Clinical features and outcomes of 76 patients with COVID-19-related multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children

Clinical Rheumatology - Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a less understood and a rare complication of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Given the scarce data regarding...     

Eating habits are associated with subjective sleep quality outcomes among university students: findings of a cross-sectional study

Sleep and Breathing - This study investigated the relationships between eating habits and sleep quality among university students. In a cross-sectional study, university students completed a...     

Clinical presentation of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

The hallmark of the inflammatory myopathies is muscle weakness. Although this feature can lead to significant disability and impairment of activities of daily living, its initial presentation may not be recognized early. Older individuals, in particular, may feel that the changes caused by myositis reflect the effects of aging rather than those of a disease process, and diagnosis, therefore, may be delayed. This factor has negative impact on the response to therapy. Inclusion body myositis, with its insidious onset in older people, and laboratory findings which may not be markedly abnormal, presents a diagnostic challenge. DM, with its characteristic symptomatic rash, is generally brought to medical attention more quickly. Another area of diagnostic concern occurs when associated organ involvement precedes myopathy. This has been observed, for example, with interstitial lung disease, and again represents a challenge to physicians. In this connection, the antisynthetase syndrome presenting with fevers, Raynaud's features, arthritis, or pulmonary involvement may not initially be recognized as a manifestation of inflammatory muscle disease. Each subgroup of IIM may present with a variety of extramuscular features that can complicate diagnosis and alter therapy and prognosis. This is particularly true for the pulmonary, GI, and cardiac manifestations and when cancer is associated with myositis. For these reasons, such features of IIM should be carefully evaluated, treated, and monitored over the course of the illness; in some cases these may play a greater role in determining the outcome of patients with IIM than the muscle involvement itself. It is hoped that in the future increased familiarity with the manifestations of the inflammatory myopathies, together with a better understanding of the underlying pathogenesis, will lead to more rapid diagnosis and more effective treatments.     

Hepatitis B virus,alpha-fetoprotein synthesis,and hepatocellular carcinoma in Zaire

ABSTRACT— We investigated the epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Zaire, and evaluated the association between exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the development of HCC. Two hundred and twenty-three consecutive cases of HCC diagnosed over 19 years (1966–1985) were reviewed. HCC represented 8.32% of all carcinomas and 5.56% of all cancers. Frequency was higher in males (75.7%) than in females (24.3%); a sex ratio of 3/1. The majority (82.1%o) of patients were aged 14 to 55 years with a peak occurrence in the fourth decade (28.6%). The mean age in males (41.27 ± 17.5 years) and females (37.40 ± 15.16 years) was significantly different (p<0.02). Sera from 40 patients and 68 age and sex-matched controls were analyzed for markers of HBV infection: patients and controls had comparable rates of exposure (96%) vs 72.1%, respectively). However, patients had significantly higher HBsAg carrier rates (56.7% vs 7.35%; p < 0.001), and lower anti-HBsAg seroconversion rates (25% vs 63.2%, p < 0.05). Using immunohistochemical analysis, the livers of patients were evaluated for HBsAg and HBcAg. These HBV antigens were more frequent in non-tumorous hepatocytes (53.3% vs 23.3%, respectively) than in HCC cells (13.3% vs 3.3%). Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was abnormal (>20 ng/ml) in 90%) of patients. The geometric mean (GM) AFP was 7273.8 ng/ml. AFP levels were significantly higher in HBsAg-positive HCC cases (GM: 19 322.6 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval (CI): [3639.2, 102 565.2]) than in antigen negative cases (GM: 1939.5 ng/ml; 95%) CI: [182.8, 19952.6]), but did not correlate with HBV replication. Immunohistochemical detection of AFP revealed a similar correlation between AFP and HBsAg. Neither AFP level nor HBsAg production correlated with cellular atypia or tumor grade.     

The role of fondaparinux as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction: a subgroup analysis of the OASIS-6 trial.

AIMS: No antithrombotic therapy has been shown to reduce mortality when used with thrombolytics in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the OASIS-6 trial, fondaparinux significantly reduced mortality and reinfarction without increasing bleeding in 12 092 patients with acute ST elevation MI. METHODS AND RESULTS: We report the results of a subgroup analysis in the 5436 patients (45%) receiving thrombolytics. According to local practice, 4415 patients did not have an indication for unfractionated heparin (stratum 1) and 1021 did (stratum 2). Fondaparinux reduced the primary study outcome of death or MI at 30 days [Hazard ratio (HR) 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68-0.92] with consistent reductions in both mortality (HR and CI) and reinfarction (HR and CI). There was a non-significantly lower rate of stroke (HR 0.77, CI 0.48-1.25). The risk of severe bleeding was significantly reduced (HR 0.62, CI 0.40-0.94), and thus the balance of benefit and risk (death, MI and severe haemorrhage) was clearly reduced by fondaparinux (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.67-0.90). Results were consistent in the two strata, by the different types of thrombolytics and across various time intervals from symptom onset to treatment. CONCLUSION: In STEMI patients treated with thrombolytic agents (predominantly streptokinase), fondaparinux significantly reduced the risk of death, re-MI and severe bleeds.     

Successful closure of iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysm: a new minimally invasive technique

Pseudoaneurysm following diagnostic or interventional procedures is a well-known complication. We describe a new method of closing a femoral pseudoaneurysm in a case where ultrasound-guided compression had failed. Instead of packing the sac permanently with coils, thrombus formation was successfully induced by temporary placement of a coil transcutaneously in the psendoaneurysm sac, which resulted in closure of the pseudoaneurysm.     

Should angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors be used to improve outcome in patients with coronary artery disease and 'preserved' left ventricular function?

Early clinical studies investigating the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in the treatment of heart failure unexpectedly demonstrated a possible reduction in coronary heart disease endpoints. Two large scale clinical trials, HOPE and EUROPA, both studies in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) but without clinical evidence of heart failure, showed a highly significant improvement in coronary heart disease outcomes on treatment with ramipril and perindopril, respectively, in contrast, in a similar population, PEACE was unable to demonstrate such benefit with trandolapril. Meta-analyses of all trials involving ACE-inhibitors showed a highly significant improvement in coronary heart disease endpoints. Current ESC guidelines recommend ACE-inhibitor therapy in CAD patients with co-existing indications for ACE-inhibitors, such as hypertension, heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, prior MI was left ventricular dysfunction, or diabetes (class I, level of evidence A). These guidelines also recommend ACE-inhibitor therapy in all patients with angina and proven coronary disease (class IIa, level of evidence B). However, in angina patients without independent indication for ACE-inhibitor treatment, the anticipated benefit should be weighted against the costs and risks of side effects; in these patients, only agents and doses of proven efficacy for secondary prevention should be employed.     

The prevalence of occult hepatitis B in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon-based antiviral therapy

Background and study aims

Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is known to be mostly prevalent in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and OBI reactivation might be life-threatening in patients undergoing interferon (IFN)-free direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. As previous studies have revealed a relationship between OBI and non-response to IFN-based antiviral therapy, the aim of the current study was to determine if there was a higher prevalence of OBI in IFN non-responders than responders.

Effects of tissue-type plasminogen activator and anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex on mortality in acute myocardial infarction

An overview of eight randomized controlled trials of tissue-type plasminogen activator (Alteplase or Duteplase) and 10 of anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex (Anistreplase) showed that the odds of early death were reduced by 29% by tissue-type plasminogen activator and 46% by anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex, with overlapping 95% confidence intervals. Although the beneficial effects of both agents are consistent and are strengthened when all the trials are considered together, the available data do not permit comparisons of the relative efficacy of these two agents with each other or with streptokinase.