METHODS: Patients fulfilling the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for TN were prospectively interviewed for their demographic and clinical data. Pain intensity was rated with a visual analog scale (VAS), anxiety and depression were determined by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and QoL was assessed by the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman correlation tests were used to test for differences considering a significance level of P < .05.
RESULTS: Of the 75 included patients, 52 (69.3%) were women with a mean ± standard deviation (SD) onset age of 52.0 ± 12.7 years, and 57.3% were Chinese, 24.0% Malay, and 18.7% Indian. Pain was more common on the right side (69.3%) and in the maxillary and mandibular divisions. VAS scores for pain at its worst were higher in anxious/borderline anxious patients compared to non-anxious patients (89.5 ± 15.9 vs 80.9 ± 17.2, respectively; P < .05), and VAS scores for pain at its least were higher in depressed/borderline depressed subjects compared to non-depressed subjects (38.4 ± 25.8 vs 23.0 ± 19.2, respectively; P < .05). Chinese patients had lower VAS scores for pain at its least compared to Indian patients (19.7 ± 16.1 vs 39.9 ± 24.7; P < .01). TN patients scored lower in all eight domains of the SF-36 compared to the general population. Indian patients had lower scores in role limitations due to physical health (8.9 ± 23.2 vs 49.4 ± 43.8; P < .01) and social function (56.3 ± 13.6 vs 76.5 ± 23.6; P < .01) than Chinese patients, and Malay patients had lower mental health scores compared to Chinese patients (59.1 ± 19.5 vs 73.0 ± 21.0; P < .01).
CONCLUSION: Clinical characteristics of TN patients were similar to those of other populations. There were differences in pain ratings and QoL between TN patients of different ethnicities, as well as between those with anxiety and depression.
METHODS: Intervention studies published in English between 2000 and August 2018 were retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science using various keywords.
RESULTS: This article is a review of 36 studies conducted in 13 different countries which included a total of 15,931 participants between 19 and 70 years of age. The effect of 26 genes and 64 SNPs on the reduction of body weight and metabolic risk factors in response to diet, exercise, and lifestyle interventions was reviewed.
CONCLUSION: Gene-lifestyle interaction studies on the same candidate gene in different populations have reported information which is challenging to interpret. Thus, it is difficult to arrive at a particular model for a strategy on weight management at this point in time. Most of the intervention studies focus on the effect of variants of a single candidate gene on weight loss. Further evidence from large-scale studies is necessary to assess the effect of multiple candidate genes to compute a gene score that could be used in a model intervention programme. Our review suggests that a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular physical activity will benefit individuals who carry the risk alleles of the obesity-related candidate genes. This message should be the mainstay of the recommendations and guidelines published by nutrition societies across the world.
CASE REPORT: A 58-year-old female presented with a 3-cm painless right axillary mass. Extensive radiological investigations that include mammography, ultrasonography of the breasts and positron emission tomography (PET) scan failed to conclude the primary site of the tumour. Histological examination of the lymph node revealed loosely cohesive sheets of poorly differentiated malignant cells, without discernible glandular or squamous differentiation. Immunohistochemically, the malignant cells exhibited diffuse immunoreactivity toward pan-cytokeratin and CK7, while leukocyte common antigen, S100 and CK20 were negative. A second panel of immunomarkers was carried out. The malignant cells expressed breast-specific markers (GATA-3, GCDFP-15 and mammaglobin), and were negative for ER, PR and TTF-1 immunohistochemistry. A diagnosis of OBC was rendered.
DISCUSSION: Breast primary must always be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with sole presentation of axillary lymphadenopathy. The breast-specific immunomarkers play a pivotal role in the diagnosis of ER, PR-negative occult breast cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The miR-302 cluster was amplified by polymerase chain reaction technique from human genomic DNA and was ligated into pTRIPz, an inducible lentiviral vector.
RESULTS: MRC5 fibroblasts and HEK293 (human embryonic kidney) cells were infected with pTRIPz-302 cluster lentivirus and the family of 302 miRNAs were strongly expressed in HEK293 cells but lowly expressed in MRC5 fibroblasts. When cultured in hESC conditions, MRC5 cells expressed only low levels of DNMT3B, Nanog, Oct4 and Lin28 and failed to show stem cell induction. The red fluorescent expression seen in the majority of MRC5 cells, indicated that the rate of infection by lentivirus was efficient.
DISCUSSION: The efficiency of reprogramming may be improved perhaps by either using a different cell type or a high expression vector with a different type of promoter.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving patients aged ≥ 13 years with AD who fulfilled the Hanifin and Rajka diagnostic criteria. These patients were recruited from Hospital Queen Elizabeth, Kota Kinabalu and Hospital Kuala Lumpur between January 2020 to March 2021. Assessment instruments used were Scoring for Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
RESULTS: Of the 217 participants, 75 (34.6%) had mild eczema, 116 (53.5%) moderate eczema and 26 (12.0%) severe eczema with a mean SCORAD score of 30.4 (standard deviation [SD] = 4.70). Twenty-six (12.0%) and 17 (7.8%) had anxiety and depression, respectively. Patients with moderate to severe disease reported higher HADS-A (HADS-anxiety component), HADS-D (HADS-depression component), POEM, DLQI, itch, sleep loss and skin pain scores (p < 0.001 for all). Severe sleep loss (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] 12.41, p < 0.001) and hospitalisation in the past year (AOR 6.44, p = 0.004) were significant predictors for anxiety whereas those aged 41 to 60 (AOR 10.83, p = 0.020), having severe skin pain (AOR 6.12, p = 0.028), DLQI ≥ 10 (AOR 5.27, p = 0.002) and history of hospitalisation in the past year (AOR 12.73, p = 0.002) had increased risk for depression.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anxiety was 12.0% while depression was 7.8% in our cohort. AD renders a significant burden on mental health and QOL with a higher impact on those with more severe disease. The use of screening tools such as HADS and DLQI for assessment of mental health and QOL should be considered to address the multidimensional burden of AD.
METHODS: The Q methodology was used where 37 opinion statements were ranked in order of importance in a unimodal shaped grid. Results were explored using the Centroids factor extraction and Varimax rotation.
RESULTS: Four-three persons living with haemodialysis, mean age± SD= 56.58 ± 10.22 years, participated in the study. Five-factors were identified: living in the present, family preference, self preservation, power vs. control and autonomy in decision making, loaded by eleven, four, four, three and three participants with 16 individuals not loading significantly and two were confounded. Preferences for remaining positive in the face of illness through a healthy lifestyle and preserving relationships and autonomy were demonstrated.
CONCLUSIONS: End-of-life discussions are potentially inhibited by preferences to live for the present which should be explored in future studies.
PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Statement sets may be used to help facilitate end-of-life discussions through identification of opinion groups. Establishing preferences may guide identification of those willing to initiate discussions.