Male Patients Research Articles

Sex Differences in Patient-Reported Depression Following Vascular Surgery Procedures

IntroductionFemale patients frequently experience worse clinical outcomes than male patients after undergoing vascular surgery procedures. However, it is unclear whether these sex-based disparities also impact mental health outcomes. This study was designed to investigate sex differences in patient-reported outcome measures of depression for patients undergoing vascular surgery. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 107 patients (73 males and 34 females) who underwent vascular surgery procedures between January 2016 and April 2023. These patients completed a Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Item Bank v1.0-Depression assessment 90 d before surgery and at least once after surgery. After stratifying patients by sex, we analyzed changes in PROMIS depression scores using a multiple mixed-effects linear regression model. Then, logistic regression was used to compare the proportion of patients who achieved a clinically meaningful difference in PROMIS depression score within 15 mo after surgery. ResultsThere was no significant difference between female and male patients among rates of complications, length of hospital stay, or rates of nonhome discharge. However, female sex was associated with significantly improved PROMIS depression scores after surgery compared to male sex (P = 0.034). Furthermore, female patients were over 3-fold more likely than male patients to reach the minimal clinically important difference threshold for improvement in PROMIS depression scores (odds ratio 4.66, 95% confidence interval 1.39-15.61). ConclusionsThese results suggest that female sex is associated with improved patient-reported measures of depression after undergoing vascular surgery. Clinicians should consider these mental health benefits when evaluating female patients for vascular interventions.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Breast Malignancy in Male Patients Based on Clinical and Ultrasound Features.

This study aimed to construct a nomogram based on clinical and ultrasound (US) features to predict breast malignancy in males. The medical records between August, 2021 and February, 2023 were retrospectively collected from the database. Patients included in this study were randomly divided into training and validation sets in a 7:3 ratio. The models for predicting the risk of malignancy in male patients with breast lesions were virtualized by the nomograms. Among the 71 enrolled patients, 50 were grouped into the training set, while 21 were grouped into the validation set. After the multivariate analysis was done, pain, BI-RADS category, and elastography score were identified as the predictors for malignancy risk and were selected to generate the nomogram. The C-index was 0.931 for the model. Concordance between predictions and observations was detected by calibration curves and was found to be good in this study. The model achieved a net benefit across all threshold probabilities, which was shown by the decision curve analysis (DCA) curve. We successfully constructed a nomogram to evaluate the risk of breast malignancy in males using clinical and US features, including pain, BI-RADS category, and elastography score, which yielded good predictive performance.

Occupational radiation exposure and risk of thyroid cancer:A meta‑analysis of cohort studies.

The association between occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and the risk of thyroid cancer remains unclear in medical research. The present meta-analysis assessed whether occupational radiation exposure increases the risk of thyroid cancer. The PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Embase, ChinaInfo, Weipu and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases were comprehensively searched for cohort studies published up to January 1st, 2023, using medical subject headings and keywords. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine a pooled-effect estimate of the association between occupational exposure and thyroid cancer. Subgroup analyses by sex were performed. The results were presented as the overall odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of six studies (covering 3,409,717 individuals), which were published between 2006 and 2021 from 4 countries met the inclusion criteria. The number of participants per study ranged from 67,562 to 2,992,166 and the number of cancer events in each study ranged from 134 to 2,599 cases. Pooled analyses indicated that occupational radiation exposure was associated with a 67% higher risk of thyroid cancer (OR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.27-2.04, P<0.001). Male patients with a history of occupational radiation exposure exhibited a slightly higher risk of thyroid cancer than female patients (OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.61-1.87, P=0.726 vs. OR=1.30, 95% CI: 1.15-1.48, P=0.032). Collectively, the data indicated that occupational exposure to ionizing radiation was associated with the risk of thyroid cancer. However, further studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.

Clinical Risk Assessment and Comparison of Bias between Laboratory Methods for Estimation of HbA1c for Glycated Hemoglobin in Hyperglycemic Patients.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), also known as glycated hemoglobin, is a blood test used to evaluate and track a patient's blood sugar levels over the previous 2-3 months. We have compared the analytical performance of the D10 hemoglobin (HPLC) testing system to that of the immunoturbidimetric technique, which is a light-scattering immunoassay. To assess the clinical risk assessment between two methods (Compare the two Immunoturbidometric methods (AU680) vs. HPLC method (D10)) in hyperglycemic patients and assess the acceptability of the respective methods in the Clinical biochemistry laboratory. The charge of the globins in Hb was used as the basis for the HPLC method used to measure HbA1c. HPLC detects and quantifies even the tiniest Hb fractions and the full spectrum of Hb variants. HbA1c was measured using the immunoturbidimetric (AU 680 Beckmann coulter analyzer) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques. Experiments also made use of immunoturbidimetric techniques (using an AU 680 Beckmann coulter analyzer equipment). There is no statistically significant difference in HbA1c readings between male and female patients, as measured by either the Immunoturbidimetric or HPLC techniques. The immunoturbidimetric and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques for estimating HbA1c yielded identical results. From the results of this study, we may deduce that both techniques are valid for estimating HbA1c. As a result, it may be suggested that both approaches can be used to estimate HbA1c in diabetic individuals.

Incidence of Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech and Primary Progressive Aphasia in Olmsted County, MN, 2011-2022.

No epidemiologic studies have formally assessed the incidence of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS). Thus, we decided to assess the incidence of these disorders in Olmsted County, MN, between 2011 and 2022, and to characterize clinical, radiographic, and pathologic characteristics of these patients. This was a retrospective examination of data from a population-based cohort of patients with PPA and PPAOS prospectively identified in Olmsted County, MN, from 2011 to 2022. The incidence of PPA among adults (older than 18 years) was calculated for Olmsted County as the number of patients per 100,000 person-years during the study period. The adult population of Olmsted County was determined by the annual catchment population reported by the Rochester Epidemiological Project for each year 2011-2022. A behavioral neurologist verified the clinical diagnoses and determined subtypes. We identified 10 patients (60% female) within the study period (median age of symptoms onset: 70 years; range: 66-73), 8 with PPA and 2 with PPAOS. Of the 8 patients with PPA (6 female patients, 2 male patients), 2 met criteria for non-fluent variant PPA (nfvPPA), 3 for logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA), and 3 for semantic variant (svPPA). Speech evaluation confirmed the clinical diagnoses in all patients and all showed typical imaging findings consistent with their respective subtype. Six patients (2 PPAOS, 2 nfvPPA, 2 lvPPA) died and 3 underwent autopsy (2 PPAOS, 1 nfvPPA), confirming the pathologic diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy. The incidence of PPA + PPAOS was 0.70 persons per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.34-1.29 persons per 100,000) during the study period. The incidence of PPAOS was 0.14 persons per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.02-0.55 persons per 100,000), whereas for the 8 patients with PPA, the incidence was 0.56 persons per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.24-1.10 cases per 100,000). The incidence of nfvPPA was 0.14 persons per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.02-0.55), 0.21 persons per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.04-0.61) for lvPPA, and 0.21 persons per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.04-0.61) for svPPA. As a group, PPA and PPAOS are a relatively rare group of diseases. PPAOS has a slightly lower incidence than PPA as a group but similar incidence to the individual PPA variants.

Splenic subcapsular hematoma following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Splenic injury following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a rare complication. The literature contains around 30 articles reporting various degrees of splenic injuries resulting from ERCP since the first report of splenic rupture after ERCP in 1989. CASE SUMMARY This report describes a case of splenic hematoma and stent displacement in a 69-year-old male patient who developed these conditions 7 days after undergoing ERCP and stenting. The patient had bile duct stenosis caused by a malignant tumor that was obstructing the bile duct. The diagnosis was confirmed by epigastric computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. The patient was successfully treated with percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage, endoscopic pyloric stent placement, and conservative management. The causes of splenic injury following ERCP are discussed. CONCLUSION ERCP has the potential to cause splenic injury. If a patient experiences symptoms such as abdominal pain, decreased blood pressure, and altered hematology after the procedure, it's important to be thoroughly investigated for postoperative bleeding and splenic injury.

Temporal Trends and Racial Disparities in Long-Term Survival After Stroke.

Few studies have examined trends and disparities in long-term outcome after stroke in a representative US population. We used a population-based stroke study in the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky region to examine trends and racial disparities in poststroke 5-year mortality. All patients with acute ischemic strokes (AISs) and intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) among residents ≥20 years old were ascertained using ICD codes and physician-adjudicated using a consistent case definition during 5 periods: July 1993-June 1994 and calendar years 1999, 2005, 2010, and 2015. Race was obtained from the medical record; only those identified as White or Black were included. Premorbid functional status was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale, with a score of 0-1 being considered "good." Mortality was assessed with the National Death Index. Trends and racial disparities for each subtype were analyzed with logistic regression. We identified 8,428 AIS cases (19.3% Black, 56.3% female, median age 72) and 1,501 ICH cases (23.5% Black, 54.8% female, median age 72). Among patients with AIS, 5-year mortality improved after adjustment for age, race, and sex (53% in 1993/94 to 48.3% in 2015, overall effect of study year p = 0.009). The absolute decline in 5-year mortality in patients with AIS was larger than what would be expected in the general population (5.1% vs 2.8%). Black individuals were at a higher risk of death after AIS (odds ratio [OR] 1.23, 95% CI 1.08-1.39) even after adjustment for age and sex, and this effect was consistent across study years. When premorbid functional status and comorbidities were included in the model, the primary effect of Black race was attenuated but race interacted with sex and premorbid functional status. Among male patients with a good baseline functional status, Black race remained associated with 5-year mortality (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7, p = 0.002). There were no changes in 5-year mortality after ICH over time (64.4% in 1993/94 to 69.2% in 2015, overall effect of study year p = 0.32). Long-term survival improved after AIS but not after ICH. Black individuals, particularly Black male patients with good premorbid function, have a higher mortality after AIS, and this disparity did not change over time.

Clinical and genetic analysis of a child with Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis due to a novel variant of PLCE1 gene

To explore the genetic basis and clinical phenotype of a Chinese pedigree affected with Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). A male patient who was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University on July 26, 2018 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the patient was collected. Next generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out to detect the variant sites. Bioinformatic software was used to simulate the effect of candidate variant on the protein functions. Ultrasound exam of the patient showed enhanced echo for the renal parenchyma. Kidney biopsy had confirmed the pathological diagnosis of FSGS (non-specific). Electronic microscopy displayed segmental sclerosis of the glomeruli, mild hyperplasia of mesangial cells and matrix. The proband was found to harbor two novel variants of the PLCE1 gene, namely c.3199delA (p.N1067Mfs*15) and c.4441_4443delATC (p.1481_1481del), which were respectively inherited from his mother and father. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), both variants were rated as pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP3; PM2_Supporting+PM3+PP3). Bioinformatic simulation suggested that both variants could significantly affect the tertiary structure of the PLCE1 protein. The c.4441_4443delATC and c.3199delA variants of the PLCE1 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of the FSGS in this pedigree.

Assessing the impact of temperature on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations in residents of Panzhihua City: a multi-districts study using a distributed lag non-linear model

BackgroundTemperature fluctuations can impact the occurrence and progression of respiratory system diseases. However, the current understanding of the impact of temperature on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) remains limited. Therefore, our study aims to investigate the relationship between daily mean temperature (DMT) and the risk of AECOPD hospitalizations within Panzhihua City.MethodsWe systematically collected data on AECOPD hospitalizations at Panzhihua Central Hospital from 2015 to 2020 and meteorological factors across Panzhihua City’s districts. A two-stage analysis method was used to establish a distributed lag non-linear model to elucidate the influence of DMT on the frequency of admissions for AECOPD. Subgroup analyses were conducted by gender and age to identify populations potentially susceptible to the impact of DMT.ResultsA total of 5299 AECOPD hospitalizations cases were included. The DMT and the risk of AECOPD hospitalization showed a non-linear exposure–response pattern, with low temperatures exacerbating the risk of hospitalizations. The lag effects of low temperature and relatively low temperature peaked at 2th day, with the lag effects disappearing at 16–17 days. Females and elders aged ≥ 65 years were more sensitive to effects of low and relatively low temperature at lag 0–4 days, while male AECOPD patients exhibited longer lasting lag effects.ConclusionsLow temperatures are associated with an increased risk of AECOPD hospitalizations. Females or elders aged ≥ 65 years with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should pay more attention to taking protective measures in cold environments. These findings are crucial for the formulation of public health policies, as they will help significantly alleviate the burden of AECOPD and improve respiratory health in the face of climate challenges.

Diagnostic yield from symptomatic gastroscopy in the UK: British Society of Gastroenterology analysis using data from the National Endoscopy Database

ObjectiveThis national analysis aimed to calculate the diagnostic yield from gastroscopy for common symptoms, guiding improved resource utilisation.DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted of diagnostic gastroscopies between 1 March 2019 and...

Complete response in a lung adenocarcinoma with pleural metastases initially treated with gefitinib and switched to osimertinib after cerebral oligo-progression with unknown T790M mutation: a case report and review of literature

BackgroundFirst- and second-generation anti-epithelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors have shown great efficacy in the treatment of advanced adenocarcinoma with epithelial growth factor receptor mutations, but this efficacy is limited by certain resistance mechanisms, in particular the T790M mutation, which must be screened before second-line treatment with osimertinib is indicated. The search for this mutation is sometimes difficult, especially in cases of intracranial relapse, through this case report we attempt to discuss the possibility of initiating treatment with osimertinib despite an unknown T790M mutation in such situation.Case reportWe present the case of a 70-year-old Moroccan male patient diagnosed with non-small cell lung carcinoma initially metastatic to the pleura with an epithelial growth factor receptor mutation who received gefitinib in first line with a complete response, he subsequently presented with cerebral oligo-progression with extra cranial stability. The patient was started on osimertinib with unknown T790M status, as it was impossible to perform a cerebral biopsy, the evolution was characterized by a partial response followed by stereotactic radiotherapy then a complete response for 2 years.ConclusionWe can discuss osimertinib as an option for patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer with brain oligo-progression on prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors and unknown T790M status, further studies are needed in this area.

Risk of stroke in male and female patients with atrial fibrillation in a nationwide cohort

Female sex has been suggested as a risk modifier for stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with comorbid prevalent stroke risk factors. Management has evolved over time towards a holistic approach that may have diminished any sex difference in AF-related stroke. In a nationwide cohort of AF patients free from oral anticoagulant treatment, we examine the time trends in stroke risk overall and in relation to risk differences between male and female patients. Here we show that among 158,982 patients with AF (median age 78 years (IQR: 71 to 85); 52% female) the 1-year thromboembolic risk was highest between 1997–2000 with a risk of 5.6% and lowest between 2013–2016 with a risk of 3.8%, declining over the last two decades. The excess stroke risk for female vs male patients has also been declining, with risk-score adjusted relative risk estimates suggesting limited sex-difference in recent years.

Distribution of Serum Testosterone Concentrations in IBD Males and Associations With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity.

An inverse relationship exists between inflammation and testosterone concentrations in non-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) immune conditions but has not been objectively explored in the IBD male population. We aimed to characterize the distribution of testosterone concentrations in a cohort of males with IBD and identify any relationship between testosterone levels and disease activity. We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study of male IBD patients. Demographics, disease characteristics, sex-hormone concentration, gonadotropins, C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin, and patient-reported outcomes on quality of life and erectile function were collected. Relationships between disease activity, biomarkers, patient-reported outcome scores, and testosterone levels were analyzed using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses. A total of 85 male IBD patients were included with a mean age 44±14.1 years, of which 49.4% had Crohn's disease. Mean testosterone concentration was 15.4±5.2 nmol/L and 17.6% had a serum testosterone <10.4 nmol/L. Active disease was associated with lower testosterone concentrations in univariate analysis (β ± SE = -0.25 ± -1.99, P = .02) but not in multivariate analysis (β -0.18±1.75, P = .06). Testosterone concentrations were independently associated with sex hormone-binding globulin levels (β ± SE = 0.45±0.04, P < .0001) and a younger age (β ± SE = -0.32±0.04, P <.0001). Erectile function scores (5-item International Index of Erectile Function) were lower in IBD patients with a longer duration of disease (β ± SE = -0.24±0.006, P = .04). Lower testosterone concentrations in men with IBD may reflect confounding from other factors and are not independently associated with disease activity. Greater awareness and screening for sexual dysfunction should occur in males with IBD, particularly in those with a longer disease duration.

Five years of radiographic evaluation for the peri-implant bone changes of all-on-four implant prostheses constructed from different framework materials using different digital construction techniques

BackgroundThere is insufficient evidence recommending a framework material and a CAD/CAM manufacturing technique for mandibular implant-supported prostheses. The study objective was to evaluate the clinical application of different materials and construction techniques used for mandibular All-on-4 prosthesis on circumferential peri-implant bony changes after 5 years.MethodsThirty-six male patients with all-on-4 mandibular implant-supported prostheses were recalled and divided into three groups. Group PK (patients with frameworks milled from PEEK blocks), Group PSM (patients with frameworks milled from soft metal blocks), and Group SLM (patients with frameworks constructed with additive manufacturing; selective laser melting). The circumferential bone level on all implant faces was assessed with a CBCT. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare vertical bone loss (VBL) and horizontal bone loss (HBL) between different groups, implant positions, and observation times followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons.ResultsFor all observation times, there was a significant difference in VBL between groups for both anterior and posterior implants (P < .001). For anterior implants, group PSM showed the lowest VBL while group PK showed the highest for anterior and posterior implants. For all groups, HBL significantly increased after 5 years for both anterior and posterior implants (P < .001). For anterior implants, group PSM showed the highest HBL. For posterior implants, group PK and SLM showed the highest.ConclusionWithin the study’s limitations, mandibular implant-supported fixed frameworks fabricated with either milling from PEEK or soft metal blocks, or additive manufacturing (laser melting technology) exhibited significant vertical and horizontal bone height changes after 5 years.Clinical Trial Registry Number(NCT06071689) (11/10/2023).

Comorbidity of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Orthognathic Surgery Patients

Objective: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health disorder in which a person believes that their actual physical features appear worse than they truly are. The aim of this study is to examine the presence of BDD and its comorbidity with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with planned orthognathic surgery for dentofacial deformities. Methods: In this study conducted on patients scheduled for orthognathic surgery, the presence of BDD, OCD, depression, anxiety, and stress was determined by administering the Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FOCI), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ) prior to the surgery. An independent samples t-test evaluated differences between group means, Pearson's correlation coefficient demonstrated the linear relationship between two variables, and the chi-square test assessed the relationship between two categorical variables. A p-value below 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. A total of 108 patients were included in the study, with 54 patients Class 2 and 54 patients Class 3. Results: BIDQ, FOCI, depression, anxiety, and stress, males showed statistically significant higher results compared to females (p &lt;0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in BIDQ, FOCI, depression, and stress between Class 2 and Class 3 patients (p&gt;0.05). Of the 108 patients included in the study, a total of 20.4% (n=22) were found to be BDD positive. Among the female patients, 10% (n=6) were BDD positive, while among the male patients, 33.3% (n=16) were BDD positive. When evaluated in terms of skeletal classification, 14.8% (n=8) of Class 2 patients were BDD positive, while 25.9% (n=14) of Class 3 patients were BDD positive. Conclusions: Surgeons performing orthognathic surgery should be familiar with common and often severe body image disturbances. When evaluating patients seeking orthognathic surgery, their psychological conditions should be carefully considered.

Neuromuscular conditions in post-stroke ankle-foot dysfunction reflected by surface electromyography

BackgroundRating scales and linear indices of surface electromyography (sEMG) cannot quantify all neuromuscular conditions associated with ankle-foot dysfunction in hemiplegic patients. This study aimed to reveal potential neuromuscular conditions of ankle-foot dysfunction in hemiplegic patients by nonlinear network indices of sEMG.MethodsFourteen male patients with hemiplegia and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy male adults were recruited and tested in static standing position. The characteristics of the root mean square (RMS), median frequency (MF), and three nonlinear indices, the clustering coefficient (C), the average shortest path length (L), and the degree centrality (DC), of eight groups of muscles in bilateral calves were observed.ResultsCompared to those of the control group, the RMS of the medial gastrocnemius (MG), flexor digitorum longus (FDL), and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) on the affected side were significantly lower (P < 0.05), and the RMS of the tibial anterior (TA) and EDL on the unaffected side were significantly higher (P < 0.05). The MF of the EDL on the affected side was significantly higher than that on the control side (P < 0.05). The C of the unaffected side was significantly higher than that of the control group, whereas the L was lower (P < 0.05). Compared to those of the control group, the DC of the TA, EDL, and soleus (SOL) on the unaffected sides were higher (P < 0.05), and the DC of the MG on the affected sides was lower (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe change trends and clinical significance of these three network indices, including C, L, and DC, are not in line with those of the traditional linear indices, the RMS and the MF. The C and L may reflect the degree of synchronous activation of muscles during a certain motor task. The DC might be able to quantitatively assess the degree of muscle involvement and reflect the degree of involvement of a single muscle. Linear and nonlinear indices may reveal more neuromuscular conditions in hemiplegic ankle-foot dysfunction from different aspects.Trial registrationChiCTR2100055090.

Progesterone may be a regulator and B12 could be an indicator of the proximal D4Z4 repeat methylation status on 4q35ter.

Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) has a hypomethylation-related epigenetic background and exhibits a different course in male and female patients. The differences between males and females have been linked to the levels of sex hormones. This study is the first to investigate the possible effect of these hormones on methylation status. We hypothesized that the levels of sex-related hormones, estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, and prolactin might be associated with the methylation status of the proximal part of the D4Z4. We also investigated the effect of fT3, folic acid, and vitamin B12 levels. We collected blood from 28 FSHD patients and 28 controls. DNA was extracted from each individual for bisulfite methylation analysis and serum was separated for biochemical analysis of estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, prolactin, fT3, folic acid, and B12 analysis. Methylation analysis was specified to the DR1, 5P regions and the proximal region covering both DR1 and 5P. Methylation levels were compared between FSHD patients and controls. The correlation of methylation levels with estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, prolactin, fT3, folic acid, and B12 was investigated. We found that the 5P region and the proximal region were significantly hypomethylated in FSHD patients compared to the controls, but not the DR1 region. Male patients exhibited a significant reduction in DNA methylation compared to male controls. Older FSHD patients exhibited a notable decrease in fT3 levels and hypomethylation of the 5P region. Analyses of each CpG revealed seven hypomethylated positions that were significantly different from the control group. Two of the positions demonstrated a correlation with progesterone in the control group. With the exception of one position, the methylation levels were inversely correlated with vitamin B12 in FSHD patients. The results of our study indicate that the methylation of the proximal D4Z4 region, particularly at specific positions, may be associated with progesterone. In addition, vitamin B12 may be an indicator of hypomethylation. We suggest that examining position-specific methylations may be a useful approach for the development of epigenetic treatment modalities.

The role of executive functions in long-term memory: case report

The role of executive functions in long-term memory has been studied. We describe a single-case study, consisting of a 45-year-old male patient, hospitalized for right frontal stroke. After the stroke, the patient had memory alterations in everyday activities. However, performance in short-term memory tests was not significantly altered. Long-term memory assessments included pre- and post-stroke episodic, semantic, and procedural memories. Specific skills involved in the acquisition of new learning (auditory-verbal and visual reproduction) were also evaluated, as well as executive functions. The results evidence that short-term memory was not affected. Regarding long-term memory, significant differences were observed between pre- and post-stroke knowledge, the former being better preserved, which reveals anterograde amnesia. Pre-stroke long-term memory was also affected, but only with respect to episodic knowledge, with semantic and procedural memories preserved (episodic retrograde amnesia). Executive functions were altered as well, which could have been a factor affecting the acquisition and consolidation of new learning, despite the fact that short-term memory was not significantly altered. Therefore, executive functions might be a determinant factor in the acquisition of new learning, regardless of short-term memory processes, at least partially. According to the results of the present study, alterations in these functions might lead to anterograde amnesia. This entails the need to evaluate executive functions as an intrinsic part of memory evaluation.

Relationship between rs1410996 polymorphism of CFH gene and essential hypertension patients of Han from Yunnan Province.

To explore the relationship between rs1410996 polymorphism of CFH gene and essential hypertension (EH) in the Yunnan Han population. rs1410996 of CFH gene was genotyped based on the collected clinical phenotypes of the EH patients (n = 520) and healthy people (n = 494). On the genotype model and dominance model, there was no relationship between rs1410996 of CFH gene and EH after adjustment (P > 0.05). On the dominance model of male EH patients, the pulse pressure (PP) level of CC genotype carriers was higher than that of (CT + TT) genotype carriers after adjustment (P < 0.05). rs1410996 of CFH gene has no correlation with the genetic susceptibility to EH in the Yunnan Han population, but it is related to the PP level in male patients.

Status of sexual health of married male traumatic paraplegics in Indian Population

Background: About 1.5 million individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) reside in India. Sixty to seventy percent of the 20,000 new cases of SCI that is added each year are from impoverished, illiterate people. SCI leads to life-altering experiences, encompassing physical, physiological, psychological, and social changes. The sexual orientation of an individual with SCI may directly impact their self-assurance and vice versa. Aims and Objectives: Patients with SCI may have physical, physiological, psychological, and social changes, including changes in their sexuality. After a SCI, individuals’ sexual health is a crucial topic that is rarely addressed. The purpose of this study was to learn about the patients’ experiences and feelings regarding sexual activity after a SCI. Materials and Methods: Patients with SCI were given a questionnaire. This study covered all male SCI patients between the ages of 18 and 50 who were married at the time of the injury and were followed up until December 2023. The purpose of this study was to talk about different facets of sexual activity and the issues that came with it. Second, these data will support SCI sufferer’s sexual rehabilitation. Results: Of the 231 patients, 72.3% had erections but only 32% had ejaculations. 55.8% of patients experienced difficulties with sexual function as a result of other SCI sequelae, such as flexor spasm, bladder, and bowel dysfunction, among others. In response, almost 90% of patients said that they had never received sexual rehabilitation or advice on their sexuality. Conclusion: Health-care providers and clinicians do not frequently bring up sexuality with patients who have SCI. Patients who frequently inquire about sexual activity following SCI yet are seldom helped. Since there is stigma associated with the topic, every SCI clinic needs to have a specialized sexual rehabilitation staff.