Neuro-cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: pharmacological considerations

Post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment has been an issue of concern in cancer survivors. While most reviews are focused on patient-related factors, it is proposed that drug-related factors may also be determinants. The objective of this review is to study the relationship between the types and dose intensities of chemotherapy regimens on cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients through a systematic literature search. Eighteen prospective studies were selected. The types, dose intensities and durations of chemotherapy regimens received by subjects were compared against prevalence results obtained in individual studies. It was observed that the duration of impairment varied across different generations of chemotherapy regimens. Concurrent administration of multiple cytotoxic agents can lead to a synergistic decline on cognition. Current clinical evidence is insufficient to evaluate the relationship between the types, dose intensities of chemotherapy regimens and cognitive impairment. More investigation is needed to examine the role of pharmacological factors in chemotherapy-associated cognitive changes.     

Prevalence of syphilis infection in different tiers of female sex workers in China: implications for surveillance and interventions

Background

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of invasive infection in young children causing morbidity and mortality. Active surveillance systems of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) are recommended worldwide. The aim of this study was to estimate the current incidence of IPD and to describe the serotype distribution and the antimocrobial susceptibility of S. pneumoniae isolates in children aged less than 5?years residing in North-West Lombardy, Italy.

Methods

A twelve-month prospective active surveillance system recruited all children aged less than 5?years admitted for suspicion of IPD at emergency room of ten hospitals located in the monitored area. Blood samples were taken in all participants for confirmation of IPD based on isolation of S. pneumoniae from blood. Pneumococcal meningitis and sepsis were additionally confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed on isolates from blood.

Results

A total of 15 confirmed cases of IPD were detected among 135 recruited children, including pneumonia (n?=?8), bacteremia (n?=?4), sepsis (n?=?2) and meningitis (n?=?1). The annual IPD incidence rate was 50.0/100,000 (95%CI, 30.5-82.5/100,000). Incidence was 58.3/100,000 (28.8-120.1/100,000) among children aged less than 2?years and 44.4/100,000 (22.9-87.5/100,000) among children aged 2?C4?years. Thirteen isolates were typified. The most common serotype was 19A (23.1%) that together with serotypes 1, 7F and 19F accounted for 69.2% of typified isolates. Serotypes 14, 23F, 12B and 15C were also identified. The 7- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines covered respectively 30.8% and 84.6% of typified IPD cases. One isolate (serotype 15C) was penicillin-resistant and caused meningitis.

Conclusions

The inclusion of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in immunization programs of young children might be considered to reduce incidence and morbidity of invasive pneumococcal disease in this surveilled population.     

糖尿病性黄斑水肿与肾功能受损的相关性

目的 探讨糖尿病性黄斑水肿（diabetic macular edema,DME）与肾功能受损及其严重程度的相关性。设计 回顾性病例系列。研究对象 2016年1月至2020年12月北京老年医院内分泌科住院患者中在眼科会诊的2型糖尿病患者1023例。方法 通过调阅病历获得研究对象的年龄、收缩压、舒张压、血肌酐、空腹静脉血血糖、糖化血红蛋白以及尿微量白蛋白。应用CKD-EPI scr(2009)公式计算估算肾小球滤过率（estimated glomerular filtration rate,eGFR)）。eGFR≥90 ml/min/1.73m2为肾功能正常,60~90 ml/min/1.73m2为肾功能受损,﹤60 ml/min/1.73m2为肾功能不全。调取患者立体彩色眼底像、相干光断层扫描图像。根据美国“糖尿病视网膜病变早期治疗小组”标准诊断DME。比较不同eGFR分级组患者DME的发生率,并采用Logistics回归分析黄斑水肿与肾功能受损程度的相关性。主要指标 DME的发生率。结果 120例患者被诊断为DME。DME的发生与eGFR分级相关,肾功能正常、肾功能受损和肾功能不全患者中,DME患者的比例分别为8.30%、20.51%和24.63%,显示随肾功能异常者DME患者比例显著增加（χ2=34.252,P=0.000）。Logistic回归显示肾功能受损、肾功能不全者发生DME的风险分别是肾功能正常者的1.604倍及2.573倍。结论 DME的发生与肾功能受损及其严重程度相关。（眼科,2021, 30： 232-235）