Prognostic Effect of Adenosine-related Genetic Variants in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Bevacizumab-based Chemotherapy

Background

Adenosine has an immunosuppressive and angiogenic modulation of the tumor microenvironment. The present study explored the efficacy of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in adenosine-related molecules for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab-based chemotherapy.

Coping with oral cancer: the impact of health and disease-related personality traits

Purpose

Oral tumours lead to critical reductions in quality of life and well being. Coping with illness is a multidimensional construct that is affected by various factors, including social structure, social support, locus of control and religious considerations. However, the effect of personality on coping with illness has hardly been studied. In this context, just one personality model has been developed, but this defines personality in very wide dimensions. Therefore, this study considered the personality factors related to health and disease and aimed to identify potential clinical applications in patients with oral cancer.

Methods

We enrolled 104 patients suffering from oral cancer. Participants were asked about their personality and illness coping styles using the Freiburg Personality Inventory and the Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness, respectively.

Results

Regression analyses revealed that specific personality structures of the patients determine their way of coping. Patients primarily used active and problem-oriented coping styles; spirituality, depressive coping and minimization were used less frequently.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that personality affects coping behaviour. When treating patients, both situational factors and personality traits affect how patients cope with their disease. We note that it is important to give particular attention to patients who use depressive coping styles, as these patients are often incapable of coping with their diseases without external support.     

Initial SARS-CoV-2 PCR crossing point does not predict hospitalization and duration of PCR positivity

This study aimed to determine if the crossing point of the initial positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test correlated with patient demographics, subsequent hospitalization, or duration of positivity. Seventy-three patients with two or more positive PCR tests had a median time of 23 days to two consecutive negative results.     

Current and future therapies for hepatitis C virus infection: from viral proteins to host targets

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most important problem across the world. It causes acute and chronic liver infection. Different approaches are in use to inhibit HCV infection, including small organic compounds, siRNA, shRNA and peptide inhibitors. This review article summarizes the current and future therapies for HCV infection. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for articles published in English to give an insight into the current inhibitors against this life-threatening virus. HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors and nucleoside/nucleotide inhibitors of NS5B polymerase are presently in the most progressive stage of clinical development, but they are linked with the development of resistance and viral breakthrough. Boceprevir and telaprevir are the two most important protease inhibitors that have been approved recently for the treatment of HCV infection. These two drugs are now the part of standard-of-care treatment (SOC). There are also many other drugs in phase III of clinical development. When exploring the various host-cell-targeting compounds, the most hopeful results have been demonstrated by cyclophilin inhibitors. The current SOC treatment of HCV infection is Peg-interferon, ribavirin and protease inhibitors (boceprevir or telaprevir). The future treatment of this life-threatening disease must involve combinations of therapies hitting multiple targets of HCV and host factors. It is strongly expected that the near future, treatment of HCV infection will be a combination of direct-acting agents (DAA) without the involvement of interferon to eliminate its side effects.     

Extraction bradycardia: a pilot case-crossover study

Purpose

Significant vasovagal reaction is one of the untoward events in the course of simple extractions. The present study then aimed to record the patients’ heart rate during the extraction procedure.

Materials and methods

Informed consents were obtained in advance. Patients were placed in the dental chair and their heart rate was measured before /and prior to the anesthetic injection, during, and after dental extraction on a pulse oxymeter device. Data were analyzed using paired t-test.

Results

Sixty one patients were included. The mean heart rates of these patients prior, during, and after extraction were 88, 86 and 81, respectively. Two by two comparisons showed a significant decrease in the mean heart rate during extraction compared to the baseline and also after extraction compared to both before and during extraction (p?<?0.05 for all three).

Conclusions

Despite the presence of sufficient local anesthesia and performing the extraction with the least trauma, a significant decrease in heart rate is evident.

     

Amelioration of motor and non-motor deficits and increased striatal APoE levels highlight the beneficial role of pistachio supplementation in rotenone-induced rat model of PD

Metabolic Brain Disease - Pistachio contains polyphenolic compounds including flavonoids and anthocyanins which have antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity. Present study was aimed to evaluate...     

Influence of gestational period on sexual behavior

Various studies in the field of sexual and reproductive health have focused on understanding the relationship between the gestation period and sexual behavior. The majority of such research suggests that during pregnancy, both sexual desire and frequency of sexual relations decrease. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether there are any influences of gestational period on the sexual behavior, and to identify differences in sexual behavior among women before and during pregnancy. A cross-sectional analytic study design was carried out on a sample of 190 women attending the outpatient clinics of Assiut university hospital were consecutively recruited. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic data, obstetric history, and information about women's sexual desire and practice of sexual intercourse before and during pregnancy, as well as their perceptions and beliefs. The mean age of women was 26.7 +/- 5.4 years. The results showed that 37.4% of women had better sexual desire during the whole of pregnancy, 47.9% had sexual satisfaction during the second trimester of pregnancy, and 75.7% felt change in sexual intercourse during pregnancy. A considerable proportion (43.7%) believed that sexual intercourse during pregnancy could lead to problems. The number of intercourses before and during pregnancy were positively correlated (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression model revealed that history of abortion was the only statistically significant negative independent predictor of the practice of sexual intercourse during pregnancy. It is recommended that health care providers, especially nurses, should educate and counsel women regarding the safety of sexual intercourse during pregnancy if no medical risk is present.