Circulating immune cells and vitiligo: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The pathogenesis of vitiligo remains elusive. Emerging evidence suggests that vitiligo is an immune-mediated disorder, in which a plethora of immune cells play pivotal roles. However, the association between circulating immune cells and vitiligo continues to be enigmatic. Materials and methods: We extracted single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with immune circulating cells at a genome-wide significance level from the BLOOD CELL CONSORTIUM's genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset. Summary data for 385,801 cases of vitiligo were obtained from a large-scale Finnish genome-wide association study (ncases=292, ncontrols=385,509). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was employed as the primary analytical approach for Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Additionally, heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q value, and horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated using MR-Egger Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier and leave-one-out analyses. Results: The risk of vitiligo was found to increase with the elevation of 4 circulating immune cells, as evidenced by the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs): basophils (OR=1.81; 95% CI: 1.01-3.24, p=0.0450), monocytes (OR=1.67; 95% CI: 1.23-2.26, p=0.0009), eosinophils (OR=1.78; 95% CI: 1.22-2.59, p=0.0028), and neutrophils (OR=1.65; 95% CI: 1.08-2.54, p=0.0208). After removing outliers, the sensitivity analysis of the above indicators did not show heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Conclusion: Our findings illuminate the association between circulating immune cells and vitiligo, offering insights that could guide clinical practices in the treatment of vitiligo.

The causal relationship between atopic dermatitis and brain cancer: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis ranks among the prevalent skin disorders. Research has indicated a potential association with brain cancer. Yet, establishing a direct causal relationship between atopic dermatitis and brain cancer continues to be challenging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We extracted single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with atopic dermatitis (sample size = 382 254) at a genome-wide level from a large Finnish Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) dataset (n cases = 15 208, n controls = 367 046). Summary data for 372 622 cases of brain cancer (n cases = 606, n controls = 372 016) were obtained via the IEU Open GWAS database. We employed the Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) method as our primary analytical approach for Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis. Additionally, heterogeneity was measured using Cochran's Q value, and horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated using MR-Egger 、Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier and leave-one-out analyses. RESULTS: The risk of brain cancer increases with the presence of atopic dermatitis, as evidenced by the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs),(OR = 1.0005; 95% CI = 1.0001, 1.0009; p = 0.0096). However, when conducting the analysis in reverse, no significant link was observed. CONCLUSION: The findings from our study indicate a causative link between atopic dermatitis and brain cancer, highlighting the importance of conducting broader clinical investigations into their potential association going forward.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy using hugo RAS system: The pioneer experience in Taiwan and Northeast Asia.

BACKGROUND: Among the novel robotic platforms, the Hugo RAS system is the second most studied platform, next to the da Vinci system, and we aim to address our experiences in radical prostatectomy (RP) with the Hugo RAS system. METHODS: We recorded our first 12 cases of prostate cancer undergoing RP with the Hugo RAS system. The median console time was 145 min and median hospital stay was 7 days. Hedge' g was applied to search for the cut-off case in four parameters in surgeries. RESULTS: Pre-console preparation was significantly improved after the first seven cases, and the console time was remarkably shortened after the first two cases. The intraoperative pause for trouble shooting was remarkably shortened after the first three cases. CONCLUSIONS: We found that RP with the Hugo RAS system was feasible, and the learning curve was short as surgeons may benefit from the previous experience with the da Vinci system.

Academic Activities of Female Neurosurgeons in All Branch Meetings of the Japan Neurosurgical Society.

This study aims to evaluate the academic activities of female neurosurgeons at all branch meetings of the Japan Neurosurgical Society and identify related issues they encountered. The programs of all seven branch meetings of the Japan Neurosurgical Society (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku/Shikoku, and Kyushu) were used to determine the number of presentations and chairpersons by sex. The covered period was from January 2008 to December 2020, which was available for viewing during the survey. Of note, only the Kinki branch used data from January 2008 to December 2019. The Neurologia Medico-chirurgica (NMC), the journal of the Japan Neurosurgical Society, was also reviewed to identify publication achievements during the same period. In all seven branches, the percentage of presentations given by female physicians increased from 7.9% in 2008 to 9.6% in 2020 (p < 0.05).Conversely, the percentage of female chairpersons in all branch meetings did not change over time and it was significantly lower (1.1%) than that of female presenters (7.9%) for all branch meetings combined in over 13 years (p < 0.01). In the NMC, the number of articles with female physicians as first authors did not increase or decrease over the years. We conclude that efforts to smoothly promote female neurosurgeons as chairpersons and increase the number of female first authors are necessary to facilitate their academic activities.

Characteristics Associated With Mexican-American Hospice Use: Retrospective Cohort Study Using the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE).

BACKGROUND: Hospice use is lower among ethnic/racial minorities in the United States, though little is known about trends, associated factors and duration of hospice use by Mexican-Americans. AIM: The purpose of this study is to examine Mexican-American characteristics associated with hospice stay, both ≤ and > 7 days. DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the ORs and 95% CIs for hospice stay among Mexican-Americans, both ≤ and > 7 days. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The first cohort (N = 970) includes H-EPESE participants who died between 2004 and 2016 who had Medicare parts A and B. The second cohort (N = 403) includes participants who completed the H-EPESE survey within the last 2 years of life. RESULTS: Although hospice use increased among Mexican-Americans between 2004 and 2016 (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.19-2.97), 38% of participants died within the first week of hospice care. Mexican-Americans in New Mexico and Arizona were 2-4 times more likely to use hospice than those in Texas and Colorado. Dementia was associated with hospice use (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.11-1.94). Characteristics, like church attendance and living alone, were not associated with hospice use. CONCLUSIONS: The substantial proportion of Mexican-Americans with 7 days or less of hospice use underscores the need for early palliative/hospice intervention to mitigate variation in use.

Measuring the Efficacy of Myofascial Rollers and Post-isometric Relaxation Technique in Relieving Pain Intensity and Postural Deviation Using Plumb Line Assessment for the Treatment of Upper Cross Syndrome in Dental Undergraduate (UG) Students.

BACKGROUND: In today's world, the upper cross syndrome is growing more common and becoming very prevalent among dental undergraduate practitioners. One of the most important conditions for which dentists seek physiotherapy treatment is neck pain. It is characterized by overactive pectoralis and trapezius muscles. It is frequently linked to poor posture in dental students' daily life, causing them to miss their work. OBJECTIVES: The first objective of our study was to find the efficacy of myofascial rollers and post-isometric relaxation technique along with conventional therapy for pain relief and correction of postural deviation in undergraduate dental students. And, the second objective of the study was to compare the effect of myofascial rollers and post-isometric relaxation techniques in upper cross syndrome. METHODS: The study was conducted with pre-test and post-test methods. The study consisted of 80 participants who were included based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study sample was randomly assigned into two groups. Each group consisted of a total of 40 participants. Group A was treated using myofascial rollers and hot packs, and Group B was treated using the post-isometric relaxation technique and hot packs. Patients were asked to mark their intensity of pain on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale and an assessment of postural deviations (in mm) was noted through a plumb line in the posture grid. Posture assessment was done in lateral view. The protocol covered four weeks of treatment based on the defined protocol. Finally, the t-square test and Chi-square test were used to compare the difference in the result. Also, the level of significance was kept at <0.05. RESULT: Statistical analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics using student paired, unpaired, and chi-square test. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used. The Numerical Pain Rating Scale showed mean deviations of (4.15±1.29) for Group A and (3.30±1.01) for Group B. Plumb line assessment showed mean deviations of (9.09±4.31) for Group A and (6.33±2.36) for Group B. Also, Numerical Pain Rating Scale showed (t=3.26, p=0.002) and Plumb line deviation showed (t=3.57, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Through our study, we conclude that statistically no significant differences were found in pre-intervention and post-intervention, but myofascial rollers gave better results as compared to the post-isometric relaxation technique in alleviating pain and correcting postural deviation.

Top 100 most-cited original articles, systematic reviews/meta-analyses in robotic surgery: A scientometric study.

The aim of this study was to explore and analyze the main features of the top 100 most-cited original articles, systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) in the field of robotic surgery, through scientometric analysis. VOSviewer and Excel 2019 were employed to conduct this scientometric study. We found that the majority of original articles (72/100) were published during the 2000s, while the majority of the top 100 most-cited SRs/MAs (91/100) during the 2010s. The USA was the most dominant country (n = 78), Henry Ford Health System was the most productive institution (n = 10), and Menon M was the largest contributing first author (n = 5) of the top 100 most-cited original articles. The USA was the most dominant country (n = 33), University of Padua was the most productive institution (n = 9), and Ficarra V was the largest contributing first author (n = 4) of the top 100 most-cited SRs/MAs. The top 100 most-cited original articles in robotic surgery have focused on the feasibility, outcomes and learning curve of robotic surgery for various neoplasms and cancers. The top 100 most-cited SRs/MAs have focused on the differences between robotic surgery and other types of surgery, with respect to the learning curve, costs, outcomes and experience in treating neoplasms, cancer and other diseases. In the future, the formation of cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary cooperation teams should be promoted and corresponding regulations and standards for specific diseases should be developed to regulate and promote the development of robotic surgery.

Malignant potential and specific characteristics of pure main duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.

BACKGROUND: As the malignant potential of main duct (MD-) type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) has been discussed together with Mixed-type in most previous studies, the malignant potential of pure MD-type IPMN remains unclear. This study evaluated the specific characteristics and predictors of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and invasive intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC) for pure MD-type IPMN. METHODS: From 1,100 patients with IPMN, this study includes 387 patients that underwent surgery. We evaluated the specific characteristics of pure MD-type IPMN by comparing clinicopathological factors between MD-type (n = 79) and branch duct (BD-) type (n = 146) or Mixed-type IPMN (n = 162), and predictors of HGD/invasive IPMC in pure MD-type IPMN. RESULTS: The rate of HGD/invasive IPMC was significantly higher in MD-type than in BD-type (70.9 vs. 48.6%, P = 0.001), although there was no difference between MD-type and Mixed-type IPMNs (P = 0.343). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of patients with MD-type were better than those of patients with Mixed-type (P = 0.008 and P = 0.009, respectively). There were no significant differences in RFS, overall survival, and DSS between patients with MD-type and patients with BD-type IPMNs. Multivariate analysis showed two independent predictors of HGD/invasive IPMC in MD-type IPMN; mural nodule height ≥5 mm (P = 0.025, odds ratio [OR]; 16.949) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in the pancreatic juice obtained by preoperative endoscopic retrograde pancreatography ≥50 ng/ml (P = 0.039, OR; 9.091). CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of mural nodule height and CEA in the pancreatic juice might be useful in determining surgical indication for pure MD-type IPMN, although further studies for confirmation are essential.

The wave of "opinion articles" in the coverage of COVID-19 in surgical literature.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a deep impact on our surgical practice and scientific publishing output. METHODS: The 100 best-ranked "surgery journals" were selected. The contents of the March, April, May, and June 2020 issues and ahead-of-print articles were screened. The retrieved articles on COVID-19 were separated into two categories: "opinion articles" and "scientific articles," i.e., randomized trials and original articles with structured methods and results. The number of COVID articles published in the TOP-10 journals was compared with that of COVID articles published elsewhere. RESULTS: There were 59 COVID original articles (8%). The great majority of articles were opinion articles (83.4%). Almost 40% of COVID articles were published in the TOP-10 journals. CONCLUSION: Original COVID articles (the core of our knowledge) are scant. Faced with a novel disease, neither the authors nor the editors should be criticized regarding this situation. The future step should be to publish high-quality papers in the setting of a major health crisis.

A holistic approach to remove the bottlenecks and to improve the quality of medical research in India.

The current trend of conducting research and publishing the same to fulfill the academic or professional requirements can jeopardise what research actually means in health sciences. Rather than highlighting how many publications one can have, or showcase the expertise as a researcher, research can inform knowledge gaps and address the same in a replicable and scientific manner. More importantly, for low- and middle- income countries like India, research can be a powerful tool to assess healthcare problems at the primary care and develop innovative solutions to strengthen health systems at the grass root level. It can be argued that, enriching research portfolio for an individual is a misleading approach whereas research has much more to offer to the society at large. In the context of in primary care, academic and implementation research is important for several distinct reasons. The practice-based research can inform better practice through communicating the concerns or findings from research with key stakeholders of primary care. If the primary care practitioners are equipped with fundamental research skills, it may help them to become better critics and evidence-based practitioners. Publishing research findings in a good scientific journal is not an easy job. A lot of time and resources are often required from the submission process to publication. There are many obstacles for publishing a research, some are inherent some are man-made. In this article we describe our experiences about the bottlenecks that we have faced while conducting medical research and we have also prescribed some possible solutions which can help to the researchers in future while conducting medical research.

How to write an original article. / Cómo escribir un artículo original.

CONTEXT: A correctly drafted original article gives information on what was done, why it was done, how it was done, the result of what was done, and the significance of what was done. Many articles fail to report their results effectively. OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of an original article and to give practical recommendations to prevent the most common errors in our environment. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a systematic search of the terms "how to write a scientific article", "structure of the original article" and "publishing an article" in the databases PubMed and SCOPUS. We analysed the structure of an original article and the characteristics of its parts and prepared advice on the publication of an article. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The journal's guidelines for authors should be read. It is usual for the original article to follow the IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. The introduction states briefly why the study was performed. The methods' section should give a detailed explanation of how the study was performed. The results should be clearly presented, with the help of tables, without repeating information. The discussion explains the relevance of the results and contrasts them with those of other authors. Any limitations and a conclusion supported by the results must be included. CONCLUSIONS: Writing an original article correctly requires practice and it must be supported by a good research work in order to be published.

El problema científico en artículos de resultado de investigación original publicados en revistas biomédicas cubanas / The scientific problem in original articles published in Cuban biomedical journals

Introducción: La formulación del problema científico en un artículo de investigación es un elemento fundamental para su comprensión y reproducibilidad. No definirlo o formularlo de manera incorrecta conduciría inevitablemente a un documento difícil de entender y de replicar. Objetivo: Identificar las líneas de investigación más comunes en revistas biomédicas cubanas indizadas en SciELO, la frecuencia de artículos de investigación con problema científico correctamente definido y los errores más comunes en su formulación. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo en artículos de investigación publicados en el año 2016 en 32 revistas biomédicas cubanas indizadas en SciELO. A partir de 5 836 palabras clave se obtuvieron las líneas de investigación más frecuentes. Mediante una muestra aleatoria de 50 artículos, se estimó el porcentaje de publicaciones con problema científico correctamente definido. Se calcularon los porcentajes de errores según el tipo en cada artículo. Resultados: Las líneas de investigación más frecuentemente asociadas a las palabras clave fueron educación médica, factores de riesgo y atención secundaria de salud. Solo el 36 por ciento de los trabajos formularon correctamente el problema científico. Ningún artículo realizó una valoración crítica de este y el 58 por ciento incluyó métodos para abordarlo. Conclusiones: Las líneas de investigación identificadas en los artículos estudiados pueden ser de poco interés para la investigación biomédica. Los artículos de investigación con problemas científicos no definidos o formulados de forma incorrecta incrementan las dificultades para el análisis, la discusión y la crítica de los resultados científicos. Los errores más comunes en la formulación del problema científico sugieren que la motivación principal podría no ser la divulgación de un resultado científico, sino la publicación en sí misma(AU)

Introduction: The formulation of the scientific problem in a research article is a key element for its understanding and reproducibility. If it is not defined or if it is incorrectly formulated, it would inevitably lead to the creation of a document which would be very difficult to understand and replicate. Objective: To identify the most common lines of research in Cuban biomedical journals indexed in SciELO, the frequency of research articles with a correctly defined scientific problem, and the most common errors in its formulation. Material and Methods: A descriptive study was carried out in research articles that were published in 2016 in 32 Cuban biomedical journals indexed in SciELO. The most frequent lines of research were obtained from 5 836 keywords. The percentage of publication with a correctly defined scientific problem was estimated by a random selection of a sample of 50 articles, and the percentage of publications with a correctly defined scientific problem was also calculated. Percentages of errors according to type were measured in each article. Results: The most frequent lines of research associated with keywords were: medical education, risk factors, and secondary health care. Only 36 percent of the works formulated the scientific problem correctly. No article made a critical assessment of it, and the 58 percent included methods to address it. Conclusions: The lines of research identified in the articles under study may appear to be of minor interest for biomedical research. The research articles with not defined or incorrectly formulated scientific problems increase the difficulties for their analysis, discussion, and review of scientific results. The most common errors in the formulation of the scientific problem suggest that the main motivation could not be the dissemination of a scientific result, but the publication itself(AU)

Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy for the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation in Obese Patients: Health-Related Quality of Life Assessment in a 2-Year Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) is a minimally invasive surgical technique used principally for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). LDH is a frequent spinal ailment in obese individuals. The aim of this prospectively designed study was to assess for the first time in the literature the impact of PTED in postoperative parameters of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in obese patients with LDH within a 2-year follow-up period, to further evaluate the effectiveness of PTED. METHODS: Patients with surgically treatable LDH were divided into 2 groups. Group A constituted 20 obese patients, and group B was composed of 10 patients with normal body mass index (BMI). A visual analog scale was used for pain evaluation, and the Short Form SF-36 Medical Survey Questionnaire contributed to HRQoL assessment. Follow-up was conducted preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Two of the 20 patients (10%) presented with severe postoperative pain, necessitating conventional microdiscectomy. All studied parameters exhibited maximal improvement at 6 months in group A and at 6 weeks in group B, with subsequent stabilization. Obese patients scored lower in all parameters compared with their healthy counterparts with normal BMI, acquiring a less favorable clinical benefit. CONCLUSIONS: PTED appears to be a generally safe and effective method for treating obese patients with LDH. However, major technical challenges that lead to a higher frequency of complications, as well as the lesser acquired clinical benefit, in obese patients may contribute to the further consideration for PTED in specific obese patients, especially on the grounds of low surgical experience.

Normal microscopic architecture of acetabular labrum of hip joint: a qualitative original study with clinical aspects.

BACKGROUND: Normal histologic architecture of acetabular labrum, regarding presence of Free Nerve Endings (FNEs) and Nerve End Organs (NEOs) has been four times described. Nevertheless, elderly cadaveric specimens and individuals were recruited, leading to considerably high unreliability probability due to microscopic degenerative alterations. Aim of this paper is to analyze distribution pattern of FNEs and NEOs in acetabular labra of healthy middle-aged individuals, configuring thus more reliably acetabular labrum microscopic profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients with middle age 52 ± 2.5 years were enrolled in this study. Injury of acetabular labrum and normal hip radiograph were present in all cases. Patients were all subjected to successful hip hemi-arthroplasty and derived acetabular labra were subsequently histologically processed and observed under a compound microscope. RESULTS: FNEs and NEOs were detected in all specimens. All types of NEOs were identified, including Paccini, Golgi-Mazzoni, Ruffini and Krause corpuscles. FNEs and NEOs were both in ventral part and in chondral side of labrum predominantly detected. CONCLUSION: FNEs and NEOs presence was greater in ventral side of labrum, being thus in partial agreement with previous studies results. Further study is required, in order to elucidate the exact acetabular labrum normal microscopic anatomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Acetabular labrum of hip joint in osteoarthritis: A qualitative original study and short review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Histological architecture of normal acetabular labrum regarding free nerve endings (FNEs) and mechanoreceptors (MRs) has been satisfactorily described in the literature. However, the presence of FNEs and MRs in acetabular labrum of hip joint has been analyzed only once in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Aim of this article is to report histological distribution pattern of FNEs and MRs in acetabular labrum of patients with severe OA, at the same time conducting a comparison with normal acetabular labrum described in the literature. METHODS: Seven patients with severe hip OA were enrolled in this study. Patient selection was assisted by the utilization of specific clinical scales delineated by the American College of Rheumatology. After successful total hip arthroplasty, tissue samples of acetabular labra of seven patients were histologically processed and stained with the gold standard chloride method, which was subsequently examined under a compound microscope. RESULTS: FNEs and MRs constituted the major histological structures. Identified MRs included Pacini corpuscles, Ruffini corpuscles, and Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscles. The presence of FNEs was predominant in the middle part of the acetabular labrum, featuring a remarkable decrease in peripheral parts. In contrast, MRs were detected basically in peripheral parts and less in the middle part. CONCLUSIONS: Differentiation of the distribution pattern of MRs and FNEs in acetabular labrum of hip joint is remarkable between normal patients and patients with severe OA. The abundance of FNEs in the middle part of the pathologic labrum is mainly responsible for the observed discrimination. A "conversion" of MRs to FNEs may occur during OA progression, modulating therefore this pattern as well as the upcoming clinical manifestations.

Corrigendum to 'In vivo evaluation of copper release and acute local tissue reactions after implantation of copper-coated titanium implants in rats'.

In the "Materials and methods" chapter of the article given above, in section 2.1 titled "Implant samples and preparation" on page 2 (top paragraph of the right column), an incorrect value of 1 µg mm-2 for the average Cu load of the surface was inadvertently specified. This was due to an accidental mix-up of electronic data sets from examination of different implant series. The correct value is 0.2 µg mm-2. No other data given in the article are affected. The authors kindly apologize for this mistake.

IKZF1 (IKAROS) deletions in B-ALL and its clinical correlation: A prospective study from a tertiary care centre in Northern India.

INTRODUCTION: IKZF1 deletions have been reported with variable frequency in B-ALL. This study was carried out to find the prevalence and profile of IKZF1 deletions and their correlation in B-ALL. METHODS: The untreated B-ALL cases were prospectively analyzed for IKZF1 deletions over a period of eleven months using multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA). The IKZF1 deletions were classified into three functional groups-dominant negative, haploinsufficiency and others. The response to induction chemotherapy was correlated with the IKZF1 deletion status. RESULTS: The median age of 101 cases was 7 years (1-67) with 82 pediatric (<18 years) cases. Fifteen cases were positive for BCR-ABL. The IKZF1 deletions were detected in 29 (28.7%) cases; 53% BCR-ABL positive, 24% BCR-ABL negative, 47% adult and 24% pediatric cases. Out of the 29 deletions, 19 (66%) were haploinsufficiency, 8 (28%) were dominant negative and 2 others. The IKZF1 deleted cases had higher induction failure rates compared to the cases without IKZF1 deletions. CONCLUSIONS: The IKZF1 deletions were detected in 28.7% B-ALL patients. These were more common in BCR-ABL positive and adult B-ALL compared to the BCR-ABL negative and pediatric cases, respectively. The haploinsufficiency was commoner than dominant negative IKZF1 deletions. IKZF1 deletions correlated with higher induction failure.

Correlation between serum 25(OH)D values and lupus disease activity: an original article and a systematic review with meta-analysis focusing on serum VitD confounders.

Notwithstanding that several original studies and some systematic reviews have been undertaken on the subject "correlation between serum values of vitamin D (VitD) and lupus disease activity," there is still no consensus on the importance of sectional measurement of serum VitD in the prediction of disease activity and important confounders in estimation of serum VitD. Medline, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus databases were searched from 1995 to 2013. The following medical subject heading (MeSH) terms and/or text words were used: "Vitamin D" OR "25OHD" OR "25(OH)D" combined with "systemic lupus erythematosus" OR "lupus" OR "SLE." References cited in the identified articles were also manually searched. Human studies in any language were included. Original research on this topic was also carried out on 82 lupus patients, considering important VitD confounders according to our systematic review and we included them in the meta-analysis. A total of 35 studies were registered for this study. Only 11 of these pointed to this correlation by Pearson test. The pooled Pearson correlation (r) of associations between disease activity and VitD was -0.365 (95% CI: -0.536, -0.165) with significant heterogeneity (p = 0.001 I (2 )= 93%). Sensitivity analysis resulted in no significant differences. The most important adjustable confounders considered by researchers were drugs, especially hydroxychloroquine, prednisolone and supplementary VitD, body mass index (BMI) and proteinuria or renal function. Only proteinuria was reported to influence VitD concentration strongly. BMI was another probable influencing factor. Our original research presented no correlation between VitD and SLEDAI (p = 0.68, r s = 0.003). This meta-analysis demonstrated that most of the studies on the relationship between VitD and lupus disease activity that found no correlation did not present the details of the statistics. However, analyzing 11 studies, most of which found a reverse correlation and reported it in detail, and our study found a weak reverse correlation between those two items. Systematic review of confounders showed that BMI, medications and kidney involvement were the most remarkable ones reported by researchers.