Elevated glycohemoglobin HbA1c is associated with low back pain in nonoverweight diabetics

Background Context

Low back pain (LBP) is a common complaint in clinical practice of multifactorial origin. Although obesity has been thought to contribute to LBP primarily by altering the distribution of mechanical loads on the spine, the additional contribution of obesity-related conditions such as diabetes mellitus (DM) to LBP has not been thoroughly examined.

血清窖蛋白-1在慢性阻塞性肺疾病相关肺动脉高压患者中的表达及意义

目的 研究血清窖蛋白-1 （Cav-1） 在慢性阻塞性肺疾病 （COPD） 相关肺动脉高压 （PAH） 患者中的表达及其意义。方法 选取稳定期COPD患者65例， 根据是否合并PAH分成COPD组 ［肺动脉收缩压 （PASP） ＜40 mmHg， 35例］ 及COPD-PAH组 （PASP ≥40 mmHg， 30例）。另选取在本院健康体检的志愿者30例作为对照组。对比各组基线资料、 动脉血气分析、 肺功能指标， 以及血清Cav-1、 白细胞介素 （IL） -6和肿瘤坏死因子-α （TNF-α） 的表达水平。绘制受试者工作特征 （ROC） 曲线， 评价Cav-1对COPD合并PAH的诊断价值。结果 COPD-PAH组与COPD组第一秒用力呼吸容积 （FEV1） /用力肺活量 （FVC）、 FEV1占预计值百分比 （FEV1%） 及氧分压 ［p （O2 ）］ 低于对照组， 而二氧化碳分压 ［p （CO2 ）］、 PASP均高于对照组 （P＜0.01）。COPD-PAH组p （O2 ） 低于COPD组， p （CO2 ）、 PASP均高于COPD 组 （P＜0.01）。对照组、 COPD组及COPD-PAH组Cav-1表达水平呈逐渐降低趋势， 而IL-6、 TNF-α表达水平呈逐渐升高趋势 （P＜0.01）。血清Cav-1诊断COPD合并PAH的ROC曲线下面积为0.902 （0.821～0.955）， 最佳截断值为 6.66 μg/L， 此时诊断敏感度为76.7%， 特异度为85.7%， 与多普勒超声诊断仪测量PASP结果比较一致性较好 （Kappa 值=0.627）。结论 血清Cav-1在COPD相关PAH患者表达明显下调， 可以作为预测COPD相关PAH的新型血清标志物。     

Combining CAPRA-S With Tumor IDC/C Features Improves the Prognostication of Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Patients

Background: Intraductal carcinoma and cribriform (IDC/C) tumor features are well-established prognosticators of biochemical recurrence (BCR), metastasis, and prostate cancer (PCa)-specific mortality. However, approximately 70% of PCa patients undergoing a radical prostatectomy are IDC/C negative, yet up-to 20% of these patients progress and experience BCR. Thus, tumor histopathologic characteristics such as IDC/C alone are limited in their ability to predict disease progression. Conversely, several nomograms such as Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment-Surgery (CAPRA-S) have been developed to aid in the prognostication of BCR, but not yet widely applied in clinical settings. Materials and methods: In this study, we assessed the combined prognostic utility of IDC/C, and CAPRA-S for BCR in 3 PCa patient cohorts. Results: CAPRA-S+IDC/C improved the predictive accuracy of BCR in all 3 cohorts (P < .001). Specifically, among IDC/C negative cases, CAPRA-S improved the prognostication of BCR in low-risk (Cohort 1; P < .001, Cohort 2; P < .001, Cohort 3; P = .003), intermediate (Cohort 1; P < .001, Cohort 2; P = .006, Cohort 3; P = .03) and high-risk (Cohort 1-3; P < .001) patients. Conversely, IDC/C improved the prognostication of BCR among CAPRA-S low-risk (Cohorts 1; P < .001 and Cohort 3; P = .003) patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest the investigation of histopathological IDC/C features in CAPRA-S low-risk patients and conversely, nomogram CAPRA-S among IDC/C negative patients improves the identification of patients likely to experience BCR, which would otherwise be missed through current assessment regimens. These patients can be offered more intensive monitoring and adjuvant therapies upfront to circumvent the development of recurrent cancer or overtreatment at the time of surgery.     

Factors associated with provision of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate to adolescents by US health care providers

ObjectiveIdentify factors associated with healthcare providers' frequency of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) provision to adolescents.Study designWe analyzed data from surveys mailed to a nationally representative sample of public-sector providers and office-based physicians (n=1984). We estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with frequent DMPA provision to adolescents in the past year.ResultsAlthough most providers (>95%) considered DMPA safe for adolescents, fewer reported frequent provision (89% of public-sector providers; 64% of office-based physicians). Among public-sector providers, factors associated with lower odds of frequent provision included working in settings without Title X funding (aOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.30–0.64), reporting primary care as their primary clinical focus versus reproductive or adolescent health (aOR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28–0.61), and providing fewer patients with family planning services. Among office-based physicians, factors associated with lower odds of frequent provision included specializing in obstetrics/gynecology (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.27–0.91) and family medicine (aOR 0.21, 95% CI 0.09–0.47) versus adolescent medicine, completing training ≥15 versus <5 years ago (aOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09–0.83), and reporting that 0–24% of patients pay with Medicaid or other government healthcare assistance versus ≥50% (aOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.09–0.61). The reason most commonly reported by providers for infrequent DMPA provision was patient preference for another method.ConclusionsWhile most providers reported frequently providing DMPA to adolescents, training on evidence-based recommendations for contraception, focused on subgroups of providers with lower odds of frequent DMPA provision, may increase adolescents' access to contraception.ImplicationsAlthough >95% of providers considered depot medroxyprogesterone (DMPA) a safe contraceptive for adolescents, only 89% of public-sector providers and 64% of office-based physicians reported frequently providing DMPA to adolescents. Provider training on evidence-based recommendations for contraception counseling and provision may increase adolescents' access to DMPA and all methods of contraception.     

Improving Prenatal Diagnosis of Coarctation of the Aorta

Background

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association between fetal echocardiographic measurements and the need for intervention (primary coarctation repair, staged coarctation repair, or catheter intervention) in prenatally diagnosed coarctation of the aorta.

Iron Deficiency Anemia Associated With Acid-Modifying Medications: Two Cases and Literature Review

Iron deficiency anemia is often listed among potential adverse effects of gastric acid-suppressive medications, given that gastric acidity promotes intestinal absorption of nonheme iron. Additionally, the antacid calcium carbonate can inhibit iron absorption. However, there is little direct clinical evidence that proton-pump inhibitors, histamine-2 receptor antagonists, or calcium carbonate cause iron deficiency anemia. Most case reports have had substantial limitations (e.g., minimal follow-up and presence of other causes of iron deficiency), and retrospective cohort studies have lacked sufficient patient-specific detail to make strong causal inferences. We present 2 cases—both with detailed, prospective 10-year follow-up—in which combinations of proton-pump inhibitors, histamine-2 receptor antagonists and calcium carbonate were clearly associated with development of iron deficiency anemia. Overt iron-deficiency anemia is probably uncommon in patients who use acid-modifying medications and who have no other conditions that predispose to iron deficiency. Nevertheless, clinicians should be aware of this potential complication, given widespread use of these agents.     

Clinicopathologic significance of LAIR-1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim

Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) is an immune inhibitory receptor which is expressed within most types of hematopoietic cells and negatively regulates immune responses. Recently, we found LAIR-1 expression to be present within tumors of nonhematopoietic lineages. However, the roles of LAIR-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of LAIR-1 in HCC tissue and assess its clinical significance at this site.

A prime-boost concept using a T-cell epitope-driven DNA vaccine followed by a whole virus vaccine effectively protected pigs in the pandemic H1N1 pig challenge model

Influenza A virus (IAV) vaccines in pigs generally provide homosubtypic protection but fail to prevent heterologous infections. In this pilot study, the efficacy of an intradermal pDNA vaccine composed of conserved SLA class I and class II T cell epitopes (EPITOPE) against a homosubtypic challenge was compared to an intramuscular commercial inactivated whole virus vaccine (INACT) and a heterologous prime boost approach using both vaccines. Thirty-nine IAV-free, 3-week-old pigs were randomly assigned to one of five groups including NEG-CONTROL (unvaccinated, sham-challenged), INACT-INACT-IAV (vaccinated with FluSure XP® at 4 and 7 weeks, pH1N1 challenged), EPITOPE-INACT-IAV (vaccinated with PigMatrix EDV at 4 and FluSure XP® at 7 weeks, pH1N1 challenged), EPITOPE-EPITOPE-IAV (vaccinated with PigMatrix EDV at 4 and 7 weeks, pH1N1 challenged), and a POS-CONTROL group (unvaccinated, pH1N1 challenged). The challenge was done at 9 weeks of age and pigs were necropsied at day post challenge (dpc) 5. At the time of challenge, all INACT-INACT-IAV pigs, and by dpc 5 all EPITOPE-INACT-IAV pigs were IAV seropositive. IFNγ secreting cells, recognizing vaccine epitope-specific peptides and pH1N1 challenge virus were highest in the EPITOPE-INACT-IAV pigs at challenge. Macroscopic lung lesion scores were reduced in all EPITOPE-INACT-IAV pigs while INACT-INACT-IAV pigs exhibited a bimodal distribution of low and high scores akin to naïve challenged animals. No IAV antigen in lung tissues was detected at necropsy in the EPITOPE-INACT-IAV group, which was similar to naïve unchallenged pigs and different from all other challenged groups. Results suggest that the heterologous prime boost approach using an epitope-driven DNA vaccine followed by an inactivated vaccine was effective against a homosubtypic challenge, and further exploration of this vaccine approach as a practical control measure against heterosubtypic IAV infections is warranted.