Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Epidemiology of kidney biopsy from regional referral center in Romania: 10-year review.","authors":"Yuriy Maslyennikov, Crina Claudia Rusu, Diana Moldovan, Alina Potra, Dacian Tirinescu, Maria Ticala, Andrada Barar, Urs Alexandra, Cosmina Ioana Bondor, Ina Kacso","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0032","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To provide epidemiologic data on kidney biopsy from Romania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Retrospective observational study of kidney biopsy records for adult patients from a referral center in the north-western part of Romania, reported for 2014-2023.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>556 biopsies were performed, corresponding to an incidence of 12 biopsies/m person-year with over 50% increase over the last reported year. Optimal core for optic microscopy was available in 81.4%, immunofluorescence was performed in 86.3%, and electron microscopy in 35.2% of patients. The mean age at biopsy was 47.12 years, and 53.8% were males. Indications for kidney biopsy were nephrotic syndrome in 63.1% of patients, nephritic in 25.9% of patients, asymptomatic urinary abnormalities in 2.9%, acute kidney injury/ rapid progressive renal failure in 3.6%, and chronic kidney disease in 1.4%. The most frequent diagnostic categories were membranous nephritis (14.7%), IgA nephropathy (13.9%), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (11,1%), minimal change disease (12,2%), lupus nephritis (10,9%), vasculitis (7.6%), and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (8%). The age of diagnosis increased for IgA Nephropathy over time while it decreased for membranous nephritis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study adds data for the completion of the kidney biopsy map in our region.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"79-92"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142897157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between DNA methylation status and Epstein-Barr virus infection in laryngeal carcinomas.","authors":"Irina Elisaveta Hotoboc, Alina Fudulu, Irina Huica, Iulia Virginia Iancu, Raluca Grigore, Serban Vifor Gabriel Bertesteanu, Coralia Bleotu, Gabriela Anton, Anca Botezatu","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2025-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rjim-2025-0005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Infection with Epstein-Barr virus is a known risk factor for laryngeal carcinogenesis; it might influence DNA methylation acting as an epigenetic driver in this type of malignancy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Paired laryngeal tissues (neoplastic and peri-neoplastic) harvested from 24 patients were included in the study. Eleven patients expressing latent/lytic EBV genes were considered positive. 5-mC% was determined using ELISA technique and TSGs (PDLIM4, WIF1, DAPK1) promoters' methylation percentages were quantified by qMS-PCR. DNMTs (DNMT1 and DNMT3B) expression levels were quantified in qRT-PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, in laryngeal neoplastic samples vs peri-neoplastic ones, lower 5mC% (p=0.004) and higher TSGs promoters hypermethylation were found (p<0.0001). Significant correlation between PDLIM4 and DAPK1 promoter methylation and 5-mC% (PDLIM4 p=0.0186; DAPK1 p=0.0259) was noted. Higher 5-mC% (p=0.0041), lower PDLIM4 gene promoter methylation (p=0.0017) and overexpression of DNMTs (DNMT1: p=0.0018, respectively DNMT3B: p=0.0017) were associated with EBV infection. Also, significant differences between EBV-positive and EBV-negative cases based on tumor stage (T) were noted for 5mC% in both T1/T2 (p=0.0364) and T3/T4 stages (p=0.0275), and for PDLIM4 promoter methylation in T1/T2 stages (p=0.0121).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Future studies are needed to more effectively illustrate the interplay between EBV infection and these epigenetic mechanisms. Notably, our study highlighted a correlation between EBV and epigenetic changes in laryngeal carcinoma.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Silent strike: stroke in context of endocarditis - brain imaging as a catalyst for diagnosis.","authors":"Iulia-Cosmina Stoican, Dorin Dragoș, Atena Papagheorghe, Suzana Maria Guberna, Sorin Tuta, Maria Mirabela Manea","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2025-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rjim-2025-0003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Endocarditis is a pathology which is rarely encountered in clinical practice that presents itself in various manners, thus posing a great challenge for the clinician in the process of formulating a timely diagnosis, especially given its potentially lethal evolution. The diagnosis of infective endocarditis is based on Modified Duke Criteria. A wide array of complications may accompany endocarditis, including septic or thrombotic emboli to various territories - those occluding branches of cerebral arteries result in ischemic strokes, which may be demonstrated by brain imaging and the symptoms which may range from mild mental status alteration to deep coma. Objective: Assessment of brain imaging as a diagnostic tool for bacterial endocarditis.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This is a nested case-control study, in which 84 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled, half of them having endocarditis related stroke (cases), and the other half stroke due to cardioembolism from other sources or to large-artery atherosclerosis (controls).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Brain imaging revealed statistically significant differences between the two cohorts, endocarditis related stroke being more strongly associated with multiple territories involvement, multiple lesions coexistence, watershed lesions, and a greater extent of ischemia all these may serve as valuable diagnostic clues. Among these findings, the presence of multiple lesions has been the most sensitive tool (Sn = 0.786, Sp = 0.857, LR+ = 5.497, LR- = 0.25), while the involvement of multiple arterial territories had the highest specificity and positive likelihood ratio for endocarditis-related stroke (Sn = 0.738, Sp = 0.929, LR+ = 10.394, LR- = 0.282). A larger ischemic lesion as quantified by pc-ASPECTS score (more than by the ASPECTS score) also increases the likelihood of endocarditis as the cause of ischemic stroke, with an AUROC of 0.7361 (95% CI 0.629-0.843).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Early brain imaging could play a crucial role in endocarditis, helping the clinician to suspect this diagnosis. Further studies are needed to understand the role of early brain imaging when Modified Duke Criteria fail to establish the diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical skills learning through medical students' lenses, during and after a pandemic - a qualitative study.","authors":"Laura Elena Marin, Andreea Maila Măgdălin, Cristian Băicuș","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2025-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rjim-2025-0002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant disruptions in medical education, particularly in clinical training, as students were restricted from direct patient interactions. This study explores medical students' experiences in learning semiology remotely and their perspectives on the role of online education in medical training. We conducted interviews with 16 medical students in their last year of study. Interviews were audio-recorded and the transcription was verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed. We identified four main themes: \"Acquiring clinical skills during pandemic times\", \"Students' perception about semiology\", \"Mapping the role of online learning in medicine\", and \"Future perspectives for a better semiology learning\". Students reported significant anxiety and fear regarding direct patient interactions, alongside a perceived deficiency in clinical skills. They mostly managed to overcome them during the following years. They considered that their teachers offered them as much as possible when it comes to the process of learning, giving the pandemic context. They were able to identify different traits of online learning when it comes to medical subjects except semiology. In some cases, they experienced a lack of understanding from their tutors in regard to their inadequate clinical skills. Programs should be implemented in order to consolidate COVID-19 students' clinical knowledge through residency. Online learning cannot be implemented for medical semiology, given the fact that hands-on procedures cannot be substituted.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of different scoring systems for repeating Transarterial Chemoembolization in Egyptian patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.","authors":"Omkolsoum Alhaddad, Asmaa Gomaa, Merhan El Shamandy, Mohamed Kohla, Ahmed Edrees, Reham Ashour","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0028","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have a diverse range of outcomes due to their high degree of heterogeneity. Therefore, different predictive scoring systems have been created to assist in decision-making regarding retreatment with TACE. We compared the predictive capabilities of different scoring systems, such as ART, ABCR, and SNACOR, for prediction of the outcome of subsequent TACE in HCC patients.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In this retrospective study, the three scoring systems were compared for their capability of predicting the outcome of repeating TACE in 149 HCC patients treated at the National Liver Institute, Egypt, between January 2017 and December 2019. We used the likelihood ratio to select the model with the highest predictive capability for overall survival (OS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to our data, the amount of tumor, the change in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage following TACE, and the SNACOR score (with a 95% confidence range for HR 1.0305-1.256 and p-value = 0.0106) were the most predictive variables. It was also shown that the ABCR score was a good predictor of survival (90 patients had an ABCR score ≤ 0 with a P- value <0.0001, 56 patients had 0 < ABCR < 4 with a P-value <0.0001, and the ART score was not useful in predicting OS (P-value = 0.18).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The SNACOR score is the most predictive score for OS and would be the most helpful scoring system in decision-making regarding retreatment with TACE.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"430-439"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142111561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fabry disease phenotyping in women from the complete Romanian cohort - time for early diagnostic awareness.","authors":"Adriana Mursă, Sebastian Militaru, Elena Rusu, Sebastian Onciul, Gabriela Neculae, Robert Adam, Lucia Ciobotaru, Vlad Stefănescu, Adriana Dulămea, Viorica Rădoi, Bogdan Alexandru Popescu, Gener Ismail, Ruxandra Jurcuţ","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0027","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked rare disorder caused by mutations in the GLA gene. Women with FD have been less enrolled in studies and less treated compared with men. The aim of the present study is to describe the complete phenotype of the women cohort with FD diagnosed and evaluated in Romania and compare it to the male population. This study included all consecutive patients diagnosed with FD referred to the Expert Center for Rare Genetic Cardiovascular Diseases between 2014-2023 which included 73 consecutive Romanian FD patients: 41 women (56.2%) and 32 men (43.8%) from 33 unrelated families. Women with FD were diagnosed later and had a later symptom onset. Comparing with men, women were less often symptomatic, but with similar symptom severity. They had similar ophthalmologic and ENT involvement, but less angiokeratomas. Both women and men had similar heart failure symptoms, which were usually mild to moderate, with no difference between the age of developing of the heart failure symptoms. There were also similar rates of acroparesthesia and stroke between sexes, but women presented less renal involvement, with less requirement for renal transplant. This study demonstrates that women with Fabry disease are not just carriers of the disease, they can present symptoms as severe as men, and they have less or later access to pathogenic therapy. Further studies with more female participations are needed to better understand the burden of Fabry disease in women.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"414-429"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142056382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the lung with rapid transition to multiple myeloma : A rare case report and brief literature review.","authors":"Kevan English, Dianalyn De Leon, Sandra Kaldas","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0026","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Solitary extramedullary plasmacytomas (SEPs) are disease entities characterized by the local proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells, representing less than 6% of plasma cell tumors. They typically produce monoclonal immunoglobulin and are usually found in the head, neck, and, less commonly, in the lungs. SEP, in rare instances, can transition to multiple myeloma (MM) with an estimated risk between 8 and 31%.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We report the case of a 72-year-old woman who sought medical attention at the emergency department due to acute onset dyspnea and syncope. Laboratory results revealed elevated creatinine, hypercalcemia, and anemia, all of which were absent at a hospitalization three months prior for tuberculosis. A chest x-ray showed a right upper lobe opacity, and a computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated an apical lung mass with calcifications. A CT-guided needle aspiration of the mass indicated SEP. Bone marrow biopsy subsequently confirmed MM. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and treated with chemotherapy; however, following a complicated hospital course, she died.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>SEPs are an exceedingly rare form of malignancy with the potential for conversion to MM. Although the likelihood of transformation to MM in months is rare, we call for attention to the possibility of such transition and the clinical prognosis of patients with SEP. Prompt and aggressive treatment is essential, and this, to our knowledge, is the first case of conversion to MM in less than four months following the initial diagnosis of SEP of the lung.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"440-445"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142056383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early mortality in acute promyelocytic leukemia - a single center experience.","authors":"Andreea Spînu, Iuliana Iordan, Minodora Onisâi, Cristina Mambet, Raluca Nistor, Ana-Maria Vlădăreanu","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0025","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0025","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"371-373"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141767217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship of visceral adiposity with endothelial functions and subclinical atherosclerosis in obese individuals.","authors":"Merve Polat Kose, Mehmet Emin Piskinpasa, Yalcin Hacioglu, Turgut Karabag","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0024","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>On the cardiovascular system, obesity accelerates atherosclerosis progression, inducing pathophysiological changes that are detectable already from young adults. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the earliest vascular alterations observed in obesity. In this study, we aimed to determine endothelial functions and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with obesity without overt cardiovascular disease.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted with 112 individuals with obesity without overt cardiovascular disease and any chronical diseases (BMI>30 kg/m²) (84 female, 28 male, mean age: 46.3±11.2 years) and 49 healthy individuals with no diseases (33 female, 16 male, mean age: 44.6±10.2 years). All patients were examined for endothelial functions by the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) method and carotid intima-media thicknesses (CIMT). All measurements were performed by the same imaging specialist, averaging 3 different measurements. In addition to the body mass index and waist circumference visceral adiposity index (VAI) and triponderal mass index (TPI) also calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The percentage of FMD obtained by brachial artery ultrasound was significantly lower, visceral adipose tissue, perirenal adipose tissue thicknesses measured by abdominal ultrasound and CIMT were significantly thicker in Group 1 compared to Group 2. FMD had a negative significant correlation with body mass index, visceral adipose tissue thickness, perirenal adipose tissue thickness, and waist and hip circumferences, and carotid intima-media thickness and CIMT had a significant correlation with visceral adipose tissue thickness, perirenal adipose tissue thickness, VAI, TPI and waist, hip circumferences.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Individuals with obesity have impaired endothelial functions and greater carotid intima-media thicknesses compared to healthy individuals. This impairment in endothelial functions is proportional to the amount of visceral and perirenal fat accumulation. Parameterss reflecting visceral fat distribution such as VAI and TPI are also related with these impairment.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"404-413"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141564235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Efficacy of Microwave versus Radiofrequency Ablation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled Trials.","authors":"Imelda Rey, Darmadi Darmadi","doi":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0022","DOIUrl":"10.2478/rjim-2024-0022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction</b>: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Thermal ablation techniques, especially radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA), have become pivotal treatments for HCC. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to compare these modalities, highlighting their efficacy, strengths, and limitations in treating HCC. <b>Methods</b>: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Springer, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, Cochrane, and EMBASE) targeting studies on hepatocellular carcinoma with RFA and MWA. Heterogeneity analyses and pooled outcomes using random-effect models with were evaluated to compare both thermal ablation methods. <b>Results</b>: Nine studies, which consists of 368 patients underwent RFA and 387 patients underwent MWA, were included in review. The findings showed no significant differences in pooled analysis of volume of ablation, complete ablation rate, local tumor progression, survival rates, major complications, and adverse events. Subgroup analysis showed significantly higher risk of local tumor progression in RFA in African populations. <b>Conclusion</b>: No statistically significant difference was seen between outcomes across studies. MWA may offer a potential for longer therapeutic response with comparable risk of complications and adverse outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":21463,"journal":{"name":"Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"374-386"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141437437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}