No abstract

Background: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is a rare, highly aggressive embryonal brain tumor most commonly presenting in young children. Methods: We performed a nationwide, population-based study of AT/RT (ICD-O-3 code: 9508/3) in Taiwan using the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database and the National Death Certificate Database. Results: A total of 47 cases (male/female = 29:18; median age at diagnosis, 23.3 months (IQR: 12.5–87.9)) were diagnosed with AT/RT between 1999 and 2014. AT/RT had higher prevalence in males (61.70%), in children < 36 months (55.32%), and at infratentorial or spinal locations (46.81%). Survival analyses demonstrated that patients ≥ 3 years of age (n = 21 (45%)) had a 5y-OS of 41% (p < 0.0001), treatment with radiotherapy only (n = 5 (11%)) led to a 5y-OS of 60%, treatment with chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy (n = 27 (62%)) was associated with a 5y-OS of 45% (p < 0.0001), and patients with a supratentorial tumor (n = 11 (23%)) had a 5y-OS of 51.95%. Predictors of better survival on univariate Cox proportional hazard modeling and confirmed with multivariate analysis included older age (≥1 year), supratentorial sites, and the administration of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both. Gender had no effect on survival. Conclusion: Older age, supratentorial site, and treatment with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both significantly improves the survival of patients with AT/RT.

No abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is highly comorbid with severe dengue diseases; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. DM patients display a 1.61fold increased risk of developing dengue hemorrhagic fever. In search of host factors involved in DENV infection, this study utilizes high glucose (HG) treatment and shows that HG increases viral protein expression and virion release but has no effects on the early stages of viral infection. Following HG stimulation, DEN-Luc-transfected assay and cellular replicon-based assay display increased viral translation, while using the glucose uptake inhibitor phloretin blocks this effect. HG treatment increases the translational factor poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) in a glucose transporter-associated PI3K/AKTregulated manner. Silencing PABP significantly decreases HG-prompted virion production. HG enhances the formation of the PABP-eIF4G complex, which is regulated by protein-disulfide isomerase. Hyperglycemia increases PABP expression, mortality, viral protein expression, and viral loads in streptozotocininduced DM mice. Overall, hyperglycemic stress facilitates DENV infection by strengthening PABP-mediated viral translation.

Bisphosphonates are considered an effective inhibitor of glutamine synthetase and thus can be used for treating tuberculosis (TB). However, its clinical benefit in TB remains unknown. We conducted a population‐based cohort study by using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and TB databases of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. Patients with osteoporosis and a history of bone fracture from 2007 to 2014 were identified. Among them, bisphosphonate users and propensity score–matched nonusers were selected. A stratified multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was employed to investigate the independent predictors of TB. Among 218 908 patients with osteoporosis and bone fracture, 46 842 bisphosphonate users and 46 842 propensity score–matched nonusers were selected. Within the 2‐year follow‐up, 723 patients—348 in the user group and 375 in the nonuser group—developed TB. Bisphosphonate use was not an independent predictor of TB in the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.86; 95%CI, 0.71‐1.04); however, male sex, older age, being bedridden, and steroid use were independent risk factors. The real‐world data revealed that bisphosphonate use did not protect patients with osteoporosis against TB.