Initiation of TNF inhibitor therapy and change in physiologic measures in psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis may predispose to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor in mediating this risk is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To assess this relationship, we estimated change in metabolic physiologic measures before and after initiation of TNF inhibitor therapy compared with methotrexate (MTX) therapy among psoriasis patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, 2007-2012, using computerized clinical data for 1274 new users of TNF inhibitor and 979 new users of MTX therapy to compare change in blood pressure, lipids, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose and body mass index (BMI) before and after start of TNF inhibitors or MTX. The study was restricted to new users. We computed within-person change in each measure, so that each patient served as their own control. In addition, we compared TNF inhibitor patients to MTX patients, by computing the adjusted difference in their group means. In secondary analyses, we examined phototherapy as a comparator. RESULTS: Among starters of TNF inhibitor and MTX therapy, within-person change in physiologic measures at 6 months did not differ significantly. We observed no important or significant changes in any of the physiologic measures with initiation of TNF inhibitor compared with MTX. The same results were found in subgroup analyses focused on men, and on those with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or obesity. The same results were observed with phototherapy, except that diastolic blood pressure declined by 0.6 mmHg within person during the 6 months after starting phototherapy (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study provides no evidence for improvement of physiologic measures associated with the metabolic syndrome resulting from TNF inhibitor use for psoriasis.

Depression, Anxiety, and Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Indian Expats in the Middle East: A Survey Study.

OBJECTIVE: There are multiple studies indicating that the Indian expat population working in the Middle East is at a significantly high risk for developing anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can precipitate or exacerbate psychological distress among the expat population. The objective of this study was to evaluate psychological distress and coping mechanisms among Indian expats working in the Middle East during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An online survey was conducted with a semistructured questionnaire using a nonprobability snowball sampling technique. In addition to demographic data, a list of COVID-19 pandemic-related questions, the Brief COPE, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) were also utilized. RESULTS: A total of 94 responses were received. Of the respondents, 52% reported clinically significant anxiety levels, and 41% reported clinically significant depression levels. Both the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were significantly associated with the level of concern with air traffic restriction (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that governments of both Indian and Middle Eastern countries should pay more attention to the mental health of the expat population while combating COVID-19.

Pregnancy and assisted reproduction techniques in men and women after cancer treatment.

There are many male and female patients of young age diagnosed with some form of invasive cancer. With current treatment regimens, including aggressive chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, and surgery, the cure rate for some malignancies now is very high. These treatments, however, can lead to gonadal failure and permanent infertility. Fertility preservation is a significant concern for such men and women faced with cancer treatment. Several alternatives have been attempted in an effort to preserve fertility in young women undergoing cancer treatment. Although ovarian tissue cryopreservation has recently been the focus of intense investigation, cryopreservation of embryos and mature oocytes has several advantages over ovarian tissue preservation. Also there are some strategies for minimizing female gonadal toxicity caused by cancer therapy including use of radiation shields, transposition of the ovaries out of the irradiation field, and suppression of ovaries by administration of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists during adjuvant chemotherapy. In addition, fertility-saving surgical approaches are used in selected women with gynecologic cancers instead of more radical surgical procedures. Similarly, fertility preservation options such as conservative surgical approaches including partial orchiectomy with or without cryopreservation in testicular cancer patients and at least sperm cryopreservation in other male cancer patients should be offered before initiating therapy. Use of embryonic stem cells as a source of gametes also emerges as a hope in male and female cancer survivors.

The Manchester operation for uterine prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, complications, and satisfaction scores of patients who underwent the Manchester operation. METHODS: This retrospective observational study evaluated data from 204 women who underwent the Manchester operation at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey, from January 1985 to April 2004. RESULTS: Mean age was 34.68+/-4.24 years and parity 2.47+/-0.96; 85.8% of the patients were premenopausal; 176 patients (86.28%) had grade 3 and 28 (13.72%) had grade 2 uterine prolapse; 95.1% of the patients had associated cystoceles and 51.3% had associated rectoceles; and 81.4% had urinary incontinence. Regarding early postoperative complications, 27 patients (13.23%) had febrile morbidity; retroperitoneal hematoma occurred in 1 patient (0.49%); urinary retention occurred in 45 patients (22.05%), and cervical stenosis occurred in 23 patients (11.27%). At 1 year, 1 patient had undergone abdominal hysterectomy because of unsuccessful cervical dilatation; and a mean of 3.6 years following the operation, 8 patients (3.9%) had undergone the tension-free vaginal tape procedure plus a vaginal hysterectomy for recurrent stress urinary incontinence and uterine prolapse. The mean satisfaction/acceptance score for the operation was 8.52+/-2.13 (range, 2-10). CONCLUSION: A high degree of acceptance/satisfaction and a low morbidity rate show the Manchester operation to be a good option for the treatment of uterine prolapse in women who wish to keep their uterus.