Paraneoplastic movement disorder due to suspected metastatic Leiomyosarcoma of tongue: A case report.

Paraneoplastic movement disorders, though rare, can be the initial symptoms of malignancies like leiomyosarcoma, as in our case. Clinicians should keep malignancies in their differential diagnosis in cases of unexplained movement abnormalities.

Danazol for the Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes: A Systematic Review.

Purpose To study the potential utility of danazol for treating patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, with a focus on efficacy and adverse effects (AEs). Methods MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus were searched for relevant publications from inception June 1, 1950, until June 28, 2022. The studies were screened by title and abstract, followed by full-text screening. The quality of the included studies was assessed via a prespecified set of questionnaires. Data on the efficacy measures and adverse outcomes were extracted and included in a descriptive summary. Results Nine studies consisting of 246 participants were included in our review. The overall quality of the included studies was fair. The age of the participants ranged from 61 to 78 years. In all 9 studies, more male patients had been enrolled than female patients. Overall, a proportion of patients in all the studies reported a desired major response to a danazol dose of 400 to 800 mg/day. Few studies did not observe any improvement in the platelet count. Elevated liver enzyme levels, weight gain, headache, dermatitis, and weakness were the most common AEs observed. One study reported a fatal intracerebral hemorrhage in 1 participant. Conclusions Danazol has been effective in increasing platelet count and hemoglobin level. Despite a few AEs, danazol is a safe drug for the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

The association of multiple sclerosis with thyroid disease: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease with T-cell-mediated inflammation showing different clinical and pathological phenotypes. The relationship between MS and thyroid diseases has been debated, with varying research outcomes. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the association between different thyroid diseases and MS. METHODS: Databases PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were searched electronically for the studies investigating the association of thyroid disorders in MS. Studies were selected based on the eligibility criteria and meta-analysis was performed on Review Manager Version 5.4 using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the clinical subtypes of thyroid disorders and forest plots were generated to interpret the findings. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's and Begg's tests and interpreted into funnel plots. Sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the effect of the exclusion of each study on the pooled odds ratio. RESULTS: Inclusive of thirteen studies comprising 13,012 MS cases and 56,850 controls, our analysis unveiled notable findings. pwMS displayed a significantly elevated prevalence of both hypothyroidism (Odds Ratio [OR]: 2.29, 95 % Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.16-4.49, pvalue: 0.02, I2 = 27 %) and autoimmune thyroid disorder (OR: 1.70, 95 % CI: 1.02-2.85, pvalue: 0.04, I2 = 79 %). The collective prevalence of all thyroid diseases among pwMS was markedly higher (OR: 1.60, 95 % CI: 1.20-2.11, p-value: 0.001, I2 = 61 %). Furthermore, gender-specific analyses revealed that females with MS experienced a significantly increased prevalence of thyroid disorders compared to their male counterparts. (pooled odds ratio 2.38,95 % CI 1.11-5.10, p-value: 0.03, I2 = 28 %) CONCLUSION: This comprehensive meta-analysis establishes a significant association between thyroid diseases and MS, substantiating the increased risk of thyroid disorders in pwMS. Moreover, the gender-based analysis implicates a potentially significant interaction between gender and the observed association. These findings collectively contribute to a better understanding of the complex interplay between MS and thyroid diseases, offering crucial insights for both clinical management and future research endeavors.

Impact of hospital pharmacist-delivered individualised pharmaceutical service intervention on clinical and patient-reported outcomes in patients with hypertension: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with hypertension in Nepal are often known to have poor medication adherence and quality of life. This randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of a hospital pharmacist-delivered individualised pharmaceutical service (P-DIPS) intervention on blood pressure, medication adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with hypertension in a hospital setting in Nepal. METHODS: In an open trial, 56 adult patients with hypertension who had been receiving antihypertensive medication for ≥6 months were randomly allocated to a control group (n=28) which received the usual care and an intervention group (n=28) which received a P-DIPS along with the usual care. The difference in blood pressure, medication adherence and HRQoL between the two groups at baseline, 2 and 4 months was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, independent t-test or χ2 tests. RESULTS: Participants were mostly ≥40 years (86%) and female (57%). There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the control (C) and intervention (I) groups. At 2 months, the two groups had a significant improvement in the median (IQR) Morisky-Green-Levine (MGL) Medication Adherence Score (I=1 (2) vs C=2 (2); p<0.001) and the median (IQR) mental component of HRQoL (I=43.6 (9.5) vs C=37.5 (8.6); p=0.013). At 4 months, there were significant differences in the median (IQR) values of all the outcome measures between the groups (systolic blood pressure: I=125 (10) mmHg vs C=130 (15) mmHg, p=0.008; diastolic blood pressure: 80 (14) mmHg vs 90 (10) mmHg, p=0.012; MGL score: I=1 (1) vs C=2 (1), p<0.001; physical component of HRQoL: 45.0 (9.0) vs 40.3 (8.2), p=0.046; and mental component of HRQoL: 47.1 (11.1) vs 38.8 (8.5), p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that a P-DIPS intervention in the hospital setting of Nepal has a significant potential to improve blood pressure, medication adherence and HRQoL in patients with hypertension.

Hypokalemic Paralysis Revealing Primary Sjogren's Syndrome: A Case Report.

Sjogren's syndrome is a rare chronic autoimmune disease characterised by dry eyes and dry mouth due to autoimmune destruction of the lacrimal and salivary glands, which can occur concurrently with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or thyroiditis. It can lead to renal complications such as interstitial nephritis and glomerulonephritis, with distal/ type 1 renal tubular acidosis which may result in life-threatening electrolyte imbalance. We present a case of a 35-year-old female who presented with complaints of multiple episodes of muscle weakness. Type 1 renal tubular acidosis was discovered to be the cause of her symptoms which lead to the subsequent diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. This is rare presentation of Sjogren's syndrome, and it poses a challenge to diagnosis. Early detection and diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome might be difficult due to existing diagnostic criteria, which contributes to a higher likelihood of missed diagnosis. Keywords: case reports; hypokalemia; renal tubular acidosis; Sjogren's syndrome.

Antisynthetase syndrome and interstitial lung disease: A case report.

Introduction: Myositis, Raynaud's phenomenon, fever, interstitial lung disease, mechanic's hands, and arthropathy are symptoms of Antisynthetase Syndrome (ASS), which is defined by the development of antibodies against t-ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthetase, particularly anti-Jo-1. Case presentation: The case is about 29 years female with 1 month history of non-productive cough and dyspnea on exertion which was later diagnosed as ASS. Discussion: The diagnosis of an inflammatory myopathy is based on clinical findings such as subacute development of symmetrical muscle weakness and signs such as laboratory investigations revealing skeletal muscle inflammation. Creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) is mainly used to demonstrate skeletal muscle involvement. Conclusion: Interstitial lung disease is a frequent occurrence and is associated with a bad prognosis during the course of antisynthetase syndrome.

Teenager with acute psychosis due to non-paraneoplastic anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis with a successful recovery: A case report.

Introduction: Anti NMDAR encephalitis is a neuropsychiatric syndromic disease caused by an immunological response. Acute behavioral changes, psychosis, and catatonia are common clinical manifestations, are seizures, amnesia, speech difficulties, dyskinesia, and autonomic dysregulation. Case presentation: We discuss the case of a 14-year-old girl who had psychotic symptoms and tested positive for anti-NMDAR antibodies. Discussion: Patients present with psychiatric symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, agitation, changes in speech mania, disorganized thinking, catatonia, insomnia, and often seizures. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis should be suspected in teenage patient with acute psychotic symptoms and seizure episodes. A multidisciplinary treatment strategy is required. Conclusion: The delayed treatment can lead to complications and delayed recovery complicating the disease process so multidisciplinary approach of treatment is necessary.

CT-IGFBP-4 as a Predictive Novel Biomarker of Ischemic Cardiovascular Events and Mortality: A Systematic Review.

Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, medRxiv, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant literature from inception to the 10th of December, 2021. Thus, retrieved literature was screened by title and abstract, followed by full-text screening based on the eligibility criteria. The risk of bias was accessed using the quality in prognostic studies (QUIPSs) tool. The data on cardiovascular outcomes about CT-IGFBP-4 levels were studied and the results were synthesized. Results: Five studies with a total of 1,417 participants were included in our study. The studies reported a low risk of bias. The mean age of the participants was 66.14 and more than 65% were males. Elevated CT-IGFBP-4 levels were associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes and increased mortality in severely ill patients. In contrast, there were no significant findings in the case of stable patients. Sandwich ELISA using lithium-heparin plasma provided a better detection limit of 0.15 ng/ml, low cross-reactivity (<2%), and generated linear results between 12 and 500 ng/ml. Conclusion: CT-IGFBP-4 is an efficient biomarker for the prediction of MACE and mortality in patients with severe ischemic cardiovascular events.

Endothelium, Platelets, and Coagulation Factors as the Three Vital Components for Diagnosing Bleeding Disorders: A Simplified Perspective with Clinical Relevance.

Bleeding disorders are a major group of hematological disorders, which are highly prevalent in the world. Excessive bleeding can result in serious consequences including hypoperfusion and cardiac arrest. The body has its selfmechanism to control excessive bleeding which is termed hemostasis. Hemostasis is achieved in two major steps, the formation of the primary and secondary hemostatic plugs. Endothelium, platelets, and coagulation factors are three components involved in hemostasis. Endothelium and platelets have a major role in forming the primary hemostatic plug. Consequently, the first step in investigating a bleeding disorder is platelet count. Despite normal platelet count, abnormality in the primary hemostatic plug may arise due to functional defects of the platelets including adhesion, activation, and aggregation. Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is an endothelial defect and the most prevalent inherited defect in coagulation. Abnormalities in the secondary hemostatic plug are largely due to coagulation factor deficiencies, and, to a lesser extent, the presence of inhibitors. Techniques involving viscoelastics have been aiding in rapid diagnosis and are useful in point-of-care testing. This article discusses the investigation of bleeding disorders from the perspective of the endothelium, platelet, and coagulation factor physiology. These three components should be properly investigated to achieve the definitive diagnosis of bleeding disorders.

Ataxia due to vitamin E deficiency: A case report and updated review.

Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED) is a rare cause of hereditary ataxia in developing countries with unknown prevalence. AVED is an autosomal-recessive disorder, which is characterized by ataxia, areflexia, and proprioceptive and vibratory sensory loss. The disease is characterized clinically by symptoms with often resembling to those of Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). Vitamin E supplementation improves symptoms and prevents the progression of the disease. In this case report, we reviewed the recently updated findings in AVED in regard to the management and present a case of AVED in a 16-year-old boy, who was initially misdiagnosed as FRDA, prior to the genetic test.

Antimalarial and anticancer properties of artesunate and other artemisinins: current development.

This review provides a recent perspective of artesunate and other artemisinins as antimalarial drugs and their uses in cancer therapy. Artesunate is an artemisinin derivative. Artemisinin is extracted from the plant Artemisia annua. Artemisinin and its derivatives have been the most useful drug for malarial treatment in human history. The artesunate has an advantage of a hydrophilic group over other artemisinins which makes it a more potent drug. On the industrial scale, artemisinins are synthesized in semisynthetic ways. The 1,2,4-endoperoxide bridge of artemisinins is responsible for the drug's antimalarial activity. There is the emergence of artemisinin resistance on Plasmodium falciparum and pieces of evidence suggest that it is mainly due to the mutation at Kelch13 protein of P. falciparum. Clinical trial data show that the artesunate is more favorable than quinine and other artemisinins to treat patients with severe malaria. Pieces of evidence indicate that artemisinins can be developed as anticancer drugs. The mechanism of actions on how artemisinins act as an anticancer drug involves oxidative stress, DNA damage and repair, and various types of cell deaths.

Translation of ceragenin affinity for bacteria to an imaging reagent for infection.

Responses to bacterial infections may be manifest systemically without evidence of the location of the infection site. A rapid means of pinpointing infection sites would be useful in providing effective and possibly localized treatment. Successful means of identifying infection sites would require two components: (1) a molecule capable of recognizing bacteria and (2) a means of communicating recognition. For the recognition element, we used a ceragenin, a small molecule with affinity for bacterial membranes that was designed as a mimic of endogenous antimicrobial peptides. For the communication element, we used 64Cu, which is a positron emitter. By conjugating a copper chelating group to the ceragenin, the two elements were combined. Chelation of 64Cu by the conjugate was effective and provided a stable complex that allowed in vivo imaging. When administered to mice in a thigh infection model, the 64Cu-labeled conjugate accumulated at the site of infection (right thigh) without accumulation at the complementary site (left thigh). This conjugate may provide a means of identifying infection sites in patients presenting general signs of infection without localized symptoms.