and 13.9%(5/36) in the experiment and control groups, respectively, however, the difference was no statistical significance ( P=0.199). Conclusions:The implantation of amnion stent in lacrimal duct for LDOD is effective, and the patency rate of lacrimal duct is not lower than that of the implantation of silicone tube in the lacrimal duct.

Immediate Effects of Lower Limb with Open Chain Weight-adding on Joint Position Sense and Gait Symmetry in Stroke Patients / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To investigate the immediate effects of lower limb with open chain weight-adding on joint position sense and gait symmetry in stroke patients. Methods From January, 2016 to January, 2017, 39 stroke patients were included. Their joint position sense and gait symmetry were compared before and after weight-adding. The joint position senses of active reproduction of active positioning (ARAP) and passive reproduction of passive positioning (PRPP) were assessed during lower limb straight leg raise. The gait symmetry was also as-sessed and three indexes were recorded including the symmetry of foot rotation angle, step length and percentage of single leg support phase. Results After weight-adding, the position sense of PRPP did not improve (t=0.832, P=0.832), nor of the symmetry of foot rotation an-gle (t=-0.704, P=0.483) and percentage of single leg support phase (t=0.381, P=0.702);the position sense of ARAP improved (t=3.158, P=0.011), as well as the symmetry of step length (t=2.022, P=0.041). Conclusion The lower limb with open chain weight-adding could im-prove the active joint position sense and symmetry of step length.