Background. Despite low sensitivity in detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, sputum acid-fast smear remains the main diagnostic method. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of Xpert MTB/RIF assay versus conventional sputum acid-fast smear. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand. Patients who were ≥15 years old and had clinically suspected pulmonary tuberculosis were included. Results. 109 specimens from 57 patients were included. Using MGIT sputum culture as a reference standard, the sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPEC) for Xpert were 95.3% (95% CI, 84.2%, 99.4%) and 86.4% (95% CI, 75.7%, 93.6%). The SEN and SPEC for sputum acid-fast smear were 60.5% (95% CI, 44.4%, 75.0%) and 98.5% (95% CI, 91.8%, 100%). Xpert had significantly higher sensitivity (p value < 0.001) and lower specificity (p value = 0.022) than sputum acid-fast smear. Among 43 culture-proven M. tuberculosis specimens, sensitivity of Xpert was 100% (95% CI, 86.7%, 100%) in acid-fast positive smears (n = 26) and 88.2% (95% CI, 63.5%, 98.5%) in acid-fast negative smears (n = 17). Conclusions. The good sensitivity and specificity of Xpert assay in detecting M. tuberculosis from sputum specimens may help in early diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, particularly among patients who had acid-fast negative sputum smear.
Background There are limited data regarding the factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients without cirrhosis. We sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with HCC in NAFLD patients with or without cirrhosis. Methods Adults with NAFLD (June 2015 to May 2020) were identified using the electronic health record database (Explorys Inc, Cleveland, OH) from 26 major integrated US healthcare systems. The prevalence of HCC was calculated. Multivariable analyses adjusting for covariates were performed to evaluate the associated risk factors and the presence of HCC. Results A total of 392,800 NAFLD patients were identified. Among 1110 patients with HCC, 170 (15.3%) had no cirrhosis. The prevalence of HCC in non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic NAFLD patients was 4.6/10,000 persons (95% CI 3.9–5.3), and 374.4/10,000 persons (95% CI 350.9–398.8), respectively. Age > 65 years (adjusted OR; 3.37, 95% CI 2.47–4.59), ever had elevated alanine aminotransferase (2.69; 2.14–3.37), male gender (2.57; 1.88–3.49), smoker (1.75; 1.23–2.49), and diabetes (1.56; 1.15–2.11) were associated with HCC in non-cirrhotic NAFLD (all P < 0.05). The prevalence of HCC in the non-cirrhotic with all five risk factors was 45.5/10,000 persons (95% CI 17.4–73.6). The factors associated with HCC in cirrhotic NAFLD included clinical decompensation, age > 65 years, male gender, Hispanic race, elevated alanine aminotransferase, diabetes and smoker (all P < 0.05). Conclusions These data identified the major risk factors for the development of HCC in NAFLD patients. In the non-cirrhotics, older male patients with smoking history, diabetes and an elevated alanine aminotransferase had highest risk and may need increased judicious monitoring.
Background and Aim: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have shown excellent results in glucose control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, while also promoting weight loss. These mechanisms may be beneficial in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our study aims to investigate the effect of dapagliflozin on hepatic and visceral fat contents and related biochemical markers in T2DM with NAFLD patients. Methods: This is a double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized, single-center study. Non-insulin-dependent T2DM patients with NAFLD were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary end-point was the changes in intrahepatic lipid contents, evaluated by the liver attenuation index. Results: Of 40 patients enrolled, 38 patients completed the study (dapagliflozin group, n = 18; placebo group, n = 20). Baseline demographic and laboratory findings were similar in both groups. After 12 weeks of treatment, dapagliflozin significantly decreased intrahepatic lipid contents demonstrated by an increase in liver attenuation index in comparison with the placebo treatment (5.8 ± 5.1 vs 0.5 ± 6.1 Hounsfield units, P = 0.006). Significant reduction in bodyweight, bodyfat, visceral fat/subcutaneous fat ratio, hemoglobin A1c, and alanine aminotransferase were also observed in the dapagliflozin-treated group as compared with the placebo group (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in adipokines including adiponectin, leptin, and tumor necrosis factor-α changes between the dapagliflozin-treated group and the placebo group (all P = nonsignificant). Conclusion: Dapagliflozin treatment for 12 weeks is associated with improvement in hepatic fat content, a decrease in visceral fat and bodyweight, enhanced glycemic control, and improved liver biochemistry among T2DM patients with NAFLD.* P < 0.05, comparison of baseline and post-treatment data within groups.
Summary Background Currently, central neuromodulators are among the therapeutic options for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). Pregabalin, a gabapentinoid, is a neuromodulator that could potentially improve visceral hypersensitivity in FD patients. Aim To assess the efficacy and safety of pregabalin for the treatment of FD Methods We performed a randomised placebo‐controlled study including FD patients who did not respond to proton pump inhibitors. Patients were randomly assigned to receive pregabalin (75 mg daily) or placebo for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was an adequate relief response rate. The secondary outcomes were improvement in quality of life, pain scores in divided categories, and safety profile. Results Of 72 patients enrolled, 34 received pregabalin and 38 received placebo. The self‐reported adequate relief rates in the pregabalin and placebo groups were 70.6% and 42.1% at week 4 (P = 0.02), and 70.6% and 44.7% at week 8 (P = 0.03), respectively. The reduction in global symptoms in the pregabalin and placebo groups were 11.7 ± 10.6 and 3.7 ± 8.9 points at week 4 (P < 0.01) and 15.1 ± 12.2 and 8.0 ± 10.2 points at week 8 (P = 0.01), respectively. Pregabalin improved the overall quality of life (P = 0.03). The most common adverse event with pregabalin was dizziness, occurring in 51.6% of patients. Conclusions Pregabalin led to significant alleviation of dyspeptic symptoms, especially in patients with predominant epigastric pain . Thaiclinicaltrials.org #TCTR20200404002.
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