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BMC Cancer Jun 2024Tumor immune infiltration leads to poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients and seriously affects the life quality of gastric cancer patients. This study was based on...
OBJECTIVE
Tumor immune infiltration leads to poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients and seriously affects the life quality of gastric cancer patients. This study was based on bioinformatics to screen prognostic biomarkers in patients with high degree of immune invasion of gastric cancer. Meanwhile, the action of biomarker CCDC80 was explored in gastric cancer by cell and tumorigenesis experiments, to provide reference for the cure of gastric cancer patients.
METHODS
Data sets and clinical massage on gastric cancer were collected from TCGA database and GEO database. ConsensusClusterPlus was used to cluster gastric cancer patients based on the 28 immune cells infiltration in ssGSEA. R "Limma" package was applied to analyze differential mRNAs between Cluster 1 and Cluster 2. Differential expression genes were screened by single factor analysis. Stemness markers (SERPINF1, DCN, CCDC80, FBLN5, SPARCL1, CCL14, DPYSL3) were identified for differential expression genes. Prognostic value of CCDC80 was evaluated in gastric cancer. Differences in genomic mutation and tumor microenvironment immune infiltration were assessed between high or low CCDC80. Finally, gastric cancer cells (HGC-27 and MKN-45) were selected to evaluate the action of silencing CCDC80 on malignant characterization, macrophage polarization, and tumor formation.
RESULTS
Bioinformatics analysis showed that CCDC80, as a stemness marker, was significantly overexpressed in gastric cancer. CCDC80 was also related to the degree of gastric cancer immune invasion. CCDC80 was up-expressed in cells of gastric cancer. Silencing CCDC80 inhibited malignant characterization and subcutaneous tumor formation of gastric cancer cells. High expression of CCDC80 was positive correspondence with immune invasion. Silencing CCDC80 inhibited M2 polarization and promoted M1 polarization in tumor tissues. In addition, gastric cancer patients were likely to have mutations in CDH1, ACTRT1, GANAB, and CDH10 genes in the High-CCDC80 group.
CONCLUSION
Silencing CCDC80, a prognostic biomarker in patients with immune invasion of gastric cancer, could effectively inhibit the malignant characterization, M2 polarization, and tumor formation of gastric cancer.
Topics: Stomach Neoplasms; Humans; Biomarkers, Tumor; Mice; Animals; Tumor Microenvironment; Prognosis; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Cell Line, Tumor; Gene Silencing; Computational Biology; Female; Male; Gene Expression Profiling
PubMed: 38872096
DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12451-y -
Heliyon Jun 2024This study aimed to show a 3-year trajectory of physical performance among Chinese elderly in Beijing communities and explore the associations between new adverse events...
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to show a 3-year trajectory of physical performance among Chinese elderly in Beijing communities and explore the associations between new adverse events during the 3-year follow-up period and decreased physical performance.
METHODS
A longitudinal observational study included baseline data and transitional information of physical performance from 456 community elders (mean age 67.3 ± 4.9 years, female 43.2 %) at a 3-year follow-up. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were used to measure cognition and physical performance, respectively. The number of chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, malnutrition, depression, knee pain, falls, and frailty were the principal independent variables in multivariate logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS
The proportion of the elderly with poor physical performance (26.97 %) increased to 42.11 % and the proportion of those with good physical performance (44.96 %) dropped to 30.48 % after the three-year follow-up. As for physical performance transitions, 39.47 % of the elderly progressed to a worsening physical status. After adjustment for covariates, only new onset cognitive impairment (OR: 5.17; 95%CI: 2.01-14.54; P = 0.001) was associated with physical performance deterioration.
CONCLUSION
Cognitive impairment is an independent risk factor for decreased physical performance in elderly people. Active interventions targeted at cognitive impairment could help promote healthy aging.
PubMed: 38867948
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32132 -
BMJ Open Jun 2024Primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) is a common menstrual concern with significant physical and psychosocial impacts. The effectiveness and safety of transcutaneous electrical... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION
Primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) is a common menstrual concern with significant physical and psychosocial impacts. The effectiveness and safety of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) in alleviating PD symptoms remain uncertain due to insufficient evidence. This single-centre, parallel, randomised controlled study intends to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TEAS for PD management.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
60 participants aged 18-40 years diagnosed with moderate to severe PD will be recruited from Tai'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and randomly assigned to either a TEAS group or a TEAS-sham group (1:1). The TEAS group will undergo 12 sessions of TEAS treatment over two menstrual cycles, with 30 min per session, three sessions weekly. Participants in the TEAS-sham group will receive TEAS stimulation using identical devices and protocols but without current output. The primary outcome is the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment. Secondary outcomes are Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, total effective rate, uterine artery haemodynamics, prostaglandin and β-endorphin level, mental well-being and quality of life. Adverse events and their potential reasons and the use of analgesics will also be recorded.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Tai'an Hospital of TCM. Written informed consent will be obtained from each participant. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ChiCTR2300071686.
Topics: Humans; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; Acupuncture Points; Adult; Young Adult; China; Adolescent; Pain Measurement; Treatment Outcome; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Quality of Life
PubMed: 38866569
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078895 -
PloS One 2024To study informed consent to midwifery practices and interventions during the second stage of labor and to investigate the association between informed consent and... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVES
To study informed consent to midwifery practices and interventions during the second stage of labor and to investigate the association between informed consent and experiences of these practices and interventions and women's experiences of the second stage of labor.
METHODS
This study uses an observational design with data from a follow-up questionnaire sent to women one month after giving birth spontaneously in the Oneplus trial, a study aimed at evaluating collegial midwifery assistance to reduce severe perineal trauma. The trial was conducted between 2018-2020 at five Swedish maternity wards and trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov, no NCT03770962. The follow-up questionnaire contained questions about experiences of the second stage of labor, practices and interventions used and whether the women had provided informed consent. Evaluated practices and interventions were the use of warm compresses held at the perineum, manual perineal protection, vaginal examinations, perineal massage, levator pressure, intermittent catheterization of the bladder, fundal pressure, and episiotomy. Associations between informed consent and women's experiences were assessed by univariate and multivariable logistic regression.
FINDINGS
Of the 3049 women participating in the trial, 2849 consented to receive the questionnaire. Informed consent was reported by less than one in five women and was associated with feelings of being safe, strong, and in control. Informed consent was further associated with more positive experiences of clinical practices and interventions, and with less discomfort and pain from interventions involving physical penetration of the genital area.
CONCLUSION
The findings indicate that informed consent during the second stage is associated with feelings of safety and of being in control. With less than one in five women reporting informed consent to all practices and interventions performed by midwives, the results emphasize the need for further action to enhance midwives' knowledge and motivation in obtaining informed consent prior to performance of interventions.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Adult; Informed Consent; Labor Stage, Second; Midwifery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Delivery, Obstetric; Sweden; Young Adult
PubMed: 38865296
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304418 -
Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Open Forum 2024Injecting soft-tissue fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, has become an extremely popular method of facial augmentation. Although rare, adverse effects, ranging from...
Injecting soft-tissue fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, has become an extremely popular method of facial augmentation. Although rare, adverse effects, ranging from cosmetically dissatisfactory to dangerous, may occur. The most severe adverse effect of these is vascular occlusion of the central retinal artery, resulting in vision loss. Protocols for the treatment of filler-induced blindness have not been well established, but there is evidence to suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may aid in the therapeutic algorithm for filler-induced blindness. We present a clinical case of filler-induced blindness successfully treated with prompt administration of HBOT. A 38-year-old healthy female presented to the emergency room after immediate pain and complete vision loss following an at-home injection of mail-order filler into the left glabella and medial eyebrow. After treatment with hyaluronidase and ocular massage, neither of which relieved her symptoms, she received HBOT within 10 h of the injury, after which her vision improved significantly. After 2 additional sessions, the patient had complete vision recovery. This case report contributes to the very sparse literature documenting successful treatment of filler-induced blindness using HBOT, advocating for further study, and possible incorporation into the treatment algorithm for filler-induced blindness. Improper soft-tissue filler administration possesses a potential risk of severe adverse effects. It is crucial that the medical community is aware of treatments that offer the highest chance of visual recovery and sustained benefit for patients.
PubMed: 38863892
DOI: 10.1093/asjof/ojae036 -
Translational Andrology and Urology May 2024Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a debilitating condition characterized by lower urinary tract symptoms and persistent pelvic pain or...
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine retention enema combined with perineal massage (THREM): a promising therapeutic strategy for refractory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).
BACKGROUND
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a debilitating condition characterized by lower urinary tract symptoms and persistent pelvic pain or discomfort lasting for more than three months. Currently available oral drug therapies exhibit limited efficacy in the treatment of CP/CPPS. Therefore, personalized and combination therapies are recommended by Chinese CP/CPPS guidelines, which primarily include traditional Chinese medicine, radiofrequency therapy, urethral lavage, transrectal prostate massage, extracorporeal shock wave therapy. However, a significant number of patients do not respond well to all types of these therapeutic methods. Among those who have sequentially or simultaneously undergone at least three different treatment modalities, in addition to oral medications, for more than 1 year, they are defined as patients with refractory CP/CPPS. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the clinical effect of traditional Chinese herbal medicine retention enema combined with perineal massage (THREM) in managing refractory CP/CPPS.
METHODS
A total of 20 patients with refractory CP/CPPS, who did not show significant improvement despite receiving multiple conventional treatments, including oral medications, were included in this study. Following THREM therapy, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), visual analogue scale (VAS), and National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) quality of life (QoL) score were used to assess treatment efficacy.
RESULTS
Six months after THREM therapy, a significant decrease in IPSS, VAS, and QoL scores was observed (P<0.01). Importantly, 85% of the patients experienced a reduction in symptoms of ≥60%, with an average degree of alleviation reaching 70.25%±24.20%.
CONCLUSIONS
THREM treatment demonstrated excellent efficacy in managing refractory CP/CPPS at least for 6 months. It has promising clinical application prospects. Further research is warranted to validate these results and explore the underlying mechanisms of THREM therapy.
PubMed: 38855610
DOI: 10.21037/tau-23-386 -
Cureus May 2024Low back pain is one of the most common ailments encountered by physicians and orthopedic surgeons. There are various modalities used to treat low back pain,... (Review)
Review
Low back pain is one of the most common ailments encountered by physicians and orthopedic surgeons. There are various modalities used to treat low back pain, including conservative management, and a few of them involve rest, medications, massage, bracing, acupuncture, and physical therapy. Though most of the patients improve with conservative management, the burden of this disease has been very high and caused a significant amount of economic loss. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of all conservative methods is essential for physicians managing low back pain. Furthermore, there can be many causes of low back pain. Some of the more common ones are mechanical back pain due to paraspinal muscles or facetal in origin, discogenic back pain, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Many patients, especially the older population, have the discogenic origin as the more common cause of back pain, and traction therapy has been used for its treatment for ages. In this review, we discuss non-surgical spinal decompression/traction therapy popularly known as interferential differential dynamics (IDD) therapy with its current standing and recent advancement.
PubMed: 38854340
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59873 -
Research Square May 2024A significant number of women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Receiving at least four...
BACKGROUND
A significant number of women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Receiving at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits may be important in reducing maternal and perinatal deaths. This study investigates factors associated with attending ≥ 4 ANC visits in Sarlahi district of southern Nepal.
METHODS
A secondary analysis was conducted on data from the Nepal Oil Massage Study (NOMS), a cluster-randomized, community-based longitudinal pregnancy cohort study encompassing 34 Village Development Committees. We quantified the association between receipt/attendance of ≥ 4 ANC visits and socioeconomic, demographic, morbidity, and pregnancy history factors using logistic regression; Generalized Estimating Equations were used to account for multiple pregnancies per woman.
RESULTS
All pregnancies resulting in a live birth (n=31,867) were included in the model and 31.4% of those pregnancies received 4+ ANC visits. Significant positive associations include socioeconomic factors such as participation in non-farming occupations for women (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.93), higher education (OR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.66, 1.93) and wealth quintile OR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.59), nutritional status such as non-short stature (OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.27), obstetric history such as adequate interpregnancy interval (OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.45) and prior pregnancy but no live birth (OR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.57, 2.92), symptoms such as vaginal bleeding (OR=1.35, 95% CI:1.11, 1.65) and awareness of the government's conditional cash transfer ANC program (OR=2.26, 95% CI: 2.01, 2.54). Conversely, belonging to the lower Shudra caste (OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.67), maternal age below 18 or above 35 (OR=0.81, 95% CI:0.74, 0.88; OR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.96)), preterm birth (OR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.49), parity ≥ 1 (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.72), and the presence of hypertension during pregnancy (OR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.69, 0.90) were associated with decreased likelihood of attending ≥ 4 ANC visits.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings underscore the importance of continuing and promoting the government's program and increasing awareness among women. Moreover, understanding these factors can guide interventions aimed at encouraging ANC uptake in the most vulnerable groups, subsequently reducing maternal-related adverse outcomes in LMICs.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The clinicaltrial.gov trial registration number for NOMS was #NCT01177111. Registration date was August 6, 2010.
PubMed: 38853894
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4467441/v1 -
Complementary Therapies in Clinical... Jun 2024The Complementary Health and Wellbeing service has been offering integrative therapies to cancer patients at The Christie Hospital NHS Trust since 1997 and has not...
INTRODUCTION
The Complementary Health and Wellbeing service has been offering integrative therapies to cancer patients at The Christie Hospital NHS Trust since 1997 and has not undergone an external service evaluation in that time. It is considered a pioneering service.
METHOD
An external academic was invited to undertake a service evaluation based on information and experiences since the implementation of services changes as the result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Service users and therapists were interviewed along with review of quality control data and documentation.
RESULTS
Eighteen staff and eight patients were interviewed showing a high functioning and valuable service, offering a range of services to meet the needs of both inoutpatient and outpatient services. All staff are qualified and passionate, with a significant number of research outputs. However, the service is at capacity, and must rethink some delivery to ensure long term sustainability. Services offered include acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, talking therapies and motivational behavioural changes. There is a high degree of patient satisfaction as the therapies help them manage their life affecting side effects, however accessing or being aware of the service before treatment commenced was a concern for patients.
DISCUSSION
The Complementary Health and Wellbeing Service is well resourced, with all staff paid employees of the NHS trust funded via a charitable part of the trust. There is a self-funding education unit to provide staff training with participants coming from around the world. The therapists are expert practitioners who have undergone specialist training to work in this unique environment, however capacity to meet the needs of the service is limited, and there are gaps in the way patient evaluations are collected, which needs to be addressed for long term viability and future benchmarking. The changes to service to adapt to COVID-19 have become embedded within the service.
PubMed: 38852531
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2024.101869 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Pathological changes in the articular cartilage (AC) and synovium are major manifestations of osteoarthritis (OA) and are strongly associated with pain and functional...
Exosomes derived from miR-146a-overexpressing fibroblast-like synoviocytes in cartilage degradation and macrophage M1 polarization: a novel protective agent for osteoarthritis?
INTRODUCTION
Pathological changes in the articular cartilage (AC) and synovium are major manifestations of osteoarthritis (OA) and are strongly associated with pain and functional limitations. Exosome-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulatory factors in intercellular communication and can influence the progression of OA by participating in the degradation of chondrocytes and the phenotypic transformation in the polarization of synovial macrophages. However, the specific relationships and pathways of action of exosomal miRNAs in the pathological progression of OA in both cartilage and synovium remain unclear.
METHODS
This study evaluates the effects of fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS)-derived exosomes (FLS-Exos), influenced by miR-146a, on AC degradation and synovial macrophage polarization. We investigated the targeted relationship between miR-146a and TRAF6, both and , along with the involvement of the NF-κB signaling pathway.
RESULTS
The expression of miR-146a in the synovial exosomes of OA rats was significantly higher than in healthy rats. , the upregulation of miR-146a reduced chondrocyte apoptosis, whereas its downregulation had the opposite effect. , exosomes derived from miR-146a-overexpressing FLSs (miR-146a-FLS-Exos) reduced AC injury and chondrocyte apoptosis in OA. Furthermore, synovial proliferation was reduced, and the polarization of synovial macrophages shifted from M1 to M2. Mechanistically, the expression of TRAF6 was inhibited by targeting miR-146a, thereby modulating the Toll-like receptor 4/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway in the innate immune response.
DISCUSSION
These findings suggest that miR-146a, mediated through FLS-Exos, may alleviate OA progression by modulating cartilage degradation and macrophage polarization, implicating the NF-κB pathway in the innate immune response. These insights highlight the therapeutic potential of miR-146a as a protective agent in OA, underscoring the importance of exosomal miRNAs in the pathogenesis and potential treatment of the disease.
Topics: MicroRNAs; Animals; Exosomes; Osteoarthritis; Rats; Macrophages; Synoviocytes; Male; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6; Cartilage, Articular; Chondrocytes; NF-kappa B; Signal Transduction; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Fibroblasts; Synovial Membrane; Cells, Cultured; Apoptosis; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Macrophage Activation
PubMed: 38846937
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1361606