scholarly journals Innate Immunity Stimulation During COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenge

Author(s):  
beniamino palmieri ◽  
antonio manenti ◽  
MARIA VADALA'

Abstract AIM: We report an open spontaneous anecdotical retrospective survey of Corynebacterium parvum administration to 4000 fragile immune-depressed and multimorbid patients treated with a killed C. parvum strain to enhance the innate immunity integrating the adaptative immune response for a long standing antinfectious resistance. METHODS: 4000 patients (1900 men and 2100 women) with mild, moderate or chronic disease, appealing to our Second Opinion Medical Consultation Network, signed an informed consent and were injected subcutaneously with C.parvum. The treatment was followed up at 6 months after therapy, filling the short form of the medical outcome health survey questionnaire (SF-36), directly by the patients or its parents and monitoring the health regularly via telemedicine (Skype, WhatsApp, mail, etc) or physician’s visit.RESULTS: The main efficacy endpoints, as assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire, are significant improvements in the mental and physical role functioning score (p< 0.02), in general health, in social role functioning (p < 0.02), vitality (p < 0.03), and a significant reduction in bodily pain (p< 0.03). There was a quick (48-72 hours) symptoms improvement and/or complete regression of the herpetic eruptions observed in 1000 affected patients and of herpetic neuralgia (reduced in 80% of cases), also full recovery or frequency reduction (30%) of recurrent cystitis and prostatitis in 120 affected patients, and last, but not least, a life quality improvement in 100 oncologic patients of overall 200 cases. A significant increase in the lymphocyte count (p<0.01), mainly Helper and Killer lymphocytes, was noted after 6 months by Parvulan injection vs. the baseline.The asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients, incidentally, enrolled in our survey, were tested at sixth months for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and 14 patients occurred high level of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The incubating Covid infections in the Parvulan injected patients even if rail and multi-morbid recovered in a short term (48-96 hours) and with benign clinical course, usually no need of further drugs administration except for the variants, which lasted on average one week and required some antipyretics, and low dose steroid for a few days.CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that C.parvum is quite safe and effective to support immune-compromised patients when epidemic or pandemic events rise the life risk and any kind of infections and complications rate.Further double-blind placebo evidence-based studies are urgently required, and our numerically substantial not sponsored spontaneous observation aims exclusively to promote further evidence based double blind institutional studies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (Supl 1) ◽  
pp. 97S
Author(s):  
Henrique Mansur ◽  
Vinicius Trindade Cardoso ◽  
Isnar Moreira de Castro Júnior

Introduction: The outcome of hallux valgus correction surgery is usually evaluated based on parameters of interest to the surgeon; however, the outcomes considered important by patients differ from those analyzed by physicians. Our objective is to evaluate the quality of life of patients undergoing hallux valgus correction and to assess the maintenance of radiographic parameters over time. Methods: The study included 38 patients who underwent hallux valgus correction surgery using different osteotomy techniques (scarf, chevron, arciform, proximal chevron and chevron-Akin) from January 2010 to December 2012. The patients were evaluated radiographically at 3 different times (preoperatively and 1 and 5 years postoperatively) and filled out the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) for the assessment of quality of life. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired Student’s t-test and the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank and Friedman tests, with a maximum significance level of 5%. Results: Among the main findings of the SF-36 questionnaire, the sections on which the patients reported the best results were emotional role functioning, physical functioning and social role functioning, and the final mean score was 74.9. The metatarsophalangeal and intermetatarsal angles and medial eminence showed significant decreases during the postoperative period (p<0.05), and only 1 patient presented loss of joint congruence. Conclusion: Different surgical osteotomy techniques used to correct moderate and severe hallux valgus improved the patients’ radiological parameters and quality of life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (Supl 1) ◽  
pp. 5S
Author(s):  
Rafael Da Rocha Macedo ◽  
João Paulo Gonçalves dos Santos ◽  
João Mendes Júnior ◽  
Emanuel Smith Lobato ◽  
Dario Putini ◽  
...  

Introduction: Chronic postoperative pain, defined as persistent pain at the surgical incision site 3 months after a procedure, is a common complaint in orthopedic practice. Almost 50% of patients who undergo orthopedic surgery are presumably affected by this complaint. The objective of this study is to evaluate the lidocaine patch 5% as a method for neuropathic pain treatment after orthopedic surgery compared with therapeutic massage performed over the incisions. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized clinical trial of 37 patients who underwent orthopedic surgery from January 2015 to February 2017. All individuals were assessed using the pain visual analog scale (VAS) and the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire at treatment onset and at 30, 60 and 90 days of treatment. Results: Both groups showed improvement in pain, although the group using the patch showed a greater reduction of pain over time. There were no significant differences in the parameters assessed by the SF-36: physical functioning, physical role functioning, vitality, emotional role functioning, social role functioning, general health perceptions or mental health. The main advantage of the patch lay in the degree of patient satisfaction, which was significantly higher than that of massage, most likely because the patch is easily applied and generates a psychological effect as a drug therapy. Conclusion: The lidocaine patch and massage are effective treatment methods for reducing scar pain that show similar results. The patch is associated with an improvement in the degree of patient satisfaction.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Lisnawati Zalukhu ◽  
Rizaldy Taslim Pinzon ◽  
Kadek Sinthia Grahita Adnyana

AbstractNeuropathy is one of the most common complications in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Neuropathy has contributed to some impacts of quality of life (QOL), general health status, and socio-economy level. Therefore, it is important to understand more about this issue, so appropriate treatment could be taken to improve QOL of patients with diabetic neuropathy. This study aimed to measure the profile of a patient’s life quality in DM with neuropathy. This study was a observational study using Short Form 8 (SF-8) Health Survey Standard Indonesia to measure the QOL in patients with diabetic neuropathy that were treated consecutively from March to August 2016 in the Department of Neurology in Bethesda Hospital, Yogyakarta. Fifty seven patients with diabetic neuropathy were enrolled as subjects in this study. Most of them were women (52,6%). The mean age of subjects was 57.3 ± 5.85 years. The lowest QOL score in patients with diabetic neuropathy were observed in general health perceptions category (45.26%), followed by bodily pain (57.19%), vitality or energy (69.12%), physical functioning (69.82%), social role functioning (74.03%), mental health (78.59%), physical role functioning (80.70%), and emotional role functioning (81.05%). Patients with diabetic neuropathy have poor QOL. Sex and age were not significantly related to the QOL in patients with diabetic neuropathy. AbstractNeuropati merupakan salah satu komplikasi tersering pada diabetes melitus (DM). Neuropati dapat memengaruhi kualitas hidup, derajat kesehatan, maupun tingkat ekonomi. Oleh karena itu, penting untuk mengetahui kualitas hidup pasien DM dengan neuropati beserta dampak yang ditimbulkannya terlebih dahulu agar mendapatkan penanganan yang tepat demi meningkatkan kualitas hidup pasien. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui profil kualitas hidup pasien DM dengan neuropati. Penelitian ini merupakan studi observasional menggunakan Short Form 8 (SF-8) Health Survey Standard Indonesia terhadap pasien diabetes melitus dengan neuropati yang diambil secara konsekutif pada bulan Maret hingga Agustus 2016 di Poli Saraf Rumah Sakit Bethesda, Yogyakarta. Terdapat 57 subjek yang dimasukkan dalam penelitian ini. Sebanyak 52,6 % di antaranya adalah perempuan dengan rerata usia 57,3 ±5,85 tahun. Skor kualitas hidup pasien neuropati DM yang paling rendah terdapat pada kategori kesehatan umum (45,26%) disusul nyeri pada tubuh (57,19%), vitalitas atau energi (69,12%), fungsi fisik (69,82%), fungsi sosial (74,03%), kesehatan mental (78,59%), kemampuan peran dengan masalah kesehatan fisik (80,70%), dan kemampuan peran dengan masalah emosi (81,05%). Jenis kelamin dan usia tidak berhubungan secara signifikan terhadap kualitas hidup pasien DM dengan neuropati.


2020 ◽  
pp. jrheum.200093
Author(s):  
Uta Kiltz ◽  
James Cheng-Chung Wei ◽  
Désirée van der Heijde ◽  
Filip van den Bosch ◽  
Jessica A. Walsh ◽  
...  

Objective This study evaluated the effect of ixekizumab (IXE) on self-reported functioning and health in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) who were either biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD)–naïve or failed at least 1 tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi). Methods In 2 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and active‑controlled (bDMARD-naïve only) trials, patients with r-axSpA were randomly assigned to receive 80 mg of IXE [every 2 weeks (Q2W) or every 4 weeks (Q4W)], placebo (PBO), or adalimumab (ADA; bDMARD-naïve only). After 16 weeks, patients who received PBO or ADA were rerandomized to receive IXE (Q2W or Q4W) up to Week 52. Functioning and health were measured by the generic 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF‑36) and the disease-specific Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society Health Index (ASAS HI). Societal health utility was assessed by the 5-level EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D-5L). Results At Week 16, both doses of IXE in bDMARD-naïve and TNFi-experienced patients resulted in larger improvement in SF-36, ASAS HI, and EQ-5D-5L versus placebo. For SF-36, the largest improvements were seen for the domains of bodily pain, physical function, and role physical. A larger proportion of patients reaching improvement in ASAS HI ≥ 3 as well as an achievement of ASAS HI good health status was reported in patients treated with IXE. Improvements were maintained through Week 52. Conclusion IXE significantly improved functioning and health as assessed by both generic and disease-specific measures, as well as societal health utility values in patients with r-axSpA, as measured by SF-36, ASAS HI, and EQ-5D-5L at Week 16, and improvements were sustained through 52 weeks.


Author(s):  
Paulo Fávio Macedo Gouvêa ◽  
Zélia Maria Nogueira Britschka ◽  
Cristina de Oliveira Massoco Salles Gomes ◽  
Nicolle Gilda Teixeira de Queiroz ◽  
Pablo Antonio Vásquez Salvador ◽  
...  

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment with Peruíbe Black Mud (PBM) on the clinical parameters and quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis and to compare the effects of PBM samples simply matured in seawater and PBM sterilized by gamma radiation. A controlled, double-blind trial was conducted with 41 patients divided into two treatment groups composed of 20 and 21 patients: one group was treated with matured PBM and the other with sterilized PBM. Evaluations were done using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires, the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) radiographic scale, and the quantification of the serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers. An improvement in pain, physical functions, and quality of life was observed in all of the patients who underwent treatment with both simply matured and sterilized PBM. Nine patients showed remission in the KL radiographic scale, but no statistically significant differences were observed in the serum levels of inflammatory mediators before or after treatment. Peruíbe Black Mud proves to be a useful tool as an adjuvant treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA), as shown by the results of the WOMAC and SF-36 questionnaires and by the remission of the radiographic grade of some patients on the Kellgren and Lawrence scale.


Hand Surgery ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 103-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izuru Kitajima ◽  
Kazureru Doi ◽  
Yasunori Hattori ◽  
Semih Takka ◽  
Emmanuel Estrella

To evaluate the subjective satisfaction of brachial plexus injury (BPI) patients after surgery based on the medical outcomes study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and to correlate their SF-36 scores with upper extremity functions. Four items were assessed statistically for 30 patients: SF-36 scores after BPI surgery were compared with Japanese standard scores; the correlation between SF-36 scores and objective joint functions; difference in SF-36 scores between each type of BPI; and influence of each joint function on the SF-36 scores. The SF-36 subscale: PF — physical functioning, RP — role-physical, BP — bodily pain, and the summary score PCS — physical component summary, were significantly inferior to the Japanese standard scores. SF-36 is more sensitive to shoulder joint function than to elbow and finger joint functions. Little correlation was found between SF-36 scores and objective evaluations of joint functions. Greater effort is needed to improve the quality of life (QOL) of BPI patients. This study showed that SF-36 is not sensitive enough to evaluate regional conditions. A region- or site-specific questionnaire is required to evaluate upper extremity surgery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Holló ◽  
Nikolett Gabriella Sándor ◽  
Péter Kóthy ◽  
Anna Géczy

Abstract Background For clinical practice it is important to evaluate and compare anxiety, depression and quality of life of glaucoma patients with painless one-eye blindness and a normal fellow eye to unaffected age-matched individuals from a similar environment. Methods Twenty-eight stable glaucoma patients (age, mean ± SD: 69.0 ± 13.3 years) with one normal and one painless blind eye, and 26 controls (age: 67.0 ± 14.0 years) completed the standard Hungarian adaptations of the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Spielberger-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hopelessness Scale, and Quality of Life Questionnaire SF-36 with the assistance of trained psychologist interviewers within 3 months after a detailed ophthalmological examination. Results The groups did not differ in age, gender distribution, number of children, grandchildren and people in their household (p ≥ 0.235). The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the diseased eye was minimal (median: 0.00), while BCVA of their better eye (median: 1.0) did not differ from that of the control group (p ≥ 0.694). Compared to the control group, the patients’ scores were significantly higher for depression (p ≤ 0.01), cognitive and psychophysiological symptoms of anxiety (p ≤ 0.05) and hopelessness (p ≤ 0.013), and lower (worse) for physical function, vitality, general health and bodily pain (p ≤ 0.045). No difference was found between the groups for mental health, physical role functioning, emotional role functioning and social role functioning (p ≥ 0.117). Conclusion Our results show that patients with glaucoma-related one-eye blindness may require regular psychological support even when the visual performance of the fellow eye is fully maintained on the long run, and the patients’ everyday functioning is normal.


Lupus ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Baba ◽  
Y Katsumata ◽  
Y Okamoto ◽  
Y Kawaguchi ◽  
M Hanaoka ◽  
...  

We aimed to validate the reliability of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) among Japanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Japanese patients with SLE ( n = 233) completed the SF-36 and other related demographic questionnaires, and physicians simultaneously completed the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI). Patients were prospectively followed for a repeat assessment the following year. The SF-36 subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α of 0.85–0.89), and an overall good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.70). The average baseline SF-36 subscale/summary scores except for “bodily pain” were significantly lower than those of the Japanese general population ( p < 0.05). The SDI showed an inverse correlation with the SF-36 subscale/summary scores except for “vitality” and “mental component summary” at baseline, whereas the SLEDAI-2K did not. In the second year, “social functioning” and “mental component summary” of the SF-36 deteriorated among patients whose SDI or SLEDAI-2K score increased (effect sizes < −0.20). In conclusion, the SF-36 demonstrated acceptable reliability among Japanese patients with SLE. Health-related quality of life measured by the SF-36 was reduced in Japanese patients with SLE and associated with disease damage, rather than disease activity.


Medicina ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kotryna Vereščiagina ◽  
Kazys Ambrozaitis ◽  
Bronius Špakauskas

Objective. For complete assessment of benefits of the surgical intervention, it is essential to provide evidence of the impact on patients in terms of health status and healthrelated quality of life. In the present study, the preoperative 36-item Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey scores were determined in patients before lumbar microdiscectomy due to better preoperative screening likewise in the control group – almost healthy population taken into account any habitual ailments experienced in an appropriate age. Patients and methods. In the present study, we investigated a cohort of 100 patients with disc herniation causing low back pain and another hundred of the control subjects, matched by age and gender. The short form 36 general health questionnaire (SF-36) was applied. Results. Estimation of the SF-36 scores showed that (1) all of the domain values were considerably lower in the preoperative patient group than in the second one (P<0.01); (2) the bodily pain scores were closely correlated to the social function scores (R=0.7, P<0.01), whereas the physical function was less related to the bodily pain (R=0.6, P<0.01). The weakest correlation was observed between bodily pain and mental health and general health (R=0.4, P<0.01). Conclusion. The present study showed that the generic instrument, SF-36 Health Survey, was optimized paraclinical method for patients predisposed to surgical treatment of the lumbar disc herniation disease likewise for normal population individuals, matched by age and sex, in the assessment of health-related quality of life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lincoln M Tracy ◽  
Dale W Edgar ◽  
Rebecca Schrale ◽  
Heather Cleland ◽  
Belinda J Gabbe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Itch and pain are common complaints of patients with burn injuries. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and predictors of itch and moderate to severe pain in the first 12 months following a burn injury, and determine the association between itch, moderate to severe pain, work-related outcomes, and health-related quality of life following a burn injury. Methods Burn patients aged 18 years and older were recruited from five Australian specialist burn units. Patients completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36 V2), the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) work scale, and a specially developed questionnaire relating to itch at 1, 6, and 12 months post-injury. Moderate to severe pain was defined as a score less than 40 on the bodily pain domain of the SF-36 V2. Multivariate mixed-effects regression models were used to identify patient and burn injury predictors of itch and moderate to severe pain. Results Three hundred and twenty-eight patients were included. The prevalence of itch decreased from 50% at 1 month to 27% at 12 months. Similarly, the prevalence of moderate to severe pain decreased from 23% at 1 month to 13% at 12 months. Compared to patients aged 18-34, the adjusted odds of experiencing any itch were 59% (95% CI: 0.20, 0.82) and 55% (95% CI: 0.22, 0.91) lower for patients aged between 35 and 49 and ≥ 50 years, respectively. Compared to patients aged 18-34, the adjusted odds of experiencing moderate to severe pain were 3.12 (95% CI: 1.35, 7.20) and 3.42 (95% CI: 1.47, 7.93) times higher for patients aged 35-49 and ≥ 50 years, respectively. Conclusions Less than 15% of patients reported moderate or severe pain at 12 months, while approximately one-quarter of the patients reported itch at the same period. The presence of moderate to severe pain was associated with a greater negative impact on health-related quality of life and work outcomes compared to itch. Further research is needed to improve our ability to identify patients at higher risk of persistent itch and pain who would benefit from targeted review and intervention studies.


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