Macrophage migration inhibitory factor levels are associated with disease activity and possible complications in membranous nephropathy.

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and complementary components in the epithelium of the glomerular capillary wall. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory mediator released by macrophages. MIF plays a key regulatory function in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated glomerulonephritis. This study aimed to investigate whether MIF level could be associated with the activity of MN. Plasma and urine samples from 57 MN patients and 20 healthy controls were collected. The MIF levels in plasma and urine were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The expression of MIF in the renal specimens from 5 MN patients was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The associations of the plasma and urinary levels of MIF and glomerular MIF expression with clinical and pathological characteristics were analyzed. It was revealed that with the increase of MIF levels in plasma and urine, the severity of renal pathological injury in MN patients gradually increased. Correlation analysis showed that the MIF levels in plasma were positively correlated with the platelet (PLT) count (r = 0.302, P = 0.022), and inversely correlated with the prothrombin time (PT) (r = - 0.292, P = 0.028) in MN patients. The MIF levels in plasma were positively correlated with the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r = 0.651, P < 0.0001; r = 0.669, P < 0.0001) in MN patients. The urinary levels of MIF were positively correlated with ESR (r = 0.562, P < 0.0001). IHC suggested that MIF was expressed in glomerular basement membrane and tubulointerstitial areas. MIF levels in plasma and urine could reflect the severity of MN, and MIF levels in plasma and urine could be associated with venous thrombosis and infectious complications in MN patients. The glomerular MIF expression could be used to indicate the activity of MN.

Comprehensive nursing intervention helps improve medication compliance of prostate cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the role of comprehensive nursing intervention in improving medication compliance of prostate cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy.@*METHODS@#We practiced comprehensive nursing intervention in 43 prostate cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2018. Using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), we investigated the medication compliance of the patients at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment.@*RESULTS@#The MMAS-8 score of the patients was 7.8 ± 1.1 at 1 month after medication, decreased to 6.2 ± 1.9 at 3 months (P < 0.05), and increased to 7.9 ± 1.2 at 6 months (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Comprehensive nursing intervention can improve the medication compliance of prostate cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy and the outcomes of treatment as well.