Evaluating and understanding combination therapy decision drivers for the treatment of overactive bladder in the United States

ObjectiveTo understand factors guiding overactive bladder (OAB) therapy selection and experience with combination therapy (antimuscarinics and beta-3 agonists).MethodsCross-sectional surveys of OAB patients and OAB-treating physicians in the USA were conducted. Patients receiving monotherapy with antimuscarinics were categorized by OAB treatment history: monotherapy only; third-line procedures (e.g., onabotulinumtoxinA injections) and combination therapy; third-line therapy only; and combination therapy only. The patient survey assessed therapy choice drivers and barriers, treatment satisfaction and sociodemographic/clinical characteristics. The physician survey assessed drivers of and barriers to OAB treatment choices.ResultsOf 200 patients, 86.5% reported involvement in treatment decision-making; doctor’s recommendation was the most frequently considered factor (84.4%). Most patients (71%) were unaware of combination therapy. The primary reason why those patients aware of combination therapy had not used it (N = 43/200; 21%) was physician recommendation of other treatments (69.8%). For physicians (N = 50), the most frequently considered factors when prescribing OAB treatment were effectiveness (92.0%) and side effects (84.0%); 70% prescribed combination therapy, primarily for symptom severity (82.9%). The main reasons for not prescribing combination therapy were cost/insurance coverage (80%) and lack of information (53.3%).ConclusionsShared decision-making guided treatment decisions; the main considerations were treatment safety and efficacy.     

中西医结合治疗系统性红斑狼疮现状及评析

系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)是一种以多脏器、多系统损害为主的自身免疫性疾病,多见于青壮年女性,可急性或慢性隐匿性发作,反复恶化与自行缓解常交替进行,病情日趋恶化,晚期常因全身多脏器衰竭、心肾损害而预后不良。我国初步调查SLE患者发病率为20～70／10万人,属高发地区。且近年统计资料显示其年发病率有逐渐上升的趋势,患者亦日趋年轻化。本病目前尚无根治的方法。随着激素类药物及免疫抑制剂的应用,SLE的病死率有下降趋势,在90年代5年、10年、20年生存率已分别达97％、90％和80％。但是由于本病长期反复发作,西医治疗药物许多都有很强的毒副作用,严重影响着病人的生存质量。     

获取高质量生物样品图象的电镜技术浅析

获取高分辨率和高反差的生物样品电镜图象受许多因素的影响,它包括切片厚度的选择,电镜的校直合轴、加速电压的选择、以及聚焦方法和曝光时间等。除生物样品制备技术这一重要因素外,必须考虑到上述各因素间的相互关系及其综合选择、然后才有可能获得高质量的生物样品的超微结构图象。     

驻景丸加减方对形觉剥夺性近视小鼠视网膜自噬的影响

目的:探讨驻景丸加减方对形觉剥夺性近视小鼠视网膜自噬的影响。方法:C57BL/6小鼠30只随机分为阴性对照组、近视模型组以及中药干预组,每组10只。除了阴性对照组外,近视模型组、中药干预组小鼠均使用半透明EP管遮盖右眼制成形觉剥夺性近视(FDM)模型;中药干预组灌胃驻景丸加减方混悬液0.546g/(kg·d)(0.15mL/d),阴性对照组、近视模型组灌胃等量生理盐水(0.15mL/d),共4wk。分别于实验开始、实验结束,使用带状检影镜测量小鼠右眼屈光度,A超测量小鼠右眼眼轴长度。实验结束时,取所有小鼠右眼进行检测,免疫荧光法定位和检测视网膜小胶质细胞标志物(Iba1)活性与迁移;透射电镜观察视网膜色素上皮细胞中自噬小体形成情况;Western Blot、实时荧光定量PCR(q-PCR)检测视网膜组织自噬标志物LC3Ⅱ和p62蛋白定量及基因表达情况。结果:实验结束时小鼠右眼屈光度示,近视模型组、中药干预组形成相对近视,近视模型组、中药干预组较阴性对照组显著降低(均P<0.01)。实验结束时,近视模型组、中药干预组眼轴长度较阴性对照组眼轴长度显著增加(P<0.01)。免疫荧...     

Value of combined detection of serum amyloid A,C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in differential diagnosis of respiratory tract infection in children of China

ObjectiveTo explore the diagnostic value of combined detection of serum amyloid A (SAA), C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in children with bacteria or non-bacterial respiratory tract infection.Methods200 children with respiratory tract infections diagnosed in our hospital were included in the study. According to the results of the aetiological examination, they were divided into bacterial infection group and non-bacterial infection group. At the same time, 100 healthy children admitted to the hospital for physical examination during the same period were selected as the healthy subjects control group. Changes in serum SAA, PCT and CRP in three groups were compared. Comparison of a positive rate of the single index and combined detection were performed. Children with bacterial infections were treated with conventional antibiotics. The changes in serum SAA, PCT and CRP in the infection group before and after treatment were compared. The efficacy of SAA, PCT and CRP alone and in combination was compared.ResultsThe serum SAA, PCT and CRP levels in the bacterial infection group were higher than those in the non-bacterial infection group and healthy children, and the differences were statistically significant. The positive detection rates and combined detection rates of serum SAA, PCT and CRP in the bacterial infection group were higher than those in the non-bacterial infection group and the healthy subject''s control group. After conventional antibiotic treatment, serum SAA, PCT and CR levels in children with bacterial infection were significantly decreased.ConclusionThe combined detection based on SAA, CRP and PCT can effectively identify and diagnose respiratory tract infection in children, providing a certain reference for the promotion of the diagnostic scheme.

Key messages

• Serum SAA, PCT and CRP were highly expressed in children with respiratory tract infection, and the expression level was the highest in children with bacterial pneumonia.
• The combined detection of serum SAA, CRP and PCT indicators have higher diagnostic efficiency and can effectively make a differential diagnosis of respiratory tract infection in children.

     

深圳市2017年-2019年常住居民恶性肿瘤死因分析

目的 分析深圳市恶性肿瘤死亡特征和分布情况,为政府制定恶性肿瘤的防控策略提供参考依据.方法 采用国际疾病分类标准(ICD-10)进行编码分类,运用描述流行病学研究,对2017年1月1日-2019年12月31日深圳市常住居民恶性肿瘤10 612例死亡病例进行分析,分别计算死亡率、死因顺位等.结果 2017年-2019年间...     

EGFR mutation types and abundance were associated with the overall survival of advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients receiving first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors

BackgroundEpidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are currently recognized as the standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutations. Clinically found patients with different EGFR mutational status have different prognosis.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed to explore the relationship between EGFR mutations and abundance with patient survival by using patient data from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2013 and November 2016. All patients involved in the present study had sensitive EGFR mutations [either exon 19 deletion (DEL) or exon 21 L858R] and treated by EGFR-TKIs. They were followed up every three months until lost or dead. Mutation abundance was calculated as the copies of EGFR mutation divided by copies of EGFR locus, and the cut-off values for 19DEL and L858R were 4.9% and 9.5%, respectively.ResultsTotal of 236 patients were included, comprising 116 (49.2%) patients with 19DEL mutation and 120 (50.8%) patients with L858R mutation. The median follow-up duration was 23.2 months (95% CI: 14.9–26.7 months). Overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in patients with 19DEL mutation (20.9 months, 95% CI: 17.7–24.1 months versus 17.0 months, 95% CI: 14.4–19.6 months in patients with L858R; P=0.008) and in patients with high mutation abundance (20.9 months, 95% CI: 18.3–23.5 months versus 13.0 months, 95% CI: 10.3–15.7 months in patients with low mutation abundance; P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression including age, performance status and tumor stage revealed that longer OS was independently associated with 19DEL mutation (HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.39–0.67, P=0.033) and high mutation abundance (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.50–0.79, P=0.027).ConclusionsEGFR mutation types and abundance was associated with the patients’ survival which might be used to predict the efficacy of targeted therapy by EGFR-TKIs.     

Sleep‐disordered breathing in heart failure patients with different etiologies

BackgroundThe prevalence of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) is closely related to the severity of heart failure (HF), and the severity of HF is different in patients with HF of different etiologies. Hypothesis: This study aimed to explore the prevalence of SDB in patients with HFof different etiologies.MethodsHospitalized HF patients were consecutively enrolled. All patients underwent portable overnight cardiorespiratory polygraphy. Patients were divided into five groups according to the etiology of HF: ischemic, hypertensive, myocardial, valvular, and arrhythmic. The prevalence of SDB and clinical data was compared among the five groups.ResultsIn total, 248 patients were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of SDB in HF was 70.6%, with the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at 47.6% and central sleep apnea (CSA) at 23.0%. Patients were divided into five groups: ischemic, hypertensive, myocardial, valvular, and arrhythmic. The prevalence of SDB among the five groups was 75.3%, 81.4%, 77.8%, 51.9%, and 58.5% (p = .014), respectively. The prevalence of OSA among the five groups was 42.7%, 72.1%, 36.1%, 37.0%, and 49.1% (p = .009), whereas the CSA was 32.6%, 9.3%, 41.7%, 14.8%, and 9.4% (p < .001), respectively.ConclusionsSDB is common in HF patients. The prevalence and types of SDB varied in HF with different etiologies, which may be related to the different severities of HF. SDB was highly prevalent in patients with ischemic, hypertensive, and myocardial HF. Hypertensive HF patients were mainly complicated with OSA, while myocardial HF patients were mainly complicated with CSA. Both conditions were highly prevalent in ischemic HF patients. The prevalence of SDB was relatively low in valvular and arrhythmic HF patients, and OSA was the main type.     

Theoretical and Experimental Models to Evaluate the Possibility of Corrosion Resistant Concrete for Coastal Offshore Structures

This study built theoretical and practical models to evaluate the corrosion resistance of concrete for coastal offshore structures in Vietnam. A mathematical model was developed in the form of a system of nonlinear partial differential equations characterizing the diffusion “free calcium hydroxide” in a solid of a concrete structure. The model describes the process of non-stationary mass conductivity observed in the “concrete structure—marine environment” system under non-uniform arbitrary initial conditions, as well as combined boundary conditions of the second and third kind, taking into account the nonlinear nature of the coefficients of mass conductivity k and mass transfer β. It was shown that the solution of the boundary value problem of non-stationary mass conductivity allows us to conclude about the duration of the service life of a concrete structure, which will be determined by the processes occurring at the interface: in concrete—mass conductivity, depending on the structural and mechanical characteristics of hydraulic structures, and in the liquid phase—mass transfer, determined by the conditions of interaction at the interface of the indicated phases.     

P2Y12 inhibitor pretreatment in patients with nonST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: A meta-analysis

Background:The 2020 European Society of Cardiology guidelines do not recommend pretreatment for nonST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients with unclear coronary anatomy, which is inconsistent with our routine preoperative approach to loading P2Y12 receptor inhibitors (e.g., preoperative loading of 300 mg of clopidogrel).Objectives:The purpose of our study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of P2Y12 inhibitors administered before coronary angiography or at least before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with during or after PCI.Methods:Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase databases were searched. The primary effect endpoint and safety endpoint were any-cause death and major bleeding, respectively. Major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction and revascularization were also analyzed.Results:Our search identified 9 trials. P2Y12 inhibitor pretreatment was associated with lower death from any cause (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.53–0.72, P < 0.00001) without increasing the risk of bleeding (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.80–1.30, P = 0.89). However, prasugrel or ticagrelor pretreatment was not associated with a lower risk of mortality (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.31–1.59, P = 0.40) and increased the risk of bleeding (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.10–2.54, P = 0.02).Conclusions:In summary, clopidogrel pretreatment was associated with significantly lower mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction and revascularization with no increase in major bleeding. However, these advantages were not observed with prasugrel or ticagrelor pretreatment.