Σφακιανάκης Αλέξανδρος
ΩτοΡινοΛαρυγγολόγος
Αναπαύσεως 5 Άγιος Νικόλαος
Κρήτη 72100
00302841026182
00306932607174
alsfakia@gmail.com

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Πέμπτη 1 Απριλίου 2021

Sphenoid Sinus: Pneumatization and Septation Patterns in a Hispanic Population

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Introduction: Pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus (SS) varies widely among different ethnic groups. Information regarding the prevalence and significance of SS variants among Hispanic groups is limited. This study aims to describe and analyze pneumatization and septation patterns of the SS in a Hispanic population. Methods: A total of 160 paranasal sinus computed tomographies were reviewed by a head and neck-specialized radiologist and 2 otolaryngologists. R esults: The postsellar and sellar types were the most frequent patterns of pneumatization observed, with a prevalence of 52.5 and 40%, respectively. Accessory septations were present in 59.4% of the patients. Septa were inserting over the internal carotid artery (ICA) in 43.8% and over the optic nerve in 17.5% of the population. No significant association (p #x3e; 0.05) was observed when comparing the different accessory septation patterns among the types of the SS. The frequency of septa inserting on the ICA was significantly higher in postsellar types (p #x3c; 0.001). Pneumatization of the anterior clinoid process, pterygoid processes, and greater wing was present in 20, 17.5, and 45.9% of the sinuses, respectively. Onodi cells were encountered in 40% of the sinuses. There were no significant differences in any of the pneumatization and septation variables when compared by gender and age (p #x3e; 0.05). Discussion/Conclusion: Differences regarding anatomical variants and septations of the SS were observed in our study when compared with findings reported in other ethnic groups. Preoperative assessment of the anatomical variants of the SS in Mexican patients is imperative to select the most optimal surgical approach and prevent iatrogenic injuries to related neurovascular structures.
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Pragmatic Skills in Children with Hearing Loss: Comparison Between Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids Users

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Abstract

Pragmatic language ability denotes the ability to use language in a social context. There is a lack of research that has compared children's pragmatic skills with hearing loss with those of hearing peers. This study questioned whether children with a cochlear implant would show better pragmatic skills than children with hearing aids. 52 children were included in three groups: cochlear implant (n = 16), hearing aid (n = 16), and normal hearing (n = 20). The participants' pragmatic skills were evaluated using the Persian version of the children's communication checklist. Of the 52 participants recruited, 22 (42.3%) were males, and 30 (57.7%) were females. The mean age of the CI, HA, and NH group participants was 75.19 ± 10.80, 72.19 ± 8.68, and 68.90 ± 6.78 months, respectively (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between the mean scores of Speech Output and Syntax between the groups (CI, HA and NH) (P < 0.001). The hearing-impaired children show acceptable pragmatic skills in comparison with NH children. Specialists, such as teachers and clinicians, should be alert of the abilities and difficulties that the hearing-impaired children might be facing in the regular classroom.

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Clinical significance of the long non-coding RNA NEAT1/miR-129-5p axis in the diagnosis and prognosis for patients with chronic heart failure

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Exp Ther Med. 2021 May;21(5):512. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.9943. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

ABSTRACT

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The regulatory interactions of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRs) have important roles in multiple diseases. However, the clinical significance of the nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1)/miR-129-5p axis in CHF has remained elusive. The present study explored whether the NEAT1/miR-129-5p axis may be a suitable diagnostic and prognostic marker for CHF. The expression of lncRNA NEAT1 and miR-129-5p in the serum of patients with CHF was analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Furthermore, inter-indicator correlations were assessed by Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the ability of NEAT1, miR-129-5p and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) to identify patients with CHF. The prognostic value of the NEAT1/miR-129-5p axis was analyzed by drawing Kaplan-Meier survival curves and by Cox logistic regression analysis. Baseline data were not significantly different between CHF (n=70) and control subjects (n=62). The serum level of NEAT1 was increased and the expression level of miR-129-5p was decreased in patients with CHF (all P<0.001). The ROC curves suggested that serum NEAT1 and miR-129-5p were of diagnostic value in patients with CHF and the combined diagnostic accuracy of NEAT1, miR-129-5p and BNP was significantly improved. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that low NEAT1 and high miR-129-5p were able to predict overall survival of patients with CHF (all P<0.01). In conclusion, the present study indicated that patients with CHF had increased NEAT1 and decreased miR-129-5p expression. The deregulated NEAT1/miR-129-5p axis may provide novel non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CHF.

PMID:< a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33791021/?utm_source=Inoreader&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=1ba2t84FK1dz-fAY5g7-lbp7yzA9oSsgU2XptRGyGkyx-wIkEA&ff=20210401215404&v=2.14.3" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="underlink bluelink" tabindex="-1">33791021 | PMC:PMC8005689 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.9943

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D-ribose: Potential clinical applications in congestive heart failure and diabetes, and its complications (Review)

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Exp Ther Med. 2021 May;21(5):496. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.9927. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

ABSTRACT

The quality of life of patients with certain diseases may be improved through the development of technologies and advancements in pharmacology, with the aim of prolonging their life. However, congestive heart failure (CHF), as well their complications, continue to be the leading cause of disease-associated death. The mechanisms underlying the development and progression of diabetes and CHF have been uncovered in a stepwise manner and the understanding of these mechanisms has improved the management of these diseases, resulting in reduced mortality and morbidity rates; however, CHF remains the leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in developed countries. In the past decades, research has indicated that several supplements and naturally occurring compounds may be used to treat muscle weakness, for cardiac failure management, rehabilitation f ollowing myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and various complications of diabetes. D-ribose is an essential component of the respiratory, skeletal and nervous systems and is a popular compound, as its supplementation may have beneficial effects. In the present review, the physiological roles, toxic reactions and the potential use of D-ribose in the management of clinical diseases are summarized.

PMID:33791005 | PMC:PMC8005739 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.9927

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Association of antipsychotic use with raised eosinophil count

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Exp Ther Med. 2021 May;21(5):513. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.9944. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed to assess the possibility of an association between first and second generation antipsychotic medication and raised eosinophil count. A total of 22 in-patients at the psychiatric unit of the University General Hospital 'Attikon', a tertiary hospital, were included in the present study. Patients had received antipsychotic monotherapy and did not have any co-morbidities or require additional treatments. Patients were monitored weekly and their eosinophil count was assessed. One-way ANOVA and summary measures analysis were applied to study the effect of time and medication type on the absolute eosinophil concentration (or relative percentage) for each patient. The differences in mean eosinophil concentrations or relative percentage by patient and time were also assessed. An increase in the absolute concentration and the relativ e percentage of eosinophils over time was observed in patients receiving Olanzapine, Haloperidol and Aripiprazole. However, there was no difference between individual medications. In conclusion, antipsychotics may be associated with increased eosinophil count over time; however, larger studies involving more patients and a longer follow-up are required to reach a definitive conclusion.

PMID:33791022 | PMC:PMC8005733 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.9944

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MicroRNA-29b inhibits human vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation via targeting the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway

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Exp Ther Med. 2021 May;21(5):492. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.9923. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

ABSTRACT

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are bulges of blood vessels in the cerebral area. The development and progression of IAs are associated with the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during phenotypic modulation under environmental cues. MicroRNA-29b (miR-29b) has been studied extensively and demonstrated to reduce cell proliferation in various diseases by binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of a variety of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby inhibiting their translation. The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-29b on the proliferation of VSMCs and human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells. The results indicated that the overexpression of miR-29b reduced cell migration and proliferation. Western blotting results indicated that this effect may be attributed to the attenuation of a signaling pathway involvin g transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and Smad3 proteins. Luciferase assay confirmed the binding of miR-29b to TGF-β1 and the knockdown of TGF-β1 reduced miR-29b inhibitor-induced cell migration. The present study indicates that miR-29b downregulates the expression of TGF-β1 by targeting the 3'-UTR of its mRNA and modulates cell migration and proliferation via the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

PMID:33791001 | PMC:PMC8005700 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.9923

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Research advances in chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell therapy (Review)

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Exp Ther Med. 2021 May;21(5):484. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.9915. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

ABSTRACT

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cells are T-cells that have been genetically engineered to express CAR molecules to target specific surface antigens on tumor cells. CAR T-cell therapy, a novel cancer immunotherapy, has been attracting increasing attention, since it exhibited notable efficacy in the treatment of hematological tumors in clinical trials. However, for this type of therapy, challenges must be overcome in the treatment of solid tumors. Furthermore, certain side effects associated with CAR T-cell therapy, including cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell-related neurotoxicity syndrome, tumor lysis syndrome and on-target off-tumor toxicity, must be taken into consideration. The present study provides a systematic review of the principle, clinical application, current challenges, possible solutions and future perspectives for CAR T-cell therapy.

PMID:33790993 | PMC:PMC8005741 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.9915

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Meningitis in the Setting of Frontoethmoidal and Temporal Meningoencephaloceles

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Neurohospitalist. 2021 Apr;11(2):183-184. doi: 10.1177/1941874420958839. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

ABSTRACT

This is a patient with multiple meningoencephaloceles which resulted in bacterial meningitis and subsequent status epilepticus. We identify impressive imaging findings demonstrating herniation of the meninges from nasal and bitemporal skull base defects possibly as a result of intracranial hypertension.

PMID:33791067 | PMC:PMC7958690 | DOI:10.1177/1941874420958839

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S-100 Immuno-Positive Low Grade Myofibroblastic Sarcoma of Nasal Cavity: A Rare Case Presentation and Review of Literature

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Abstract

Introduction

Myofibroblastic neoplasms comprise a spectrum of benign/malignant neoplasms. Only low-grade malignant forms have been reproducibly characterized as a diagnostic entity in the WHO classification. Low grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (LGMFS) confined to the nasal cavity is extremely rare.

Objective

To review previously reported cases of nasal cavity LGMFS and provide a better insight regarding its clinical and immunohistochemical features.

Data synthesis

A review was performed involving two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar). Four cases of nasal cavity LGMFS were included. The lesion showed no gender or nasal-side predilection. All cases underwent wide excision. None showed distant metastasis while half recurred locally. Histologically, mitotic rate ranged from 1 to 3/10 high-power-field (HPF) and none exhibited spontaneous necrosis. Immuno-expression of calponin, smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin were seen in either all four or three-fourth of cases. Diffuse S-100 expression was a unique finding in present case and not reported previously, that caused a diagnostic dilemma with schwannomas.

Conclusion

LGMFS of nasal cavity is extremely rare. A wide resection is the primary treatment of choice. Adjuvant therapies (chemotherapy or radiotherapy) are of uncertain significance. Distant metastasis is rather unusual. Calponin, SMA and vimentin are highly sensitive immuno-markers. Diffuse S-100 expression is a possible finding. Mitotic rate < 6/10 HPF and absence of spontaneous necrosis are characteristic indolent features differentiating from high grade lesions. Trifecta of clinical and morphological features plus immunohistological phenotype, are sufficient for a definitive diagnosis. Electron microscopy is the most definitive confirmation test, however, should be reserved only for equivocal/atypical immunostaining pattern.

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An inhibitor of programmed death ligand 1 enhances natural killer cell-mediated immunity against malignant melanoma cells

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by Young Shin Lee, Woong Heo, Ho-Jung Choi, Hae-Ryung Cho, Ji Ho Nam, Yong Gan Ki, Hong-Rae Lee, Woo-Chang Son, You-Soo Park, Chi-Dug Kang, Jaeho Bae

Since ionizing radiation has showed the dramatic effect to kill the cancer cells through direct DNA damage as well as triggering anti-cancer immune responses including induction of NKG2D ligands, it has used for long time to treat many cancer patients. However, it has been known that radiotherapy might promote the remnant cancer cells to escape immune system and metastasis. One of the suggested ways of immune evasion is induction of a ligand for programmed death-1 (PD-L1) in head and neck cancer, bladder cancer and lung cancer cells which engages the receptor, programmed death-1 (PD-1) in immune cells. PD-1/PD-L1 axis transduces the inhibitory signal and suppresses the adaptive immunity. However, their role in innate immunity remains poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated whether ionizing radiation could change the expression of PD-L1 in malignant melanoma cells and the receptor, programmed death-1 (PD-1), in NK-92 cells. Surface PD-L1 levels on melanoma cells were increased b y ionizing radiation in a dose-independent manner but the level of PD-L1 was not changed significantly in NK-92 cells. Radiation-induced PD-L1 suppressed the activity of the NK-92 cells against melanoma cells despite of upregulation of NKG2D ligands. Furthermore, activated NK cells had high level of PD-1 and could not kill PD-L1+ melanoma cells effectively. When we used PD-L1 inhibitor or silenced PD-L1 gene, inhibited PD-1/PD-L1 axis reversed the activity of the suppressed NK cells. Through these results, we supposed that PD-1/PD-L1 blockade could enhance the immune responses of NK cells against melanoma cells after radiotherapy and might overcome the PD-L1 mediated radioresistance of cancer cells.
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Efficacy Profile and Safety of Very Low-Dose Rituximab in Patients with Graves' Orbitopathy

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Thyroid, Ahead of Print.
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