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Abstract Background Bladder cancer is a common malignancy in Egypt. A history of urinary tract infection can be considered as a risk factor for bladder cancer. Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection is responsible for 70% of urinary tract infection. This study aimed to evaluate the role of chronic E. coli infection during bladder carcinogenesis. In order to achieve this aim, we investigated the histopathological changes in bladder tissue and measured the level of nuclear factor kappa p65 (NF-κBp65), Bcl-2 and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in four groups each consisting of 25 male albino rats except of control group consisting of 20 rats. The first group was normal control group, the second group was infected with E. coli, the third group was administered nitrosamine precursor, and the forth group was infected with E. coli and administered nitrosamine precursor. Results The histopathological examination revealed that E. coli infected group was able alone to produce some histopathological changes in bladder tissue and that nitrosamine precursor plus E. coli group showed highest incidences of urinary bladder lesions than the nitrosamine precursor group. NF-κBp65, Bcl-2 and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in nitrosamine precursor plus E. coli group than the other groups. Conclusion These findings suggested that urinary bladder infection by E. coli may play a major additive and synergistic role during bladder carcinogenesis.

Introduction: Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-specific protein with insulin-sensitizing properties. Many investigators have explored the association between adiponectin single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in different ethnic populations from different regions. Leptin is a protein hormone constituting an important signal in the regulation of adipose tissue mass and body weight. The aim of this study was to explore potential associations between SNP +45 T>G of the adiponectin gene and SNP 2548G/A of leptin with T2DM and the effect of SNPs on serum adiponectin and leptin levels.Material and Methods: From the Egyptian population, we enrolled 110 T2DM patients and 90 non-diabetic controls. Serum lipid profile, blood glucose, serum adiponectin, and leptin were measured. Genotyping for two common SNPs of the adiponectin and leptin genes was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.Results: The G allele and TG/GG genotype of SNP 45 occurred more frequently than the T allele and TT genotype in T2DM patients compares to the controls. Subjects with the GG + TG genotype of SNP 45 were at increased risk for T2DM (OR = 6.476; 95% CI: 3.401-12.33) and associated with a low serum adiponectin level compared with the TT genotype. The serum leptin concentration of GA + AA genotype carriers was not significantly different from that of the GG genotype in the diabetic group.Conclusions: The G allele carriers who have reduced plasma concentrations of adiponectin may have an association with T2DM, while leptin SNP 2548 G/A is not associated with the risk of development of T2DM in the Egyptian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Learning Objectives: b Rhombencephalitis (RE) is a rare but dangerous condition in pediatrics. In a single study, flu-related neurological complications occurred in 7.7% of H1N1 flu positive children with a median age of 5.1 years, though RE was not typically diagnosed. [Extracted from the article]

Within 12 hours, she was emergently placed on femoral VA-ECMO due to circulatory collapse, marked lactic acidosis and multi-organ dysfunction, despite antibiotics, maximal vasoactive and inotropic support and stress-dose steroids. B Results: b Multi-organ dysfunction in the setting of respiratory failure and cardiovascular collapse steered our initial management towards septic shock of unclear etiology. Long elimination half-life and delayed onset of effects likely explains collapse almost 24 hours after ingestion of amlodipine. [Extracted from the article]

B Learning Objectives: b Cardiac strangulation, progressive myocardial entrapment by a pacing lead during growth, is a very rare complication of epicardial pacing wires in children, with few globally reported cases. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated for pulseless electrical activity (PEA) with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). B Results: b Cardiac strangulation is a rare complication of epicardial pacing wires which, over years, can cause progressive or acute myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias. [Extracted from the article]

Objetive: To evaluate the frequency and timing of sustained drug-free remission (SDFR) in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to identify potential predictive factors of this outcome., Methods: Retrospective review of all patients included in the large Spanish multicentre registry for GCA (ARTESER) with at least two years of follow-up. SDFR was defined as the absence of typical signs, symptoms, or other features of active GCA for ≥12 months after discontinuation of treatment., Results: We included 872 patients. Forty-seven percent had received concomitant treatment with tocilizumab and/or immunosuppressants, mainly methotrexate.SDFR was achieved in 21.2% (185/872) of the patients. The cumulative rates of patients achieving SDFR at 2, 3, and 4 years were 6.3%, 20.5%, and 25.3%, respectively.Patients who achieved SDFR could reduce their prednisone dosage to 10 mg/day (p = 0.090) and 5 mg/day (p = 0.002) more quickly than those who did not. Relapses were less frequent in patients with SDFR (p = 0.006).The presence of relapses (incident rate ratio: 0.492, p < 0.001) and the need for intravenous methylprednisolone boluses at diagnosis (IRR: 0.575, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of achieving SDFR.Only 5 patients (2.7%) experienced a recurrence, with a median onset of 19 months after achieving SDFR (IQR 25th-75th: 14-35 months)., Conclusion: Within 3-4 years of diagnosis, only one-quarter of patients with GCA successfully reached the SDFR. Once the SDFR was achieved, the likelihood of experiencing recurrence was low. Relapses and the need for glucocorticoid boluses appear to be predictors of long-term GC need., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)