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Αλέξανδρος Γ. Σφακιανάκης

Thursday, June 3, 2021

IJMS, Vol. 22, Pages 6058: Proofing Direct-Seeded Rice with Better Root Plasticity and Architecture

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IJMS, Vol. 22, Pages 6058: Proofing Direct-Seeded Rice with Better Root Plasticity and Architecture

International Journal of Molecular Sciences doi: 10.3390/ijms22116058

Authors: Siddharth Panda Prasanta Kumar Majhi Annamalai Anandan Anumalla Mahender Sumanth Veludandi Debendranath Bastia Suresh Babu Guttala Shravan Kumar Singh Sanjoy Saha Jauhar Ali

The underground reserve (root) has been an uncharted research territory with its untapped genetic variation yet to be exploited. Identifying ideal traits and breeding new rice varieties with efficient root system architecture (RSA) has great potential to increase resource-use efficiency and grain yield, especially under direct-seeded rice, by adapting to aerobic soil conditions. In this review, we tried to mine the available research information on the direct-seeded rice (DSR) root system to highlight the requirements of different root traits such as root architecture, length, number, density, thickness, diameter, and angle that play a pivotal role in determining the uptake of nutrients and moisture at different stages of plant growth. RSA also faces several stresses, due to excess or deficiency of moisture and nutrients, low or high temperature, or saline conditions. To counteract these hindrances, adaptation in response to stress becomes essential. Candidate genes such as early root growth enhancer PSTOL1, surface rooting QTL qSOR1, deep rooting gene DRO1, and numerous transporters for their respective nutrients and stress-responsive factors have been identified and validated under different circumstances. Identifying the desired QTLs and transporters underlying these traits and then designing an ideal root architecture can help in developing a suitable DSR cultivar and aid in further advancement in this direction.

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IJMS, Vol. 22, Pages 6059: BET Protein-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation in Heart Failure

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IJMS, Vol. 22, Pages 6059: BET Protein-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation in Heart Failure

International Journal of Molecular Sciences doi: 10.3390/ijms22116059

Authors: Talha Ijaz Michael A. Burke

Heart failure is a complex disease process with underlying aberrations in neurohormonal systems that promote dysregulated cellular signaling and gene transcription. Over the past 10 years, the advent of small-molecule inhibitors that target transcriptional machinery has demonstrated the importance of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of epigenetic reader proteins in regulating gene transcription in multiple mouse models of cardiomyopathy. BETs bind to acetylated histone tails and transcription factors to integrate disparate stress signaling networks into a defined gene expression program. Under myocardial stress, BRD4, a BET family member, is recruited to superenhancers and promoter regions of inflammatory and profibrotic genes to promote transcription elongation. Whole-transcriptome analysis of BET-dependent gene networks suggests a major role of nuclear-factor kappa b and transforming growth factor-beta in the development of cardiac fibrosis and systolic dysfunctio n. Recent investigations also suggest a prominent role of BRD4 in maintaining cardiomyocyte mitochondrial respiration under basal conditions. In this review, we summarize the data from preclinical heart failure studies that explore the role of BET-regulated transcriptional mechanisms and delve into landmark studies that define BET bromodomain-independent processes involved in cardiac homeostasis.

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Effect of antifoaming agent on benign colorectal tumors in colonoscopy: A meta-analysis

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3607-3622. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3607.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although several trials have shown that the addition of antifoaming agents to polyethylene glycol (PEG) can improve bowel preparation, whether PEG plus antifoaming agents have a beneficial role in the detection of benign tumors during colonoscopy has yet to be confirmed. Our aim was to clarify whether adding simethicone to PEG solution could improve the detection of benign colorectal tumors.

AIM: To clarify whether adding simethicone to PEG solution could improve the detection of benign colorectal tumors.

METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published prior to September 2019. The outcomes included the detection rates of colorectal adenomas and polyps.

RESULT: Twenty studies were eligible. Although there was no difference in the colorectal adenoma detection rate (ADR), a significant effect of simethicone for diminutive adenomas (< 10 mm) was revealed in the group taking simethicone. We also found that simethicone could significantly improve the ADR in the proximal colon but did not affect the colorectal polyp detection rate. Furthermore, the subgroup analyses revealed a beneficial effect of simethicone on the ADR among Asians (P = 0.005) and those with an ADR < 25% (P = 0.003). Moreover, it was a significant finding that the low dose simethicone was as effective as the high dose one with respect to the detection of benign colorectal tumors.

CONCLUSION: In summary, the addition of simethicone to PEG might improve the detection of diminutive adenomas in the right colon by colonoscopy in Asia. Low-dose simethicone was recommended for the detection of benign colorectal tumors. However, large clinical trials are necessary to validate our results and determine the ideal dose of simethicone.

PMID:34046460 | PMC:PMC8130091 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3607

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Cholesterol gallstones: Focusing on the role of interstitial Cajal-like cells

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3498-3505. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3498.

ABSTRACT

Cholesterol gallstone (CG) is a common, frequent biliary system disease in China, with a complex and multifactorial etiology. Declined gallbladder motility reportedly contributes to CG pathogenesis. Furthermore, interstitial Cajal-like cells (ICLCs) are reportedly present in human and guinea pig gallbladder tissue. ICLCs potentially contribute to the regulation of gallbladder motility, and aberrant conditions involving the loss of ICLCs and/or a reduction in its pacing potential and reactivity to cholecystokinin may promote CG pathogenesis. This review discusses the association between ICLCs and CG pathogenesis and provides a basis for further studies on the functions of ICLCs and the etiologies of CG.

PMID:34046450 | PMC:PMC8130069 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3498

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Needle tract seeding of papillary thyroid carcinoma after fine-needle capillary biopsy: A case report

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3662-3667. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3662.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Fine-needle biopsy is an accurate and cost-efficient tool for the assessment of thyroid nodules. It includes two primary methods: Fine-needle capillary biopsy (FNCB) and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Needle tract seeding (NTS) is a rare complication of thyroid fine-needle biopsy mainly caused by fine-needle aspiration biopsy rather than FNCB. Here, we present an extremely rare case of a papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patient with FNCB-derived NTS.

CASE SUMMARY: We report a 32-year-old woman with PTC who showed subcutaneous NTS 1 year after FNCB and thyroidectomy. NTS was diagnosed based on clinical manifestations, biochemistry indices, and imaging (computed tomography and ultrasound). Pathological identification of PTC metastases consistent with the puncture path is the gold standard for diagnosis. Surgical resection was the main method used to treat the disease. After surgery, thyroid function tests and ultrasound scans were performed every 3-6 mo. To date, no evidence of tumor recurrence has been observed.

CONCLUSION: FNCB is a safe procedure as NTS is rare, and can be easily removed surgically with no recurrence. Accordingly, NTS should not limit the usefulness of FNCB.

PMID:34046467 | PMC:PMC8130087 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3662

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Surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive review of current recommendations

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3517-3530. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3517.

ABSTRACT

The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a global health emergency that has also caused profound changes in the treatment of cancer. The management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) across the world has been modified according to the scarcity of care resources that have been diverted mostly to face the surge of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Oncological and hepatobiliary societies have drafted recommendations regarding the adaptation of guidelines for the management of HCC to the current healthcare situation. This review focuses on specific recommendations for the surgical treatment of HCC (i.e., hepatic resection and liver transplantation), which still represents the best chance of cure for patients with very early and early HCC. While surgery should be pursued for very selected patients in institutions where s tandards of care are maintained, alternative or bridging methods, mostly thermoablation and transarterial therapies, can be used until surgery can be performed. The prognosis of patients with HCC largely depends on both the characteristics of the tumour and the stage of underlying liver disease. Risk stratification plays a pivotal role in determining the most appropriate treatment for each case and needs to balance the chance of cure and the risk of COVID-19 infection during hospitalization. Current recommendations have been critically reviewed to provide a reference for best practices in the clinical setting, with adaptation based on pandemic trends and categorization according to COVID-19 prevalence.

PMID:34046452 | PMC:PMC8130078 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3517

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Metachronous pulmonary and pancreatic metastases arising from sigmoid colon cancer: A case report

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3668-3674. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3668.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Metachronous pulmonary and pancreatic metastases from colorectal cancer are rare. The diagnosis of pancreatic metastases is difficult and predominantly relies on computed tomography, pathology and immunohistochemistry. Here, we describe the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for determination of the origin of metastasis and prognostic prediction of colorectal cancer.

CASE SUMMARY: A 59-year-old man was diagnosed with sigmoid adenocarcinoma stage IIA (T3N0M0) and underwent surgery in April 2014, followed by XELOX adjuvant chemotherapy. The patient developed pulmonary metastasis in the right upper lung and underwent surgery in May 2016 without further adjuvant chemotherapy. In May 2018, pancreatic metastasis was found and he underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. After surgery, he was treated with adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy from Ju ne 2018 to March 2019. Histopathological review of the specimens from all three lesions indicated consistent patterns characteristic of colon cancer. Concordant gene mutation profiles were observed across the three lesions that included oncogenic driver mutations most frequently seen in colon cancer (e.g., APC, TP53, KRAS and FBXW7). Blood circulating tumor (ct)DNA before adjuvant chemotherapy was undetectable with NGS, suggesting a favorable response to chemotherapy. The patient was alive and well at the latest follow-up visit, achieving a disease-free survival of 17 mo.

CONCLUSION: The genetic profiles of primary tumor, metastases and ctDNA may have clinical value in auxiliary diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic decision-making.

PMID:34046468 | PMC:PMC8130074 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3668

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Effectiveness of adjunctive corticosteroid therapy in patients with severe COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3546-3558. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3546.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of adjunctive corticosteroid use in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains inconclusive.

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of adjunctive corticosteroid therapy in patients with severe COVID-19.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the difference in several outcomes between patients with severe COVID-19 who received corticosteroid therapy (the corticosteroid group) and patients with severe COVID-19 who did not receive corticosteroid therapy (the non-corticosteroid group).

RESULTS: Seventy-five patients were included in this study. Of these, 47 patients were in the corticosteroid group and 28 patients were in the non-corticosteroid group. There were no differences between the two groups in the total length of hospital stay, the length of intensive care unit stay, hig h-flow oxygen days, non-invasive ventilator days, invasive ventilation days, and mortality rate. Total lesion volume ratio, consolidation volume ratio and ground-glass opacity volume ratio in the corticosteroid group decreased significantly on day 14, while those in the non-corticosteroid group did not show a significant decrease.

CONCLUSION: Our results show that adjunctive corticosteroid use did not significantly improve clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients, but might promote the absorption of pulmonary lesions. Larger multicenter randomized controlled studies may be needed to confirm this.

PMID:34046454 | PMC:PMC8130064 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3546

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Infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: A case report

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3675-3679. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3675.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is rare and easily misdiagnosed. Most patients are first diagnosed with MGUS. We report a rare case of MGUS secondary to infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. We also review the literature to analyze the clinical characteristics and diagnostic methods.

CASE SUMMARY: A 51-year-old woman underwent modified radical mastectomy for infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the right breast and was then treated with radiation and chemotherapy. A decreased platelet count was found on routine blood examination, and MGUS was subsequently diagnosed. This is the first report of the occurrence of MGUS after breast cancer surgery.

CONCLUSION: Vigilance is required to distinguish this rare comorbidity from breast plasmacytoma.

PMID:34046469 | PMC:PMC8130065 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3675

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Ultrasound-guided, direct suprainguinal injection for fascia iliaca block for total hip arthroplasty: A retrospective study

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3567-3575. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3567.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Peripheral regional block combined with general anesthesia might be a preferable anesthetic regimen for elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

AIM: To investigate whether ultrasound-guided, direct suprainguinal injection for fascia iliaca block accelerated recovery after general anesthesia and relieved postoperative pain after total hip arthroplasty.

METHODS: Patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty under general anesthesia in 2015 or 2019 at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were grouped based on whether preoperative suprainguinal fascia iliaca block was performed or not. The time to tracheal extubation and time spent in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), intraoperative remifentanil dosage, fentanyl consumption in the PACU, postopera tive cumulative fentanyl consumption within 48 h after operation, visual analogue scale at rest and during movement on the first and second days after surgery, and adverse reactions were compared.

RESULTS: Thirty-one elderly patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty were included in the study (block group, n = 16; no-block group, n = 15). The visual analog scale scores at rest and during movement on the first and second days were significantly lower in the block group than in the no-block group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the no-block group, the intraoperative remifentanil dosage was lower, the time to tracheal extubation and the time spent in the PACU were shorter in the block group (all P < 0.01). Fentanyl consumption in the PACU and postoperative cumulative fentanyl consumption in 48 h after operation were lower in the block group (all P < 0.01). The incidence of dizziness was higher in the no-block group than in the block g roup (P = 0.037).

CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided, direct suprainguinal injection for fascia iliaca block led to faster recovery after general anesthesia and early postoperative pain relief in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

PMID:34046456 | PMC:PMC8130076 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3567

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Roxadustat as treatment for a blood transfusion-dependent maintenance hemodialysis patient: A case report and review of literature

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World J Clin Cases. 2021 May 26;9(15):3680-3688. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3680.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have revolutionized the therapeutic strategy for anemia in chronic kidney disease. However, some cases are resistant or hyporesponsive to ESAs. Roxadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor that stimulates erythropoiesis and regulates iron metabolism. Here, we describe a hemodialysis patient with refractory anemia who did not respond to traditional treatments and depended on blood transfusion for more than 1 year. After applying Roxadustat, the patient's anemia improved significantly.

CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-old man was diagnosed with uremia accompanied by severe anemia with a hemoglobin (Hb) level ranging from 30-40 g/L. His anemia did not improve after sufficient dialysis or high doses of active ESAs; other causes of anemia were excluded. The patient require d approximately 600-1000 mL of red blood cell suspension every 15-30 d for more than 1 year. After accepting Roxadustat therapy, the patient's anemia symptoms improved significantly; his Hb level gradually increased to 50 g/L, and no further blood transfusions were administered. His Hb level reached 69 g/L by the 34th week. Although a Hb level of 60-70 g/L cannot be considered satisfactory, he no longer required blood transfusions and his quality of life was substantially improved. Roxadustat showed good efficacy and safety in this case.

CONCLUSION: Roxadustat represents an innovative and effective agent for the clinical treatment of renal anemia caused by multiple complex factors.

PMID:34046470 | PMC:PMC8130086 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3680

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