Background: Surface antigen (HBsAg) is the mean marker of hepatitis B virus infection. During the course of the infection, some patients lose the HBsAg and only the presence of anti-HBc antibody indicates previous con...Background: Surface antigen (HBsAg) is the mean marker of hepatitis B virus infection. During the course of the infection, some patients lose the HBsAg and only the presence of anti-HBc antibody indicates previous contact with the virus. Among these patients, some have detectable viral load (occult infection) but most without viral replication. There is no guideline regarding these patients. The aim of this study was to assess hepatic fibrosis in patients with only the hepatitis B virus contact marker “total anti-HBc”. Patients and methods: it was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, conducted in three private hospitals from January to August 2022. Were included HBsAg-negative and HBc-positive patients, consulting in Gastroenterology departments. Noninvasive methods (APRI, FIB-4 and FIBROSCAN) were used to evaluate liver stiffness because of their easy accessibility and low-cost. The hepatic fibrosis was considered significant when the score determined by APRI, FIB-4 and FIBROSCAN® tests was respectively greater than 1.5;2.67 and 8 kPa corresponding to fibrosis level 2 (F2). Results: A total of 63 HBsAg-negative/total HBcAg-positive patients were included. The mean age was 49.9 ± 13.4 years. The male/female sex ratio was 1.78. Of the 63 patients, 19 had significant liver fibrosis (30.1%) among which 9 patients had HCC. The FIB-4 score outperformed the APRI score in assessing liver fibrosis, with a sensitivity of 84.2%, a specificity of 100% and a negative predictive value of 93.6%. In univariate analysis, there was a significant association between the occurrence of significant liver fibrosis and age over 40 years, dyslipidaemia, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, herbal medicine, negative anti-HBs immunological status and detectable viral load. Conclusion: Our study revealed a high prevalence of significant to severe hepatic fibrosis in anti-HBc positive patients. In most of the cases, the fibrosis was severe. Progression to HCC has also been possible. There is no consensus on the follow-up strategy for those patients. However, screening for hepatic fibrosis using noninvasive methods should be recommended for patients aged over 40 years, alcohol or herbal medicine users, patients with metabolic syndrome or occult hepatitis B. In HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive patients, liver stiffness should be evaluated and if it is greater than F2, HCC screening should be started.展开更多
Systemic therapy has become the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)whose treatment options are limited.However,the long-term patient response to drugs and the survival outcomes ...Systemic therapy has become the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)whose treatment options are limited.However,the long-term patient response to drugs and the survival outcomes remain a concern.With increasing exploration of the HCC microenvironment,particularly in terms of T lymphocyte immunity,a new era of immunomolecular targeted therapy,based on molecular signaling,has arrived for advanced HCC.In the study of immune tolerance of the intrinsic HCC microenvironment,we found that multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms and immune checkpoint inhibitors,such as anti–programmed cell death protein 1/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1 therapy,have improved clinical outcomes in some patients with advanced HCC.Furthermore,various combination therapies have been investigated,and HCC types have been categorized into different types based on anti–programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1(PD-L1)treatment.In this paper,we first discuss the tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte immunity and immune tolerance of HCC.We then clarify the basic mechanism of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and discuss the types of HCC based on anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.Thereafter,we explain the relevant studies and mechanisms of combination therapy of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 with antiangiogenesis drugs or multikinase kinase inhibitors,anti–T lymphocyte–related signaling pathways in HCC,and other anti-CD8+T cell immune checkpoints.In this way,this review offers a deeper understanding of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy for advanced HCC,in order to provide better individualized treatments for patients with advanced HCC.展开更多
The study was designed to find the prevalence of ANA antibodies and anti-dsDNA antibodies in samples tested at AFIP Rawalpindi and their correlation with age and gender and to find positive and negative predictive val...The study was designed to find the prevalence of ANA antibodies and anti-dsDNA antibodies in samples tested at AFIP Rawalpindi and their correlation with age and gender and to find positive and negative predictive values of ANA antibodies.For this purpose,twelve thousand nine hundred sixty-seven(12,967)patients were analyzed for ANA with four hundred sixty-eight(468)healthy samples tested as control and four thousand seven hundred three(4,703)patients tested for ds-DNA antibodies.Retrospective data of all samples tested by indirect immunofluorescence(IF)for ANA antibodies and dsDNA antibodies was collected.To address positive and negative predictive values another control group(autoimmunity not suspected)of serum samples was taken from the healthy population.For the first group,age,gender,ANA antibodies and ds-DNA antibodies results(both tests performed by IIF)data was collected from a computer record cell;for the second control group,ANA antibodies were performed by IIF.12,967 and 4,703 samples(Group 1)were tested for ANA antibodies and dsDNA antibodies,respectively,during this period.1,119(9%)and 99(2%)were found positive for ANA antibodies and ds DNA antibodies.Among these positive samples,850(76%)and 73(74%)were females respectively.Gender predisposition towards autoimmunity(ANA)was found significant with a P value of(P=0.001).Relation of age was also found significant with anti-ANA antibodies with a P value of(P=0.001).This study shows a negative correlation between age(P=0.025)and gender(P=0.001)with anti-dsDNA which is also significant.High prevalence was found below the mean age of 38 years(SD±16.635)for ANA antibodies and the mean age of 35 years(SD±15.066)for ds-DNA antibodies.The age of ANA antibodies and dsDNA antibodies positive patients ranged from 1 year old to 98 years old and 2 years old to 95 years old respectively.In the second(autoimmunity-free)control group,a total of 468 samples were tested for ANA antibodies and 9(2%)were found positive.Positive predictive value(PPV)was 8.6%and negative predictive value(NPV)was 98%.ANA is a sensitive test for autoimmunity and it is significantly related to female gender and increasing age.The low prevalence of ANA antibodies among clinically suspected cases suggests that rationalization of test prescriptions is needed.Anti-ds-DNA is also a sensitive test for diagnosis of SLE and it is significantly related to female gender and increasing age.展开更多
ACAZY is a plant formula used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso to treat respiratory infections. After phytochemical analysis, this study evaluated extracts’ anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial pro...ACAZY is a plant formula used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso to treat respiratory infections. After phytochemical analysis, this study evaluated extracts’ anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties from the ACAZY recipe. Three extractions, an aqueous macerate (AM), an aqueous decoction (AD) and an hydroethanolic macerate (HEM) of the ACAZY recipe powder were carried out. Phytochemical screening of the extracts was carried out using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and the determination of phenolic compounds. The anti-inflammatory potential was assessed in vitro using pro-inflammatory enzyme inhibition tests. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) antioxidant properties were also determined. The antibacterial activity was evaluated on Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, anthracenosids, sterols and triterpenes in the extracts. The extracts inhibited pro-inflammatory enzymes by more than 40% at only 100 µg/mL. The extracts also showed potent antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration 1 mg/mL on Staphylococcus aureus and 2 mg/mL on Streptococcus pneumoniae. The extracts in the ACAZY formula have shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in vitro. The AD also showed an antibacterial activity. This justifies its use in traditional medicine to treat acute respiratory infections.展开更多
Toxicity is the totality of adverse effects, which can be functional and morphological lesions in a living organism, caused by a substance introduced in relatively high single doses or in small, repeated doses. The ai...Toxicity is the totality of adverse effects, which can be functional and morphological lesions in a living organism, caused by a substance introduced in relatively high single doses or in small, repeated doses. The aim of this study was to assess the OECD-recommended acute oral toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaves. Animals were given a single oral dose of 1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/Kg body weight (BW) of the extract. For the anti-inflammatory activity test, rats were given the ethanolic extract of F. umbellata leaves at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/Kg or aspirin® at a concentration of 100 mg/Kg PC orally, one hour before injection of 0.05 ml of 1% formalin under the plantar fascia of the rat’s right hind paw. Paw volume measurements were taken one, two and three hours after formalin injection, using an electronic caliper. After 14 days of observation, no deaths were observed in treated rats. The LD50 of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaf powder is greater than 5000 mg/Kg body weight. This extract has no significant effects on hematological parameters and on the main markers of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity for a single dose of less than 5000 mg/Kg PC. It reduces formalin-induced edema. Evaluation of the percentage inhibition showed that the extract had greater anti-inflammatory activity at 3 hours after the start of the experiment. However, better inhibition of inflammatory oedema of the paw of rats treated with 500 mg/Kg was observed at 5 hours after the start of the experiment, with a percentage inhibition of 69.23 ± 1.02, compared with the reference group treated with aspirin® 100 mg/Kg, which showed an inhibition of 63.50 ± 0.98. These results show that F. umbellata leaves possess anti-inflammatory activity, which would justify their use in traditional African medicine to prevent or treat inflammation.展开更多
P. A. M. Dirac conceived antimatter in 1928 as having negative energy by allowing a consistent representation of matter-antimatter annihilation into light. To achieve compatibility with special relativity, particle ph...P. A. M. Dirac conceived antimatter in 1928 as having negative energy by allowing a consistent representation of matter-antimatter annihilation into light. To achieve compatibility with special relativity, particle physics of the early 20th century made the theoretical assumption that antiparticles have positive energy, an assumption that remains in effect as of today. In this note we prove apparently for the first time a theorem stating that positive mass antiparticles violate Dirac’s particle-antiparticle annihilation into light. We then show the consequential unsettled character of the recent gravity test of the anti-Hydrogen atom due to the positive mass of its nucleus. We conclude by suggesting that a final scientific claim on matter-antimatter gravity requires tests on particles with clear antimatter character, such as the 1994 resolutory proposal for the comparative test of the gravity of very low energy electron and positron in horizontal flight on a supercooled vacuum tube.展开更多
Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a...Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.展开更多
Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no prop...Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no proper guidance is given by the health care provider. This study assessed the roles of community pharmacists in screening and disseminating information about the risks associated with NSAID use in Zambia. Methodology: This was a national cross-sectional study in which a structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to 245 registered community pharmacists in Zambia. Stata/BE, version 15.1 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA) and multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs. Results: 231 of the 245 distributed questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 94.3%. All (100%) participating community pharmacists claimed to have practiced dispensing NSAIDs. However, only 26 (11.0%) and 71 (30.8%) regularly screened for risk factor of selective COX-2 NSAIDS (SC2-NSAIDS) and non-selective NSAIDS (NS-NSAIDs) respectively. Information dissemination on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of SC2-NSAIDS was regularly provided by only 22 (9.5%) of pharmacists while that of NS-NSAIDs was regularly provided by 49 (21.2%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, being the owner of a pharmacy (AOR: 5.4, CI: 1.84 - 16.4) was significantly associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs while an hour increase in the working hours per day (AOR: 0.9, CI: 0.64 - 0.95) was associated with less likelihood of information dissemination. Conclusion: Pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Zambia did not regularly screen and disseminate information about the risks associated with NSAID use. Therefore, pharmacists should be able to screen and monitor patients at risk and be aware of the majority of risk factors while dispensing NSAIDs to minimize the associated complications.展开更多
Lung cancer is the most prevalent and fatal cancer in China and even around the world, and many patients are found in the late stage of lung cancer. For the treatment of advanced lung cancer, in addition to traditiona...Lung cancer is the most prevalent and fatal cancer in China and even around the world, and many patients are found in the late stage of lung cancer. For the treatment of advanced lung cancer, in addition to traditional chemotherapy modalities, many emerging treatments are increasingly significant, such as immunotherapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, and targeted therapy. An increasing number of studies have now shown that anti-angiogenic therapy improves the immune microenvironment by enhancing tumor immunity through normalization of tumor vessels. Immunization combined with anti-angiogenic therapy can exert synergistic effects and improve the prognosis of patients. This article summarizes the extent of benefit, current clinical study data, and future prospects of immunotherapy combined with anti-angiogenic agents in the treatment of advanced NSCLC.展开更多
Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. The diagnosis is most often based on the prostate biopsies’ analysis and on histological criteria recognizable on standard coloring. In some case...Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. The diagnosis is most often based on the prostate biopsies’ analysis and on histological criteria recognizable on standard coloring. In some cases, the use of immunohistochemistry is important. Objectives: This paper aims to specify the p63 phenotypic profile of lesions diagnosed benign, with minimal suspect foci, difficult to interpret, HGPIN (high grade intraepithelial neoplasia) and LGPIN (low-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) and evaluate the manual technique of p63 immunohistochemistry. Patients and Method: This was a retrospective, descriptive study of prostate biopsies recorded in the PAC service of the HALD from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018. It was completed by a manual immunohistochemical study of the blocks enrolled from November 19th to December 4th, 2020 in the PAC department of the HPD. The studied parameters were: registry number, age, clinical stage, prostate volume, PSA level, microscopic appearance and p63 immunohistochemical profile. Results: Our study included 60 prostate biopsies. The ages of our patients varied from 45 to 77 years, with an average of 64.2 years and a standard deviation of 6.2. The majority of patients were at clinical stage cT2b (33%) with a prostate volume varying between 33.15 and 169.4 cc. The minimum value of PSA in our series is 5 ng/ml, the maximum being 100 ng/ml with an average level of 24.1 ng/ml and a standard deviation of 21.2. Our series included 50 adenomyomatous hyperplasias, 7 adenomyomatous hyperplasias associated with chronic prostatitis, 2 HGPIN and 1 LGPIN. After re-reading we found 5 discordant cases, which corresponded to minimal suspect foci (kappa = 0.5098). The p63 marking was informative in 53 cases, i.e. 88%, and non-informative in 7 cases, i.e. 12%. Among the uninformative markings, 2 were due to lack of tissue adhesion to the slides. Among the informative markings, 11 were negative. p63 immunohistochemistry was useful in all suspected foci and detected 6 other minimal foci of adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: The immunostaining with the anti-p63 antibody in the prostate cancer diagnosis is of considerable benefit. It made it possible to correct 11.3% of benign diagnosis in minimal malignant focus in our context. Despite the difficulties associated with the manual technique, it is possible to have an informative rate, similar to the automatic technique.展开更多
According to the World Health Organization, diabetes affects approximately 347 million people worldwide. Its management is not within the reach of all social classes, therefore medicinal plants are still the first res...According to the World Health Organization, diabetes affects approximately 347 million people worldwide. Its management is not within the reach of all social classes, therefore medicinal plants are still the first resort for many populations in Africa. The biological material used in this study was the trunk bark of Guibourtia tessmannii. 50 g of trunk bark powder were decocted in 500 ml of distilled water for 5 minutes were carried out. The method used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) was an organometallic bio-reduction of silver nitrate salts mediated by various secondary metabolites contained in the plant extract. The study of the toxicity acute was conducted according to guideline 423 of the OECD protocol. The pharmacological activities were each carried out with 28 female rats divided into 7 groups of four rats. It was a question for the hypoglycemic activity of administering various doses of silver nanoparticles and other substances to the rats thirty minutes after the carbohydrate intake and for the anti-hyperglycemic activity of administering the same substances to the rats thirty minutes before the carbohydrate intake. The extraction yield was 8.76%. Only the alkaloid test was negative. After acute toxicity study, the LD50 was greater than 2000 mg/kg. Blood sugar tests revealed that glibenclamide 5 mg/kg, which is the reference molecule, lowered blood sugar more than the other treatments applied in the other batches. It was followed by treatment with silver nanoparticles at a dose of 400 μg/kg in both tests. It was therefore concluded that silver nanoparticles from G. tessmannii are good for the formulation of improved traditional medicines and bring up their afficacity .展开更多
The present study aims to establish a relationship between serum AMH levels and age in a large group of women living in Bulgaria, as well as to establish reference age-specific AMH levels in women that would serve as ...The present study aims to establish a relationship between serum AMH levels and age in a large group of women living in Bulgaria, as well as to establish reference age-specific AMH levels in women that would serve as an initial estimate of ovarian age. A total of 28,016 women on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria were tested for serum AMH levels with a median age of 37.0 years (interquartile range 32.0 to 41.0). For women aged 20 - 29 years, the Bulgarian population has relatively high median levels of AMH, similar to women of Asian origin. For women aged 30 - 34 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in Western Europe. For women aged 35 - 39 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in the territory of India and Kenya. For women aged 40 - 44 years, our results were lower than those for women from the Western European and Chinese populations, close to the Indian and higher than Korean and Kenya populations, respectively. Our results for women of Bulgarian origin are also comparable to US Latina women at age 30, 35 and 40 ages. On the base on constructed a statistical model to predicting the decline in AMH levels at different ages, we found non-linear structure of AMH decline for the low AMH 3.5) the dependence of the decline of AMH on age was confirmed as linear. In conclusion, we evaluated the serum level of AMH in Bulgarian women and established age-specific AMH percentile reference values based on a large representative sample. We have developed a prognostic statistical model that can facilitate the application of AMH in clinical practice and the prediction of reproductive capacity and population health.展开更多
文摘Background: Surface antigen (HBsAg) is the mean marker of hepatitis B virus infection. During the course of the infection, some patients lose the HBsAg and only the presence of anti-HBc antibody indicates previous contact with the virus. Among these patients, some have detectable viral load (occult infection) but most without viral replication. There is no guideline regarding these patients. The aim of this study was to assess hepatic fibrosis in patients with only the hepatitis B virus contact marker “total anti-HBc”. Patients and methods: it was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, conducted in three private hospitals from January to August 2022. Were included HBsAg-negative and HBc-positive patients, consulting in Gastroenterology departments. Noninvasive methods (APRI, FIB-4 and FIBROSCAN) were used to evaluate liver stiffness because of their easy accessibility and low-cost. The hepatic fibrosis was considered significant when the score determined by APRI, FIB-4 and FIBROSCAN® tests was respectively greater than 1.5;2.67 and 8 kPa corresponding to fibrosis level 2 (F2). Results: A total of 63 HBsAg-negative/total HBcAg-positive patients were included. The mean age was 49.9 ± 13.4 years. The male/female sex ratio was 1.78. Of the 63 patients, 19 had significant liver fibrosis (30.1%) among which 9 patients had HCC. The FIB-4 score outperformed the APRI score in assessing liver fibrosis, with a sensitivity of 84.2%, a specificity of 100% and a negative predictive value of 93.6%. In univariate analysis, there was a significant association between the occurrence of significant liver fibrosis and age over 40 years, dyslipidaemia, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, herbal medicine, negative anti-HBs immunological status and detectable viral load. Conclusion: Our study revealed a high prevalence of significant to severe hepatic fibrosis in anti-HBc positive patients. In most of the cases, the fibrosis was severe. Progression to HCC has also been possible. There is no consensus on the follow-up strategy for those patients. However, screening for hepatic fibrosis using noninvasive methods should be recommended for patients aged over 40 years, alcohol or herbal medicine users, patients with metabolic syndrome or occult hepatitis B. In HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive patients, liver stiffness should be evaluated and if it is greater than F2, HCC screening should be started.
文摘Systemic therapy has become the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)whose treatment options are limited.However,the long-term patient response to drugs and the survival outcomes remain a concern.With increasing exploration of the HCC microenvironment,particularly in terms of T lymphocyte immunity,a new era of immunomolecular targeted therapy,based on molecular signaling,has arrived for advanced HCC.In the study of immune tolerance of the intrinsic HCC microenvironment,we found that multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms and immune checkpoint inhibitors,such as anti–programmed cell death protein 1/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1 therapy,have improved clinical outcomes in some patients with advanced HCC.Furthermore,various combination therapies have been investigated,and HCC types have been categorized into different types based on anti–programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1(PD-L1)treatment.In this paper,we first discuss the tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte immunity and immune tolerance of HCC.We then clarify the basic mechanism of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and discuss the types of HCC based on anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.Thereafter,we explain the relevant studies and mechanisms of combination therapy of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 with antiangiogenesis drugs or multikinase kinase inhibitors,anti–T lymphocyte–related signaling pathways in HCC,and other anti-CD8+T cell immune checkpoints.In this way,this review offers a deeper understanding of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy for advanced HCC,in order to provide better individualized treatments for patients with advanced HCC.
文摘The study was designed to find the prevalence of ANA antibodies and anti-dsDNA antibodies in samples tested at AFIP Rawalpindi and their correlation with age and gender and to find positive and negative predictive values of ANA antibodies.For this purpose,twelve thousand nine hundred sixty-seven(12,967)patients were analyzed for ANA with four hundred sixty-eight(468)healthy samples tested as control and four thousand seven hundred three(4,703)patients tested for ds-DNA antibodies.Retrospective data of all samples tested by indirect immunofluorescence(IF)for ANA antibodies and dsDNA antibodies was collected.To address positive and negative predictive values another control group(autoimmunity not suspected)of serum samples was taken from the healthy population.For the first group,age,gender,ANA antibodies and ds-DNA antibodies results(both tests performed by IIF)data was collected from a computer record cell;for the second control group,ANA antibodies were performed by IIF.12,967 and 4,703 samples(Group 1)were tested for ANA antibodies and dsDNA antibodies,respectively,during this period.1,119(9%)and 99(2%)were found positive for ANA antibodies and ds DNA antibodies.Among these positive samples,850(76%)and 73(74%)were females respectively.Gender predisposition towards autoimmunity(ANA)was found significant with a P value of(P=0.001).Relation of age was also found significant with anti-ANA antibodies with a P value of(P=0.001).This study shows a negative correlation between age(P=0.025)and gender(P=0.001)with anti-dsDNA which is also significant.High prevalence was found below the mean age of 38 years(SD±16.635)for ANA antibodies and the mean age of 35 years(SD±15.066)for ds-DNA antibodies.The age of ANA antibodies and dsDNA antibodies positive patients ranged from 1 year old to 98 years old and 2 years old to 95 years old respectively.In the second(autoimmunity-free)control group,a total of 468 samples were tested for ANA antibodies and 9(2%)were found positive.Positive predictive value(PPV)was 8.6%and negative predictive value(NPV)was 98%.ANA is a sensitive test for autoimmunity and it is significantly related to female gender and increasing age.The low prevalence of ANA antibodies among clinically suspected cases suggests that rationalization of test prescriptions is needed.Anti-ds-DNA is also a sensitive test for diagnosis of SLE and it is significantly related to female gender and increasing age.
文摘ACAZY is a plant formula used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso to treat respiratory infections. After phytochemical analysis, this study evaluated extracts’ anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties from the ACAZY recipe. Three extractions, an aqueous macerate (AM), an aqueous decoction (AD) and an hydroethanolic macerate (HEM) of the ACAZY recipe powder were carried out. Phytochemical screening of the extracts was carried out using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and the determination of phenolic compounds. The anti-inflammatory potential was assessed in vitro using pro-inflammatory enzyme inhibition tests. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) antioxidant properties were also determined. The antibacterial activity was evaluated on Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, anthracenosids, sterols and triterpenes in the extracts. The extracts inhibited pro-inflammatory enzymes by more than 40% at only 100 µg/mL. The extracts also showed potent antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration 1 mg/mL on Staphylococcus aureus and 2 mg/mL on Streptococcus pneumoniae. The extracts in the ACAZY formula have shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in vitro. The AD also showed an antibacterial activity. This justifies its use in traditional medicine to treat acute respiratory infections.
文摘Toxicity is the totality of adverse effects, which can be functional and morphological lesions in a living organism, caused by a substance introduced in relatively high single doses or in small, repeated doses. The aim of this study was to assess the OECD-recommended acute oral toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaves. Animals were given a single oral dose of 1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/Kg body weight (BW) of the extract. For the anti-inflammatory activity test, rats were given the ethanolic extract of F. umbellata leaves at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/Kg or aspirin® at a concentration of 100 mg/Kg PC orally, one hour before injection of 0.05 ml of 1% formalin under the plantar fascia of the rat’s right hind paw. Paw volume measurements were taken one, two and three hours after formalin injection, using an electronic caliper. After 14 days of observation, no deaths were observed in treated rats. The LD50 of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaf powder is greater than 5000 mg/Kg body weight. This extract has no significant effects on hematological parameters and on the main markers of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity for a single dose of less than 5000 mg/Kg PC. It reduces formalin-induced edema. Evaluation of the percentage inhibition showed that the extract had greater anti-inflammatory activity at 3 hours after the start of the experiment. However, better inhibition of inflammatory oedema of the paw of rats treated with 500 mg/Kg was observed at 5 hours after the start of the experiment, with a percentage inhibition of 69.23 ± 1.02, compared with the reference group treated with aspirin® 100 mg/Kg, which showed an inhibition of 63.50 ± 0.98. These results show that F. umbellata leaves possess anti-inflammatory activity, which would justify their use in traditional African medicine to prevent or treat inflammation.
文摘P. A. M. Dirac conceived antimatter in 1928 as having negative energy by allowing a consistent representation of matter-antimatter annihilation into light. To achieve compatibility with special relativity, particle physics of the early 20th century made the theoretical assumption that antiparticles have positive energy, an assumption that remains in effect as of today. In this note we prove apparently for the first time a theorem stating that positive mass antiparticles violate Dirac’s particle-antiparticle annihilation into light. We then show the consequential unsettled character of the recent gravity test of the anti-Hydrogen atom due to the positive mass of its nucleus. We conclude by suggesting that a final scientific claim on matter-antimatter gravity requires tests on particles with clear antimatter character, such as the 1994 resolutory proposal for the comparative test of the gravity of very low energy electron and positron in horizontal flight on a supercooled vacuum tube.
文摘Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.
文摘Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no proper guidance is given by the health care provider. This study assessed the roles of community pharmacists in screening and disseminating information about the risks associated with NSAID use in Zambia. Methodology: This was a national cross-sectional study in which a structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to 245 registered community pharmacists in Zambia. Stata/BE, version 15.1 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA) and multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs. Results: 231 of the 245 distributed questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 94.3%. All (100%) participating community pharmacists claimed to have practiced dispensing NSAIDs. However, only 26 (11.0%) and 71 (30.8%) regularly screened for risk factor of selective COX-2 NSAIDS (SC2-NSAIDS) and non-selective NSAIDS (NS-NSAIDs) respectively. Information dissemination on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of SC2-NSAIDS was regularly provided by only 22 (9.5%) of pharmacists while that of NS-NSAIDs was regularly provided by 49 (21.2%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, being the owner of a pharmacy (AOR: 5.4, CI: 1.84 - 16.4) was significantly associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs while an hour increase in the working hours per day (AOR: 0.9, CI: 0.64 - 0.95) was associated with less likelihood of information dissemination. Conclusion: Pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Zambia did not regularly screen and disseminate information about the risks associated with NSAID use. Therefore, pharmacists should be able to screen and monitor patients at risk and be aware of the majority of risk factors while dispensing NSAIDs to minimize the associated complications.
文摘Lung cancer is the most prevalent and fatal cancer in China and even around the world, and many patients are found in the late stage of lung cancer. For the treatment of advanced lung cancer, in addition to traditional chemotherapy modalities, many emerging treatments are increasingly significant, such as immunotherapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, and targeted therapy. An increasing number of studies have now shown that anti-angiogenic therapy improves the immune microenvironment by enhancing tumor immunity through normalization of tumor vessels. Immunization combined with anti-angiogenic therapy can exert synergistic effects and improve the prognosis of patients. This article summarizes the extent of benefit, current clinical study data, and future prospects of immunotherapy combined with anti-angiogenic agents in the treatment of advanced NSCLC.
文摘Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. The diagnosis is most often based on the prostate biopsies’ analysis and on histological criteria recognizable on standard coloring. In some cases, the use of immunohistochemistry is important. Objectives: This paper aims to specify the p63 phenotypic profile of lesions diagnosed benign, with minimal suspect foci, difficult to interpret, HGPIN (high grade intraepithelial neoplasia) and LGPIN (low-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) and evaluate the manual technique of p63 immunohistochemistry. Patients and Method: This was a retrospective, descriptive study of prostate biopsies recorded in the PAC service of the HALD from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018. It was completed by a manual immunohistochemical study of the blocks enrolled from November 19th to December 4th, 2020 in the PAC department of the HPD. The studied parameters were: registry number, age, clinical stage, prostate volume, PSA level, microscopic appearance and p63 immunohistochemical profile. Results: Our study included 60 prostate biopsies. The ages of our patients varied from 45 to 77 years, with an average of 64.2 years and a standard deviation of 6.2. The majority of patients were at clinical stage cT2b (33%) with a prostate volume varying between 33.15 and 169.4 cc. The minimum value of PSA in our series is 5 ng/ml, the maximum being 100 ng/ml with an average level of 24.1 ng/ml and a standard deviation of 21.2. Our series included 50 adenomyomatous hyperplasias, 7 adenomyomatous hyperplasias associated with chronic prostatitis, 2 HGPIN and 1 LGPIN. After re-reading we found 5 discordant cases, which corresponded to minimal suspect foci (kappa = 0.5098). The p63 marking was informative in 53 cases, i.e. 88%, and non-informative in 7 cases, i.e. 12%. Among the uninformative markings, 2 were due to lack of tissue adhesion to the slides. Among the informative markings, 11 were negative. p63 immunohistochemistry was useful in all suspected foci and detected 6 other minimal foci of adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: The immunostaining with the anti-p63 antibody in the prostate cancer diagnosis is of considerable benefit. It made it possible to correct 11.3% of benign diagnosis in minimal malignant focus in our context. Despite the difficulties associated with the manual technique, it is possible to have an informative rate, similar to the automatic technique.
文摘According to the World Health Organization, diabetes affects approximately 347 million people worldwide. Its management is not within the reach of all social classes, therefore medicinal plants are still the first resort for many populations in Africa. The biological material used in this study was the trunk bark of Guibourtia tessmannii. 50 g of trunk bark powder were decocted in 500 ml of distilled water for 5 minutes were carried out. The method used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) was an organometallic bio-reduction of silver nitrate salts mediated by various secondary metabolites contained in the plant extract. The study of the toxicity acute was conducted according to guideline 423 of the OECD protocol. The pharmacological activities were each carried out with 28 female rats divided into 7 groups of four rats. It was a question for the hypoglycemic activity of administering various doses of silver nanoparticles and other substances to the rats thirty minutes after the carbohydrate intake and for the anti-hyperglycemic activity of administering the same substances to the rats thirty minutes before the carbohydrate intake. The extraction yield was 8.76%. Only the alkaloid test was negative. After acute toxicity study, the LD50 was greater than 2000 mg/kg. Blood sugar tests revealed that glibenclamide 5 mg/kg, which is the reference molecule, lowered blood sugar more than the other treatments applied in the other batches. It was followed by treatment with silver nanoparticles at a dose of 400 μg/kg in both tests. It was therefore concluded that silver nanoparticles from G. tessmannii are good for the formulation of improved traditional medicines and bring up their afficacity .
文摘The present study aims to establish a relationship between serum AMH levels and age in a large group of women living in Bulgaria, as well as to establish reference age-specific AMH levels in women that would serve as an initial estimate of ovarian age. A total of 28,016 women on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria were tested for serum AMH levels with a median age of 37.0 years (interquartile range 32.0 to 41.0). For women aged 20 - 29 years, the Bulgarian population has relatively high median levels of AMH, similar to women of Asian origin. For women aged 30 - 34 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in Western Europe. For women aged 35 - 39 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in the territory of India and Kenya. For women aged 40 - 44 years, our results were lower than those for women from the Western European and Chinese populations, close to the Indian and higher than Korean and Kenya populations, respectively. Our results for women of Bulgarian origin are also comparable to US Latina women at age 30, 35 and 40 ages. On the base on constructed a statistical model to predicting the decline in AMH levels at different ages, we found non-linear structure of AMH decline for the low AMH 3.5) the dependence of the decline of AMH on age was confirmed as linear. In conclusion, we evaluated the serum level of AMH in Bulgarian women and established age-specific AMH percentile reference values based on a large representative sample. We have developed a prognostic statistical model that can facilitate the application of AMH in clinical practice and the prediction of reproductive capacity and population health.
