COH outcomes in breast cancer patients for fertility preservation: a comparison with the expected response by age

PurposeBreast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed during childbearing age, and fertility preservation is becoming increasingly more essential. However, recent studies indicate a possible poorer response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in cancer patients than in non-cancer controls and a negative impact of BRCA mutations on female fertility. This study aims to evaluate ovarian response and the number of mature oocytes (MII) vitrified in women with breast cancer, with or without BRCA mutation, comparing them to the expected response according to an age-related nomogram.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study involving sixty-one breast cancer patients who underwent COH for oocyte cryopreservation. The age-specific nomogram was built using 3871 patients who underwent COH due to oocyte donation, fertility preservation for non-medical reasons, or FIVET for male factor exclusively.ResultsThe mean number of oocytes retrieved was 13.03, whereas the mean number of MII oocytes was 10.00. After the application of the z-score, no statistically significant differences were found compared with the expected response in the general population, neither by dividing patients according to the presence or absence of BRCA mutation nor according to the phase in which they initiated stimulation.ConclusionThe results obtained do not support the notion of a negative impact of the BRCA mutation on the ovarian response of women with breast cancer. Women with breast cancer undergoing COH for fertility preservation can expect the ovarian response predicted for their age.     

基于证候要素的中风辨证论治

中风病是临床的常见病、多发病。本病病因较多,病情变化迅速,证型繁杂,不同的文献中证候分类差异较大。证候分类的繁杂给临床工作者治疗中风病带来极大不便。本文对以证候要素(内风、内火、痰湿、瘀血、气虚、阴虚)为切入点论治中风病的理论进行探讨,并举例论证其临床疗效。     

Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on digital device-related ocular health

Purpose:Since the declaration of the lockdown due to COVID-19, the usage of digital devices has gone up across the globe, resulting in a challenge for the visual systems of all ages. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the lockdown on digital device usage, and consequently, the ocular surface health implications and circadian rhythm abnormalities related to digital eye strain.Methods:An open online survey was sent through various social media platforms and was open for a period of 2 weeks.Results:A total of 407 usable responses were obtained; the average age of respondents was 27.4 years. Typically, 93.6% of respondents reported an increase in their screen time since the lockdown was declared. The average increase in digital device usage was calculated at about 4.8 ± 2.8 h per day. The total usage per day was found to be 8.65 ± 3.74 hours. Sleep disturbances have been reported by 62.4% of people. Typically, 95.8% of respondents had experienced at least one symptom related to digital device usage, and 56.5% said that the frequency and intensity of these symptoms increased since the lockdown was declared.Conclusion:The study highlighted the drastic increase in use of digital devices after the initiation of the COVID-19 lockdown, and along with it, the slow deterioration of ocular health across all age groups. Awareness about prevention of digital eye strain should be stressed, and going forward, measures to bring these adverse effects to a minimum should be explored.     

Factors affecting compliance to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in Indian patients with retinal vein occlusion,age-related macular degeneration,and diabetic macular edema

Purpose:To evaluate the rate of compliance and the reasons for loss to follow-up in Indian patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) being treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.Methods:This was a retrospective single-center study. Patients with DME, AMD, or RVO were eligible if they initiated anti-VEGF therapy between January 2013 and December 2017. Patients'' data were obtained from hospital electronic records, including the number of injections received, visits, details of follow-up, missed appointments, and reasons for loss to follow-up (>365 days).Results:A total of 648 patients were eligible for the study, of which 334 (51.54%) patients were lost to follow-up. Overall, 343 (64.96%) were males and the overall mean (SD) age was 66.40 (7.44) years. A total of 376 (58.0%) patients had a history of diabetes and 364 (56.2%) patients had a history of hypertension. Further, 127 (38.0), 112 (33.5), and 95 (28.4) had DME, AMD, and RVO, respectively and were lost to follow-up. The most commonly reported reason for loss to follow-up was “non-affordability” (n = 120; 41.1%) followed by “no improvement in vision” (n = 83; 28.4%). “No improvement in vision” (42.2%) and “non-affordability” (37.5%) were higher among patients with DME. No association was found in gender- and treatment-wise distribution of reasons for loss to follow-up.Conclusion:The results showed that around half of the patients with DME, AMD, and RVO were lost to follow-up to intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy, and the most common factors were “non-affordability” and “no improvement in vision.”     

丹青胶囊联合他扎罗汀倍他米松治疗银屑病的临床研究

目的 探讨丹青胶囊联合他扎罗汀倍他米松治疗银屑病的临床疗效.方法 选取2019年6月—2021年6月在天津市职业病防治院门诊皮肤科就诊治疗的114例银屑病患者,根据随机数字法分为对照组和治疗组,每组各57例.对照组患者给予他扎罗汀倍他米松乳膏,洗净患处,待皮肤干爽后,将适量本品均匀涂抹于患处,1次/d.治疗组患者在对照组治疗基础上口服丹青胶囊,4粒/次,3次/d.两组患者均连续治疗7 d.观察两组患者的临床疗效和临床症状好转时间,比较两组治疗前与治疗1、4、8周的皮损面积和严重程度指数(PASI)评分和血清炎性因子水平.结果 治疗后,治疗组总有效率是98.25％,显著高于对照组的82.46％(P<0.05).治疗后,治疗组患者皮损暗红、皮损肥厚、皮肤瘙痒、皮肤疼痛等症状好转时间均显著短于对照组(P<0.05).治疗后,两组PASI评分均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.05);治疗1、4、8周治疗组PASI评分显著低于对照组(P<0.05).治疗后,两组患者血清炎性因子白细胞介素6(IL-6)、白细胞介素17(IL-17)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)水平均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.05);治疗后,治疗组血清炎性因子水平显著低于对照组(P<0.05).结论 丹青胶囊联合他扎罗汀倍他米松治疗银屑病效果明显,能显著降低炎性因子水平,并有助于改善皮损情况,值得临床推广应用.     

Measuring disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: Effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) requires suppression of the underlying inflammation. Measurement of such inflammation, the disease activity, is mandatory to target treatment and maximize outcomes. However, this is not as straightforward as it may seem.

Areas covered: The many tools developed to measure disease activity in RA, from composite scores and patient-reported outcomes, to laboratory markers and imaging are discussed, with a focus on their utility in guiding therapy and assessing response. The complex issues in measuring disease activity in RA, whether in clinical trials or normal clinical practice, and in the context of national guidelines and recommendations, available time, and resources are considered.

Expert commentary: The key to effective management of RA is the rapid suppression of inflammation, ideally to remission, with maintenance of such remission. The aim is to prevent disability and maximize quality of life. Central to this is the ability to determine disease activity (potentially open to suppression) as opposed to damage (irreversible). A variety of measures are currently available, allowing better assessment of response to treatment. In the future, the development of predictive biomarkers allowing targeting of drugs may revolutionize this field and render the tools of today redundant.