Sudden deafness as a prodrome of cerebellar artery infarction: Three case reports.

BACKGROUND: To summarize the clinical characteristics of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) in patients with sudden deafness (SD) as the first symptom, improve the awareness of the disease, and help diagnosis and treatment. CASE SUMMARY: From 2019 to 2020, three patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom were admitted to our hospital. Pure tone audiometry, head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), vertebral artery and carotid artery B-ultrasound, head and neck computed tomography angiography, and other examinations were performed. Following the treatment of SD, hearing and dizziness were not significantly improved. Then, the patients developed symptoms of related cranial nerve injury, and brain MRI showed cerebral infarction in the cerebellopontine angle area. All three cases were transferred to the neurology department for relevant conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients with ACI with SD as the first symptom usually attend the otolaryngology clinic. Here a diagnosis of SD, which is based on an audiological examination, is made and the corresponding treatment is administered. To reduce the misdiagnosis of this disease, close attention should be paid to the changes in the patient's clinical symptoms and related auxiliary examinations should be performed, such as brain MRI and cerebrovascular imaging. Otolaryngologists should pay attention to the type and severity of hearing loss, the accompanying symptoms, age, high-risk factors for cerebral infarction, and related cranial nerve symptoms in patients with SD. If the patient's early brain MRI does not show abnormalities, monitoring remains essential. The head MRI should be analyzed quickly based on the changes in the symptoms of the patient, to make an accurate diagnosis and provide the timely and correct treatment for the patients.

Tumor suppressor functions of miRNA-375 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through inhibition of ubiquitin-specific protease 1 expression.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) development involves many genetic alterations. This study profiled differentially expressed microRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and selected miR-375 for further study. METHODS: DE-miRNAs were screened using online databases and subjected to various analyzes. miR-375 mimics with negative control (NC) cDNA, and a ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) as well as a NC group were transfected into NPC cells for analysis by quantitative PCR, western blotting, wound healing, Transwell, flow cytometry, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), and luciferase gene reporter assays. RESULTS: Among these DE-miRNAs, miR-375 was downregulated and miR-21 was upregulated in NPC cells. Bioinformatical analysis identified USP1 as a potential target gene of miR-375. Increased USP1 expression was associated with poor survival of head and neck cancer patients. The luciferase assay confirmed miR-375 binding to the USP1 3'-untranslated region (UTR), while the transfection experiment confirmed miR-375 expression reduced USP1 expression. USP1 overexpression reversed the anti-tumor activity of miR-375 in NPC cells as determined by tumor cell migration, invasion, apoptosis, and viability assays. In addition, USP1 overexpression activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, whereas a selective PI3K inhibitor (S2739) could reverse the effects of USP1 on NPC cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: miR-375 and miR-21 are both related to NPC and miR-375 can target USP1. Further experiments revealed that up-regulated miR-375 expression led to USP1 down-regulation, and miR-375 overexpression suppressed PI3K/Akt signaling and inhibited NPC cell migration and invasion, but promoted NPC cell apoptosis.

Radiation mitigation effect of cultured mushroom fungus Hirsutella Sinensis (CorImmune) isolated from a Chinese/Tibetan herbal preparation -Cordyceps Sinensis.

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that the anti-oxidant and growth promoting properties of the cultured mushroom fungus Hirsutella sinensis (CorImmune) of Cordyceps sinensis mitigate radiation injury in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALB/c mice received total body irradiation (TBI) followed by treatment with CorImmune. The effect of CorImmune on lymphoid tissue, spleen and blood cells as well as survival and hematopoietic recovery was compared to normal saline treated controls. RESULTS: CorImmune administered beginning 2 hours after a lethal dose of TBI significantly improved survival: 55% in the CorImmune group vs. 0% in the saline control (p < 0.0001). It increased normal leukocyte levels in a dose-dependent fashion. Animals treated with sub-lethal TBI and monitored for blood leukocyte recovery exhibited a return to normal baseline 3 weeks after TBI injury. In contrast, only 50% returned to normal baseline in the saline control group (p < 0.01). CorImmune also stimulated immune lymphocyte proliferation by nearly two-fold in a (3)H-thymidine incorporation assay compared to controls (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: CorImmune significantly increased animal survival after a lethal dose of radiation, accelerated leukocyte recovery and stimulated immune lymphocyte proliferation. We conclude that CorImmune is effective as a radiation mitigator when administered after radiation injury.

Prognostic role of haematological indices in sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Complete blood count (CBC) is an important blood test in clinical practice, and it has been recently used to predict the prognosis of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Some haematological indices of the CBC test have been reported to be associated with the clinical outcome of SSNHL. However, the prognostic value of these haematological indices in SSNHL is currently under debate. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association between haematological indices of the CBC test and clinical outcomes in patients with SSNHL. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the association between haematological indices and prognoses in patients with sudden hearing loss. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Ten studies that included 972 individuals were identified. Pooled analysis showed neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -1.69 and p < 0.001), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (WMD = -38.45 and p < 0.001), neutrophil count (WMD = -1.57 × 109/L and p < 0.001) and lymphocyte count (WMD = 0.41 × 109/L and p < 0.001) to be the factors associated with the prognosis of SSNHL. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that NLR, PLR, neutrophil count and lymphocyte count are strongly associated with the prognosis of SSNHL. These four indices could be recommended as inexpensive markers to report treatment outcomes.

Association of pediatric allergic rhinitis with the ratings of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is currently the most prevalent allergic disease in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: Surveys conducted by population-based studies of East Asia revealed an increased prevalence of behavioral disorders in patients with AR. Thus, in this study, we explored the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pediatric patients with AR. METHODS: A total of 333 children (6-12 years of age) with AR and a total of 322 age-matched controls were included in this study. An otorhinolaryngologist diagnosed all AR cases and evaluated the severity of the disease. Skin-prick test results for 18 major allergens, Paediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham version IV (SNAP-IV) scores were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 320 age-matched controls and 323 children with AR completed the study. With respect to the Total Nasal Symptom Score and the PRQLQ, the condition of the experimental group was more serious than that of the controls. The scores on the hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention subscales, which evaluate ADHD symptoms, and those on the CBCL subscales were significantly higher in patients with AR than in the controls (all p values were <0.01). From the results of the Pearson correlation, we deduced that there were significant positive correlations between the AR-related data and each subscale of the CBCL and SNAP-IV in the AR group. Moreover, two basic characteristics (males and environmental exposure to tobacco smoke) present significant positive and age showed a significant negative correlations affect ADHD symptom in both the AR group and the control group. Also, in the "pure AR" group, hierarchical regression analyses were performed to determine the subtests of the PRQLQ, which are significant predictors of SNAP-IV and CBCL. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from AR per se, the possible comorbidities of impulsivity and inattention are important when managing children with AR. It is essential to evaluate the symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents with AR.

Efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis in pediatric patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) has become a global health problem that constantly affects a large part of the general population, especially children. OBJECTIVE: Sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) has been used extensively for pediatric AR, although its efficacy and safety are often questioned. In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT), we evaluated the use of SLIT for pediatric AR. METHODS: A number of medical literature data bases were searched through January 2016 to identify RCTs that examined the use of SLIT for pediatric AR and that assessed clinical outcomes related to efficacy. Descriptive and quantitative information was abstracted. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated by using fixed- and random-effects models. Subgroup analyses were performed. Heterogeneity was assessed by using the I2 metric. A network meta-analysis was used to estimate SMDs between two SLIT protocols for pediatric seasonal AR. All data were extracted from publications or received from the authors. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis of rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis symptom scores, and 19 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis of medication scores. Descriptive and quantitative data were extracted. SLIT differed significantly from placebo in terms of symptom scores (SMD -0.55 [95% confidence interval {CI}, -0.86 to -0.25]; p = 0.0003, I2 = 90%) and medication scores (SMD -0.67 [95% CI, -0.96 to -0.38]; p < 0.00001, I2 = 83%). Oral pruritus was the adverse effect, which occurred most commonly in children who were receiving SLIT. Network meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between the pre-coseasonal and continuous SLIT protocols for seasonal AR in symptom scores (SMD -6.55 [95% CI, -25.38 to 12.29]; p = 0.496) and medication scores (SMD -8.83 [95% CI, -22.10 to 4.43]; p = 0.192). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis results indicated that SLIT provided significant symptom relief and reduced the need for medication in pediatric patients. Moreover, the safety of SLIT needs to be confirmed in RCTs with larger samples.