Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP最新文献

Objective: To locate the candidate therapeutic target genes involved in ferroptosis in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH).

Study design: Bioinformatics analysis study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Zhuhai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Guangdong, China, from March to July 2023.

Methodology: After processing the gene expression omnibus (GEO) data with the R programming language, differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes in SONFH were identified. To pinpoint the genes most strongly linked to SONFH in association with ferroptosis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were employed. Subsequently, the screened essential genes were analysed to investigate immune cell infiltration, and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks involving these marker genes were constructed.

Results: The machine learning algorithms identified three genes i.e., SOCS1 (suppressor of cytokine signalling1), MYCN (N-myc proto-oncogene protein), and KLF2 (Kruppel-like factor 2) as diagnostic feature biomarkers associated with ferroptosis. Additionally, CIBERSORT analysis revealed that alterations in the immune microenvironment, such as Macrophages M1, Monocytes, and T cells CD4 naive, could be linked to SOCS1, MYCN, and KLF2. Moreover, the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network exposed a complex regulatory relationship based on marker genes.

Conclusion: SOCS1, MYCN, and KLF2 are potential biomarkers associated with ferroptosis in SONFH, pending confirmation in future studies.

Key words: Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head, Ferroptosis, Machine learning, Genetic analysis.

This retrospective study was conducted at the Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. It aimed to determine acute kidney injury (AKI) frequency and associated factors in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Out of 177 patients, 49.7% developed AKI, with an average onset of 7.63 days. AKI stages varied, and progression occurred in 27 patients within 48 hours. ICU and hospital mortality rates were significantly higher in AKI patients (86.4% and 92%, respectively) compared to non-AKI patients (19.1% and 22.5%). The study highlights age, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and nephrotoxic agent presence as significant factors influencing AKI development in COVID-19 patients. Key Words: Critical care unit, COVID-19, Acute kidney failure.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of the superficial cervical plexus (SCP) and ultrasonography (USG)-guided intermediate cervical plexus (ICP) blocks for patient and operator satisfaction during central venous catheterisation (CVC).

Study design: Experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Konya City Hospital, Konya, Turkiye, between May and July 2022.

Methodology: Eighty patients were randomly assigned to the ICP and SCP block groups before CVC. Patients received 10ml of a local anaesthesia. Pain levels were assessed during needle insertion, dilation, catheter insertion, and suturing, and 5 minutes after the procedure using a 10-point numeric rating scale (NRS). Thirty minutes post-procedure, patient and operator satisfaction were evaluated using a 5-point Likert-type scale.

Results: The ICP block group had lower mean pain scores than the SCP block group during needle entry, dilation, and 5 minutes after CVC (p = 0.022, p <0.001, and p = 0.005, respectively). However, no significant differences were found in pain scores after the block application, during catheter insertion, and suturing (p = 0.279, p = 0.052, and p = 0.072, respectively). Patient and operator satisfaction scores did not significantly differ between the two groups (p = 0.189 and p = 0.329, respectively).

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the ICP and SCP blocks resulted in comparable patient and operator satisfaction levels during CVC. Given that the ICP block resulted in lower pain scores at various stages of the procedure, it is a recommended method to enhance overall patient comfort and minimise the pain during CVC.

Key words: Central venous catheterisation, Intermediate cervical plexus block, Superficial cervical plexus block, Patient satisfaction.

Objective: To determine the histopathological findings in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection (immunotolerant phase in old terminology) and HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection (inactive carrier phase in old terminology).

Study design: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Gastroenterology, University of Health Sciences, Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Education and Research Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkiye and Diyarbakir and Mersin University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkiye, from May 2014 to August 2022.

Methodology: The difference between fibrosis and histological activity indices of 289 patients in the immunotolerant and inactive carrier phase who had liver biopsy was examined statistically. Additionally, the relationship of these data with age and gender was investigated.

Results: While 236 (81.7%) of the patients were in the inactive carrier phase, 53 (18.3%) patients were in the immunotolerant phase. The mean fibrosis score of patients in the immunotolerant stage was 2.0 ± 1.2, while it was 2.0 ± 1.0 in inactive carriers (p = 0.753). The number of patients with a fibrosis score of two and above was 21 (39.6%) in immunotolerant patients and 52 (22.0%) in inactive carrier patients (p = 0.004). In patients under 30 years of age, the mean fibrosis score was 1.7 ± 1.0. It was 2.0 ± 1.1 in those over 30 years of age (p = 0.016).

Conclusion: Biochemical parameters or viral load cannot clearly reflect cellular damage in the liver. In the future, HBV DNA positivity alone may be the only criterion for the treatment.

Key words: Chronic viral hepatitis B, Fibrosis, Immune tolerance phase, Inactive carrier phase.

Objective: To assess the outcomes of low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) with tumour size 1 to 4 cm post-thyroidectomy in patients who never received radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation and to compare the outcomes with those who received RAI therapy.

Study design: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (KIRAN) Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2016 to December 2020.

Methodology: A total of 130 consecutive patients of low-risk DTC of both genders aged between 18-75 years were identified who underwent thyroidectomy. Patients were classified as either being treated or not treated with RAI, based on RAI data post-thyroidectomy. Patients were followed up for two to five years depending on their date of diagnosis from 2016 to 2020, using thyroglobulin (Tg), anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg), and thyrotropin (TSH) levels and ultrasound neck. Association between patients who received RAI and who did not receive RAI was determined and a p-value <0.05 was considered as statistical significance.

Results: Patients had mean age of 34.5 ± 10.4 years with majority of females (75.4%). Majority of the patients (94.6%) had total thyroidectomy with no neck dissection (83.1%). RAI therapy was conducted among 70.8% participants, of which, 56.9% participants received a dose of 100 mci. Most of the patients had positive outcomes as there was no recurrence among 96.2% participants. There was a significant difference in RAI therapy with total thyroidectomy as compared to subtotal, RAI dose, tumour stage, neck dissection, and lymph node involvement (p ≤0.001).

Conclusion: After complete tumour resection, a highly selected group of patients with low-risk local disease have shown low rate of recurrence when managed without RAI. Interestingly, the disease recurrence was also only seen in patients who received RAI therapy in comparison to those who did not receive RAI therapy.

Key words: Outcomes, Differentiated thyroid cancer, Radioactive iodine, Ablation therapy, Post-surgery.

Objective: To systematically identify early biomarkers of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats.

Study design: An experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Experimental Animal Laboratory of Lanzhou University, Gansu, China, and the Department of Pharmacy, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Gansu, China, from July 2022 to October 2023.

Methodology: In this study, an AKI model was established by continuously injecting cisplatin into rats at a dose of 1 mg/kg once a day for control group and for 2, 3, 4, and 5 days to other four groups, respectively. Subsequently, rat plasma samples were collected for metabolomics analysis to identify early differentiated metabolites in the plasma prior to creatinine elevation. Furthermore, accurate HPLC-MS/MS methods were developed to validate the biomarker variation in other AKI models.

Results: The occurrence of time-dependent renal cortical injury and significant alterations of creatinine (Cr) concentration were observed on day-4 and 5, which demonstrated successful model construction. Sixty-six compounds changed on Day-2 while 61 compounds changed on Day-3. Eleven compounds with variable importance in projection (VIP) >1.5 and false discover rate (FDR) <0.2 were selected and identified by HPLC-MS/MS. Among these, N-acetylglutamine and citramalic acid changed earlier than serum creatinine (sCr) in the AKI model.

Conclusion: N-acetylglutamine and citramalic acid may serve as early biomarker of cisplatin-induced AKI.

Key words: Acute kidney injury, Biomarker, Cisplatin, Metabolomics, LC-MS/MS, Rats.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a prevalent paediatric neuromuscular disorder characterised by muscle weakness and atrophy resulting from degeneration of spinal cord anterior horn α motor neurons. Gene therapy formulations exhibit varying benefits and limitations, driving the need for patient-friendly treatment options tailored to specific populations. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of gene therapy for motor function in children with SMA. The analysis encompassed a total of 719 participants from six randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted between 2017 and 2023. Among the studies, one demonstrated a significant and large standardised effect size (Cohen's d) favouring nusinersen in terms of Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale - Expanded (HFMSE) (d = 0.97) and revised upper limb module (RULM) (d = 0.96). Additionally, another study showed a moderate standardised effect size (Cohen's d) in favour of nusinersen concerning Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination-Section 2 (HINE-2) (d = 0.48). However, it is important to note that further research with a longer duration of observation is required to strengthen the evidence. Key Words: Spinal muscular atrophy, Nusinersen, Risdiplam, Motor function, Cohen's d.

Objective: To compare the outcome of traditional teaching with hybrid simulation-based teaching for undergraduate medical students. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Pharmacology, Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan, from June to August 2023.

Study design: Quasi-experimental study.

Methodology: One hundred students from MBBS 3rd year were included in the study after taking the informed consent. Participants were divided into two cross-over groups and sampling was done randomly. Group A: (even roll numbers, n = 50) was the control group, taught by traditional lecture on positive inotropic medicines. Group B: (with odd roll numbers, n = 50) was the intervention group, taught the same topic by simulation-based teaching through 5 case scenarios. The teaching of this group was reinforced by role plays. Scores of post-test and retention test were compared by applying the Student's t-test.

Results: Students taught by traditional lectures i.e., Group A, their post-test mean scores were 30.7 ± 5.6, whereas Group B scored 45.7 ± 3.3, taught by hybrid stimulation (p <0.001). Retention test (MCQs based) was conducted after one month in which Group A obtained a mean score of 18.8 ± 9 with a passing percentage of approximately 30, whereas Group B obtained a score of 41.3 ± 5.6 (p <0.001).

Conclusion: Hybrid-simulation-based teaching improved the immediate test scores as well as retention.

Key words: Traditional teaching, Hybrid-simulation, MCQs, Retention test, Intervention group.

A pre-post-training workshop was conducted among 22 postgraduate trainees of the Psychiatry and Emergency Department of a public sector hospital in Karachi. The workshop aimed to build the capacity of postgraduate trainees in trauma management by providing training on screening, clinical interviewing skills, and Psychological first aid to those exposed to domestic violence (DV). The effectiveness of each training module was evaluated by conducting a brief assessment before and after each module and scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The post-test showed significant improvement in participants' knowledge on screening of domestic violence and trauma symptoms (p = 0.026) and psychological first aid (p <0.001). Postgraduate training programmes need to integrate trauma screening and management education, to prepare healthcare professionals to deal with sensitive clinical presentations at their work settings. Key Words: Postgraduate trainees, Trauma, Domestic violence, Medical education, Workshop.

Objective: To evaluate presentations, aetiologies, interventions, and outcomes of patients presenting with acute limb ischaemia (ALI).

Study design: An observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2000 to December 2020.

Methodology: Record of 104 patients who underwent surgical interventions for ALI was retrospectively evaluated. The diagnosis was confirmed on imaging (ultrasound / CTA / conventional angiography). Demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, aetiologies, and outcomes were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

Results: The cohort's mean age was 58.89 ± 12.6 years, with (54.8%, n = 57) females and (45.2%, n = 47) males. Hypertension (54.8%, n = 57), diabetes (46.2%, n = 48), and atrial fibrillation (34.6%, n = 36) were common comorbidities. Thromboembolism (67.3%, n = 70) and thrombotic occlusion (32.7%, n = 34) were primary aetiologies, predominantly affecting the lower limb (66.3%, n = 58) and femoral artery (51.9%, n = 54). The majority of cases were classified as Rutherford classification 2A (53.8%; 56 cases) and 2B (44.2%; 46 cases); 58 (55.8%) patients were classified as ASA Class III, while 36 (34.6%) patients were categorised as ASA Class IV. Embolectomy (80.8%, n = 84) was the prevailing intervention, with an amputation rate (17.3%, n = 18) and a mortality rate (5.8%, n = 6).

Conclusion: Most patients with ALI presented with Rutherford Class II and had thromboembolism aetiology. Embolectomy was the most commonly performed procedure with a high amputation rate and mortality.

Key words: Acute limb ischaemia, Embolectomy, Amputation, Thromboembolism.