The role of MRI in assessment of asymmetrical breast densities

This study included 86 women presented with asymmetric breast densities, seen on either routine screening or diagnostic mammogram.     

Obstructive jaundice promotes intestinal-barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation: experimental study

Background Although clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated a correlation between obstructive jaundice and the development of sepsis, the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of biliary obstruction on bacterial translocation as a possible source of infection in cases of obstructive jaundice. Material and Methods Two groups of 12 Wistar rats were examined: rats subjected to common bile duct (CBD) ligation (group A) and rats subjected to a sham operation (group B). After 7 days, blood samples were taken and liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) from the ileocecal area were removed, divided into small pieces, and cultured. Quantitative culture results were determined by the number of colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter of homogenate. Bacterial translocation was defined as the presence of a positive culture of MLNs, blood, liver, and/or spleen. Samples for histopathological examination were taken from the mucosa of the ileum and the colon and evaluated for inflammatory and destructive changes. Results There was no evidence of bacterial translocation to MLNs, blood, spleen, or liver detected in any of the 12 sham-operated control rats. In contrast, bacterial translocation was demonstrated in 8 of the 12 CBD-ligated rats (P < 0.01). In all eight cases in which translocation occurred, Escherichia coli were cultured from the MLNs. There were no histological changes in the mucosal samples of the control animals. In the CBD-ligated rats, hyperemia, vacuolization, reduction of goblet cells, decreased mitotic activity, and infiltration by lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) were detected. Cases in which translocation occurred were significantly associated with decreased mitotic activity in the colon (r = −0.5, P < 0.01) and higher infiltration by PMNLs in the ileum (r = −0.62, P < 0.05). Conclusion Obstructive jaundice in a rat model predisposes to bacterial translocation. This suggests a mechanism whereby jaundiced patients are susceptible to septic complication.     

Subclinical hyperthyroidism as a potential factor for dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the functional status of the thyroid gland in apparently euthyroid women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty apparently euthyroid women with menorrhagia and no pathologic lesion in the genital tract were compared with 20 women having normal menstrual cycles as controls. All women underwent hormonal evaluation: serum total and free triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and serum prolactin. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed in the values of TSH, total T3, free T3, free T4 and total T4 between the menorrhagia and the control group. Prolactin was increased significantly in the menorrhagia group. CONCLUSION: Subclinical hyperthyroidism can be a potential risk factor for dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Other studies are needed to confirm our findings.     

Prevalence and predictors of low serum retinol and hypoalbuminaemia among children in rural Peninsular Malaysia

Vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition are still considered public health problems in rural areas of developing countries, including Malaysia. A cross-sectional exploration study was carried out on 281 Orang Asli (Aborigine) children aged between 2 and 15 years in Selangor, Malaysia. The overall prevalence of low serum retinol (<70 micromol/l) and hypoalbuminaemia (<35 g/l) were 25.2 and 7.8%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that severe ascariasis, significant stunting and giardiasis were significantly associated with low concentration of serum retinol. As well as intestinal parasitic infections, low socio-economic status was a significant predictor of hypoalbuminaemia. Logistic regression analysis identified severe ascariasis and significant stunting as predictors of low serum retinol, while mixed intestinal parasitic infection and low household income were predictors of hypoalbuminaemia. In conclusion, control measures for intestinal parasitic infections should be included as one of the strategies for the prevention and control of malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency in this population.     

Learning by Doing and Learning by Observing: Training Parents in Saudi Arabia to Implement the Natural Language Paradigm

The present study trained six parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to implement the Natural Language Paradigm in Saudi Arabia. Three of the parents participated in direct training using a Behavioral Skills Training (BST) model involving instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. As each of the three parents were being trained directly an additional parent observed the training (i.e., there were three trainee-observer dyads). While all of the parents learned from observing other parents being trained directly, only one observer met the predetermined performance criteria after observation alone, with the other two requiring direct training using BST. The parents demonstrated maintenance of their skills at follow-up, and social validity evaluations were strong. In addition, all parents implemented the NLP procedures at mastery criteria in another setting during generalization probes. Implications for further training research are provided.     

Nanodiagnostics for tuberculosis detection

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading killer worldwide. End TB strategy aims at ending the TB epidemic by 2030. Early, accurate, and affordable diagnosis represents a cornerstone to achieve this goal. Innovative strategies for TB diagnostics have been introduced. However, the ideal assay is yet unavailable and conventional methods remain necessary for diagnosis. Unique properties of nanoparticles (NPs) have allowed their utilization in TB detection via targeting disease biomarkers.

Area covered: Until now, around thirty-five TB NP-based assays have been partially or fully characterized. Accuracy, low-cost, and short time-to-result represent the common properties of proposed platforms. TB nanodiagnostics now encompass almost all clinical aspects of the disease including active TB, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, rifampicin resistant TB, TB/HIV co-infection, latent TB, and extra-pulmonary TB. This review summarizes state-of-the-art knowledge of TB nanodiagnostics for the last 10 years. Special consideration is given for fabrication concepts, detection strategies, and clinical performance using various clinical specimens. The potential of TB nanodiagnostics to fulfill the need for ideal MTB testing is assessed.

Expert commentary: TB nanodiagnostics show promise to be ideal detection tools that can meet the rigorous demands to end the TB epidemic by 2030.     

Feasibility of percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects in adults under transthoracic echocardiography guidance using the Figulla atrial septal defect occluder device

Background

Closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) among adults under transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) guidance using devices other than the Amplatzer Septal Occluder has not been extensively tested.

Cardiac involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and correlation of valvular lesions with anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibody levels

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of morphologic and functional cardiac abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to correlate the findings with levels of anti-Ro/SS-A, anti-La/SS-B, and anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL). Sixty-two patients with SLE were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent complete history taking, clinical assessment, and standard two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. Anti-Ro/SS-A, anti-La/SS-B, and aCL levels were measured using a standardized ELISA test. The patients were subdivided into two subgroups based on the presence or absence of valvular involvement. The two subgroups were then compared. Valvular involvement was present in 19 patients (30.6%), pericardial effusion in 12 patients (19.4%), impaired left ventricular relaxation abnormalities in 2 patients (3.2%), and pulmonary hypertension in 3 patients (4.8%). More patients in the valvular involvement group had positive anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies than in the valvular noninvolvement group (7/19 vs. 4/43). The difference was significant, with P 0.01. Serum levels of anti-Ro/SS-A levels were significantly higher in the valvular involvement group (33.7 ± 36.0 vs. 13.7 ± 25.1; P 0.01), as were the serum anti-La/SS-B levels (21.9 ± 23.5 vs. 10.7 ± 17.8; P 0.05). The results suggest a causative correlation between anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies and the pathogenesis of the valvular lesions in SLE patients.