Patients Are Knowledge Workers in the Clinical Information Space

Background  Limited research exists on patient knowledge/cognition or “getting inside patients'' heads.” Because patients possess unique and privileged knowledge, clinicians need this information to make patient-centered and coordinated treatment planning decisions. To achieve patient-centered care, we characterize patient knowledge and contributions to the clinical information space. Methods and Objectives  In a theoretical overview, we explore the relevance of patient knowledge to care provision, apply historical perspectives of knowledge acquisition to patient knowledge, propose a representation of patient knowledge types across the continuum of care, and include illustrative vignettes about Mr. Jones. We highlight how the field of human factors (a core competency of health informatics) provides a perspective and methods for eliciting and characterizing patient knowledge. Conclusion  Patients play a vital role in the clinical information space by possessing and sharing unique knowledge relevant to the clinical picture. Without a patient''s contributions, the clinical picture of the patient is incomplete. A human factors perspective informs patient-centered care and health information technology solutions to support clinical information sharing.     

Innovative immunosuppression in kidney transplantation: A challenge for unmet needs

Due to the optimal results obtained in kidney transplantation and to the lack of interest of the industries, new innovative drugs in kidney transplantation are difficult to be encountered. The best strategy to find the new drugs recently developed or under development is to search in the sections of kidney transplantation still not completely covered by the drugs on the market. These unmet needs are the prevention of delayed graft function (DGF), the protection of the graft over the long time and the desensitization of preformed anti human leukocyte antigen antibodies and the treatment of the acute antibody-mediated rejection. These needs are particularly relevant due to the expansion of some kind of kidney transplantation as transplantation from non-heart beating donor and in the case of antibody-incompatible grafts. The first are particularly exposed to DGF, the latter need a safe desensitization and a safe treatments of the antibody mediated rejections that often occur. Particular caution is needed in treating these drugs. First, they are described in very recent studies and the follow-up of their effect is of course rather short. Second, some of these drugs are still in an early phase of study, even if in well-conducted randomized controlled trials. Particular caution and a careful check need to be used in trials launched 2 or 3 years ago. Indeed, is always necessary to verify whether the study is still going on or whether and why the study itself was abandoned.     

赤芝FPS基因酵母单杂交文库构建及其上游转录因子的筛选

目的筛选赤芝三萜合成途径中法尼基焦磷酸合酶(farnesyl diphosphate synthase,FPS)基因的上游调控转录因子。方法首先克隆了FPS基因启动子,并连接至pAbAi质粒构建诱饵载体pAbAi-FPS。将pAbAi-FPS转化Y1H酵母感受态细胞构建诱饵菌。采用SMART技术构建赤芝酵母单杂交cDNA文库,再将纯化的双链cDNA、pGADT7-Rec共转化诱饵菌株,筛选FPS上游的转录调控因子。结果构建了含pAbAi-FPS的诱饵载体并筛选出诱饵菌株,构建了cDNA文库并转化诱饵菌株,筛选出阳性克隆37个,得到作用FPS基因上游的转录调控因子18个,包括转录因子3个、核糖体蛋白5个及其他家族蛋白10个。结论筛选出转录因子GlSNF2、GlMHR和GlZn2Cys6为调控FPS表达的候选基因,为深入研究FPS基因的表达调控机制奠定了研究基础。     

持续性特发性耳鸣严重程度的相关因素分析

目的 探讨导致持续性特发性耳鸣严重程度的相关因素。 方法 分析870例持续性特发性主观性耳鸣患者的一般资料、病史、听力学结果、耳鸣匹配实验、耳鸣残疾量表、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表和焦虑自评量表,应用多因素Logistic回归分析研究与患者耳鸣严重程度相关的因素。 结果 (1)性别(P<0.001)、年龄(P=0.010)、耳鸣主调声频率(P=0.005)、听力损失(P=0.037)、焦虑程度(P<0.001)、睡眠状况(P<0.001)在THI分级上差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);(2)病程(P=0.053)、侧别(P=0.437)、主调声响度(P=0.120)在THI分级上差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。 结论 女性患者特发性耳鸣的程度较男性更为严重;低频较高频更扰人;焦虑程度和睡眠状况是影响耳鸣严重程度的因素,而病程、侧别、耳鸣主调声响度不是影响患者特发性耳鸣严重程度的因素。     

碘乙酸钠诱导的大鼠膝骨关节炎模型肠道菌群变化及其潜在影响

目的:研究碘乙酸钠诱导的大鼠膝骨关节炎(KOA)模型肠道菌群变化情况,探究肠道菌群与KOA的潜在联系。方法:将SPF级大鼠分为空白对照组和KOA组,通过膝关节局部注射碘乙酸钠制造大鼠KOA模型。通过16SrDNA检测大鼠粪便中的肠道菌群变化情况,蛋白印记法检测结肠组织中NF-κB和TNF-α蛋白表达,RT-qPCR检测结肠组织中Caspase-1和IL-1β基因表达情况,苏木精-伊红染色观察结肠黏膜通透性变化,苏木精-伊红染色观察关节滑膜和软骨组织的病理变化情况。ELISA检测血液上清中LBP,IL-1β,TNF-α及IL-10炎症因子水平。结果:与空白对照组相比,从KOA组中筛选出明显变化的肠道菌群,以Akkermansia和疣微菌门变化最为显著,结肠黏膜通透性增加,结肠组织中NF-κB p65及TNF-α蛋白表达升高,结肠组织中Caspase-1和IL-1β基因表达升高,血液中促炎因子LBP,IL-1β及TNF-α蛋白含量升高,抗炎因子IL-10蛋白含量降低。结论:KOA病理状态下肠道菌群发生变化,结肠炎症反应增强,结肠炎症反应或许在提高全身炎症反应水平、促进与肠道菌群相关的KOA的病理进程中起到重要的桥梁作用。     

Assessment of heavy metals by ICP-OES and their impact on insulin stimulating hormone and carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) have recently emerged as major health concerns owing to their strong association with diabetes mellitus (DM). We aimed to investigate the heavy metals exposure towards incidence of DM at various enzymatic and hormonal levels. Additionally, association of As and Cd with Zinc (Zn, essential metal) was also evaluated. Spot urine samples were collected to assess As, Cd and Zn through ICP-OES. Serum was analyzed by assay method for fasting blood glucose, liver and renal function biomarkers. ELISA was performed to investigate the impact of heavy metals on HbA1c, α-amylase, DPP-IV, IGF-1, leptin, GSH, MDA, SOD, HDL, FFA, TG and interleukin (IL)-6. Association of heavy metals with DM was measured by odds ratio (OR) and level of significance was assessed by Chi-squared test. Unpaired student's t-test was used to compare DM-associated risk factors in heavy metals-exposed and unexposed participants. As and Cd were detectable in 75.4% and 83% participants with mean concentration of 75.5 ppb and 54.5 ppb, respectively. For As exposure, OR in the third quartile was maximum ie 1.34 (95% CI, 0.80 to 2.23), however the result was not statistically significant (P > .05). For Cd exposure, OR in the fourth quartile was considerably high, 1.62 (95% CI, 1.00 to 2.61), with a significant probability value (P < .05). Urinary Cd was negatively associated with Zn. As and Cd exposure increases the incidence of DM in the general population. Impaired hormonal and enzymatic levels in diabetic and non-diabetic exposed participants reflect the multiple organ damage by heavy metal exposure.     

Use of biomimetic microtissue spheroids and specific growth factor supplementation to improve tenocyte differentiation and adaptation to a collagen-based scaffold in vitro

Tenocytes represent a valuable source of cells for the purposes of tendon tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and as such, should possess a high degree of tenogenic differentiation prior to their use in vivo in order to achieve maximal efficacy. In the current report, we identify an efficient means by which to maintain differentiated tenocytes in vitro by employing the hanging drop technique in combination with defined growth media supplements. Equine tenocytes retained a more differentiated state when cultured as scaffold-free microtissue spheroids in low serum-containing medium supplemented with l-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, insulin and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. This was made evident by significant increases in the expression levels of pro-tenogenic markers collagen type I (COL1A2), collagen type III (COL3A1), scleraxis (SCX) and tenomodulin (TNMD), as well as by enhanced levels of collagen type I and tenomodulin protein. Furthermore, tenocytes cultured under these conditions demonstrated a typical spindle-like morphology and when embedded in collagen gels, became highly aligned with respect to the orientation of the collagen structure following their migration out from the microtissue spheroids. Our findings therefore provide evidence to support the use of a biomimetic microtissue approach to culturing tenocytes and that in combination with the defined growth media described, can improve their differentiation status and functional repopulation of collagen matrix.