Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a numerical measurement of the size variability of erythrocytes and is routinely reported as a component of complete blood count in the differential diagnosis of anemia. In recent years, researchers have reported high mortality and poor prognosis associated with higher RDW in populations with cardiovascular disease, cancer, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the study is to evaluate the role of RDW in predicting the risk of COPD exacerbations and the impact of symptoms.
We designed an observational retrospective study based on patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation of COPD, between January 2015 and December 2018.
We included 169 patients, 120 at GOLD four stage. RDW was significantly higher in COPD patients vs controls (P=.014). We found a positive correlation with c-reactive protein (r =0.375, P<.01), COPD assessment test (CAT) Score (R2=0.658, sy.x=2.226; P<.01), number of exacerbations (R2=0.289; sy.x=0.86; P=.002), and GOLD score (r=0.30; P=.05). In ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve of RDW for the identification of frequent exacerbator was 1.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.0; P<.0001).
Our data show that elevated RDW may be a useful tool in predicting the risk of exacerbation in COPD patients and may be a good indicator of the impact of symptoms.
Our data show that elevated RDW may be a useful tool in predicting the risk of exacerbation in COPD patients and may be a good indicator of the impact of symptoms.The skin is home to a community of skin microbiota including bacteria, viruses and fungi, which are widely accepted to be of importance for skin homeostasis but also associated with skin diseases. Detailed knowledge on the skin microbiota composition and its changes in a number of skin diseases is available. Yet, specific interactions between microbes and the host skin cells or how they communicate with each other are less well understood. To identify, understand and eventually therapeutically exploit causal relationships of microbial dysbiosis with disease, studies are required that address the receptors and mediators involved in host-microbe interactions. In this perspective article, we provide an outlook on one of such receptors, namely the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). The AHR is well known for being a ligand-activated transcription factor regulating the proliferation, differentiation and function of many cell types present in the skin. Its targeting by anti-inflammatory therapeutics such as coal tar and Tapinarof is effective in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. AHR signalling is activated upon binding of wide variety of small chemicals or ligands, including microbiota-derived metabolites. New evidence has emerged pointing towards a key role for epidermal AHR signalling through skin microbiota-derived metabolites. In response, AHR-driven expression of antimicrobial peptides and stratum corneum formation may alter the skin microbiota composition. This a self-perpetuating feedback loop calls for novel therapeutic intervention strategies for which we herein discuss the requirements in future mechanistic studies.
We aimed to compare the functional results of two different vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) techniques used in open retropubic radical prostatectomy.
A total of 476 patients including the first group with four-focus VUA at 12-, 3-, 6-, and 9-o'clock positions (n=288) and the second group with six-focus VUA at 12-, 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-o'clock (n=188) were included in the study. Perioperative data, erectile function, and continence status over a 12-month period were compared.
Demographic and perioperative data were similar between two groups. The number of patients with VUA stricture in the first group was significantly higher those in the second group (5.1% vs 3.2%, P=.017). The mean time to stricture development was also shorter in the first group (48.9 vs 74.3days, P=.002). The number of continent patients at the 6th and 12th months were higher in the second group (79.3% vs 62.8%, P<.001; 92.4% vs 81.3%, P=.032, respectively). ALK signaling pathway There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of the number of potent patients (P=.194 for 6months and P=.351 for 12months).
Better continence results can be provided with the six-focus VUA technique compared with the four-focus technique. The number of anastomotic sutures in VUA may affect functional results and can be a determinative factor for surgeons who focus on functional results as well as oncological results.
Better continence results can be provided with the six-focus VUA technique compared with the four-focus technique. The number of anastomotic sutures in VUA may affect functional results and can be a determinative factor for surgeons who focus on functional results as well as oncological results.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a devasting disease of which mortality almost parallels its incidence. PC tissue may express aberrantly methylated neuronal pentraxin II (NPTX2), but it is unclear what the consequences of this are.
We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), from inception to July 15, 2020, to identify if the detection of methylated NPTX2 have sufficient sensitivity and specificity to identify PC from other benign pancreatic diseases.
Majority of the studies obtained samples from pancreatic juice by endoscopy or surgery and composed of population with chronic pancreatitis, benign cystic lesion, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, and healthy controls. Our results demonstrated that the diagnostic value of methylated NPTX2 is of widely various sensitivity and specificity and it shown higher specificity in differentiate PC from benign diseases. The lab method of quantitative real-time methylation-specific PCR (QMSP) has higher specificity than real-time methylation-specific PCR (MSP) in detecting the indicator.
NPTX2 methylation could serve as a promising molecular biomarker for pancreatic cancer diagnosis, for its high diagnostic value in differentiating pancreatic cancer from benign pancreatic disease with the lab method. The variable sensitivity of methylated NPTX2 was multifactorial, and it must be promoted before applied as screening test in clinical practice. Furthermore, experiments on methylated NPTX2 were needed to expanded for lower the heterogeneity.
NPTX2 methylation could serve as a promising molecular biomarker for pancreatic cancer diagnosis, for its high diagnostic value in differentiating pancreatic cancer from benign pancreatic disease with the lab method. The variable sensitivity of methylated NPTX2 was multifactorial, and it must be promoted before applied as screening test in clinical practice. Furthermore, experiments on methylated NPTX2 were needed to expanded for lower the heterogeneity.ALK signaling pathway
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