Two Photosensitive Dermatitis Outbreaks Caused by Cordierites frondosus - Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, 2023.

What is already known about this topic?: Cordierites frondosus (C. frondosus) is a species of toxic mushroom known to induce symptoms of photosensitive dermatitis. What is added by this report?: In the months of May and June 2023, a total of four patients in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, were affected by C. frondosus poisoning, occurring over two distinct incidents. The condition of two patients deteriorated after they were re-exposed to sunlight on the seventh day following the initial poisoning. Separately, an additional two patients reported experiencing a mild, needle-like sensation on areas of their skin exposed to the sun, recorded on the twelfth day subsequent to the poisoning. What are the implications for public health practice?: Given that symptoms of photosensitive dermatitis, a potential severe consequence of C. frondosus poisoning, can manifest up to a week post-sun exposure, it is advisable to avoid sunlight for a minimum of two weeks following poisoning.

Nets in fibrosis: Bridging innate immunity and tissue remodeling.

Fibrosis, a complex pathological process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix components, leads to tissue scarring and dysfunction. Emerging evidence suggests that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), composed of DNA, histones, and antimicrobial proteins, significantly contribute to fibrotic diseases pathogenesis. This review summarizes the process of NETs production, molecular mechanisms, and related diseases, and outlines the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with fibrosis. Subsequently, this review comprehensively summarizes the current understanding of the intricate interplay between NETs and fibrosis across various organs, including the lung, liver, kidney, skin, and heart. The mechanisms by which NETs contribute to fibrogenesis, including their ability to promote inflammation, induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), activate fibroblasts, deposit extracellular matrix (ECM) components, and trigger TLR4 signaling were explored. This review aimed to provide insights into the complex relationship between NETs and fibrosis via a comprehensive analysis of existing reports, offering novel perspectives for future research and therapeutic interventions.

Corrigendum: CCDC25 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker of hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from microarray analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.878648.].

CCDC25 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker of hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from microarray analysis.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a tumor with a high recurrence rate, poor prognosis, and rapid progression. Therefore, it is necessary to find a novel biomarker for HCC. Coiled-coil domain containing 25 (CCDC25) has been identified as a target molecule that mediates liver metastasis in colon cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of CCDC25 in HCC are unknown. This study aimed to explore the role of CCDC25 in HCC. Methods: The expression of CCDC25 in HCC was identified through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic value of CCDC25 for HCC. The effect of CCDC25 on the prognosis of HCC was analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier plotter. Co-expressed genes and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the related functions and regulatory signaling pathways of CCDC25. Moreover, we employed the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database and CIBERSORT algorithm to investigate the relationship between CCDC25 and the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in HCC. Meanwhile, the effect of CCDC25 on the sensitivity of HCC patients to chemotherapy drugs was evaluated. Finally, we explored the prognostic methylation sites of CCDC25 using the MethSurv database. Results: CCDC25 expression was low in HCC. Low CCDC25 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival of HCC and may be comparable to the ability of AFP to diagnose HCC. Dysregulation of glucose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, ubiquitination modification, and apoptosis inhibition caused by CCDC25 downregulation may be the causes and results of HCC. In addition, CCDC25 was positively correlated with the infiltration level of various adaptive antitumor immune cells. The levels of immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression were lower in the samples with high CCDC25 expression. What is more, we found that downregulated CCDC25 may increase the sensitivity or resistance of HCC patients to multiple drugs, including sorafenib. We also identified a methylation site for CCDC25, which may be responsible for poor prognosis and low CCDC25 expression in HCC patients. Finally, CCDC25 may be associated with HCC ferroptosis. Conclusions: CCDC25 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for HCC and is associated with immune infiltration and ferroptosis.

Esophageal tuberculosis complicated with intestinal tuberculosis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Although the overall incidence of tuberculosis in underdeveloped areas has increased in recent years, esophageal tuberculosis (ET) is still rare. Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) is relatively more common, but there are few reports of ET complicated with ITB. We report a case of secondary ET complicated with ITB in a previously healthy patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 27-year-old female was hospitalized for progressive dysphagia, retrosternal pain, acid regurgitation, belching, heartburn, and nausea. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a mid-esophageal ulcerative hyperplastic lesion. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed a homogeneous hypoechoic lesion, with adjacent enlarged lymph nodes. Biopsy histopathology showed inflammatory exudation, exfoliated epithelial cells and interstitial granulation tissue proliferation. Colonoscopy revealed a rat-bite ulcer in the terminal ileum and a superficial ulcer in the ascending colon, near the ileocecal region. The ileum lesion biopsy showed focal granulomas with caseous necrosis. Polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was positive in the esophageal and ileum lesion biopsies. The T-cell spot tuberculosis test was also positive. The patient was diagnosed with secondary ET infiltrated by mediastinal lymphadenopathy and complicated with ITB, possibly from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected esophageal lesion. After 2 mo of anti-tuberculosis therapy, her symptoms improved significantly, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed healing ulcers. CONCLUSION: When dysphagia or odynophagia occurs in patients at high-risk for tuberculosis, ET should be considered.

Seven Hormonal Biomarkers for Diagnosing Endometriosis: Meta-Analysis and Adjusted Indirect Comparison of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of different hormonal biomarkers and to find the most effective hormonal biomarker for the diagnosis of endometriosis. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a systematic search using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China Biomedical Literature to identify relevant studies from the first day of databases to August 2018. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Two independent reviewers screened for study eligibility and extracted data. Random controlled trials, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of hormonal markers for endometriosis were included. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: We included 17 studies that involved 1279 participants and evaluated 7 hormonal biomarkers. The pooled sensitivity and specificity in endometriosis were .79 (.71, .86) and .89 (.82, .94) for aromatase, .30 (.18, .46) and .80 (.65, .90) for human chorionic gonadotropin/luteinizing hormone receptor, .75 (.66, .83) and .47 (.34, .60) for estrogen receptor (ER)-α, .65 (.56, .74) and .68 (.55, .80) for ER-ß, .45 (.38-.52) and .92 (.85-.97) for serum prolactin, .69 (.51, .83) and .30 (.16, .49) for estrogen sulfotransferase, and .73 (.60-.84) and .48 (.33-.63) for 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ßHSD2). Compared with human chorionic gonadotropin/luteinizing hormone receptor, ER-α, ER-ß, estrogen sulfotransferase, and 17ßHSD2, aromatase had a higher sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio. The specificities of aromatase and serum prolactin were comparable, but the sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio, and positive likelihood ratio of serum prolactin were much lower than that of aromatase. CONCLUSION: Aromatase may be an excellent diagnostic test for endometriosis. However, because of the moderate quality of the included studies and the limited sample size, this result requires more research to validate. (PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018105126.).

The value of four imaging modalities in diagnosing lymph node involvement in rectal cancer: an overview and adjusted indirect comparison.

Several systematic reviews have investigated the accuracy of imaging modalities for lymph node involvement of rectal cancer, but there are considerable differences in conclusions. This overview aimed to assess the methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews that evaluated the diagnostic value of imaging modalities for lymph node involvement in patients with rectal cancer and to compare the diagnostic value of different modalities for lymph node involvement. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Chinese Biomedicine Literature were searched to identify relevant systematic reviews. The methodological quality was assessed using the AMSTAR checklist, and the reporting quality was assessed using PRISMA-DTA checklist. The indirect comparison was conducted to compare the accuracy of different imaging modalities. Seven systematic reviews involving 353 primary studies were included. The median (Range) AMSTAR scores were 6.0 (4.0-9.0); the median (Range) PRISMA-DTA scores were 18.0 (11.0-23.0). Sensitivity of MRI [0.69 (95% CI 0.63, 0.77)] was significantly higher than that of ERUS [0.57 (95% CI 0.53, 0.62)]. Specificity of ERUS [0.80 (95% CI 0.77, 0.83)] was significantly higher than that of CT [0.72 (95% CI 0.67, 0.78)]. Positive likelihood ratio of EUS [3.04 (95% CI 2.75, 3.36)] was significantly higher than that of CT [2.21 (95% CI 1.69, 2.90)]. EUS had better diagnostic value than CT and ERUS in the diagnosis of lymph node involvement. Compared with CT and ERUS, MRI was more sensitive. EUS and MRI had comparable diagnostic accuracy, but no modality was proved to be particularly accurate.

Comparison of the diagnostic efficiency for local recurrence of rectal cancer using CT, MRI, PET and PET-CT: A systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: The risk of local recurrence (LR) continues to threat patients with rectal cancer after surgery or chemoradiotherapy. The main reason is that there is frequently extensive scarring and reactive changes after radiotherapy and resection. Thus, the diagnosis of LR can be challenging. There are different imaging modalities that have been used in the follow-up of rectal cancer, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in clinical practice. METHODS: We will systematically search PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database for diagnostic trials using CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT to detect LR of rectal cancer in April, 2018. Two review authors will independently screen titles and abstracts for relevance, assess full texts for inclusion, and carry out data extraction and methodological quality assessment using the QUADAS-2 tool. We will use bivariate meta-analysis to estimate summary sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio of CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT, as well as different sequences of MRI. For each index test, estimates of sensitivity and specificity from each study will be plotted in summary receive operating curve space and forest plots will be constructed for visual examination of variation in test accuracy. We will perform meta-analyses using the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic model to produce summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity. Then, head-to-head and indirect comparison meta-analyses will be carried out. DISCUSSION: This review will help determine the diagnostic accuracy of CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT for the diagnosis of patients with LR of rectal cancer. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval and patient consent are not required, as this study is a systematic review. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018104918.

Diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endorectal ultrasonography for detecting lymph node involvement in patients with rectal cancer: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Rectal cancer is one of the most common tumors and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developed countries. Lymph node involvement remains the strongest prognostic factor associated with a worse prognosis in patients with rectal cancer. Several systematic reviews have investigated the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endorectal ultrasonography for lymph node involvement of rectal cancer and compared the diagnostic accuracy of different imaging techniques, but there are considerable differences in conclusions. This study aims to assess the methodological quality and reporting quality of systematic reviews and to determine which diagnostic imaging techniques is the optimal modality for the diagnosis of lymph node involvement in patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: We will search PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Chinese Biomedicine Literature to identify relevant studies from inception to June 2018. We will include systematic reviews that evaluated the accuracy of diagnostic imaging techniques for lymph node involvement. The methodological quality will be assessed using AMASAR checklist, and the reporting quality will be assessed using PRISMA-DTA checklist. The pairwise meta-analysis and indirect comparisons will be performed using STATA V.12.0. RESULTS: The results of this overview will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of different diagnostic imaging techniques for detecting lymph node involvement in patients with rectal cancer. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval and patient consent are not required as this study is an overview based on published systematic reviews. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018104906.

The value of magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose pathological complete response of rectal cancer after therapy: A protocol for meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although the trends of colorectal incidence rate and mortality have decreased during the past 20 years, however, they are still high. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is recommended as the standard treatment strategy of local advanced rectal cancer followed by surgery and adjuvant therapy. Predicting pathological complete response (pCR) accurately is relative to the next treatment strategy to avoid extensive therapy. And there are more and more physicians who would like to choose pelvic MRI imaging to evaluate the state of rectal cancer. Therefore, our analysis will aim to assess the value of MRI to predict pCR of rectal cancer after therapy and distinguish which sequence and magnetic strength is the best one to diagnose pCR. METHODS: Comprehensive computer-based search will be performed using the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CBM database (last updated in April 2018), 2 reviewers will extract the related information respectively. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic curves will be calculated to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of different sequences and intensities of magnetic resonance imaging. Methodological quality will be assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. RESULTS: The results of this analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: The ability of different MRI sequences and magnetic intensities to identify pCR will be evaluated and the best one to diagnose pCR of rectal cancer after therapy will be recommended. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval and patient consent are not required, as this study is a meta-analysis based on published studies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018105672.

The association between body mass index and the risk of different gastrointestinal cancers: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Changes in our lifestyle over the past few decades have led to a significant increase in the worldwide prevalence of both overweight (defined as a body mass index [BMI]≥25 kg/m) and obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m), thus leading to numerous harmful consequences for an individual's health. Several meta-analyses support the link between obesity and different gastrointestinal cancers, but substantial heterogeneity exists between studies. We will synthesize published systematic reviews to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the incidence and mortality of different gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library will be systematically searched for systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and pooled analyses in July, 2018. Two review authors will independently screen titles and abstracts for relevance, assess full texts for inclusion, carry out data extraction, and appraise methodological quality using AMSTAR checklist and reporting quality using PRISMA statement. The association between BMI and different gastrointestinal cancers will be estimated by computing the pooled relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), which will be calculated from the adjusted RR, odds ratio, or hazard ratio, and 95% CI offered in the studies. Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed with the I statistic as a measure of the proportion of total variation in estimates that is due to heterogeneity, where I values of 25%, 50%, and 75% correspond to cut-off points for low, moderate, and high degrees of heterogeneity. The random effects model will be used as the pooling method when significant heterogeneity existed and the fixed effect model will be used when no heterogeneity was observed. Possible publication bias will be tested by Begg and Egger test. DISCUSSION: This overview of systematic reviews will provide an accessible, comprehensive synthesis with which to inform clinicians and the development of guidelines for the management of the individuals with high BMI. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Only published secondary data will be used in this study, and therefore ethics approval is not required.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018107334.

Hormonal biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis of endometriosis: A protocol for a network meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a major cause of disability and compromised the quality of life in women and teenage girls. The gold standard for diagnosis of endometriosis is laparoscopy with histology of excised endometriosis lesions. However, women can suffer for 8 to 12 years before obtaining a correct diagnosis. Several biomarkers showed good diagnostic value for endometriosis, but no studies directly or indirectly compare the diagnostic value of different biomarkers. We perform this network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the diagnostic accuracy of hormonal biomarkers, and to find a most effective hormonal biomarker for the diagnosis of endometriosis. METHODS: A systematic search will be performed using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Chinese Biomedicine Literature to identify relevant studies from inception to August 2018. We will include random controlled trials, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of hormonal markers for endometriosis. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 quality assessment tool will be used to assess the risk of bias in each study. Standard pairwise meta-analysis and NMA will be performed using STATA V.12.0, MetaDiSc 1.40 and R 3.4.1 software to compare the diagnostic efficacy of different hormonal biomarkers. RESULTS: The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: This study will summarize the direct and indirect evidence to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the hormonal biomarkers for endometriosis and attempt to find a most effective biomarker for the diagnosis of endometriosis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval and patient consent are not required as this study is a meta-analysis based on published studies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018105126.

Systematic review of decreased intracranial pressure with optimal head elevation in postcraniotomy patients: a meta-analysis.

AIM: To determine an optimal head elevation degree to decrease intracranial pressure in postcraniotomy patients by meta-analysis. BACKGROUND: A change in head position can lead to a change in intracranial pressure; however, there are conflicting data regarding the optimal degree of elevation that decreases intracranial pressure in postcraniotomy patients. DESIGN: Quantitative systematic review with meta-analysis following Cochrane methods. DATA SOURCES: The data were collected during 2014; three databases (PubMed, Embase and China National Knowledge Internet) were searched for published and unpublished studies in English. The bibliographies of the articles were also reviewed. The inclusion criteria referred to different elevation degrees and effects on intracranial pressure in postcraniotomy patients. REVIEW METHODS: According to pre-determined inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, two reviewers extracted the eligible studies using a standard data form. RESULTS: These included a total of 237 participants who were included in the meta-analysis. (1) Compared with 0 degree: 10, 15, 30 and 45 degrees of head elevation resulted in lower intracranial pressure. (2) Intracranial pressure at 30 degrees was not significantly different in comparison to 45 degrees and was lower than that at 10 and 15 degrees. CONCLUSION: Patients with increased intracranial pressure significantly benefitted from a head elevation of 10, 15, 30 and 45 degrees compared with 0 degrees. A head elevation of 30 or 45 degrees is optimal for decreasing intracranial pressure. Research about the relationship of position changes and the outcomes of patient primary diseases is absent.