MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed genotyping for both SNPs for 250 GIC patients and 572 healthy volunteers using a polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism approach. We validated heterozygosity and homozygosity for both SNPs using direct sequencing.
RESULTS: The presence of a variant 194Trp allele in the Arg194Trp SNP was significantly associated with a higher risk of GIC, especially with gastric and colorectal cancers. We additionally found that the variant 399Gln allele in Arg399Gln SNP was associated with a greater risk of developing gastric cancer. Our combined analysis revealed that inheritance of variant alleles in both SNPs increased the GIC risk in Sabah population. Based on our etiological analysis, we found that subjects ≥50 years and males who carrying the variant 194Trp allele, and Bajau subjects carrying the 399Gln allele had a significantly increased risk of GIC.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that inheritance of variant alleles in XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln SNPs may act as biomarkers for the early detection of GIC, especially for gastric and colorectal cancers in the Sabah population.
Methods: The Iraqi Anti-Diabetic Medication Adherence Scale (IADMAS) consists of eight items. The face and content validity of the IADMAS were established via an expert panel. For convergent validity, the IADMAS was compared with the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ). For concurrent validity, the IADMAS was compared with glycosylated hemoglobin. A total of 84 patients with types 2 diabetes were recruited from a diabetes center in Baghdad, Iraq. Test-retest reliability was measured by readministering the IADMAS to the same patients 4 weeks later.
Results: Only 80 patients completed the study (response rate: 95%). Reliability analysis of the IADMAS showed a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.712, whereas that of the MAQ was 0.649. All items in the IADMAS showed no significant difference in the test-retest analysis, indicating that the IADMAS has stable reliability. There was no difference in the psychometric properties of the IADMAS and the MAQ. The sensitivity and specificity of the IADMAS were higher than that of the MAQ (100% vs 87.5% and 33.9% vs 29.7%, respectively).
Conclusion: The IADMAS developed in this study is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing antidiabetic medication adherence among Iraqi patients.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a prospective study of women undergoing bariatric surgery, between May 2017 and April 2018. FSD was diagnosed using the Malay version of Female Sexual Function Index (MVFSFI) questionnaire. Patients filled up the questionnaire before and 6 months after surgery. Association between BMI reduction and FSFI score improvement was measured using Fisher's exact test. Outcomes between types of surgery (sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass) was compared.
RESULTS: Fifty-two women completed the study. The mean age was 38.77 ± 6.7. There were 44 (84.6%) Malay patients, 7 (13.5%) Indian patients, and 1 (1.9%) Chinese patient. There was a significant reduction in mean BMI, 39.89 ± 6.9 pre-surgery to 30.32 ± 5.4 post-surgery (p value
METHODS: Here we describe the clinical course of 10 consecutive TBE patients with outcome assessment at discharge and after 12 month using a modified Rankin Scale. Patients underwent cerebral MRI after confirmation of diagnosis and before discharge. (18)F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed within day 5 to day 14 after TBE diagnosis. Extended analysis of coagulation parameters by thrombelastometry (ROTEM® InTEM, ExTEM, FibTEM) was performed every other day after confirmation of TBE diagnosis up to day 10 after hospital admission or discharge.
RESULTS: All patients presented with a meningoencephalitic course of disease. Cerebral MRI scans showed unspecific findings at predilection areas in 3 patients. (18)F-FDG PET/CT showed increased glucose utilization in one patient and decreased (18)F-FDG uptake in seven patients. Changes in coagulation measured by standard parameters and thrombelastometry were not found in any of the patients.
DISCUSSION: Glucose hypometabolism was present in 7 out of 10 TBE patients reflecting neuronal dysfunction in predilection areas of TBE virus infiltration responsible for development of clinical signs and symptoms.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the economic burden of treating cancer patients.
METHOD: Descriptive cross-sectional cost of illness study in the leading teaching and referral hospital in Kenya, with data collected from the hospital files of sampled adult patients for treatment during 2016.
RESULTS: In total, 412 patient files were reviewed, of which 63.4% (n = 261) were female and 36.6% (n = 151) male. The cost of cancer care is highly dependent on the modality. Most reviewed patients had surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care. The cost of cancer therapy varied with the type of cancer. Patients on chemotherapy alone cost an average of KES 138,207 (USD 1364.3); while those treated with surgery cost an average of KES 128,207 (1265.6), and those on radiotherapy KES 119,036 (1175.1). Some patients had a combination of all three, costing, on average, KES 333,462 (3291.8) per patient during the year.
CONCLUSION: The cost of cancer treatment in Kenya depends on the type of cancer, the modality, cost of medicines and the type of inpatient admission. The greatest contributors are currently the cost of medicines and inpatient admissions. This pilot study can inform future initiatives among the government as well as private and public insurance companies to increase available resources, and better allocate available resources, to more effectively treat patients with cancer in Kenya. The authors will be monitoring developments and conducting further research.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was carried out in eight patients with chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyposis who were planned for bilateral endoscopic sinus surgery. A Peri-operative Sinus Endoscopy (POSE) Score and Lund-Kennedy Endoscopic Score (LKES) were recorded. The use of hydrocortisone-impregnated Gelfoam dressing versus normal saline-impregnated Gelfoam dressing were compared. Scores were repeated post-operatively at one week, three weeks and three months interval.
RESULTS: For LKES, at the end of three months, 50% of the patients had the same score difference, 37.5% had better results on the study side while 12.5% had better results on the control side. Meanwhile, for POSE Score, at the end of three months, 75% of the patients had better score difference on the study side while 12.5% had better results on the control side.
CONCLUSION: Gelfoam can be used as nasal packing material to deliver topical steroid after endoscopic sinus surgery. Steroid-impregnated nasal dressing after endoscopic sinus surgery may not provide better long-term outcome.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of nasal lavage with and without mupirocin after endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery.
METHODS: A pilot randomised, controlled trial was conducted on 20 adult patients who had undergone endoscopic endonasal approaches for skull base lesions. These patients were randomly assigned to cohorts using nasal lavages with mupirocin or without mupirocin. Patients were assessed in the out-patient clinic, one week and one month after surgery, using the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test questionnaire and nasal endoscopy.
RESULTS: Patients in the mupirocin nasal lavage group had lower nasal endoscopy scores post-operatively, and a statistically significant larger difference in nasal endoscopy scores at one month compared to one week. The mupirocin nasal lavage group also showed better Sino-Nasal Outcome Test scores at one month compared to the group without mupirocin.
CONCLUSION: Nasal lavage with mupirocin seems to yield better outcomes regarding patients' symptoms and endoscopic findings.