Hasil untuk "Other systems of medicine"

H. Kim, Jin-Soo Kim

S. Boccaletti, V. Latora, Y. Moreno et al.

Alastair Baker

T. Werfel, J. Allam, T. Biedermann et al.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex skin disease frequently associated with other diseases of the atopic diathesis. Recent evidence supports the concept that AD can also recognize other comorbidities, such as chronic inflammatory bowel or cardiovascular diseases. These comorbidities might result from chronic cutaneous inflammation or from a common, yet-to-be-defined immunologic background leading to immune deviations. The activation of immune cells and their migration to the skin play an essential role in the pathogenesis of AD. In patients with AD, an underlying immune deviation might result in higher susceptibility of the skin to environmental factors. There is a high unmet medical need to define immunologic endotypes of AD because it has significant implications on upcoming stratification of the phenotype of AD and the resulting targeted therapies in the development of precision medicine. This review article emphasizes studies on environmental factors affecting AD development and novel biological agents used in the treatment of AD. Best evidence of the clinical efficacy of novel immunologic approaches using biological agents in patients with AD is available for the anti-IL-4 receptor α-chain antibody dupilumab, but a number of studies are currently ongoing with other specific antagonists to immune system players. These targeted molecules can be expressed on or drive the cellular players infiltrating the skin (eg, T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, or eosinophils). Such approaches can have immunomodulatory and thereby beneficial clinical effects on the overall skin condition, as well as on the underlying immune deviation that might play a role in comorbidities. An effect of these immunologic treatments on pruritus and the disturbed microbiome in patients with AD has other potential consequences for treatment.

D. Dini, M. Calvete, M. Hanack

Candice R. Gurbatri, Nicholas Arpaia, Tal Danino

With increasing evidence that microbes colonize tumors, synthetic biology tools are being leveraged to repurpose bacteria as tumor-specific delivery systems. These engineered systems can modulate the tumor microenvironment using a combination of their inherent immunogenicity and local payload production. Here, we review genetic circuits that enhance spatial and temporal control of therapeutic bacteria to improve their safety and efficacy. We describe the engineering of interactions among bacteria, tumor cells, and immune cells, and the progression from bacteria as single agents toward their rational combination with other modalities. Together, these efforts are building toward an emerging concept of engineering interactions between programmable medicines using synthetic biology. Description

Orie Hikabe, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Go Nagamatsu et al.

Hui Ye, L. Robak, Meigen Yu et al.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is clinically, pathologically, and genetically heterogeneous, resisting distillation to a single, cohesive disorder. Instead, each affected individual develops a virtually unique form of Parkinson’s syndrome. Clinical manifestations consist of variable motor and nonmotor features, and myriad overlaps are recognized with other neurodegenerative conditions. Although most commonly characterized by alpha-synuclein protein pathology throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, the distribution varies and other pathologies commonly modify PD or trigger similar manifestations. Nearly all PD is genetically influenced. More than 100 genes or genetic loci have been identified, and most cases likely arise from interactions among many common and rare genetic variants. Despite its complex architecture, insights from experimental genetic dissection coalesce to reveal unifying biological themes, including synaptic, lysosomal, mitochondrial, and immune-mediated mechanisms of pathogenesis. This emerging understanding of Parkinson’s syndrome, coupled with advances in biomarkers and targeted therapies, presages successful precision medicine strategies.

F. Dewey, M. Murray, J. Overton et al.

S. Zoneraich

Jitendra Jayant Tapaswi, Meena Shamrao Deogade, Sham Nabar et al.

T. Kaptchuk

Yanko Pahnev, Boryana Avramova, Natalia Gabrovska et al.

Invasive <i>Mucormycosis (IM)</i> is an extremely rare infection with a high mortality rate, caused by a group of fungi classified as <i>Mucorales</i> moulds. <i>Rhizomucor pusillus</i> is a saprophitic, thermophilic, and angioinvasive microorganism that grows and lives at about 45 °C and is usually found in different environmental spaces such as soil, air, water, food, and other organic matter. These features predispose the infection to wide dissemination, especially in immunocompromised patients and most often in children after chemotherapy for hematological malignancies (HMs). <i>Mucormycosis</i> in patients with hematologic malignancies and neutropenia represents between 0.07% and 4.29% of the concomitant diseases. <i>IM</i> can develop into an infection in different sites, but its most common manifestation is pulmonary, followed by rhino-orbital–cerebral and disseminated forms. In recent years, an increased morbidity rate has been associated with the ongoing <i>COVID-19</i> pandemic, as cited in the literature. There are many publications with <i>COVID-19-associated mucormycosis</i> (CAM) cases. The present treatment protocol includes extensive and radical surgical debridement and systemic antifungal therapy with Liposomal Amphotericin B (L-AmB), Posaconazole, and Isavuconazole, either combined or as monotherapy. Despite these new treatment modalities, the mortality rate remains over 50%. We present a rare case of a 3-year-old child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and systemic <i>Rhizomucor pusillus</i> infection, diagnosed on the occasion of lung and brain abscesses. The patient underwent lung and brain surgery and is recovering well with no further complications. The two-year follow-up period shows no signs of recurrence of the disease.

Atthaphon Konyanee, Prapaporn Chaniad, Arnon Chukaew et al.

Abstract Background Malaria is a major global health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. With growing resistance to first-line treatment with artemisinin, there is an urgent need to discover novel antimalarial drugs. Mesua ferrea Linn., a plant used in traditional medicine for various purposes, has previously been investigated by our research group for its cytotoxic properties. The objective of this study was to explore the compounds isolated from M. ferrea with regards to their potential antiplasmodial activity, their interaction with Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH), a crucial enzyme for parasite survival, and their pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles. Methods The isolated compounds were assessed for in vitro antiplasmodial activity against a multidrug-resistant strain of P. falciparum K1 using a parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay. In vitro cytotoxicity against Vero cells was determined using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The interactions between the isolated compounds and the target enzyme PfLDH were investigated using molecular docking. Additionally, pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties were estimated using online web tools SwissADME and ProTox-II, respectively. Results Among the seven compounds isolated from M. ferrea roots, rheediachromenoxanthone (5), which belongs to the pyranoxanthone class, demonstrated good in vitro antiplasmodial activity, with the IC50 being 19.93 µM. Additionally, there was no toxicity towards Vero cells (CC50 = 112.34 µM) and a selectivity index (SI) of 5.64. Molecular docking analysis revealed that compound (5) exhibited a strong binding affinity of − 8.6 kcal/mol towards PfLDH and was stabilized by forming hydrogen bonds with key amino acid residues, including ASP53, TYR85, and GLU122. Pharmacokinetic predictions indicated that compound (5) possessed favorable drug-like properties and desired pharmacokinetic characteristics. These include high absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, classification as a non-substrate of permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), non-inhibition of CYP2C19, ease of synthesis, a high predicted LD50 value of 4,000 mg/kg, and importantly, non-hepatotoxic, non-carcinogenic, and non-cytotoxic effects. Conclusions This study demonstrated that compounds isolated from M. ferrea exhibit activity against P. falciparum. Rheediachromenoxanthone has significant potential as a scaffold for the development of potent antimalarial drugs.

Masud Rangavar, Abdolreza Kazemi, Mehdi Hosseinzadeh et al.

Background and aims: One of the most prevalent and significant syndromes affecting the elderly is frailty syndrome, which plays a crucial role in their quality of life and overall health status. While this syndrome can be viewed as a natural part of the aging process, it can actually be identified, prevented, and treated. This study investigated the ability of motor function tests to predict frailty and related disorders in elderly men. Methods: A total of 100 elderly men over 65 years of age from Kerman city were selected using an available sampling method. All participants completed the Tilburg Vulnerability Index (TFI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Following this, motor function tests, including the Timed Up and Go (TUG), Chair Stand, Arm Curl, and Stork Stand tests, were conducted. Data analysis was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test and logistic regression. Additionally, the sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off points of the tests were evaluated. Results: The results indicated that a TUG test time greater than 8.50 seconds, a Chair Stand test score below 10, an Arm Curl test score under 14, a Stork Stand test time less than 15.50 seconds, and an IPAQ score below 320.91 are associated with an increased susceptibility to frailty in elderly men. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that the TUG, Chair Stand, Arm Curl, Stork Stand tests, and IPAQ can effectively predict frailty in elderly men. Therefore, it is recommended to utilize these tests as screening tools for frailty in this population.

Kshirod Kumar Ratha, Suchanda Sahu

Fiodor GREJDEAN, Rodica SCUTELNIC, Victoria VOLOCEAI

În acest articol se descrie calitatea serviciilor medicale care provoacă multă confuzie în lumea contemporană. Calitatea asistenței medicale se măsoară prin satisfacția clienților, în funcție de specificul serviciilor medicale oferite. Lucrarea analizează tipurile de criterii folosite în măsurarea calității în instituțiile spitalicești: criterii de structură, criterii de proces și criterii de rezultat. Toate aceste criterii sunt utilizate pentru a măsura calitatea asistenței medicale.

A. Panossian, G. Wikman

Congying Huang, Baochang Zhou, Aruhan Chen et al.

Abstract. Objective. The R language was used to quantitatively compare the medication patterns of Mongolian medicines used for the treatment of liver diseases between China and Mongolia, with a view to provide a reference for the research and clinical application of Mongolian medicines in the treatment of liver diseases. Methods. The Mongolian medicinal prescriptions used for treating liver disease in Mongolia were collected from the Mongolian Pharmacy and Mongolian Treatment Guide for Common diseases in Mongolian Medicine, and those used in China were collected from the Inner Mongolia Standard for Mongolian Proprietary Medicine and Annotation of Mongolian Medicine Preparation Specifications. After the database was established, the frequency, properties, and tastes of the Mongolian medicines were analyzed, and R studio was used for the association rules analysis and cluster analysis. Results. A total of 27 prescriptions used in Inner Mongolia, China, were collected involving 105 Mongolian medicines, with a total frequency of 284. Among them, there were 18 high-frequency medicines (frequency ≥5), which had a frequency of 147, accounting for 51.76% of the total frequency. The medicine with the highest frequency (14, 4.93%) was Carthamus tinctorius L.. The analysis of the medicine data in China revealed 15 association rules. A total of 21 prescriptions used in Mongolia were collected, involving 92 Mongolian medicines, with a total frequency of 254. Among them, there were 17 high-frequency (frequency ≥5) medicines, with a total frequency of 124 (48.82%). The medicine with the highest frequency (13, 5.12%) was Carthamus tinctorius L.. The analysis of the medicine data in Mongolia revealed 79 association rules. In both regions, the high-frequency medicines used for treating liver disease commonly had cool or warm property with bitter or sweet taste. Conclusions. Carthamus tinctorius L., Terminalia chebula Retz., and other Mongolian medicines are commonly used to treat liver diseases in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. The Mongolian medicines with cool or warm property and bitter, sweet, or astringent taste are commonly used to protect the liver.

Catherine Killan, Han Cao, Angela Cordingley et al.

ObjectiveTo determine the time-course from first cochlear implantation to non-use, to characterise non-users' receptive and expressive communication, and document known risk factors for inconsistent use, for congenitally deaf non-users of cochlear implants implanted as children at least ten years ago.MethodsRetrospective service evaluation. All congenitally deaf patients who received a first cochlear implant as children at least ten years ago at a regional service, and were currently non-users, were identified. They were characterised in terms of ages at implantation and non-use, known risk factors for inconsistent CI use or CI non-use, and outcome measures were the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS) and Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) scores.ResultsSeventeen patients met the inclusion criteria. They were implanted from 1990 to 2006. Median age at implantation was 4 years (range: 2–11), median age at non-use was 17 years (range: 9–31), and median duration of use was 8.5 years (range: 4–25). All used sign or gesture as their primary expressive and receptive communication modes. In addition, each child had at least one other known risk factor for inconsistent CI use. At 3 years post-implantation, mean Parent-rated MAIS scores were 76.5% (N = 14), and mean MUSS scores were 43.1% (N = 9).DiscussionThis cohort included cases where CI use was rejected following longer periods of time than previously reported, highlighting a need for long-term support, particularly around the ages of life transitions. Studies conducted when the earliest cohort of paediatric CI users were younger, and studies reliant on parent or patient reports, may under-estimate long-term non-use rates. No non-users were identified among congenitally-deaf children implanted 10–15 years ago. Further research is warranted to explore relationships between risk factors, including communication mode, and non-use to inform expectation setting and candidacy selection.