Researchers have found that the upregulation of HOXA transcript at the distal tip (HOTTIP), an oncogene, in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is negatively associated with the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy and subsequent clinical outcomes, according to a study published in Frontiers in Oncology. HOTTIP was discovered to affect the proliferation, colony formation, and apoptosis of CCA cells…
Researchers found that a low proportion of circulating transitional B cells is associated with a high risk of MRI activity in interferon beta-treated multiple sclerosis (MS), which may predict treatment response, according to a study published in the Journal of Immunology. MS results in the inflammatory demyelination of the central nervous system, caused by a…
Researchers sought to explore the relationship between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) disease severity and cerebral-oxygenation during exercise in a paper published in Pulmonology. It is well-established in scientific literature that one of the most prominent signs of IPF is exercise intolerance, and in severe cases, even resting hypoxemia. A possible cause is the difference in…
Scientists have discovered that patients with chronic lung disease (CLD) have genetic expression programs that make them more susceptible to catching COVID-19 and experiencing greater disease severity, according to research published this year in Nature Communication. CLD is an umbrella term that is used to refer to any disease of the lung that is chronic…
Irreversible electroporation treatment (IRE) with intraoperative biliary stent placement appears to be a safe and effective approach in treating unresectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC), according to research published in Frontiers in Oncology. It allows for the decompression of biliary obstruction without the need for PTBD tubes, a benefit that will likely improve quality of life. Cholangiocarcinoma…
When dealing with chronic illnesses, especially rare ones, it is important as healthcare providers to be aware of the mental and emotional toll they can have on the patient. As clinicians, we need to avoid the trap of becoming so focused on improving objective values that we neglect subjective ones. The World Health Organization (WHO)…
Although prednisolone remains the most common steroid medication prescribed in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), many patients opt to switch to deflazacort for a number of reasons. A study published in The Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research demonstrates that outcomes reported by treating physicians were consistent with addressing patients’ primary reasons…
Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) levels were lower in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an effective factor in the development of PSP, a study published in the Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan has shown. Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is a condition in which air accumulates in the…
Researchers have found that laparoscopic resection of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is a feasible method of treatment in patients with large tumors that have been downsized by neoadjuvant therapy. These patients have the same favorable post-surgical outcomes as patients with smaller tumors, a study published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer has shown. This represents…
Hypervascularity of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) was associated with longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) and better survival after recurrence, a study published online in HPB found. CT scans are used by hepatobiliary (HPB) surgeons as critical tools to diagnose, evaluate, and predict prognosis in ICC. This retrospective study looked at the CT scan results of 147 patients…
