Oxidative and nitrosative stress in serum of patients with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the common neurodegenerative disorders. Oxidative stress is considered as a contributing factor to the development of PD. The present study aims to investigate serum oxidative stress status in patients with PD. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring serum nitric oxide levels, lipid hydroperoxide concentrations, and nitric oxide synthase activity. In addition, total serum antioxidant capacity (TAC) was evaluated using the serum 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging method in 32 patient with Parkinson’s disease and 32 control subjects. Our results indicated that serum nitric oxide and lipid hydroperoxide levels were significantly lower in patients with PD than controls. Moreover, nitric oxide levels were found to be negatively correlated with Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). However, no statistical difference was observed in total serum antioxidant capacities and nitric oxide synthase activities between patients and controls. The present study indicates that although antioxidant capacity was not changed, lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) level was found decreased. This might show pre-oxidative process in these patients. In addition, decreased nitric oxide (NO) level and negative correlation observed between NO level and disease rating scale implicated a role for NO in the disease process.     

Pelvic abscess in intrauterine device users.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the causality between pelvic abscess formation and intrauterine device (IUD) use through a clinical study in a hospital. METHOD: Sixty-two pelvic abscesses were retrospectively evaluated over a 7-year period. Patient records retrieved for the women enrolled in this study consisted of demographic characteristics, duration of IUD use and clinical management details. RESULTS: All the women were monogamous Muslim women without any suspicious sexual contacts, immunosupressive states, or drug use at the time of IUD insertion. In 10 cases (16.1%), a history of pelvic surgery was present. The mean age of the women was 36.1 +/- 2.3 years (range 19-50 years). Of the 62 women, 14 (22.6%) were current IUD users. The mean time interval for women using IUD prior to the diagnosis of pelvic abscess was 5.7 +/- 1.2 years (range 1-14 years). In all cases, a pelvic mass and abdominal pain constituted the referral signs and symptoms. All women received an initial antibiotic regimen comprising penicillin (24 mU/day), clindamycin (900 mg/day) and gentamycin (240 mg/day) in divided doses. In 38 cases (61.3%), medical treatment yielded a satisfactory clinical outcome, defined as a decreas in mass volume together with pain relief and a decrease in leukocytosis. Twenty-four cases (38.7%) underwent a subsequent surgical procedure, either laparotomy (n = 19) or laparoscopy (n = 5). The type of surgery ranged from abscess drainage to more radical approaches such as total abdominal hysterectomy and/or unilateral or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. There were no differences between those women responding to medical therapy and those who did not respond in terms of mean age, percentage of past pelvic surgery, gravidity, parity and the size of pelvic abscess. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of women with an IUD were diagnosed as having a pelvic abscess within a 7-year period at the university clinic. Despite current knowledge that pelvic inflammatory disease and pelvic abscess are rarely encountered in long-term IUD users, the presence of an IUD should be investigated in cases with an initial diagnosis of pelvic abscess based on clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation, demonstrating mostly acquisition via sexually transmitted disease.     

Associated factors with urogenital score in natural and surgical menopause

OBJECTIVE: To anticipate the factors associated with urogenital symptoms in both natural and surgical menopause. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed comprising 267 cases with spontaneous menopause and 87 surgical menopause cases without any use of hormone replacement therapy. Sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive and medical history, urogenital scale and psychological subscale of Greene Climacteric Scale were assessed and correlated with the age of menopause, time past since last menstrual period, parity, body mass index (BMI), mode of delivery among two groups. RESULTS: Mean age of women enrolled to the study were 46.8+/-0.3 years and 44.4+/-0.25 years, for natural and surgical menopause cases, respectively. Mean parity had no correlation with urogenital scale in two groups. However, a positive correlation was apparent between the time since last menstrual period, psychological subscore of Green Climacteric Scale and urogenital score in both women with natural and surgical menopause. BMI was negatively correlated with urogenital score among two groups (r(p)=-0.85, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Intensity and frequency of urogenital symptoms and climacteric complaints as expressed in the Greene Climacteric Scale increase during menopausal transition. Care should be taken to ameliorate the quality of life (QOL) and to confront these problems in post-menopausal women.     

Frozen section and fine needle aspiration biopsy in thyroid surgery — needles and sections

Purpose  

To review our own experience with fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and frozen section (FS) in thyroid surgery and to assess the value of FNAB and FS in predicting malignancy in patient with thyroid disease.