Medical Principles and Practice : International Journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre

OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of studies evaluating the COVID-19 pandemic effect on breast cancer detection according to age group. This study aimed to assess the pandemic impact on the trend of mammograms, breast biopsies, and breast cancer stage at diagnosis according to age group. METHODS: This was an ecological time series study by inflection point regression model. We used data from women aged between 30 and 49, 50 and 69, and 70 years or more available in an open-access dataset of the Brazilian public healthcare system (2017-2021)...

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this retrospective clinical study was to investigate the survival rates and complications of implant (I) or tooth-implant (TI) retained prostheses and abutments (teeth, implants) over a mean observation period of 11.26 years. The study also aimed to analyze the differences and complication rates between implant retained double crown removable dental prostheses (I-DC-RDPs) versus tooth-implant retained double crown removable dental prostheses (TI-DC-RDPs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed clinical data of 110 non-smokers (mean age = 53...

BACKGROUND: Seizures are common in palliative care. Their control is essential in the management of these patients as it helps to reduce suffering at the end of life. Subcutaneous levetiracetam has been used off-license for seizure control in palliative care. AIM: Describe the experience of subcutaneous levetiracetam in two hospitals in Bogota, Colombia Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients treated with subcutaneous levetiracetam in two hospitals in Colombia during 2019-2021...

OBJECTIVE: Depression leads to behavioral and systemic changes making individuals more susceptible to inflammatory diseases. This study was conducted to assess the periodontal status of patients with clinically diagnosed mild and moderate depression. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 135 participants. Test group 1 (n=45) consisted of patients clinically diagnosed with mild depression, Test group 2 (n=45) included patients with moderate depression and the control group (n=45) included non-depressive participants...

OBJECTIVES: Satisfactory masticatory function is a significant indicator of improved oral health related quality of life in older adults, either with or artificial teeth. The purpose of this study was to examine masticatory performance of older adults with different prostho-dontic reconstructions and occlusion, as well as to compare subjective and objective as-sessment of chewing performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 100 partici-pants aged 65 and more...

OBJECTIVES: Large cell lung carcinoma (LCLC) is generally poorly differentiated with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore the impact of chemotherapy on the prognosis of patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ LCLC and to construct nomograms to predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). METHODS: Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to balance the effects of baseline characteristics. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the prognostic impact of chemotherapy on LCLC patients...

The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the relationship between the oral cancer mortality rate and socioeconomic indicators throughout the Brazilian territory, between 2010 and 2019. The variables used in this study were oral cancer mortality rate from the Mortality Information System (SIM), population data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), to calculate oral cancer mortality rates, along with the Human Development Index (HDI) and Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)...

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OBJECTIVES: Both Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and colorectal neoplasia (CRN) are frequent entities in gastroenterology. Epidemiological data suggest an association between H. pylori positivity (H. pylori +) and CRN, whereas pathophysiologic considerations substantiate a possible causal relationship. However, the relationship between CRN and H. pylori+ may also be mediated by shared risk factors. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate a possible independent relationship between H...

BACKGROUND: Tei index (TI) is a combined myocardial performance index for overall cardiac function, the sensitivity of which seems to be better than that of systolic and diastolic parameters alone. Evidence for TI in the context of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is currently limited, which is why we chose to investigate this parameter in affected patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients with TTS (n = 51), acute coronary syndrome (ACS; n = 29) and controls (n = 58) were retrospectively investigated...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to ascertain whether patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) having SCN5A mutations have a more severe clinical phenotype and prognosis than do patients without SCN5A mutations. METHODS: A comprehensive Scopus database search was conducted; studies were selected by using Brugada syndrome and SCN5A as keywords for the main query. RESULTS: The available literature consistently shows greater electrophysiological abnormalities in patients with Brugada syndrome having SCN5A-related etiology...

OBJECTIVES: Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a superfamily of transcription factors that plays a key role in cancer genesis and progression. The present study aimed to explore the exact role of NF-κB/p65 as a marker in breast cancer and its relationship with other prognostic markers, such as tumour grade, tumour size, hormone receptors, and HER-2 expression. METHODS: Ninety-nine unselected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded invasive ductal and lobular tissue sections were evaluated by immunohistochemistry methods to measure NF-κB/p65 expression, ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67...

OBJECTIVES: Osteoporosis patients with fragility fractures and vertebral deformities have impaired quality of life (QOL). The phase angle is an index calculated from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measurements that has been reported to be related to clinical outcomes, mortality, and QOL in various diseases. The aim was to investigate the relationship between the phase angle and QOL in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: A total of 81 female patients treated for postmenopausal osteoporosis from September 2019 to March 2020 underwent measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, body composition by BIA, and QOL by the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)...

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely poor prognosis. The outcomes of patients with cancer are determined not only by tumor-related factors, but also by systemic inflammatory response. The objective of study was to identify whether the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are associated with the prognosis of PDAC of the pancreas head after curative pancreato-duodenectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients were enrolled in this prospective observational clinical study...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is considered a major cause for the presence of cardiovascular diseases. Many studies have pointed out that the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which demonstrates plasma atherogenicity, is correlated with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular morbidity, atherosclerosis, and severity of coronary artery disease. Within this context, we tried to evaluate the correlation between non-dipping circadian pattern and AIP. METHODS: We enrolled 1030 hypertensive patients (mean age: 53...

α-synuclein is a widely studied biomarker in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodegenerative diseases (termed synucleinopathies), including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLBs), and multiple system atrophy. There are conflicting reports on the levels of α-synuclein in children with ASD compared to normal matched controls, with some reporting increased plasma levels and others decreased levels. Al-Mazidi, S., et al have reported that plasma Levels of α-synuclein in ASD is an indicator of disease severity...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to determine the bacterial profile and prevalence of antibiotic resistance patterns of uropathogens, as well as evaluate the problem with extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) producing isolates, causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children in Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, over a 5-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Significant isolates from symptomatic pediatric patients with UTIs from January 2017 to December 2021 were identified by conventional methods and the VITEK 2 identification card system...

OBJECTIVE: Thyroid dysfunction is a common cause of atrial fibrillation (AF). Incidence of AF is high in patients with both expressed hyperthyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence and predictors of new onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) in euthyroid patients undergoing thyroid surgery. SUBJECT AND METHODS: The study included 1252 euthyroid patients American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status ASA 2 and ASA 3 status, who were 18 years and older and were in sinus rhythm...

IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reactions have many reported beneficial functions in the immune defense against parasites, venoms, toxins etc. However, they are best-known for their role in allergy affecting nowadays almost one third of the population worldwide. IgE-mediated allergic diseases result from a maladaptive type 2 immune response that promotes the synthesis of IgE antibodies directed to a special class of antigens called allergens. IgE antibodies bind to type I high affinity IgE receptors (FcepsilonRI) on mast cells and basophils licensing them to get triggered in a subsequent encounter with the cognate allergen...

OBJECTIVE: Extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis (EHPVT) is a common cause of portal hypertension in children. The aim of the present study was to identify the clinical manifestations and the existing risk factors for development of EHPVT in pediatric patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a single center retrospective cohort study. In all study participants we described the clinical presentations and the predisposing risk factors for development of EHPVT. In addition, as all of them had undergone an esophagogastroduodenoscopy for detection and grading of esophageal varices as part of the treatment algorithm, we analyzed the endoscopic findings and the therapeutic approach...