Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1:Early diagnosis is very important

In this manuscript,we comment on a recent publication by Yuan et al.This article provides a detailed scientific diagnostic process for a multiple endocrine neo-plasia type 1 patient,thus offering strong guidance for clinical practice.However,we believe that the authors should also provide information on the patient's long-term prognosis.

Improving early diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 by assessing the gastrointestinal symptoms,hypercalcemia,and elevated serum gastrin

Despite advancements in the field,early diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1(MEN1)remains unachievable.This letter to the editor highlighted the importance of carefully assessing gastrointestinal symptoms,hypercalcemia,and elevated serum gastrin levels,as suggested by Yuan et al in their paper.They focused on a patient with recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea whose diagnostic path led to establishing a MEN1 diagnosis within a year.This emphasized the need for clinicians to consider MEN1 in patients with similar presentations,particularly when gastrointestinal symptoms persist or recur after discontinuation of proton pump inhibitors,especially knowing that early recognition and intervention are crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Recent advances in living cell nucleic acid probes based on nanomaterials for early cancer diagnosis

The early diagnosis of cancer is vital for effective treatment and improved prognosis. Tumor biomarkers, which can be used for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of cancer, have emerged as a topic of intense research interest in recent years. Nucleic acid, as a type of tumor biomarker, contains vital genetic information, which is of great significance for the occurrence and development of cancer. Currently, living cell nucleic acid probes, which enable the in situ imaging and dynamic monitoring of nucleic acids, have become a rapidly developing field. This review focuses on living cell nucleic acid probes that can be used for the early diagnosis of tumors. We describe the fundamental design of the probe in terms of three units and focus on the roles of different nanomaterials in probe delivery.

Early diagnosis of esophageal cancer:How to put“early detection”into effect?

This editorial comments on the article by Qu et al in a recent edition of World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology,focusing on the importance of early diagnosis in managing esophageal cancer and strategies for achieving“early detection”.The five-year age-standardized net survival for esophageal cancer patients falls short of expectations.Early detection and accurate diagnosis are critical strategies for improving the treatment outcomes of esophageal cancer.While advancements in endoscopic technology have been significant,there seems to be an excessive emphasis on the latest high-end endoscopic devices and various endoscopic resection techniques.Therefore,it is imperative to redirect focus towards proactive early detection strategies for esophageal cancer,investigate the most cost-effective screening methods suitable for different regions,and persistently explore practical solutions to improve the five-year survival rate of patients with esophageal cancer.

Clinical significance of peripheral blood UL16 and DR-70 for the early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer(CRC)is of great significance to improve the survival rate and quality of life of patients,but early diagnosis of CRC requires more sensitive techniques.Peripheral blood UL16-binding protein 2(ULBP2)and human fibrinogen degradation products(DR-70)are the main indicators for the diagnosis of malignant tumors.AIM To assess ULBP2 and DR-70 potential for the early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of CRC to provide a reference.METHODS This study involved 60 patients with early-stage CRC(CRC group),50 patients with benign colorectal tumors(benign group),and 50 healthy patients(control group)enrolled at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University and Jiangsu Province Official Hospital between January,2020 and January,2022.ULBP2 and DR-70 levels in the blood were determined and differences among the three groups and early diagnostic values for CRC were determined.Patients with CRC were divided into the good prognosis and poor prognosis groups,and ULBP2 and DR-70 levels in the blood and diagnostic values were compared.RESULTS ULBP2 and DR-70 serum levels were significantly higher in the CRC group than in the control and benign groups(P<0.05);however,no significant differences were observed between the benign and control groups(P>0.05).Among the 60 patients with CRC followed up for two years,two died(3.33%)and 15 exhibited tumor metastasis,progression,or recurrence(25.00%).ULBP2 and DR-70 serum levels were significantly higher in the poor prognosis group than in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).A receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted.Area under the curve,sensitivity,and specificity of serum ULBP2 with DR-70 for the early diagnosis of CRC were higher than those of the single serum indices(P<0.05)in both the good and poor prognosis groups.CONCLUSION ULBP2 and DR-70 serum levels were significantly high in patients with early-stage CRC.They improved the diagnostic rate of early-stage CRC and predicted patient prognosis,thereby showing clinical application potential.

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: Shedding light on an unresolved challenge

Diagnosing early-stage pancreatic cancer(PC)remains a clinical challenge.Hence,studying novel imaging aspects that could enhance the diagnostic accuracy of malignant pancreatic precursor lesions is imperative.This article aims to un-derscore the promising role of emerging imaging aspects that may facilitate the earlier diagnosis of PC,thereby improving its management and prognosis.

Latest insights into the global epidemiological features,screening,early diagnosis and prognosis prediction of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

As a highly invasive carcinoma,esophageal cancer(EC)was the eighth most prevalent malignancy and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide in 2020.Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is the major histological subtype of EC,and its incidence and mortality rates are decreasing globally.Due to the lack of specific early symptoms,ESCC patients are usually diagnosed with advanced-stage disease with a poor prognosis,and the incidence and mortality rates are still high in many countries,especially in China.Therefore,enormous challenges still exist in the management of ESCC,and novel strategies are urgently needed to further decrease the incidence and mortality rates of ESCC.Although the key molecular mechanisms underlying ESCC pathogenesis have not been fully elucidated,certain promising biomarkers are being investigated to facilitate clinical decision-making.With the advent and advancement of highthroughput technologies,such as genomics,proteomics and metabolomics,valuable biomarkers with high sensitivity,specificity and stability could be identified for ESCC.Herein,we aimed to determine the epidemiological features of ESCC in different regions of the world,especially in China,and focused on novel molecular biomarkers associated with ESCC screening,early diagnosis and prognosis prediction.

Non-participation of asymptomatic candidates in screening protocols reduces early diagnosis and worsens prognosis of colorectal cancer

The Agatsuma et al’s study shows that despite the evidence of the benefits of an early colorectal cancer(CRC)diagnosis,through screening in asymptomatic subjects,up to 50%of candidates reject this option and many of those affected are diagnosed later,in advanced stages.The efficacy of screening programs has been well-established for several years,which reduces the risk of CRC morbidity and mortality,without taking into account the test used for screening,or other tools.Nevertheless,a significant proportion of patients remain unscreened,so understanding the factors involved,as well as the barriers of the population to adherence is the first step to possibly modify the participation rate.These barriers could include a full range of social and political aspects,especially the type of financial provision of each health service.In Japan,health services are universal,and this advantageous situation makes it easier for citizens to access to these services,contributing to the detection of various diseases,including CRC.Interestingly,the symptomatic CRC group had a lower early-stage diagnosis rate than the patients detected during follow-up for other comorbidities,and symptomatic and cancer screening groups showed similar early-stage diagnosis.

Plasma DNA methylation detection for early screening,diagnosis,and monitoring of esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND The early diagnosis rate of esophageal cancer(EC),one of the most prevalent digestive tract cancers worldwide,remains low.AIM To investigate the utility of plasma SHOX2,SEPTIN9,EPO,and RNF180 methylation in the clinical diagnosis and monitoring of EC.Plasma samples were collected from 210 patients at Hubei Cancer Hospital,and TaqMan polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect plasma SHOX2,SEPTIN9,RNF180,and EPO methylation.The area under the curve was used to estimate their diagnostic value for EC.Cox and logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the independent screening risk factors for patients with EC.RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity of combined assessment of plasma SHOX2,SEPTIN9,RNF180,and EPO methylation for adenocarcinoma,squamous cell carcinoma(SCC),and EC detection were 66.67%and 86.27%,77.40%and 85.29%,and 76.19%and 86.27%,respectively;the area under the curve values for diagnosing adenocarcinoma,SCC,and EC were 0.737[95%confidence interval(CI):0.584–0.89],0.824(95%CI:0.775–0.891),and 0.864(95%CI:0.809–0.92),respectively.CONCLUSION According to our findings,plasma SHOX2,SEPTIN9,RNF180,and EPO methylation exhibits appreciated sensitivity for diagnosing EC.The precise measurement of plasma SHOX2,SEPTIN9,RNF180,and EPO methylation can improve EC diagnosis and therapy efficacy monitoring.

Early identification of stroke through deep learning with multi-modal human speech and movement data

Early identification and treatment of stroke can greatly improve patient outcomes and quality of life.Although clinical tests such as the Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke Scale(CPSS)and the Face Arm Speech Test(FAST)are commonly used for stroke screening,accurate administration is dependent on specialized training.In this study,we proposed a novel multimodal deep learning approach,based on the FAST,for assessing suspected stroke patients exhibiting symptoms such as limb weakness,facial paresis,and speech disorders in acute settings.We collected a dataset comprising videos and audio recordings of emergency room patients performing designated limb movements,facial expressions,and speech tests based on the FAST.We compared the constructed deep learning model,which was designed to process multi-modal datasets,with six prior models that achieved good action classification performance,including the I3D,SlowFast,X3D,TPN,TimeSformer,and MViT.We found that the findings of our deep learning model had a higher clinical value compared with the other approaches.Moreover,the multi-modal model outperformed its single-module variants,highlighting the benefit of utilizing multiple types of patient data,such as action videos and speech audio.These results indicate that a multi-modal deep learning model combined with the FAST could greatly improve the accuracy and sensitivity of early stroke identification of stroke,thus providing a practical and powerful tool for assessing stroke patients in an emergency clinical setting.

Advancing early diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease: A call for enhanced efforts

The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is complicated by its nonspecific clinical presentation and the limited accuracy of existing biomarker tests,frequently resulting in significant delays from the time of symptom onset to the achievement of a definitive diagnosis.Thus,improving the early identification of IBD remains a crucial focus for gastroenterologists.Blüthner et al innovatively utilized medical data from German IBD patients to investigate risk factors contri-buting to these diagnostic delays.However,certain methodological limitations in the study have impacted data extraction and interpretation,underscoring the need for more comprehensive analyses to validate these findings.

Diagnostic value comparison of the combination of prostate-specific membrane antigen-body PET/MR and the prostate health index with each alone in early diagnosis of prostate cancer

Objective:This study aimed to figure out whether the combination of the prostate health index(PHI)and prostate-specific membrane antigen(PSMA)-PET/MR could improve the diagnostic accuracy for prostate cancer(PCa)than that of each individual method used alone.Methods:In this prospective,observational study,41 patients who underwent the systematic prostate biopsy between June 2019 and September 2022 were enrolled.Both the PHI test and ^(18)F-PSMA-1007-PET/MR were performed prior to biopsies.The diagnostic accuracy of different models was compared by logistic regression,areas under the curve(AUCs)of the receiver operating characteristic,and net reclassification index(NRI).Results:Among the 41 patients,14(34.1%)were pathologically diagnosed with PCa.The PHI in the PCa group was significantly higher than that in the benign group(44.4 vs.35.0,p=0.048).Similarly,all the patients in the PCa group received positive results of ^(18)F-PSMA-1007-PET/MR,of which the positive rate was significantly higher than that in benign group(100%vs.62.96%,p=0.025).The ^(18)F-PSMA-1007-PET/MR provided additional diagnostic values to the PHI(AUC:0.802 vs.0.692,p=0.025).However,there was no significant difference between the combination model and the ^(18)F-PSMA-1007-PET/MR alone(AUC 0.802 vs.0.685,p=0.071).The optimal PHI cutoff of the combination model is 32,with which the model could significantly reduce unnecessary biopsies(NRI:22.22%,95%confidence interval:6.54%–37.90%,p=0.005).However,among patients with the PHI of≥43.5,there was no significant difference between the combination model and the PHI alone(NRI:11.11%,95%confidence interval:−0.74%–22.97%,p=0.066).Conclusion:The combination of the PHI and ^(18)F-PSMA-1007-PET/MR outperforms the PHI alone for predicting PCa,especially in avoiding unnecessary biopsies.However,for patients with the PHI of≥43.5,the addition of ^(18)F-PSMA-1007-PET/MR to the PHI does not yield additional benefits.

Movement analysis in the diagnosis and management of Parkinson’s disease

Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is an increasingly prevalent neurodegenerative disease,at first sight primarily characterized by motor symptoms,although non-motor symptoms also constitute a major part of the overall phenotype.Clinically,this disease cannot be diagnosed reliably until a large part of the vulnerable dopaminergic neurons has been irretrievably lost,and the disease progresses inexorably.New biological criteria for PD have been proposed recently and might eventually improve early diagnosis,but they require further validation,and their use will initially be restricted to a research environment(Darweesh et al.,2024).

Visualizing traumatic brain injury:ocular clues for diagnosis and assessment

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as damage to the brain resulting from an external sudden physical force or shock to the head.It is considered a silent public health epidemic causing significant death and disability globally.There were 64,000 TBI related deaths reported in the USA in 2020,with about US$76 billion in direct and indirect medical costs annually.

Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy: electromagnetic stimulation-mediated neuromodulation therapy and new technologies

Epilepsy is a severe,relapsing,and multifactorial neurological disorder.Studies regarding the accurate diagnosis,prognosis,and in-depth pathogenesis are crucial for the precise and effective treatment of epilepsy.The pathogenesis of epilepsy is complex and involves alterations in variables such as gene expression,protein expression,ion channel activity,energy metabolites,and gut microbiota composition.Satisfactory results are lacking for conventional treatments for epilepsy.Surgical resection of lesions,drug therapy,and non-drug interventions are mainly used in clinical practice to treat pain associated with epilepsy.Non-pharmacological treatments,such as a ketogenic diet,gene therapy for nerve regeneration,and neural regulation,are currently areas of research focus.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis,diagnostic methods,and treatments of epilepsy.It also elaborates on the theoretical basis,treatment modes,and effects of invasive nerve stimulation in neurotherapy,including percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation,deep brain electrical stimulation,repetitive nerve electrical stimulation,in addition to non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation.Numerous studies have shown that electromagnetic stimulation-mediated neuromodulation therapy can markedly improve neurological function and reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.Additionally,many new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy are being explored.However,current research is mainly focused on analyzing patients’clinical manifestations and exploring relevant diagnostic and treatment methods to study the pathogenesis at a molecular level,which has led to a lack of consensus regarding the mechanisms related to the disease.

Association between age at diagnosis of diabetes and ocular disease:Insights from a recent article

In this article,we discuss Ye et al's recent article on the association between age at diabetes diagnosis and subsequent risk of age-related ocular diseases.The study,which utilized United Kingdom Biobank data,highlighted a strong link between early diabetes onset and major eye conditions,such as cataracts,glaucoma,agerelated macular degeneration,and vision loss,independent of glycemic control and disease duration.This finding challenges the previous belief that diabetic eye disease primarily correlates with hyperglycemia.As lifestyles evolve and the age of diabetes diagnosis decreases,understanding this relationship may reveal the complex pathogenesis underlying diabetes-related complications.This editorial summarizes potential mechanisms connecting the age of diabetes onset with four types of ocular diseases,emphasizing the significance of early diagnosis.

Medical Diagnosis Based on Multi-Attribute Group Decision-Making Using Extension Fuzzy Sets,Aggregation Operators and Basic Uncertainty Information Granule

Accurate medical diagnosis,which involves identifying diseases based on patient symptoms,is often hindered by uncertainties in data interpretation and retrieval.Advanced fuzzy set theories have emerged as effective tools to address these challenges.In this paper,new mathematical approaches for handling uncertainty in medical diagnosis are introduced using q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets(q-ROFS)and interval-valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets(IVq-ROFS).Three aggregation operators are proposed in our methodologies:the q-ROF weighted averaging(q-ROFWA),the q-ROF weighted geometric(q-ROFWG),and the q-ROF weighted neutrality averaging(qROFWNA),which enhance decision-making under uncertainty.These operators are paired with ranking methods such as the similarity measure,score function,and inverse score function to improve the accuracy of disease identification.Additionally,the impact of varying q-rung values is explored through a sensitivity analysis,extending the analysis beyond the typical maximum value of 3.The Basic Uncertain Information(BUI)method is employed to simulate expert opinions,and aggregation operators are used to combine these opinions in a group decisionmaking context.Our results provide a comprehensive comparison of methodologies,highlighting their strengths and limitations in diagnosing diseases based on uncertain patient data.

MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder caused by exposure to severe traumatic life events.Currently,there are no validated biomarkers or laboratory tests that can distinguish between trauma survivors with and without post-traumatic stress disorder.In addition,the heterogeneity of clinical presentations of post-traumatic stress disorder and the overlap of symptoms with other conditions can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.Evidence suggests that this condition is a multisystem disorder that affects many biological systems,raising the possibility that peripheral markers of disease may be used to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder.We performed a PubMed search for microRNAs(miRNAs)in post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)that could serve as diagnostic biomarkers and found 18 original research articles on studies performed with human patients and published January 2012 to December 2023.These included four studies with whole blood,seven with peripheral blood mononuclear cells,four with plasma extracellular vesicles/exosomes,and one with serum exosomes.One of these studies had also used whole plasma.Two studies were excluded as they did not involve microRNA biomarkers.Most of the studies had collected samples from adult male Veterans who had returned from deployment and been exposed to combat,and only two were from recently traumatized adult subjects.In measuring miRNA expression levels,many of the studies had used microarray miRNA analysis,miRNA Seq analysis,or NanoString panels.Only six studies had used real time polymerase chain reaction assay to determine/validate miRNA expression in PTSD subjects compared to controls.The miRNAs that were found/validated in these studies may be considered as potential candidate biomarkers for PTSD and include miR-3130-5p in whole blood;miR-193a-5p,-7113-5p,-125a,-181c,and-671-5p in peripheral blood mononuclear cells;miR-10b-5p,-203a-3p,-4488,-502-3p,-874-3p,-5100,and-7641 in plasma extracellular vesicles/exosomes;and miR-18a-3p and-7-1-5p in blood plasma.Several important limitations identified in the studies need to be taken into account in future studies.Further studies are warranted with war veterans and recently traumatized children,adolescents,and adults having PTSD and use of animal models subjected to various stressors and the effects of suppressing or overexpressing specific microRNAs.

Effects of glycemic indicators on early neurological outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis

BACKGROUND Stress hyperglycemia(SH)is a common phenomenon that is present in about 50%of patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).It is thought to be a main risk factor for poor functional outcome among patients with AIS undergoing intravenous thrombolysis(IVT).AIM To investigate the predictive value of glycemic indicators for early neurological outcomes(ENOs)in patients with AIS treated with IVT.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of patients with AIS who underwent IVT at the Department of Neurology,Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University,between January 2017 and June 2022.ENO included early neurological improvement(ENI)and early neurological deterioration(END),defined as a decrease or increase in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score between baseline and 24 hours after IVT.We analyzed the associations between glycemic indicators[including admission hyperglycemia(AH),fasting blood glucose(FBG),and SH ratio(SHR)]and ENO in all patients and in subgroups stratified by diabetes mellitus(DM).RESULTS A total of 819 patients with AIS treated with IVT were included.Among these,AH was observed in 329 patients(40.2%).Compared with patients without AH,those with AH were more likely to have a higher prevalence of DM(P<0.001)and hypertension(P=0.031)and presented with higher admission NIHSS scores(P<0.001).During the first 24 hours after IVT,END occurred in 208 patients(25.4%)and ENI occurred in 156 patients(19.0%).Multivariate mixed logistic regression analyses indicated that END was independently associated with AH[odds ratio(OR):1.744,95%confidence interval(CI):1.236-2.463;P=0.002].Subjects were classified into four groups representing quartiles.Compared with Q1,patients in the higher quartiles of SHR(Q2:OR:2.306,95%CI:1.342-3.960;P=0.002)(Q3:OR:2.284,95%CI:1.346-3.876;P=0.002)(Q4:OR:3.486,95%CI:2.088-5.820;P=0.001)and FBG(Q3:OR:1.746,95%CI:1.045-2.917;P=0.033)(Q4:OR:2.436,95%CI:1.476-4.022;P=0.001)had a significantly higher risk of END in the overall population.However,none of the glycemic indicators were found to be associated with ENI in patients with or without DM.CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that glycemic indicators in patients with stroke treated with IVT were associated with the presence of END rather than ENI during the first 24 hours after admission.

Periocular skin“tattooing”caused by gel pen pigment mistaken for periorbital bruising:a case of missed diagnosis of traumatic intraorbital pen core foreign body

Dear Editor,We are writing this letter to report a special missed diagnosis case of pediatric ocular trauma with intraorbital pencil core foreign body.When an eye trauma occurs,orbital foreign bodies are widespread.The most common types of foreign bodies are metal,followed by plant foreign bodies,while oil foreign bodies are rare.