Follow up

PURPOSES: This study investigated the feasibility of adalimumab (ADA) dose reduction and withdrawal strategy in children with stable pediatric non-infectious uveitis (PNIU). METHODS: This open-label prospective pilot trial recruited 18 stable PNIU patients (33 eyes) between two and eighteen years old who were treated with standard doses of ADA (20/40 mg every 2 weeks) plus oral methotrexate. The interval of ADA injection was extended to 4 weeks and followed up for 24 weeks...

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is characterized by the deposition of misfolded monoclonal free light chains, with cardiac complications accounting for patients' mortality. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) has been associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes in the general population. Its significance in AL amyloidosis remains unclear. We collected clinical information and outcome data on 76 patients with a diagnosis of AL amyloidosis who underwent deep-targeted sequencing for myeloid neoplasia-associated mutations between April 2018 and August 2023...

PURPOSE: There are no well-established re-treatment options for local recurrence after primary curative radiation therapy for prostate cancer (PCa), as prospective studies with long-term follow-up are lacking. Here, we present results from a prospective study on focal salvage reirradiation with external-beam radiation therapy with a median follow-up of 7.2 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2013 to 2017, 38 patients with biopsy-proven locally recurrent PCa >2 years after previous treatment and absence of grade 2-3 toxicity from the first course of radiation were included...

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common liver disease with a high rate of morbidity, and its pathogenesis is closely associated with the overproduction of highly reactive hypochlorite (ClO- ) in the liver. However, bioluminescence imaging of endogenous hypochlorite in nontransgenic natural mice remains challenging. Herein, to address this issue, we report a strategy for imaging ClO- in living cells and DILI mice by harnessing a bioluminescent probe formylhydrazine luciferin ( ClO-Luc ) combined with firefly luciferase (fLuc) mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)...

PURPOSE: This phase 1 trial aimed to determine the maximum tolerated fraction dose (MTFD) of hypofractionated radiotherapy (hypo-RT) combined with concurrent chemotherapy and subsequent consolidation immune checkpoint inhibitors (cICI) for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Split-course hypo-RT and hypo-boost combined with concurrent chemotherapy were administered at three dose levels (DLs), using a stepwise dose-escalation protocol...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) syndrome is an ultra-rare autosomal-recessive tubulopathy, caused by mutations in HSD11B2, leading to excessive activation of the kidney mineralocorticoid receptor, and characterized by early-onset low-renin hypertension, hypokalemia, and risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). To date, most reports included few patients, and none described patients from Israel. We aimed to describe AME patients from Israel and to review the relevant literature...

This study addresses a gap in the literature by exploring the longitudinal effects of hassles in mediating the relationship between neuroticism and the tripartite model of depression and anxiety. The research investigates these associations in a large sample of university students, utilising baseline and 6-month follow-up data. Initial assessments involved participants completing measures for neuroticism, depression and anxiety symptoms, and the occurrence of stress, followed by monthly assessments of stress, anxiety symptom and mood symptoms over a 6-month period...

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment failure remains a major public health concern, with multidimensional consequences, including an increased risk of drug resistance, compromised quality of life, and high healthcare costs. However, little is known about the outcomes of second-line ART in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the incidence and determinants of second-line ART treatment failure. Articles published in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus databases were systematically searched...

BACKGROUND: The field of human expert performance teaches us that high quality, high-dose guided practice is required to make large gains in cognitively driven acts. The same also seems to be true for people with acquired brain injury, yet therapy services for people with aphasia (PWA) have traditionally not been designed with this in mind. Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programmes (ICAPs) are one way to address the chronic under-dosing of therapy that most PWA experience. AIMS: There are several ways to deliver an ICAP; here we describe two iterations of our Queen Square ICAP...

OBJECTIVES: Recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) is extremely difficult to predict, with TBI severity usually demonstrating weak predictive validity for functional or other outcomes. A possible explanation may lie in the statistical phenomenon called suppression, according to which a third variable masks the true association between predictor and outcome, making it appear weaker than it actually is. Age at injury is a strong candidate as a suppressor because of its well-established main and moderating effects on TBI outcomes...

Purpose: To report the first case of uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema (UGH) syndrome post implantable collamer lens (ICL). Methods: Case report Results: A 41-year-old female presented to our clinic complaining of bilateral eye pain and redness for two weeks. Her past medical history was significant for ICL, in both eyes and multiple sclerosis controlled with treatment. She had a long-standing history of bilateral recurrent uveitis and glaucoma. Ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed several sulcus cysts displacing the ICLs haptic into the ciliary body, leading to iris abrasion and uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of cardiovascular atherosclerotic plaque monosodium urate deposits with the occurrence of major cardiovascular events in gout and hyperuricemia patients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients with clinically suspicion of gout, who performed a dual energy computed tomography of the affected limb and thorax between June 1st, 2012 and December 5th, 2019. Clinical and laboratory parameters were retrieved from patientś charts...

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and atherosclerosis share many common inflammatory pathways. We studied whether a multi-biomarker panel for RA disease activity (MBDA) would associate with changes in arterial inflammation in an interventional trial. METHODS: In the TARGET Trial, RA patients with active disease despite methotrexate were randomly assigned to the addition of either a TNF inhibitor or sulfasalazine+hydroxychloroquine (triple therapy). Baseline and 24-week follow-up 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans were assessed for change in arterial inflammation measured as the maximal arterial target-to-blood background ratio of FDG uptake in the most diseased segment of the carotid arteries or aorta (MDS-TBRmax)...

In response to decreasing numbers of individuals entering into nephrology fellowships, the American Society of Nephrology launched Kidney TREKS (Tutored Research and Education for Kidney Scholars) to stimulate interest in nephrology among medical students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. The program combines a one-week intensive exposure to kidney physiology with a longitudinal mentorship program at the participants' home institutions. Ten years in, an analysis was conducted to assess its effectiveness...

BACKGROUND: Repeated stigmatization due to group membership constitutes a recurrent stressor with negative impact on physical and mental health (minority stress model). Among European countries, Romania ranks low on LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The "+" represents individuals whose identities do not fit typical binary notions of male and female [nonbinary]) inclusion, with 45% of Romanian LGBT+ respondents reporting discrimination in at least 1 area of life in the year preceding the survey...

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and pulmonary hypertension have been recognized as two important prognostic features in patients with left side heart failure. Current literature does not distinguish between right heart failure (RHF) and RVD, and the two terms are used indiscriminately to describe pulmonary hypertension and RVD as well as clinical sign of RHF. Therefore, the right ventricle (RV) adaptation across the whole spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values has been poorly investigated...

INTRODUCTION: Stoma site incisional hernias (SSIHs) are associated with substantial long-term morbidity, and the rate can be as high as 30% to 40%. Recent efforts using prophylactic mesh reinforcement (PMR) to reduce the development of hernias have shown encouraging outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the use of prophylactic biosynthetic mesh at the time of stoma reversal on the overall SSIH rate. METHODS: This is an observational retrospective cohort study...

BACKGROUND: Follow-up of abnormal results is essential to cervical cancer screening, but data on adherence to follow-up are limited. We describe patterns of follow-up after screening abnormalities and identify predictors of guideline-concordant follow-up. METHODS: We identified the index screening abnormality (positive human papillomavirus [HPV] test or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance [ASC-US] or more severe cytology) among women 25-65 years old at three U...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy and precision of continuous overnight oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) measurement by a commercial wrist device (WD) incorporating high-grade sensors, and investigate WD estimation of sleep-disordered breathing by quantifying overnight oxygen desaturation index (ODI) compared to polysomnography (PSG) ODI and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) with and without sleep questionnaire data, to assess WD ability to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and determine its severity...

BACKGROUND: Appendectomy is a common surgical procedure to treat appendicitis. Limited studies examined its association on prostate cancer, with one large cohort study suggesting significant increased risk of overall and advanced prostate cancer, especially among younger men. METHODS: A total of 49,104 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study were followed from 1986 to 2016. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to evaluate the association between self-reported history of appendectomy and risk of overall and subtype specific prostate cancer, adjusted for multiple risk factors...