Dry eye signs and symptoms in aromatase inhibitor treatment and the relationship with pain

PurposeAromatase inhibitors (AIs) limit the synthesis of oestrogen in peripheral tissues thus lowering levels of oestrogen. The primary aim was to evaluate whether women treated with AIs have altered dry eye symptoms and signs. A sub-aim was to investigate whether symptoms of dry eye in postmenopausal women were associated with symptoms of non-eye pain, ocular pain and self-rated pain perception.MethodsThis cross-sectional, observational, single visit study recruited 56 postmenopausal women (mean age 64.1 + 7.9 years) and 52 undergoing AI treatment (mean age 66.6 + 9.0). Ocular symptoms (OSDI, MGD14) and pain questionnaires (PSQ, OPAS) were administered and signs of dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction were evaluated.ResultsAlmost half of each group reported dry eye symptoms, defined as OSDI>12 (48% control, 46% AI). The PSQ score was significantly higher in the AI group (p = 0.04). Neither frequency or severity of dry eye (or MGD) symptoms scores were significantly different between groups. In the AI group, meibomian gland expressibility score was worse (p = 0.003); there were no differences in any other signs. Higher OSDI scores were associated with higher OPAS eye-pain scores (r = 0.49, p < 0.001), but not OPAS non-eye pain (r = 0.09, p = 0.35). Pain perception (PSQ) showed a moderate positive association with OPAS eye-pain (r = 0.30, p = 0.003).ConclusionsIn this study elevated ocular symptoms were observed in both the AI treated and the untreated groups, with no difference between the groups. Women undergoing AI treatment for early stage breast cancer had worse meibum expressibility score and increased pain perception compared to an untreated group of women.     

Immunisation with the BCG and DTPw vaccines induces different programs of trained immunity in mice

In addition to providing pathogen-specific immunity, vaccines can also confer nonspecific effects (NSEs) on mortality and morbidity unrelated to the targeted disease. Immunisation with live vaccines, such as the BCG vaccine, has generally been associated with significantly reduced all-cause infant mortality. In contrast, some inactivated vaccines, such as the diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis (DTPw) vaccine, have been controversially associated with increased all-cause mortality especially in female infants in high-mortality settings. The NSEs associated with BCG have been attributed, in part, to the induction of trained immunity, an epigenetic and metabolic reprograming of innate immune cells, increasing their responsiveness to subsequent microbial encounters. Whether non-live vaccines such as DTPw induce trained immunity is currently poorly understood. Here, we report that immunisation of mice with DTPw induced a unique program of trained immunity in comparison to BCG immunised mice. Altered monocyte and DC cytokine responses were evident in DTPw immunised mice even months after vaccination. Furthermore, splenic cDCs from DTPw immunised mice had altered chromatin accessibility at loci involved in immunity and metabolism, suggesting that these changes were epigenetically mediated. Interestingly, changing the order in which the BCG and DTPw vaccines were co-administered to mice altered subsequent trained immune responses. Given these differences in trained immunity, we also assessed whether administration of these vaccines altered susceptibility to sepsis in two different mouse models. Immunisation with either BCG or a DTPw-containing vaccine prior to the induction of sepsis did not significantly alter survival. Further studies are now needed to more fully investigate the potential consequences of DTPw induced trained immunity in different contexts and to assess whether other non-live vaccines also induce similar changes.     

电视辅助胸腔镜下解剖性肺切除治疗I期肺癌的临床效果

目的 探讨电视辅助胸腔镜下解剖性肺切除治疗Ⅰ期肺癌的临床效果。方法 采用回顾性研究方法,选取2015年5月至2017年1月广西医科大学附属肿瘤医院收治的I期肺癌患者84例,按照手术方法不同将患者分为两组:观察组和对照组,每组各42例。观察组患者实施电视辅助胸腔镜下解剖性肺切除术治疗,对照组患者给予传统开胸肺叶切除术治疗。比较两组患者的住院时间、切口长度、术中出血量、手术时间、1年和3年生存情况及生活质量评分(SF-36生活量表)变化。结果 观察组患者的住院时间短于对照组(6. 13±1. 46 vs. 10. 39±2. 41 d),切口长度小于对照组(4. 38±1. 09 vs. 11. 84±3. 25 cm),术中出血量少于对照组(284. 62±54. 21 vs. 397. 57±61. 49 ml),差异均具有统计学意义(P <0. 05);而两组手术时间比较(165. 28±33. 24 vs. 156. 39±30. 92 min),差异无统计学意义(P> 0. 05)。观察组患者的1、3年生存率[97. 62%(41/42)、90. 48%(38/42)]均高于对照组[88. 10%(37/42)、76. 19%(32/42)],但差异无统计学意义(P> 0. 05)。观察组患者的各项生活质量评分[精神健康(75. 42±6. 87 vs 61. 30±4. 15分)、情感职能(81. 38±7. 15 vs. 73. 49±5. 76分)、社会功能(82. 67±5. 78 vs. 75. 42±4. 35分)、一般健康状况(79. 49±6. 17 vs.70. 31±5. 04分)、精力(84. 37±5. 45 vs. 74. 13±6. 07分)、生理职能(86. 52±6. 88 vs. 76. 93±6. 42分)、躯体疼痛(83. 46±7. 49 vs. 74. 33±5. 79分)、生理功能(70. 39±4. 31 vs. 61. 38±3. 56分)]均高于对照组,且差异具有统计学意义(P <0. 05)。结论 与传统开胸肺叶切除术相比,电视辅助胸腔镜下解剖性肺切除治疗I期肺癌手术损伤更小、短期生存率更高,且有助于提高患者术后生活质量水平,这对改善患者预后有重要意义,值得临床推广应用。     

膀胱肿瘤切除术后尿路感染病原学和危险因素

目的观察膀胱肿瘤切除术后患者尿路感染发生情况与病原学特征,分析诱发尿路感染的危险因素,并提出合理且具备针对性的冲洗对策,为未来膀胱肿瘤切除术后尿路感染的预防提供合理参考。方法回顾性分析连云港市第一人民医院2016年1月-2019年1月接受经尿道膀胱肿瘤切除术治疗的451例膀胱肿瘤患者的临床资料,收集患者病例资料,全部患者术后均定期取尿液标本进行细菌培养,参照相关标准判定患者尿路感染情况,记录患者一般情况,包括一般人口学资料(性别、年龄、体质量、受教育程度等),同时记录患者糖尿病的疾病合并情况,将术后尿路感染可能的危险因素纳入初步分析,Logistic多因素回归分析膀胱肿瘤切除术后发生尿路感染的危险因素。结果451例膀胱肿瘤切除术患者术后第3天尿液中细菌培养阳性例数为80例,阳性率为17.74%,在使用抗菌药物后,患者尿液中细菌培养阳性率逐渐降低,各时点尿液细菌阳性培养率比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);经多因素Logistic回归分析检验证实,高龄、血糖水平控制不佳、术前留置导尿管、多发肿瘤是膀胱肿瘤切除术后尿路感染的危险因素(OR>1,P<0.05);80例术后尿液细菌培养阳性患者共分离出87株菌株,其中革兰阴性菌66株占75.86%,革兰阳性球菌21株占24.14%。结论膀胱肿瘤切除术后患者有较高的尿路感染风险,革兰阴性菌是主要的感染病原菌,年龄、基础疾病、肿瘤位点、术前导尿管留置等是影响因素,这类患者应引起临床高度重视。     

Simeprevir added to peginterferon and ribavirin lessens time with fatigue,depressive symptoms and functional limitations in patients with chronic hepatitis C compared with peginterferon and ribavirin: results from 1161 patients in the QUEST‐1, QUEST‐2 and PROMISE studies

The value of adding simeprevir (SMV) vs placebo (PBO) to peginterferon and ribavirin (PR) for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection was examined using patient‐reported outcomes (PROs); further, concordance of PROs with virology endpoints and adverse events (AEs) was explored. Patients (n = 768 SMV/PR, n = 393 PBO/PR) rated fatigue (FSS), depressive symptoms (CES‐D) and functional impairment (WPAI: Hepatitis C Productivity, Daily Activity and Absenteeism) at baseline and throughout treatment in three randomised, double‐blind trials comparing the addition of SMV or PBO during initial 12 weeks of PR. PR was administered for 48 weeks (PBO group) and 24/48 weeks (SMV group) using a response‐guided therapy (RGT) approach. Mean PRO scores (except Absenteeism) worsened from baseline to Week 4 to the same extent in both groups but reverted after Week 24 for SMV/PR and only after Week 48 for PBO/PR. Accordingly, there was a significantly lower area under the curve (baseline–Week 60, AUC₆₀) and fewer weeks with clinically important worsening of scores in the SMV/PR group at any time point. Incidences of patients with fatigue and anaemia AEs were similar in both groups, but FSS scores showed that clinically important increases in fatigue lasted a mean of 6.9 weeks longer with PBO/PR (P < 0.001). PRO score subgroup analysis indicated better outcomes for patients who met the criteria for RGT or achieved sustained virological response 12 weeks post‐treatment (SVR12); differences in mean PRO scores associated with fibrosis level were only observed with PBO/PR. Greater efficacy of SMV/PR enabled reduced treatment duration and reduced time with PR‐related AEs without adding to AE severity.     

Prostatic Artery Embolization—Anatomic Predictors of Technical Outcomes

PurposeTo determine if cone-beam CT and digital subtraction angiography analysis of pelvic arterial anatomy has predictive value for radiation exposure and technical success of prostatic artery embolization (PAE).Materials and MethodsThis prospective, nonrandomized, single-center study included 104 consecutive patients with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cone-beam CT was performed in 160/208 (76.9%) hemipelves to determine prostatic artery (PA) origin. Classification of pelvic arterial tortuosity was possible in 73/104 (70.2%) patients. Learning curves of 2 interventionalists who performed 86.5% of PAEs were analyzed.ResultsTortuosity of pelvic arteries was classified as mild in 25 (34.2%) patients median age 64 years, moderate in 40 (54.8%) patients median age 69 years, and severe in 8 (11.0%) patients median age 70 years (mild vs moderate, P = .002; mild vs severe, P = .019); median fluoroscopy times were 24, 36, and 46 minutes (P = .008, P = .023); median contrast volumes were 105, 122.5, and 142 mL (P = .029, P = .064); and bilateral PAE rates were 84.0%, 77.5%, and 62.5% (P = .437), respectively. PA origin from superior vesical artery was most frequent (27.5%) and showed higher dose area product (median 402.4 vs 218 Gy ∙ cm², P = .033) and fluoroscopy time (median 42.5 vs 27 min, P = .01) compared with PA origin from obturator artery, which was least frequent. Interventionalist experience revealed significant impact on procedure times (median 159 vs 130 min, P = .006).ConclusionsTortuosity of pelvic arteries was more frequent in older patients and predicted worse technical outcomes of PAE. PA origin from obturator artery was associated with lower dose area product and fluoroscopy time, especially compared with PA origin from superior vesical artery. Interventionalist experience showed significant influence on technical outcome.     

科研评价导向的改变对中文科技期刊的机遇与挑战

【目的】 值此《中国科技期刊研究》创刊30周年之际,思考科研评价体系的改变给中文科技期刊带来的影响,为中文期刊探寻发展路径。【方法】 结合对中文科技期刊困境的研究,提出应对策略。【结果】 近期国家陆续出台的纠偏评价导向的政策文件,为中文科技期刊既带来了发展机遇,也提出了挑战。【结论】 在重构符合中文科技期刊发展特点的评价体系的基础上,中文科技期刊应明确目标定位,面向国家需求,提升知识服务能力,建立品牌特色。