Journal of Trends in Medical Sciences
Volume:4 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2024

Cancer often rates highly on lists of the world's most hazardous diseases and routinely appears high on lists of the illnesses that people fear the most. Due of its relevance to the subject at hand, this article concentrates on lung cancer rather than other forms of malignancy. Most patients, both those who have never smoked cigarette as well as those who have, are affected by NSCLC, the more common of these two types. The Mesenchymal – Epithelial Transition (MET) protein amplification, EGFR mutations, RET Fusions, and other possible therapeutic targets for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer are highlighted in this article. The primary aim of this article is to provide a gist of the various mutations and targets' modes of action. It also covers the limits of the medicines that are currently being used to treat certain targets.

Septic arthritis (SA) or infectious arthritis (IA) typically occurs following hematogenous inoculation of pathogenic organisms in susceptible individuals. This infection is commonly a result of hematogenous spread of the infectious agent, inflammation or bone infection dissemination, as well as trauma or surgery. Early diagnosis and treatment of SA are crucial for affected patients.

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence of bacterial SA and the trend of antibiotic resistance in a specialized orthopedic and neurosurgery hospital from 2018 to 2020.

Patient records from the hospital admissions between 2018 and 2020 were reviewed. Data including patient age, gender, hospital ward, and antibiotic susceptibility test results were extracted and recorded for analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22 software.

Among the 249 cases investigated, 29 positive bacterial cultures were reported (11.6%). The knee joint was the most commonly affected (48.3%), followed by the ankle (27.6%). The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were ciprofloxacin, cefazolin, and cephalexin, respectively. Over the three-year study period, an increase in antibiotic resistance to ciprofloxacin and cefazolin and a decrease in antibiotic resistance to cephalexin were observed.

Despite its common occurrence, diagnosing SA can be challenging. Early joint surgery (arthrotomy) along with the initiation of effective antibiotic therapy plays a crucial role in reducing the incidence of complications associated with this disease.

 A key strategy in the global fight against malaria, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), is mass drug administration (MDA). Evaluating the impact of this initiative on malaria transmission reduction is crucial.

 This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of MDA combined with primaquine (PQ) in the southern Iranian region of Jask, specifically in Lirdaf.

 Primaquine was chosen as the antimalarial drug for this intervention. A total of 168 Pakistani individuals receiving MDA were evaluated over an eight-week period from September to December 2021.

 Three cases of vivax malaria were identified. Among the 168 patients receiving PQ, 26 were found to have a deficiency in the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), leading to the exclusion of thirty participants from the trial. Additionally, three individuals were withdrawn from the project due to restricted access (two cases) and family-related issues (one case). One participant, initially asymptomatic and positive, later tested positive again, and this case was excluded from the analysis. Regular follow-up assessments were conducted on all participants, revealing no cases of relapse throughout the project duration.

 Our findings suggest that employing MDA in combination with supplementary interventions during the elimination phase holds promise for malaria control efforts.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease that leads to gastrointestinal ulcers. An overactive immune response against the intestinal microbiota has been suggested as one of the pathogenic factors. Some evidence indicates the immunomodulatory effects of Bifidobacterium lactis. sugarcane molasses, rich in vitamins and nutrients, can be used to compensate for the related nutrient deficiencies.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of sugar-free sugarcane (SFS)-molasses on the immune system of UC patients.

Bifidobacterium lactis was cultivated in MRS broth and killed by UV de-sugarization of sugarcane molasses. It was prepared using the Steffen method. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 12 UC patients were separated by Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells, SFS-molasses, and B. lactis were co-cultured. After 18h, the expression level of the FOXP3 gene was assessed by RT-qPCR (real-time PCR). The interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) were measured in the supernatant of PBMCs by ELISA.

Transforming growth factor beta in the SFS-molasses group was significantly increased compared to the controls (P = 0.032). The TGF-β in SFS-molasses + bacteria and the bacteria-alone groups increased compared to the control group (P = 0.039 and P = 0.049, respectively). The level of IFN-γ in the SFS-molasses group was significantly decreased compared to the controls (P = 0.004). Interferon gamma increased in the SFS-molasses + B. lactis group compared to the controls, but this was not significant. Expression of FOXP3 wasn’t affected after SFS-molasses treatment.

These data showed that SFS molasses increases the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β and decreases the pro-inflammatory cytokine IFN-γ levels. These results may encourage researchers to continue studying the possible application of molasses as a nutritious food for patients with UC.

 Colon inflammation may occur after solid and liquid organ transplantations at a rate higher than in the general population.

 This study aimed to investigate the incidence of de novo inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and assess some risk factors after Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (OLT) in liver transplant patients in Shiraz, Iran.

 The sample study comprised patients (n = 1702) who had received liver transplants between 2001 and 2012 at the Shiraz liver transplant center. The data were obtained from patient records, which included information on their medical history, colonoscopy reports, family history of IBD, and other risk factors. The study evaluated the status of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among patients who had undergone liver transplantations due to Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) group, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), and other liver transplant patients. Additionally, case groups were formed, comprising AIH patients (n1 = 10) and other patients with IBD (n2 = 10), and were compared with transplant patients without IBD as the control group (n1 = 21, n2 = 21).

 Out of the total 1702 patients, 254 (14.92%) had AIH, 211 (12.40%) had PSC, and 1237 (72.68%) had other outcomes. The mean of leukocyte counts (P-value = 0.73), types of immunosuppressant medications, and serum levels of cyclosporine (P-value = 0.77) and tacrolimus (P-value = 0.27) did not show any significant differences between the case and control groups. However, it was observed that IBD developed earlier in patients with AIH compared to other patients (20.1 ± 2.23 vs 53.9 ± 4.42 months).

 The incidence of IBD after liver transplantation was higher compared to the general population, and it occurred earlier in patients who underwent transplantation for AIH and other groups.