BACKGROUND: Dietary potassium can play an important role in decreasing inflammatory factors as a protective factor for cancers. In this case-control study, we aimed to assess the possible association between dietary potassium intake and the risk of breast cancer (BC) among Iranian adult women.
METHODS: The present case-control study was conducted at Shohada and Imam Hossain hospitals, in Tehran. The study included 134 newly diagnosed cases of BC and 267 controls. A validated semi-quantitative 168-item food frequency questionnaire was used to compute the potassium intake. Logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders, was used to estimate odds ratios(ORs) and 95% confidence intervals(CI) of BC according to tertiles of potassium intake.
RESULTS: The mean(M) ± standard deviation(SD) of age and body mass index (BMI) were 47.9 ± 10.3 years and 29.4 ± 5.5 kg/m2, respectively. Also, the M ± SD of potassium intake for the control and case groups was 1616 ± 293 and 1542 ± 338 (mg/1000 Kcal), respectively. In the multivariable-adjusted model for potential confounders, the higher total potassium intake was associated with decreased odds of BC (OR: 0.35, 95%CI: 0.19-0.62, P for trend < 0.001). Moreover, an inverse relationship was observed between potassium from plant sources (OR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.22-0.69, P for trend = 0.001) and fruit and vegetable sources (OR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.28-0.87, P for trend = 0.016) and odds of BC.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that diet rich in potassium may have a predictive role to reduce the odds of BC.

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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1349524.].

UNASSIGNED: Data on prevalence of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the era of biological treatments remains scarce, with a lack of case-control studies. This study evaluates the prevalence of fatigue in Spanish women over 50 years with RA using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale, explores its association with RA-related variables, and seeks to identify the primary factors influencing fatigue. Ultimately, our objective is to underscore the clinical significance of fatigue as a comorbidity and to advocate for its systematic evaluation in routine clinical practice.
UNASSIGNED: In a case-control study at a tertiary university hospital, 191 women over 50 years (mean age: 67.5 ± 8.8 years) meeting ACR 2010 criteria for RA and age-matched controls were assessed using the FACIT-F scale, SF-12 questionnaire, and RA-related clinical measures.
UNASSIGNED: Fatigue was significantly more prevalent in the RA group (61%) compared to controls (37%, p < 0.001), with RA patients showing lower mean FACIT-F scores (36.0 ± 10.6 vs. 40.0 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). Correlations were noted between FACIT-F scores and C-reactive protein, DAS28, RAPID3, HAQ, and SF-12 scores. A multivariate analysis was performed and four models generated. The final model, with an R2 of 0.817, indicates that fatigue is significantly influenced by disease activity (RAPID 3) and mental and physical health (SF12) and age, explaining 81.7% of the variance in fatigue.
UNASSIGNED: Fatigue remains significantly prevalent and severe in women over 50 years with RA, strongly linked to disease activity, disability, and diminished quality of life. Systematic fatigue assessment and targeted strategies in clinical settings are essential to address this widespread issue. Future research should explore targeted interventions tailored to this demographic to enhance quality of care.

UNASSIGNED: Hematologic malignancies (HMs) are well-known underlying comorbidities of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). However, studies quantifying the likelihood of PG after HMs are yet to be performed.
UNASSIGNED: To investigate the bidirectional association between PG and several HMs, namely acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
UNASSIGNED: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted to study the risk of HMs in patients with PG (n = 302) as compared to age-, sex-and ethnicity-matched control subjects (n = 1,799). A case-control design was used to estimate the likelihood of PG in individuals with a preexisting history of HMs. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated by Cox regression and logistic regression, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: The prevalence of preexisting HM was higher in patients with PG than in controls (6.7% vs. 0.9%, respectively). The likelihood of having PG was significantly greater among patients with a history of HM (adjusted OR, 7.88; 95% CI, 3.85-16.15; p < 0.001), particularly during the first year following the diagnosis. This association was significant for acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma but not for Hodgkin lymphoma. The incidence rate of HM was 3.3 (95% CI, 1.2-7.4) and 1.6 (95% CI, 0.9-2.6)/1,000 person-years among patients with PG and controls, respectively. Relative to controls, patients with PG were not more likely to develop subsequent HM (adjusted HR, 2.22; 95%CI, 0.77-6.45; p = 0.142). Compared to other patients with PG, those with HM-associated PG experienced an increased all-cause mortality rate (adjusted HR, 2.19; 95%CI, 1.09-4.40; p = 0.028).
UNASSIGNED: HM, particularly acute leukemia and multiple myeloma, are associated with an elevated likelihood of provoking PG.

UNASSIGNED: In this study, we collected perioperative and postoperative follow-up data from patients with endometrial cancer (EC) at different stages to evaluate the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in endometrial cancer surgery.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 186 endometrial cancer patients undergoing radical hysterectomy from January 2018 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into four groups. Group A comprised patients diagnosed with stage IA grade 1 and 2 endometrioid EC who underwent SLNB. Group B comprised patients with stage IA grade 1 and 2 endometrioid EC who did not undergo SLNB. Group C comprised patients with higher-grade endometrioid EC, wherein systematic lymph node dissection was performed based on SLNB results. Group D comprised patients with higher-grade endometrioid EC who did not undergo SLNB and instead underwent direct systematic lymph node dissection. Clinical, pathological data, and follow-up information for all patients were collected.
UNASSIGNED: In Group A and B, SLNB was performed on 36 out of 67 patients with IA stage 1 and 2 endometrial cancer, yielding a SLN positivity rate of 5.6%. There were no significant differences observed between the two groups regarding perioperative outcomes and postoperative follow-up. Conversely, among 119 patients with higher-grade endometrial cancer, 52 underwent SLNB, with 20 patients exhibiting SLN positivity, resulting in a SLN positivity rate of 38.4%. However, the decision to undergo SLNB did not yield significant differences in perioperative outcomes and postoperative follow-up among these patients.
UNASSIGNED: For stage IA grade 1 and 2 endometrioid EC, the incidence of lymph node positivity is low, omitting SLNB in this subpopulation is a feasible option. In other stages of endometrioid EC, there is no significant difference in perioperative and postoperative follow-up data between patients undergoing routine systematic lymphadenectomy and those undergoing systematic lymphadenectomy based on SLNB results. Therefore, if SLNB is not available, the standard procedure of PLND remains an option to obtain information about lymph node status, despite the surgical complications associated with this procedure.

Background Psoriasis is a relapsing dermatologic disease with a complex multifactorial etiology. Accumulating evidence has established the presence of cutaneous steroidogenesis with 11 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD) enzyme being the most important final step of this pathway. This enzyme can control local levels of activated glucocorticoids (GCs) in the skin, which is the key to maintaining healthy skin. Methods This case-control study was conducted to evaluate 11βHSD1 level in psoriasis patients, in both lesional and non-lesional skin, compare it to controls, and correlate its activity with the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results A significant decrease of 11βHSD1 level in psoriasis patients compared to healthy controls was observed. In addition, decreased 11βHSD1 level was observed in lesional compared to non-lesional skin in psoriasis patients. There was no significant correlation between the enzyme levels and PASI score or PSS score in patients with psoriasis. However, the PSS score was negatively correlated with 11βHSD1 level in healthy controls. Further histopathological assessment revealed that lower enzyme levels were associated with greater epidermal acanthosis and inflammation. Conclusion This shows the role of 11βHSD1 in controlling psoriatic inflammation, including the degree of epidermal proliferation, which might reveal the complex symphony of psoriasis pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: The hypothesis of this study is night shift work exposure can increase the risk of female breast cancer. To validate this hypothesis, the authors conducted a two-stage dose-response meta-analysis with improved quality on this topic.
METHODS: The medical librarian searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library on December 30th, 2022. The eight inclusion criteria were determined and strictly applied to the selection process. A reliable dose-response meta-analysis methodology was applied.
RESULTS: Reliable 10 cohort (total cases: 15,953, and total person-years: 6,812,138) and 11 case-control reports (total cases: 9196, and total controls:12,210) were included in the final analysis. The pooled risk ratio (RR) of female breast cancer (from cohort studies) for 1, 10, 20, and 30 years of night shift work exposure was 1.0042 (95% CI 1.0014-1.0070), 1.0425 (95% CI 1.0138-1.0719), 1.0867 (95% CI 1.0278-1.1490), and 1.1328 (95% CI 1.0419-1.2317), respectively. The pooled odds ratio (OR) of female breast cancer (from case-control studies) for 1, 10, 20, and 30 years of night shift work exposure was 1.0213 (95% CI 1.0108-1.0319), 1.2346 (95% CI 1.1129-1.3695), 1.5242 (95% CI 1.2386-1.8756), and 1.8817 (95% CI 1.3784-2.5687), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: This study has several strengths from the perspective of a dose-response meta-analysis: Strictly applied eight inclusion criteria, separately synthesized RRs from cohort studies and ORs from case-control studies, clearly defined exposure dose, years of night shift work for each risk estimate, a reliable dose-response meta-analysis methodology, and careful considering of selection, exposure, and outcome biases and confounder adjustment for each study. This careful consideration of potential biases and confounding led to the exclusion of unreliable two cohort and five case-control studies.

OBJECTIVE: Canine parvovirus enteritis (CPE) is a contagious viral disease of dogs caused by the canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. CPV-2 has a high global evolutionary rate. Molecular characterization of CPV-2 and understanding its epidemiology are essential for controlling CPV-2 infections.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the risk factors and survival outcomes of dogs infected with CPV-2. Molecular characterization of CPV-2 genotypes circulating in Egypt was performed to determine the evolution of CPV-2 nationally and globally.
METHODS: An age-matched case-control study was conducted on 47 control and 47 CPV-infected dogs. Conditional logistic regression analysis examined the association between the potential risk factors and CPE in dogs. Survival analysis was performed to determine the survival pattern of the infected dogs. Thirteen fecal samples from infected dogs were collected to confirm the CPV genotype by CPV-2 VP2 gene sequencing, assembly of nucleotide sequences, and phylogenic analysis.
RESULTS: Unvaccinated and roamer dogs had eight and 2.3 times higher risks of CPV infection than vaccinated dogs and non-roamer dogs, respectively. The risk of death from CPE was high among dogs without routine visits to veterinary clinics and among non-roamer dogs. Molecular characterization of CPV-2 confirmed its genotype identity and relationship with the CPV-2 c and b clade types.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the potential factors for CPE control, especially vaccination and preventing dogs from roaming freely outside houses. Isolated CPV genotypes are closely related to southern Asian genotypes, suggesting a substantial opportunity for global transmission.

UNASSIGNED: During the past decade, the frequency of extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis (TB) has increased. These forms are often miss-diagnosed. This statement of the TB epidemiological profile modification, conduct us to reflect about the utility of the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) in active TB detection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy performance of the TST for active tuberculosis detection.
UNASSIGNED: This was a case-control, multicenter study conducted in 11 anti-TB centers in Tunisia (June-November2014). The cases were adults aged between 18 and 55 years with newly diagnosed and confirmed tuberculosis. Controls were free from tuberculosis. A data collection sheet was filled out and a TST was performed for each participant.Diagnostic accuracy measures of TST were estimated using Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) curve and Area Under Curve (AUC) to estimate sensitivity and specificity of a determined cut-off point.
UNASSIGNED: Overall, 1050 patients were enrolled, composed of 336 cases and 714 controls. The mean age was 38.3±11.8 years for cases and 33.6±11 years for controls.The mean diameter of the TST induration was significantly higher among cases than controls (13.7mm vs.6.2mm; p=10 -6). AUC was 0.789 [95% CI: 0.758-0.819; p=0.01], corresponding to a moderate discriminating performance for this test. The most discriminative cut-off value of the TST, which was associated with the best sensitivity (73.7%) and specificity (76.6%) couple was   ≥ 11 mm with a Youden index of 0.503. Positive and Negative predictive values were 3.11% and 99.52%, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: TST could be a useful tool used for active tuberculosis detection, with a moderate global performance and accepted sensitivity and specificity at the cut-off point of 11 mm. However, it cannot be considered as a gold standard test due to its multiple disadvantages.