European review for medical and pharmacological sciences最新文献

OBJECTIVE: Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening neurological emergency. However, studies on the prognostic factors of adult patients with SE in the Middle East remain lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the clinical presentation, causes, and complications of SE and determine predictors of poor outcomes in patients treated in a tertiary care university hospital in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Neurology Division, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This study recruited 38 patients aged 14 years or older who met the diagnostic criteria for SE. The median age was 30, and males accounted for 60.5% of cases. The outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). RESULTS: A history of epilepsy was present among 78.9% of patients; generalized seizures were observed in 89.5%, and focal seizures were observed in 10.59%. The primary complications included respiratory problems (36.89%) and acute kidney injury (23.7%). Antiepileptic drug reduction or withdrawal was the most common etiology in patients with preexisting epilepsy. Systemic infection (42.1%) was the most common cause in the general population, followed by withdrawal or reduction of anti-epileptic drugs (39.5%) and cerebrovascular disease (23.7%). Overall, 36.8% of patients experienced poor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that, overall, one-third of patients experienced poor outcomes. The mortality rate was 18.4%. The refractory SE, caused by cerebrovascular disease and respiratory/renal complications, was identified as a significant predictor of poor outcomes. This study highlights poor medication adherence and systemic infections as the primary causes of SE in Saudi Arabia. Refractory SE, respiratory complications, acute kidney injury, and SE due to cerebrovascular disease emerged as key predictors of poor outcomes, emphasizing the importance of addressing the underlying causes and the early recognition and management of complications.

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The article "miR-564 inhibited metastasis and proliferation of prostate cancer by targeting MLLT3" by F.-J. Meng, F.-M. Meng, H.-X. Wu, X.-F. Cao published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (21): 4828-4834-PMID: 29164580 has been retracted in accordance with the authors, the Publisher, and the Editor in Chief. The authors initially informed the journal of their intention to retract the article due to data inaccuracies and a lack of clarity in some figures. The journal's investigation additionally identified image duplications within the cell migration and invasion assay panels (panels G and H of Figure 3), as well as among the Western blot images (panels E and F of Figure 3). This article has been retracted. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/13723.

The article "MiRNA-199 inhibits malignant progression of lung cancer through mediating RGS17" by W.-Z. Su, L.-F. Ren published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (8): 3390-3400-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201904_17703-PMID: 31081094 has been retracted in accordance with the Publisher and the Editor in Chief. Following some concerns raised on PubPeer (https://pubpeer.com/publications/2E8256B0FA92987A3510C854E633DA), the Journal has started an investigation to assess the validity of the results as well as possible figure manipulation. The journal's investigation identified multiple instances of figure duplication, specifically in panel E of Figure 2 and in the Western blots of Figure 4, which appear to overlap with images from previously published articles. In addition, a duplication was detected within panel C of Figure 5. The authors were contacted and informed of the ongoing investigation, and were requested to provide the original data supporting the manuscript. The authors responded that, due to their relocation and lack of access to the original computer files, the underlying data could not be retrieved. As a result, the Journal has decided to retract this article. This article has been retracted. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17703.

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2023; 27 (1): 378-383-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202301_30891-PMID: 36647886, published online on January 13, 2023. This erratum addresses errors in the reference list of the published PDF version. Due to an internal error during layout finalization, incorrect references from another article were inadvertently inserted into the final PDF. The error was not detected by the authors prior to publication, and the PDF file was approved for publication. The corrected list of references is provided below: 1.         Chen J, Jiang Q, Xia X, Liu K, Yu Z, Tao W, Gong W, Han JJ. Individual variation of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 gene expression and regulation. Aging Cell 2020; 19: e13168. 2.         Atlas SA. The renin-angiotensin aldosterone system: pathophysiological role and pharmacologic inhibition. J Manag Care Pharm 2007; 13: 9-20. 3.         Stanley KE, Thomas E, Leaver M, Wells D. Coronavirus disease-19 and fertility: viral host entry protein expression in male and female reproductive tissues. Fertil Steril 2020; 114: 33-43. 4.         Younis JS, Abassi Z, Skorecki K. Is there an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on male fertility? The ACE2 connection. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 318: E878-E880. 5.         Reis AB, Araújo FC, Pereira VM, Dos Reis AM, Santos RA, Reis FM. Angiotensin (1-7) and its receptor Mas are expressed in the human testis: implications for male infertility. J Mol Histol 2010; 41: 75-80. 6.         Tiwari S, Kc N, Thapa S, Ghimire A, Bijukchhe S, Sah GS, Isnuwardana R. Semen parameters in men recovered from COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Middle East Fertil Soc J 2021; 26: 44-53. 7.         Boitrelle F, Shah R, Saleh R, Henkel R, Kandil H, Chung E, Vogiatzi P, Zini A, Arafa M, Agarwal A. The Sixth Edition of the WHO Manual for Human Semen Analysis: A Critical Review and SWOT Analysis. Life (Basel) 2021; 11: 1368. 8.         Cocuzza M, Agarwal A. Nonsurgical treatment of male infertility: spesific and empiric therapy. Biologics 2007; 1: 259-269. 9.         Twigg JP, Irvine DS, Aitken RJ. Oxidative damage to DNA in human spermatozoa does not preclude pronucleus formation at intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod 1998; 13: 1864-1871. 10.          Tremellen K. Oxidative stress and male infertility-a clinical perspective. Hum Reprod Update 2008; 14: 243-258. 11.          Wang Z, Xu X. scRNA-seq profiling of human testes reveals the presence of the ACE2 receptor, a target for SARS-CoV-2 infection in Spermatogonia, Leydig and sertoli Cells. Cells 2020; 9: 920. 12.          Dejucq N, Jégou B. Viruses in the mammalian male genital tract and their effects on the reproductive system. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2001; 65: 208-231. 13.          Heller CG, Clermont Y. Spermatogenesis in man: an estimate of its duration. Science 1963; 140: 184-186. 14.          Pan F, Xiao X, Guo J, Song Y, Li H, Patel DP, Spivak AM, Alukal JP, Zhang X, Xiong C, Li PS, Hotaling JM. No evidence of severe acute r

OBJECTIVE: Tendon tears cause significant disability, especially in the elderly. Lipid metabolism was shown to play a role in tendon tear pathogenesis. Statins, which lower cholesterol levels, have been associated with tendinopathies and tendon tears as possible adverse events. This systematic review evaluates the association between statin use and tendon rupture risk, as well as statins' influence on tendon healing after repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases using specific search strings related to statins and tendons. The inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), retrospective or prospective studies on humans, articles written in English, papers published in indexed journals, and articles evaluating the relationship between statins and tendons. The quality of RCTs was assessed through the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, while the risk of bias for non-randomized studies was evaluated according to the modified ROBINS-I tool. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included; eight studies investigated statin effects on native tendons, and four evaluated outcomes after tendon repair. Across over 1 million patients, a large cohort study found no significant increase in the risk of native tendon rupture among statin users (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.84-1.08). Conversely, a retrospective study found that hyperlipidemic patients treated with statins had a significantly higher retear rate after rotator cuff repair compared to the control group (OR 6.5, p < 0.001). Furthermore, statin use was associated with an increased risk of tendinopathies, including trigger finger (HR 1.435), radial styloid tenosynovitis (HR 1.365), and Achilles tendinitis (HR 1.516) (p < 0.0001 for all). However, protective effects were observed for rotator cuff disease with rosuvastatin (HR 0.41, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of statins on tendons may be modulated by variables such as sex, tendon type, statin formulation, and comorbidities. Hence, statin therapy does not universally increase tendon rupture risk but may influence tendon integrity and healing in a patient-specific manner. Further high-quality studies are needed to define these relationships better and optimize clinical recommendations.

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OBJECTIVE: Oropharyngeal cancer and its treatment often lead to sarcopenia, which is linked to increased toxicity, reduced response to therapy, and worse survival. Traditional weight-based metrics may fail to detect this muscle loss. This study investigates the feasibility of using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to monitor sarcopenia longitudinally in patients undergoing radiochemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 15 patients with locally advanced, inoperable oropharyngeal cancer who maintained stable body weight during treatment. All patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or volumetric arc therapy (VMAT), with daily cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for image guidance. Skeletal muscle area and density at the C3 vertebral level were measured weekly. A calibration phantom corrected CBCT Hounsfield Unit (HU) values. Longitudinal changes were assessed using linear mixed-effects models (LMMs), and correlations between skeletal muscle index (SMI) and body mass index (BMI) were evaluate. RESULTS: A significant weekly decline in SMI (p = 0.037) was observed, particularly after week 3, despite stable BMI. The muscle area decreased progressively while the HU values remained stable. A moderate inverse correlation was found between SMI and BMI (r = -0.39, p < 0.001), indicating that BMI is an inadequate measure for reflecting muscle loss. CONCLUSIONS: CBCT allows non-invasive, real-time monitoring of sarcopenia during treatment. Integrating CBCT-based body composition analysis into clinical practice could enable earlier detection and intervention, potentially improving treatment tolerance and outcomes. Larger studies and improved segmentation techniques are needed to validate and optimize this approach.

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OBJECTIVE: Programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB) is an effective analgesic method owing to the redistribution of the drug solution, which leads to a gradual improvement in postoperative pain over time. This study aimed to compare the postoperative analgesic effects of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with those of tapering PIEB (t-PIEB), in which the drug dosage is decreased over time, and continuous epidural infusion (CEI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with general and epidural anesthesia were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into the t-PIEB and CEI groups. Patients in the t-PIEB group received 3 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine from the pump every hour, whereas those patients in the CEI group received the same drug solution continuously at a rate of 3 mL/h. In both groups, a 2-mL bolus of 0.2% ropivacaine was administered postoperatively, with additional PCEA as needed. In the t-PIEB group, the dosage was gradually decreased to 2 mL/dose after 25 h and to 1 mL/dose after 49 h. The primary endpoint was the number of times the patient pressed the PCA button at 24, 48, and 72 h. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the frequency of PCA button pressing between the two groups during the observation period. The t-PIEB group had a significantly lower usage of ropivacaine. CONCLUSIONS: Nt-PIEB could have analgesic effects comparable to those of CEI for postoperative pain following VATS with less medication use.

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BACKGROUND: Foodborne botulism is a rare but potentially serious and lethal disease that is considered a threat to public health systems across the globe. Botulism is a paralytic disorder caused by the neurotoxin, produced by Clostridium botulinum, which acts upon peripheral cholinergic nerve terminals by inhibiting acetylcholine release, subsequently causing denervation to muscle fibers. CASE SERIES: In April 2024, an outbreak of foodborne botulism was reported in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following consumption of contaminated fast food. Four patients were affected: two females and two males, aged 14 to 21 years. All patients developed neurological symptoms, including cranial nerve involvement, dysphagia, and generalized weakness. Three patients progressed to severe hypercapnic respiratory failure requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated characteristic findings of presynaptic neuromuscular junction dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: This case series adds to existing knowledge by providing detailed descriptions of the clinical course, neurological examination findings, and electrodiagnostic features of foodborne botulism cases in Saudi Arabia. Our findings highlight that, despite early antitoxin administration, patients can develop prolonged neuromuscular weakness requiring extended mechanical ventilation. This underscores the importance of considering botulism in the differential diagnosis of acute flaccid paralysis and the need for timely electrophysiological evaluation to guide management and prognosis.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and pathological aggregation of a-synuclein. Despite advancements in symptomatic treatment, there is a critical unmet need for disease-modifying therapies capable of halting or slowing disease progression. Drug repurposing offers an efficient, cost-effective strategy to identify new treatments by leveraging the established safety and pharmacokinetic profiles of existing compounds. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF), an FDA-approved drug for multiple sclerosis and psoriasis, has recently emerged as a promising neuroprotective agent in PD research. Preclinical studies consistently demonstrate that DMF exerts beneficial effects in both in vitro and in vivo PD models, primarily via activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Through this mechanism, DMF counters oxidative stress, reduces neuroinflammation, promotes mitochondrial quality control, and impedes pathological protein aggregation. These biological effects translate into the preservation of dopaminergic neurons and improvements in motor behavior in animal models. Although direct clinical evidence of DMF's efficacy in PD patients is currently very limited, early mechanistic human studies provide indirect support for the targeting of the Nrf2 pathway in PD. Furthermore, DMF's neuroprotective properties extend to other neurodegenerative diseases, underscoring its broader therapeutic potential. In conclusion, the strong preclinical foundation, combined with an established clinical safety record, makes DMF an attractive candidate for repurposing as a disease-modifying therapy for PD. Future clinical trials will be essential to validate these preclinical promises and define DMF's role in the management of PD.

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