White matter hyperintensity determines ischemic stroke severity in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

Neurological Sciences - The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on stroke severity and prognosis in patients with symptomatic carotid artery...     

The efficacy of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block in alleviating postoperative pain and ventricular arrhythmias and its application prospects

Neurological Sciences - Stellate ganglion block (SGB) has been applied in clinic for almost a century as a therapeutic procedure to alleviate pain-related syndromes and vascular deficits in the...     

Alzheimer’s disease in elderly COVID-19 patients: potential mechanisms and preventive measures

Neurological Sciences - Advanced age correlates with higher morbidity and mortality among patients affected with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Because systemic inflammation and...     

Sustained and differential antibody responses to virulence proteins of Brucella melitensis during acute and chronic infections in human brucellosis

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused primarily by the bacterial pathogens Brucella melitensis and B. abortus. The pathogens cause debilitating febrile illness that can progress into a long-lasting disease with severe complications in humans. Understanding the mechanisms by which the host immune system responds to the infection will provide important information on the pathogenesis and development of differential diagnostic assays. In this study, a protein microarray was used to evaluate the antibody responses of brucellosis patients at different infection stages. A total of 107 outer membrane proteins, surface-exposed or secreted proteins, and known or putative virulence-associated proteins of B. melitensis were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and used to fabricate the protein microarray. Then, 99 serum samples from acute, chronic, primary infection, or relapse brucellosis patients were probed with the protein microarray. Antibodies to 66 of the proteins were detected at least in one serum sample. Among the antigens, the combination of BMEII0318, BMEII0513, BMEI0748, and BMEII1116 could be used as serodiagnostic antigens for brucellosis. Patients at different infection stages show distinct antibody profiles. The numbers of antibodies in the relapse patients were superior to those in the primary infection patients, and the response magnitude of antibodies in the chronic infection patients was higher than those in the acute brucellosis patients. The sustained and differential antibody profiles of patients at different infection stages have implications for the development of new serological methods for the accurate diagnosis of human brucellosis, and contribute to a more detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic brucellosis.     

Blocking SphK1/S1P/S1PR1 Signaling Pathway Alleviates Lung Injury Caused by Sepsis in Acute Ethanol Intoxication Mice

Inflammation - Acute ethanol intoxication increases the risk of sepsis and aggravates the symptoms of sepsis and lung injury. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether sphingosine kinase 1...     

Highly sensitive and specific detection of hepatitis B virus DNA and drug resistance mutations utilizing the PCR-based CRISPR-Cas13a system

ObjectivesUndetectable or low-level hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and drug resistance mutations in patients may increase the risk of HBV transmission or cause active viral replication and other clinical problems. Here, we established a highly sensitive and practical method for HBV and drug resistance detection using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) -based CRISPR-Cas13a detection system (referred to as PCR-CRISPR) and evaluated its detection capability using clinical samples.MethodsSpecific CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) are designed for HBV DNA detection and YMDD (tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate) variant identification. The HBV DNA was detected in 312 serum samples for HBV diagnosis using quantification PCR (qPCR) and PCR-CRISPR. Additionally, 424 serum samples for YMDD testing were detected by qPCR, direct sequencing, and our assay.ResultsUsing PCR-CRISPR, one copy per test of HBV DNA was detected with HBV-1 crRNA in 15 min after PCR amplification. Consistent results with qPCR were observed for 302 samples, while the remaining 10 samples with low-level HBV DNA were detectable by PCR-CRISPR and droplet digital PCR but not by qPCR. PCR-CRISPR diagnosed all 412 drug-resistant samples detected by the YMDD detection qPCR kit and direct sequencing, as well as the other 12 drug-resistant samples with low-level HBV DNA undetectable by qPCR and direct sequencing.ConclusionsWe developed a novel PCR-CRISPR method for highly sensitive and specific detection of HBV DNA and drug resistance mutations. One copy per test for HBV DNA and YMDD drug resistance mutations could be detected. This method has wide application prospects for the early detection of HBV infection, drug resistance monitoring and treatment guidance.     

Changing Trends in Liver Cirrhosis Etiology and Severity in Korea: the Increasing Impact of Alcohol

BackgroundChronic hepatitis B is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis in South Korea. However, alcoholic liver disease has shown an increasing trend. Although the clinical implications surrounding liver cirrhosis have been changing over the years, few studies have recently examined cirrhosis epidemiology. Therefore, we aimed to investigate changes in liver cirrhosis etiology and severity in Korea.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 16,888 records of cirrhotic patients from six tertiary hospitals in Korea from 2008 to 2017. Continuous and non-continuous variables were processed via linear and Poisson regression, expressed as beta (B) coefficients and as exponentiated values of coefficients (Exp[B]), respectively.ResultsChronic hepatitis B showed a decreasing trend (Exp[B] = 0.975, P < 0.001), whereas alcohol showed an increasing trend (Exp[B] = 1.013, P = 0.003), occupying the most common etiology in 2017. The Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score and decompensated liver cirrhosis prevalence did not change over the 10-year period. The incidence of variceal bleeding, severe ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis significantly decreased from 12.3% to 7.7%, 7.8% to 4.1%, 1.0% to 0.5%, and 1.9% to 1.1%, respectively (P < 0.05 for all). In the subgroup analysis, the chronic hepatitis B group showed improving CTP scores (B = −0.025, P < 0.001) and decreasing decompensated liver cirrhosis rates (Exp[B] = 0.977, P = 0.016), whereas the alcohol group demonstrated increasing CTP class C (Exp[B] = 1.031, P = 0.005) and model for end-stage liver disease scores (B = 0.081, P = 0.005) over 10 years.ConclusionThe chronic hepatitis B group exhibited improved results, whereas the alcohol group still presented poor liver functions and outcomes. Future national policies and systematic approaches addressing the incidence, prevention, and treatment of alcoholic liver cirrhosis are indispensable.     

Trauma and healing in the underserved populations of homelessness and corrections: Forgiveness Therapy as an added component to intervention

The purpose of this article is to begin applying the principles of the psychology of forgiveness to people who are without homes and people who are in prisons. A review of the literature shows trauma for both groups. When the trauma is caused by unjust treatment by others, then excessive anger can result, compromising one's psychological and physical health. We review the interventions that have been offered for those without homes and the imprisoned to examine which existing programmes address such anger. Forgiveness Therapy, although untried in these two settings, may be one beneficial approach for substantially reducing unhealthy anger. Forgiveness interventions have shown a cause-and-effect relationship between learning to forgive and overcoming psychological compromise such as strong resentment and clinical levels of anxiety and depression. The literature review here suggests that forgiveness therapy for those without homes and the imprisoned may be a new and important consideration for ameliorating anger and aiding in a changed life pattern.