Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities

Data from: Long-term monitoring dataset of fish assemblages impinged at nuclear power plants in northern Taiwan

The long-term species diversity patterns in marine fish communities are garnering increasing attention from ecologists and conservation biologists. However, current databases on quantitative abundance information lack consistent long-term time series, which are particularly important in exploring the possible underlying mechanism of community changes and evaluating the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation measures. Here we describe an impinged fish assemblage dataset containing 1, 283, 707 individuals from 439 taxa. Once a month over 19 years (1987–1990 and 2000–2014), we systematically collected the fish killed by impingement upon cooling water intake screens at two nuclear power plants on the northern coast of Taiwan. Because impingement surveys have low sampling errors and can be carried out over many years, they serve as an ideal sampling tool for monitoring how fish diversity and community structure vary over an extended period of time

Morbidity, mortality, associated injuries, and management of traumatic rib fractures

Background: Thoracic trauma is responsible for approximately 25% of trauma deaths, and rib fractures are present in as many as 40–80% of patients, and intensive care and/or ventilator support are frequently required for these patients. To identify their risk factors would improve treatment strategies for these patients. Methods: Between March 2005 and December 2013, consecutive patients with blunt thoracic trauma, who were admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Tungs' Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital (Taichung, Taiwan), were reviewed in this retrospective cohort study with the approval of the Institutional Review Board. The duration of hospital stay, ventilator support, injury severity score (ISS), type of injury, associated injuries, treatments, and mortality were analyzed statistically. Results: A total of 1621 thoracic trauma patients were included in this study, with a male majority and an age range of 18–95 years (mean age, 51.2 years). Approximately 11.7% of these patients had an ISS ≥ 16 and a mortality rate of 6.9%. Among them, 78.5% had rib fractures; 31.8%, traumatic hemothorax; 15.6%, pneumothorax; 9.6%, hemopneumothorax; and 4.6%, lung contusion. The most common associated injury was extremity fracture, followed by head injury and clavicle fracture. Surgery on the extremities (20.6% of patients) and chest tube placement (22.7% of patients) were the most common treatments. The number of rib fractures was associated with prolonged hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays (≥7 days), an ISS ≥ 16, and pulmonary complications of hemothorax, pneumothorax, and hemopneumothorax, but not with mechanical ventilator use. Furthermore, old age was significantly associated with rib fractures in patients with thoracic trauma. Conclusion: The severity of traumatic rib fractures was identified in this study. Therefore, a trauma team needs better preparation to provide effective treatment strategies when encountering thoracic trauma patients, especially patients who are older and have rib fractures

Endonasal Septoplasty Using a Septal Cartilaginous Batten Graft for Managing Caudal Septal Deviation

Caudal nasal septal deviation is an important condition altering nasal obstruction and cosmetic appearance and many surgical techniques have been published on how to correct caudal septal deviation, as successful management of caudal septal deviation is challenging. The goal of our study was to explore the effect of endonasal septoplasty using a septal cartilaginous batten graft for managing caudal septal deviation. We tested 26 participants with caudal septal deviation who received endonasal septoplasty using a septal cartilaginous batten graft from 1 April 2019 to 29 June 2022, and followed up for at least 6 months. Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) Scale and visual analog scale (VAS) were recorded at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months after surgery. Valid samples were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and paired sample t-test. Average participant age was 36.15 ± 11.02 years old. The preoperative, 1-month postoperative, and 6-month postoperative NOSE scale decreased significantly (75.38 ± 15.62, 13.85 ± 7.79, and 14.04 ± 9.90; p p < 0.001). Our results showed that endonasal septoplasty using a septal cartilaginous batten graft had good surgical outcomes without an open scar or severe complications

Perianal Basal Cell Carcinoma—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Real-World Data

(1) Background: BCC is a sporadic disease that develops in areas of the skin not exposed to the sun. Perianal BCC, which occurs in the anorectal region, accounts for less than 0.2% of all BCC cases. There have been only a few reported cases of the disease, with fewer than 200 cases reported in total. Given the diagnostic challenges and potential for misdiagnosis, we conducted a systematic review of perianal basal cell carcinoma using real-world data to provide comprehensive and detailed information on the disease. (2) Methods: The study was reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 2020. Patients’ clinical pathologic features, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes were presented. (3) Results: The results of 41 studies involving 140 patients were analyzed. The most common symptoms reported by patients at presentation were anorectal bleeding, pain, and pruritus. Ulceration was the most frequently observed tumor characteristic. The majority of patients underwent local excision as their primary treatment, with only eight patients experiencing a recurrence. Our analysis did not reveal any statistically significant differences in the outcomes of different treatment modalities. (4) Conclusions: Identifying perianal BCC poses a significant challenge as it closely resembles other anal diseases, thereby making it difficult to differentiate between the different conditions. However, a wide local excision with clear margins is considered an effective treatment option for most patients. Alternative treatments, such as radiotherapy, may be recommended for patients who are unable to undergo surgery

Comparison of the Results of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing between Healthy Peers and Pediatric Patients with Different Echocardiographic Severity of Mitral Valve Prolapse

Patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) have been reported to have exercise intolerance. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and their physical fitness remain unclear. We aimed to determine the exercise capacity of patients with MVP through the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). We retrospectively collected the data of 45 patients with a diagnosis of MVP. Their CPET and echocardiogram results were compared with 76 healthy individuals as primary outcomes. No significant differences regarding the patient’s baseline characteristics and echocardiographic data were found between the two groups, except for the lower body mass index (BMI) of the MVP group. Patients in the MVP group demonstrated a similar peak metabolic equivalent (MET), but a significantly lower peak rate pressure product (PRPP) (p = 0.048). Patients with MVP possessed similar exercise capacity to healthy individuals. The reduced PRPP may indicate compromised coronary perfusion and subtle left ventricular function impairment

Comparison of the Results of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing between Healthy Peers and Pediatric Patients with Different Echocardiographic Severity of Mitral Valve Prolapse

Patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) have been reported to have exercise intolerance. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and their physical fitness remain unclear. We aimed to determine the exercise capacity of patients with MVP through the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). We retrospectively collected the data of 45 patients with a diagnosis of MVP. Their CPET and echocardiogram results were compared with 76 healthy individuals as primary outcomes. No significant differences regarding the patient&rsquo;s baseline characteristics and echocardiographic data were found between the two groups, except for the lower body mass index (BMI) of the MVP group. Patients in the MVP group demonstrated a similar peak metabolic equivalent (MET), but a significantly lower peak rate pressure product (PRPP) (p = 0.048). Patients with MVP possessed similar exercise capacity to healthy individuals. The reduced PRPP may indicate compromised coronary perfusion and subtle left ventricular function impairment

OmpA Binding Mediates the Effect of Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 on <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>

<div><p>Multidrug-resistant <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> has recently emerged as an important pathogen in nosocomial infection; thus, effective antimicrobial regimens are urgently needed. Human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit multiple functions and antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi and are proposed to be potential adjuvant therapeutic agents. This study examined the effect of the human cathelicidin-derived AMP LL-37 on <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> and revealed the underlying mode of action. We found that LL-37 killed <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> efficiently and reduced cell motility and adhesion. The bacteria-killing effect of LL-37 on <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> was more efficient compared to other AMPs, including human ß–defensin 3 (hBD3) and histatin 5 (Hst5). Both flow cytometric analysis and immunofluorescence staining showed that LL-37 bound to <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> cells. Moreover, far-western analysis demonstrated that LL-37 could bind to the <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> OmpA (AbOmpA) protein. An ELISA assay indicated that biotin-labelled LL-37 (BA-LL37) bound to the AbOmpA_74-84 peptide in a dose-dependent manner. Using BA-LL37 as a probe, the ~38 kDa OmpA signal was detected in the wild type but the <i>ompA</i> deletion strain did not show the protein, thereby validating the interaction. Finally, we found that the <i>ompA</i> deletion mutant was more sensitive to LL-37 and decreased cell adhesion by 32% compared to the wild type. However, <i>ompA</i> deletion mutant showed a greatly reduced adhesion defect after LL-37 treatment compared to the wild strain. Taken together, this study provides evidence that LL-37 affects <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> through OmpA binding.</p></div

Detection of binding between OmpA peptides and LL-37.

<p>(A) Amino acid sequence alignment of OmpA from <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Cronobacter sakazakii</i> and <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i>. The alignment was performed using Clustal W2. The conserved Loop 1 to Loop 4 were boxed in dashed lines, and four potential LL-37-binding sequences were boxed in solid lines. (B) ELISA assay for binding of the AbOmpA_74-84 and AbOmpA_164-181 peptides to LL-37. Each peptide was mixed with carbonate coating buffer and immobilized on each well of a microplate at 4°C overnight and then washed with PBS. After blocking, various concentrations of BA-LL37 were added to the immobilized peptides and the binding activity was detected with SA-HRP. The results indicated that BA-LL37 could bind to the AbOmpA_74-84 peptide, but not the AbOmpA_164-181 peptide, in a dose-dependent manner. All assays were performed in triplicate and repeated three times.</p

Anti-<i>Acinetobacter</i> activity of LL-37.

<p>Anti-<i>Acinetobacter</i> activity of LL-37 was determined by counting CFUs. The CFU counts of cells (1 X 10⁷ cells/ml) in 750 μl of RPMI-1640 medium treated with different concentrations of LL-37 were normalized to the control without LL-37 treatment and presented as a percentage. The result indicated that LL-37 exhibited a bactericidal effect on <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i>. These experiments were performed in triplicates (N = 3). The Student’s t-test was used to determine (**, p<0.01) the statistical significance of the experimental data.</p