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Background: Patients with sepsis with low albumin levels and high red blood cell distribution width levels have poor prognoses. Red blood cell distribution width to albumin ratio (RAR) has recently attracted attention as an innovative inflammation biomarker. We aimed to explore the association between RAR and the prognosis of patients with sepsis. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 402 patients meeting the sepsis-3 standards admitted to Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital's intensive care units (ICUs) between January 2020 and December 2022. The relationship between RAR and mortality in patients with sepsis was examined using regression analysis, Kaplan–Meier analyses, and a receiver operating characteristic curve. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the results' robustness. Results: RAR, when considered as a continuous variable, was a significant independent in-hospital mortality risk factor (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.383; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.164–1.645; P < 0.001). When considering RAR as a categorical variable, the ORs (95% CIs) of hospital mortality for quartile 2 (Q2), Q3, and Q4 compared with Q1 were 1.027 (0.413–2.551), 3.632 (1.579–8.354), and 4.175 (1.625–10.729), respectively, P < 0.001. Similar outcomes were observed for 28- and 90-day mortalities. Conclusions: RAR may indicate clinical prognosis for patients with sepsis in the ICU, potentially providing a low-cost, easily repeatable, and accessible biomarker for risk categorization for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-dose cytarabine (HDAC) is commonly used for consolidation therapy in young acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, but the dosage of cytarabine is still controversial in the clinic due to its obvious post-chemotherapy adverse effects. The aim of this study was to contrast the efficacy in different dose groups of cytarabine after consolidation therapy in Chinese AML patients. Methods: AML patients treated with cytarabine consolidation at Qilu Hospital, Shandong University from January 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, from which 346 AML patients with relatively complete follow-up data were selected for this study. We compared the patients' overall survival (OS) rate, relapse-free survival (RFS) rate, and hematologic adverse events in terms of their general characteristics, cytarabine consolidation therapy dose, consolidation course, 2022 European Leukemia Net (ELN) risk stratification, and transplantation. Results: In AML patients under 60 years of age, the 5-year RFS rate with high-dose cytarabine consolidation therapy was superior to that of small-dose cytarabine (P = 0.024), while the 5-year RFS rate was comparable in the high-dose and intermediate-dose groups, and there was no obvious difference among the three groups in the 5-year OS rate (P > 0.05). OS and RFS of those given more than 3 courses of cytarabine consolidation therapy were better than those in the 1–2 courses group (P = 0.060, P = 0.040). OS and RFS were better in patients with cumulative dose of cytarabine ≥ 36g than in patients with cumulative dose < 36g (P < 0.05), but cumulative dose ≥ 54g was comparable in OS and RFS with ≥ 36–< 54g group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in hematologic adverse effects among the three treatment groups. In the latest ELN risk stratification favorable-risk group, the cumulative dose of cytarabine ≥ 36g had a better 5-year RFS rate than the < 36g group (P = 0.038), and in the intermediate-risk group the 5-year OS rate and RFS rate were better in the ≥ 36g group than the < 36g group (P = 0.012, 0.025). In addition, the prognosis of transplanted patients was better than that of non-transplanted patients, whereas in non-transplanted patients, consolidation therapy with ≥ 36g cytarabine can effectively improve outcomes. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, fibrinogen (FIB) and the cumulative dose of cytarabine of ≥ 36–< 54g were predictors of OS, while age, white blood cell (WBC) and HDAC were predictors of RFS. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that consolidation therapy with cytarabine up to a cumulative dose of ≥ 36–< 54g in AML patients who did not undergo transplantation significantly improved patient prognosis. In the latest ELN risk stratification, cumulative doses of cytarabine ≥ 36g had a better prognosis in favorable and intermediate-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secukinumab is effective in treating patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis. However, most studies assessing its effectiveness in routine clinical settings in China are mostly single‐center studies with a limited sample size. The objective of this study was to assess secukinumab's efficacy, treatment patterns, and characteristics in patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis. This 24‐week, multicenter (n = 5) retrospective study analyzed the data of Chinese adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis who initiated secukinumab treatment between May 2019 and March 2020. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA), Investigator's Global Assessment Modified 2011 (IGA mod 2011), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were assessed. Dermatologists documented the treatment dosage and modification reasons. Of the 244 secukinumab‐naïve patients, most were men (73.4%, 179/244) and weighed 60–90 kg (72.8%, 177/243). The mean (SD) age at secukinumab initiation was 38.1 (11.6) years, and the disease duration was 13.5 (7.9) years. Most patients (97.1%, 237/244) received secukinumab 300 mg. At weeks 4, 12, 16, and 24, the proportion of patients achieving PASI 75 (≥75% reduction from baseline) was 40.0%, 92.1%, 88.4%, and 88.9%, respectively; PASI 90 was 15.0%, 73.7%, 81.4%, and 68.3%, respectively; and PASI 100 was 8.7%, 40.8%, 58.1%, and 41.3%, respectively. During the same periods, BSA and IGA mod 2011 showed similar improvement trends. An increasing proportion of patients achieved DLQI of 0–1 (21.6%, 65.7%, 75.0%, and 80.3%, respectively). Treatment modification was highest at week 12. The average interval between two administrations after week 4 was 62.95 days. Secukinumab was highly effective in improving the PASI, IGA, BSA, and DLQI in Chinese patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis throughout the first 24 weeks. The treatment pattern for Chinese patients differs from that in the clinical guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Mortality of dermatomyositis patients positive with anti-melanoma differentiation-related gene 5 antibody (anti-MDA5-DM) is alarming, especially during the first several months. Infection is an important cause of early death. As there are no reports regarding the effect of prophylactic use of compounded sulfamethoxazole (coSMZ; each tablet contains 400 mg of sulfamethoxazole and 80 mg of trimethoprim) in anti-MDA5-DM patients, we conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy of coSMZ in reducing the incidence of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). Methods Consecutive patients with new-onset anti-MDA5-DM from June 2018 to October 2021 in our centre were retrospectively reviewed for >12 months. They were divided into two groups—coSMZ and non-coSMZ—based on the initial use of prophylactic coSMZ. Mortality and the incidence of severe infection within 12 months were compared between two groups. Results Compared with the non-coSMZ group (n  = 93), the coSMZ group (n  = 121) had lower mortality (18.8% vs 51.1%; P   <  0.001) and a lower incidence of PJP (6.8% vs 15.2%; P  = 0.040) and fatal infection (16.1% vs 3.3%; P  = 0.001) during the first 12 months from diagnosis. After adjusting for age, gender, disease duration, peripheral blood lymphocyte count, anti-MDA5 antibody titres, ground-glass opacity scores and treatments, an inverse association was revealed between the prophylactic use of coSMZ and incidence of PJP [adjusted odds ratio 0.299 (95% CI 0.102–0.878), P  = 0.028]. Conclusion Prophylactic use of coSMZ is an effective and safe way to improve the prognosis of anti-MDA5-DM patients by preventing the incidence of PJP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Denosumab entered the Chinese market for the first time in 2020. Since it is a short period of time, there is a lack of data on its effectiveness and safety in Chinese people. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of denosumab in delaying skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with breast cancer metastatic to bone. Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed data from breast cancer patients with bone metastases (BM) who were treated with denosumab in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from September 2020 to January 2022. The primary endpoint was SRE incidence at 1 year after receiving denosumab treatment. The secondary endpoints included time to first on-study SRE and safety. Descriptive analysis was utilized to display clinicopathological features. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the median time to first on-study SRE in total population and subgroups. Logistic regression analysis and χ2 test were employed to determine the potential factors influencing the occurrence of SREs. Results: Fifty breast cancer patients with BM were enrolled in our study, and 54.0% of the patients had 5 or more metastatic bone lesions. After a median follow-up of 17.00 months, 24% of the patients developed SREs at 1 year after receiving denosumab treatment, and the median time to first on-study SREs was not reached. Five or more metastatic bone lesions were an independent risk factor for SRE occurrence (odds ratio = 6.06, 95% CI: 1.09-33.54, P =.039). The adverse events (AEs) associated with denosumab mainly included hypocalcemia (68.0%), periodontitis (28.0%), and myalgia (14.0%). Only 3 cases of grade III/IV AEs were reported, and no serious AEs occurred. Conclusion: Denosumab was effective and well tolerated in Chinese breast cancer patients with BM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that non-invasive liver fibrosis scores (LFSs) are associated with kidney function deterioration. This study aimed to assess the predictive performance of LFSs in contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This retrospective study involved 5627 patients. The frequency of CA-AKI was 6.3% (n = 353). In a multivariate logistic analysis after adjustment, non-invasive LFSs, including fibrosis-5 score (FIB-5), fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4), aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR), and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index were independent risk factors for CA-AKI (all P <.05), whereas the Forns score was not (P >.05). The highest predictive performance was observed for FIB-5 (area under the curve [AUC] =.644) compared to other LFSs. A restricted cubic spline analysis confirmed approximately linear relationships between LFSs and risks of CA-AKI. Furthermore, adding FIB-5 (AUC =.747; net reclassification improvement [NRI] =.441, P <.001; integrated discrimination improvement [IDI] =.008, P <.001) or AAR (AUC =.747; NRI =.419, P <.001; IDI =.006, P =.010) to an established clinical risk model could significantly improve the prediction of CA-AKI. The LFSs were significantly associated with CA-AKI, possibly serving as predictive tools for early identification of CAD patients undergoing elective PCI that are at high risk of CA-AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, percutaneous nephrolithotomy has become an option for hospitals increasingly to treat calculus. However, due to the certain risk of percutaneous nephrolithotomy, it may lead to postoperative complications. Analyzing the preoperative factors of septic shock after percutaneous nephrolithotomy can provide guidance for reducing the incidence of septic shock after PCNL. This article establishes a logistic regression model based on preoperative factors, uses statistical methods, and uses the professional statistical software SPSS to create a database and analyze the data. The method of classification data analysis was used to determine various influencing factors including patient factors, stone factor, and preoperative factors and combined B-ultrasound guidance and percutaneous nephrolithotomy to reduce the risk of surgery. The experimental results found that the percutaneous nephroscope laser lithotripsy guided by the smart Internet of Things can effectively perform lithotripsy; in this paper, the preoperative data of different complications are obtained, and the risk of surgery is closely related to the operation time. The operation time exceeds 90 minutes and causes the risk of severe bleeding after PCNL. It is twice the operation time of less than 90 minutes and 5 times the operation time of less than 60 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The tuberculosis (TB) positive conversion rate among psoriasis patients who received biologics has been reported worldwide, particularly in regions with low TB risk. Nonetheless, the TB-related safety of biologics such as adalimumab and secukinumab remains elusive in areas with high TB risk. According to the World Tuberculosis Report 2021, China is the country with the second highest TB burden, but data on TB conversion are also limited. Thus, we performed a retrospective, single-center study to profile the TB infection status conversion ratio among psoriasis patients treated with adalimumab and secukinumab in China. Methods: Patients were enrolled between April 2019 and February 2021 from West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Baseline and relevant clinical information were summarized, and proper statistical analysis was used under different conditions. Results: Five (5.43%) patients suffered TB conversion in the adalimumab group, two of whom developed active TB within the first 6 months. In the secukinumab group, four (5.26%) patients had TB positive conversion with no reports of active TB. Conclusion: Our data show a relatively high rate of TB conversion among these psoriasis patients after mean treatment duration of 17.13 months. We recommend that, in patients who receive adalimumab, TB be reevaluated after the first 3 months and then monitored semiannually for the next 2 years. For patients treated with secukinumab, annual examination is sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to famine during early life is related to several adverse health outcomes in adulthood, but the effect of famine exposure during adolescence is unclear. This study aims to examine whether exposure to famine in adolescence is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood.Methods: This study included 4130 Chinese adults (2059 males and 2071 females) aged 59-71 from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). All the selected participants were exposed to the three-year time period (1959-1961) of China's Great Famine. Participants were categorized into an adolescent-exposed group (born 01/01/1944-12/31/1948) and a non-adolescent-exposed group (born 01/01/1940-12/31/1941 and 01/01/1951-12/31/1952). Sex-stratified multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between exposure to famine in adolescence and MetS.Results: Participants exposed to famine during adolescence were more likely to report MetS (aOR = 1.35; 95%CI 1.01-1.78) compared to the non-adolescent-exposed group. Further, males were 45% less likely to report MetS than females (aOR = 0.55; 95%CI 0.36-0.83). After stratification by sex, the effects of famine exposure during adolescence on MetS were detected among males only (aOR = 1.97; 95%CI 1.20-3.24). Additionally, males with a history of drinking were more likely to report MetS compared to those with no history of drinking (aOR = 2.63; 95%CI 1.41-4.90).Conclusions: Our findings reveal that exposure to famine during adolescence is associated with higher odds of MetS in adulthood overall, and this association is only pronounced among males. This study emphasizes that undernutrition in early life, including adolescence, may have a long-term effect and be associated with adverse health events in middle-to-late life. Targeting those elderly people who suffered famine during adolescence may help prevent the development of MetS in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]