Medical Journals

Two Contrasting Scintigraphy-Negative Pediatric Meckel's Diverticula Identified and Localized by Intestinal Ultrasound and Double-Balloon Enteroscopy: A Report of Two Cases.

Authors: Saki Kasai, Masumi Nagata, Keisuke Jimbo, Nobuyasu Arai, Yuichiro Miyake, Mitsuyoshi Suzuki, Takahiro Kudo, Go Miyano, Hiromichi Shoji

Scintigraphy-negative Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is diagnostically challenging in children, particularly when the underlying pathology differs between cases. Technetium-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy is widely used for diagnosis; however, false-negative results may occur when ectopic gastric mucosa is absent or when the diverticulum is inverted. We report...

xinguangA preliminary characterization of PI4K/PIPK alterations across solid tumors: an exploratory framework for prognostic and therapeutic stratification.

Authors: Yaqiong Jie, Zhongyu Lu, Xiaoxuan Wang, Dongsheng Chen, Xing Zhang, Xinguang Han

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to systematically characterize the genomic alteration landscape of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) and phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase (PIPK) family genes in solid tumors, assess the correlation of these alterations with patient clinical outcomes and the tumor immune microenvironment, and explore their potential as...

Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) in a vaccinated 16-month-old Inuit boy: a case report.

Authors: Rachel Dorey, Alexander Morzycki, Darcy Scott, Joan Robinson, Geraldine Huynh

Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) is rare and life-threatening. We report severe monomicrobial Hib NSTI in a 16-month-old Inuit child who had received 3 doses of the Hib vaccine, highlighting vaccine failure and host susceptibility. The child sustained a minor fall to the left thigh without skin...

Causal association and shared mechanisms between Graves' disease and prostate cancer: insights from Mendelian randomization, machine learning, and comprehensive bioinformatics.

Authors: Mingshun Zuo, Yuanjian Liao, Qiang Xu, Ailing Su, Ni Fu, Chenghong Zou

BACKGROUND: Observational studies link hyperthyroidism to increased prostate cancer (PCa) risk, but causality and mechanisms remain unclear. Graves' disease (GD), the primary cause of hyperthyroidism, involves chronic immune dysregulation that may influence PCa through shared immune pathways. METHODS: We performed bidirectional two-sample Mendelian...

Integration of cognitive behavioral therapy and mobile health applications among university students with depression: a qualitative study.

Authors: Li-Ting Chen, Hsin-Tien Hsu, Meei-Fang Lou, Chia-Yi Wu, Cheng-Han Lin, Yueh-Hsiu Lin

BACKGROUND: Most applications for depression lack comprehensive theoretical integration and qualitative assessments of university students' needs remain insufficient. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the needs and experiences of university students with depressive symptoms and develop a theory-driven app design framework tailored to the target...

Phytotherapeutics self-microemulsifying systems in pellet dosage form for enhanced intestinal drug delivery: formulation, stability, and in-vivo performance.

Authors: Gabriela Koutná, Jan Kotouček, Jan Macků, Kateřina Kubová, Martina Urbanová, Larisa Janisová, Ivana Šeděnková, Jan Muselík, Jakub Vysloužil, Josef Mašek, Eliška Mašková, Miroslava Pavelková, David Vetchý, Jiří Brus

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing volatile phytotherapeutics such as thymol (T), carvacrol (C), and eugenol (E) present significant formulation challenges, even when solidified. Their instability and interactions with coatings often hinder intestinal delivery. To address these limitations, we developed solid SMEDDS consisting...

Route of BCG administration determines success.

Authors: Henok Andualem, Kayle B Dickson, Rabab Batool, Nelly Amenyogbe, Tobias R Kollmann

Tuberculosis (TB) is the single most deadly human pathogen and has been for centuries. BCG, a vaccine designed to protect from TB, is the most frequently administered vaccine in human history. Despite BCG's many shortcomings, which include suboptimal protection from TB, BCG has for over 100 y remained the only available vaccine in the fight against TB....

Dietary intervention through bacterial-derived butyrate elicits anti-tumor activity and increases anti-PD-1 response.

Authors: Myriam Benlaïfaoui, Corentin Richard, Sébastien Hunter, Eder Orlando Méndez-Salazar, Sylva Kourtian, Julie Malo, Diogjena Katerina Prifti, Mayra Ponce, Soumia Khalfi, Wiam Belkaïd, Meriem Messaoudene, Romain Boidot, Caroline Truntzer,...

The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a key modulator of cancer immunotherapy efficacy. Given that diet is one of the most important determinants of the gut microbiome composition and function, nutritional strategies have emerged as promising tools to modulate anti-tumor immune responses. Here, we demonstrate that dietary supplementation with...

Fusobacterium nucleatum-derived succinic acid aggravates colitis by triggering macrophage pro-inflammatory phenotypic transformation via SUCNR1/NF-κB axis.

Authors: Suqi Zeng, Shanshan Jiang, Jianxuan Sun, Yan Chen, Meiqi Qiu, Jiao Li, Qingzhi Lan, Yu Pu, Zongbiao Tan, Xingzhou Guo, Haodong He, Shuo Wang, Luyun Zhang, Yafei Liu, Jiaming Hu, Ruxue Wang, Fei Liao, Jixiang Zhang, Weiguo Dong

Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) has been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet the mechanisms underlying its effects remain incompletely defined. In this study, we integrated human fecal and mucosal samples, comparative metabolomics, multiple experimental colitis models, bacterial genetic manipulation,...

Does hydrochlorothiazide-associated hyponatremia in hypertensive individuals have a genetic origin?

Authors: Gulsum Ozkan, Caner Celik, Hilmi Tozkir, Semih Asıkovali, Nergiz Bayrakci

OBJECTIVE: Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte disorders in clinical practice and is frequently observed following thiazide use. Advanced age and female gender are implicated in the etiology of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)-associated hyponatremia. There has also recently been mention of a genetic disposition. This study evaluated the genetic...

Combination of empagliflozin with curcumin attenuates hepatic inflammation in high-fat diet-fed mice via macrophage polarization remodeling and NF-κB modulation.

Authors: Masoume Aliabadi, Ali Akbar Soleimani, Gholamreza Taheripak, Mitra Nourbakhsh, Reza Meshkani

PURPOSE: To evaluate the combined effects of empagliflozin (EMPA) and curcumin (Cur) on hepatic macrophage polarization, cytokine profile, and NF-κB signaling in a mouse model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 10/group) were fed NCD, HFD, HFD+EMPA, HFD + Cur, or HFD+EMPA + Cur for 23...

Early response to ivarmacitinib and its impact on long-term efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a post hoc analysis of a phase-III trial.

Authors: Jinbo Chen, Feng Hu, Ping Zhang, Liuqing Chen

BACKGROUND: Ivarmacitinib, also known as SHR0302, is a novel highly selective Janus kinase 1 inhibitor that suppresses cytokine signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the early response to ivarmacitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe AD and its impact on long-term efficacy. METHODS:...

Stapokibart reduces blood eosinophil counts in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a post-hoc analysis from phase II and phase III clinical trials.

Authors: Yan Zhao, Furen Zhang, Bin Yang, Litao Zhang, Liming Wu, Yangfeng Ding, Jinyan Wang, Yumei Li, Qingchun Diao, Jingyi Li, Qing Sun, Xiaohong Zhu, Xiaoyong Man, Lihua Wang, Yanyan Feng, Tao Cai, Huiming Zeng, Linfeng Li, Jianyun Lu, Hong...

BACKGROUND: Eosinophils are involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). OBJECTIVE: This post-hoc analysis evaluated the effect of stapokibart on blood eosinophil counts in moderate-to-severe AD patients. METHODS: The phase II AD002 trial (n = 120) randomly assigned patients to stapokibart 300 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W), 150 mg Q2W, or placebo for...

Influence of Oliceridine on the Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in High-Risk Patients Stratified Using Apfel Score After General Anesthesia: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Clinical Study.

Authors: Xinyang Heng, Aina Xu, Yajing Xiong, Rumei Ding, Jiangfeng Zhao

BACKGROUND: As a typical complication, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) usually occurs among patients undergoing general anesthesia surgery, diminishing postoperative satisfaction and recovery. OBJECTIVE: Herein, we applied a new G-protein-biased μ-opioid receptor agonist, oliceridine, to compare its management with fentanyl on PONV among high-risk...

Survival Nomogram for Stage IV (M1a-c) Melanoma: A Population-Based Study Highlighting the Prognostic Correlates of Surgery in Pre-Immunotherapy and Early Immunotherapy Eras.

Authors: Dun-Chang Mo, Jian-Feng Huang, Peng-Hui Luo, Peng Lin, Shang-Xiao Huang, Han-Lei Wang, Xiu-Juan Liang

OBJECTIVE: Metastatic melanoma has a poor prognosis. This study aimed to develop and validate era-specific nomograms for Stage IV (M1a-c) melanoma and assess the survival impact of surgery across two eras. METHODS: This retrospective Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) study included 3,319 stage IV melanoma patients divided into...

Association of inflammation-related composite indices with lung cancer risk in US adults and all-cause mortality among lung cancer patients: evidence from the 1999-2018 NHANES.

Authors: Qunyan Yao, Hui Zhang, Jinhua Jiang, Feng Yuan

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation is implicated in lung cancer pathogenesis. Inflammation-related haematologic indices are accessible biomarkers, but their associations with lung cancer risk and mortality in the general US population are not well-established. AIM: To investigate the associations of five inflammation-related haematologic indices (NLR, MLR,...

Meningococcal meningitis in India: An expert consensus on use of MCVs.

Authors: Ashok Kumar Dutta, Rashna Dass Hazarika, K L Ravikumar, Vijay Yewale, Sanjay Niranjan, Jaydeep Choudhury, Gurpreet Singh, Suresh Panuganti, Jeetendra Gavhane, Priya Biswakumar, J Rajkumar, Himanshu Kelkar, Tushar Shah, Niloy Mitra,...

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a significant but under-recognized public health challenge in India, marked by rapid progression, high mortality, and severe sequelae. This consensus document, developed from literature review, outbreak analyses, and deliberations by 14 Indian experts, highlights outbreaks from 1966 (Delhi: 616 cases, case fatality...

Novel biomarkers for acute kidney injury in high-risk pediatric populations: a systematic review.

Authors: Kyle Backston, Benjamin Buehrer, Defne Ezgü, Pranav Sivaram, Shay Tanna, Riddhima Koka, Sidharth Kumar Sethi, Michael Moritz, Rupesh Raina

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is currently diagnosed in pediatric patients by measuring rises in serum creatinine. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of novel biomarkers for early detection or prediction of pediatric AKI across a variety of high-risk pediatric populations. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed,...

Retraction Statement: Measurement of the fetal occiput-spine angle during the first stage of labor as predictor of the progress and outcome of labor.

The VELYS robotic-assisted solution: a strategic technology evaluation informed through scoping review.

Authors: Scott R Morrison, Andrew J Hall, Nick D Clement, Christopher Gee, Swati Chopra, Jon V Clarke

Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is increasingly utilized in arthroplasty, with emerging evidence suggesting potential benefits, however, the overall evidence base remains immature. Given the heterogeneity of available systems, device-specific evaluation is required. The VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution (VRAS; Johnson & Johnson MedTech) is an imageless,...

Acute kidney injury after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC: incidence and timing in a 10-year single-center cohort.

Authors: Michał Kazanowski, Paweł Lesiak, Jędrzej Wierzbicki, Bartosz Kapturkiewicz, Paweł Maciejewski, Marcin Pawłowski, Krzysztof Szewczyk, Tomasz Jastrzębski, Marek Bębenek

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) is used for selected peritoneal malignancies but carries substantial perioperative physiological stress. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is clinically relevant, yet data on its incidence and postoperative timing remain heterogeneous. METHODS: We performed a...

Efficacy of doxorubicin-loaded graphene nanoplatform chemo-photothermal therapy versus photothermal therapy alone for breast cancer xenograft tumors: a meta-analysis.

Authors: Hua-Wei Gao, Zhi-Hong Li, Yan Lu, Yi-Gong Fang, Fang-Fang Shen, Ling-Wei Song, Fang-Zhou Yu

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded graphene nanoplatform chemo-photothermal therapy (CPT) compared with photothermal therapy (PTT) alone on relative tumor volume (RTV) in breast cancer xenograft models and to summarize reported secondary safety and translational endpoints. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science,...

Ultrasound-guided versus CT-guided microwave ablation for liver metastases reduces complications with comparable tumor control.

Authors: Yezhao Li, Tianquan Cai, Zhengfeng Huang, Hongzhi Yang

OBJECTIVE: Microwave ablation (MWA) is a minimally invasive therapy for liver metastases. Image guidance, primarily ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT), is critical for precision, but their comparative safety profiles remain debated. This study aims to compare the incidence and severity of complications between US-guided and CT-guided MWA in...

Clinical transitions amid rapid expansion: a 16-year retrospective analysis of ultrasound-guided high-intensity Focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) for uterine fibroids and adenomyosis in Korea and the necessity for clinical standardization.

Authors: Jae-Seong Lee, Kye-Hwa Lee

BACKGROUND: Since its introduction in 2010, Ultrasound-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (USgHIFU) has rapidly expanded in South Korea, despite the absence of widely accepted standardized clinical protocols. This study evaluated the long-term clinical outcomes of USgHIFU and proposed a standardized MRI-integrated treatment framework incorporating...

The relationship between the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis in patients with IgA nephropathy.

Authors: Shuo Li, Yan Huang, Meiran Cao, Jingfu Wang

Background: The tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T) lesions of the Oxford Classification is a key prognostic determinant in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) is an emerging lipid marker, but its link with renal histologic damage in IgAN is unknown.Methods: This...

An unanchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison of the efficacy of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib for the treatment of relapsed/refractory mantle-cell lymphoma.

Authors: Toby A Eyre, Leyla Mohseninejad, Lianne Barnieh, Kaijun Wang, Yiran He, Keri Yang, Rhys Williams, Bijal D Shah

OBJECTIVE: No head-to-head trials have compared the efficacy of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib in relapsed/refractory mantle-cell lymphoma (R/R MCL). METHODS: Following a systematic literature review, individual patient data from trials of zanubrutinib (n = 118) and aggregate data from a pooled analysis of ibrutinib trials (n = 370) were analyzed using an...

Tertiary lymphoid structures in gastrointestinal cancer: orchestrating tumour microenvironmental immune subcycles to elegantly amplify the cancer immunity cycle.

Authors: Haobo Yin, Yuxi Qiao, Xiaoyan Li, Jingdong Zhang, Qian Dong

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a major global health burden, with high incidence and mortality despite advances in multimodal therapies. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), ectopic lymphoid aggregates within the tumour microenvironment (TME), have emerged as key regulators of antitumour immunity and potential predictors of...

Meningococcal vaccine information on YouTube in Türkiye: A cross-sectional analysis of content quality and reliability.

Authors: Ayse Esra Tapci, Oguzhan Serin, Medine Aysin Tasar

Meningococcal infections represent a significant public health concern due to their high mortality and morbidity rates. In Turkey, meningococcal vaccines are not included in the routine immunization schedule, and families increasingly seek health-related information through digital platforms. YouTube, as a widely used video-sharing platform, has the...

Setting expectations for current and future directions of native mass spectrometry in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Authors: Elizabeth Hecht, Esther Martin, Idlir Liko, Andrew Mahan, Aniruddha Sahasrabuddhe, Nastaran N Tajoddin, Iain D G Campuzano

While native mass spectrometry (native-MS) has been widely explored in academic laboratories, its practical role within biopharmaceutical research remains less clearly defined. In this perspective, we present an industry-driven view of how native-MS is currently applied, where it offers unique advantages over established analytical technologies, and where...

BioRENLI: enhancing large language models for biomedical relation extraction through preference-aligned natural language inference.

Authors: Junliang Liu, Ling Luo, Dinghao Pan, Yiyang Kang, Yuanyuan Sun, Hongfei Lin, Lejing Yu, Huan Zhuang

Biomedical relation extraction (RE) aims to identify typed relations between biomedical entities from text. Most existing RE approaches rely on text classification frameworks, which struggle to fully exploit the generative capabilities of large language models (LLMs). Moreover, when LLMs are directly fine-tuned for biomedical RE, they often confuse...

Knowledge on hypertension among hypertensive stroke survivors in Ghana: A cross-sectional, multicenter study.

Authors: Rexford Adu Gyamfi, Albert Akpalu, Ansumana Bockarie, Priscilla Abrafi Opare-Addo, Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng, Douglas Anning Opoku, Jude Domfeh Darkwah, Emmanuel Konadu, Agnes Arthur, Kwadwo Agyenim-Boateng, Christiana Neizer, Timothy...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a premier risk factor for index and recurrent strokes globally. However, knowledge of hypertension as a risk factor for stroke occurrence and subsequent adverse vascular events among recent stroke survivors in the sub-Saharan Africa is limited. PURPOSE: To assess the level and determinants of knowledge on hypertension and risk...

USP14 promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression via deubiquitinating and stabilizing CFL2.

Authors: Yue Liu, Zhiyuan Wang, Weixing Liu, Pei Li, Jia Chen, Zhi Shi, Jin Ye

AIM: To identify novel substrates of USP14 and elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which USP14 promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: USP14 expression patterns were examined in HNSCC tissues and cell lines. Functional effects were assessed using genetic knockout and overexpression models in vitro and in...

Analysis of Lesion Shrinkage and Factors Influencing Shrinkage Following Radiofrequency Ablation of Breast Nodules: An Observational Study.

Authors: Xiaoyin Tang, Bingwei Lu, Min Ding, Yan Lin, Ping Li

PURPOSE: To evaluate the reduction in ablated lesion volume after ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for benign breast tumors and identify factors associated with shrinkage. METHODS: This retrospective study included 64 patients (244 benign breast tumors) treated with RFA from December 2014 to February 2021. All tumors were biopsy...

Exploratory multi-omics links CCL2/TIMP1 axis to immunosuppressive TME in glioblastoma.

Authors: Yunchang Yang, XiangXiang Cao, Nan Feng, Xinyao Kang, Yaofeng Wang, Yunqin Sun

Glioblastoma (GBM) is defined by extreme lethality and transcriptomic plasticity, but the signatures driving the most aggressive tumors remain incompletely defined. In this exploratory in silico study, TCGA-GBM patients were stratified using a strict 1-year overall survival threshold. We integrated differential expression analysis, WGCNA, single-cell...

The CCR2 inflammatory pathway is a target for improving severe disease and pulmonary inflammation in experimental COVID-19.

Authors: Yvette Kazungu, Shrilakshmi Hegde, Parul Sharma, Amy Marriott, Andrew Steven, Jesus Reine, Jessica Dagley, Matthias Mack, Anja Kipar, James P Stewart, Joseph D Turner

SARS-CoV2 can induce an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), provoked by a dysregulated hyper-inflammatory pulmonary immune response. Here, we used the keratinocyte-18 humanized angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (K18-hACE2) mouse model of SARS-CoV2, where expression of the CoV2 spike protein receptor, hACE-2, is restricted to epithelia, to...

Determinants, risk score, and prognostic implications of left ventricular thrombus in ischemic cardiomyopathy assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance: a retrospective cohort study.

Authors: Chayathorn Aramcharoen, Pongsakorn Buraphat, Thidanan Wanitanantakun, Sasima Tongsai, Yodying Kaolawanich

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) is a significant complication in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). However, factors associated with LVT have mainly been reported in patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI), while data in chronic ICM remain limited. This study aimed to identify factors associated with CMR-detected LVT in patients with...

Effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on postoperative pain in patients undergoing thoracoscopic partial lung resection: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

Authors: Meng Yuan, Si-Jin Lv, Meng-Ru Wu, Yu-Chen Lu, Min-Hao Zhang, Jian-Hua He

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain after thoracic surgery remains common and challenging. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique with potential analgesic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of taVNS for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing thoracoscopic...