The role of surface ECG and transthoracic echocardiography for predicting postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the roles of surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (ECHO) for prediction of atrial fibrillation (AF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: This study was conducted from 2002-2004 at the Cardiovascular Department of Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. Seventy consecutive patients were enrolled in this study that underwent elective CABG. A 12-lead ECG was recorded one day before cardiac surgery and was repeated during the 5 days after CABG. P-wave dispersion (PWD) was defined as the difference between maximum and minimum P-wave duration. Differences in P-wave duration were compared between the pre- and postoperative 12-lead ECG measurements. RESULTS: Postoperative AF developed in 17 (24%) cases of 70 patients. The PWD was found to be significantly higher in patients with AF preoperatively (60+/-19 versus 47+/-13, p=0.003), postoperative first day (56+/-12 versus 44+/-11, p<0.002) and fifth day (51+/-29 versus 41+/-11, p<0.001). Patients with AF were significantly older, the mean age of the AF group was (68+/-7) years and of the sinus rhythm (SR) group was (59+/-10 years) (p<0.001). The AF group had left ventricular systolic dysfunction (56+/-13% versus 56+/-8%, p=0.042, preoperatively; 49+/-8% versus 60+/-10%, p=0.001, postoperatively) and a larger left atrium (46+/-5 versus 39+/-5 mm, p<0.001, preoperatively and 44+/-7 versus 39+/-5 mm, p=0.046, postoperatively) than the SR group. CONCLUSION: This prospective study demonstrated that PWD on surface ECG and additional echocardiographic parameters are simple and reliable indexes to predict the development of AF after CABG.     

Multiple primary malignancies involving lung: an analysis of 40 cases

We aimed to assess the incidence of multiple primary malignancies in primary lung cancer patients. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical files of 1038 primary lung cancer patients diagnosed in 2004. Forty patients (3.9 %) had multiple primary malignancies. There were 34 men (85 %) and 6 women (15 %). Their mean age was 62.4 +/- 8.6 years. While 35 cases were smokers, 5 cases were nonsmokers. Tumour pathology of the lung was squamous cell carcinoma in 15 cases, adenocarcinoma in 10 cases, small cell carcinoma in 3 cases and non-small cell carcinoma in 12 cases. There were 2 primary tumours in 37 cases and 3 primary tumours in 3 cases. The first detected tumour was located in larynx in 11 cases, in genitourinary system in 9 cases, in intestine in 5 cases, in lung in 3 cases and in other organs in 12 cases. The mean interval between the first and the second tumour was 77 months with a range of 1 months to 32 years. This interval was shorter than 6 months in 4 cases. Treatment modality for the first detected tumour was surgery in 35 cases. The last primary tumour was treated with surgery in 12 cases. In conclusion, the development of multiple primary tumours is not a rare phenomenon. Patients with a malignancy should be followed for development of a second primary malignancy. The treatment of lung cancer in patients with a previous malignancy should be the same as for lung cancers presenting as the first cancer.     

Effects of calcitonin, risedronate, and raloxifene on erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide in postmenopausal osteoporosis

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to compare erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide levels (NO) in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) and non-porotic postmenopausal healthy controls and to assess the relationship between bone mineral density and these oxidant/antioxidant parameters. Additionally, in vivo effects of three different anti-osteoporotic drugs, calcitonin, risedronate and raloxifene, on the erythrocyte oxidant-antioxidant status in women with PMO were also assessed. METHODS: Postmenopausal women aged 40-65 years and without previous diagnosis or treatment for osteoporosis and independent in activities of daily living were included. Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine and proximal femur using DXA. Erythrocyte enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and lipid peroxidation end-product malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite/nitrate levels, by product of NO, were assessed. Fifty-nine women with PMO were included (mean age 56.7 years), 44 completed course of therapy and were analyzed. Twenty-two non-porotic healthy women (mean age 55.8 years) were included as controls. RESULTS: Patients had significantly lower CAT and GSH-Px enzyme activity and higher levels of MDA and NO than non-porotic healthy controls. Proximal femur BMD measurements significantly correlated with NO levels. QUALEFFO scores improved in different levels with these short-term treatments. In all treatment groups, erythrocyte MDA levels significantly decreased; moreover, risedronate reduced NO levels and raloxifene enhanced CAT enzyme activity. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PMO. Studied drugs had ultimate effects on reducing lipid peroxidation. Raloxifene also had potent effects in the enhancement of antioxidant defense system.     

Disorganization of the retinal inner layers as a prognostic factor in eyes with central retinal artery occlusion

AIM: To evaluate baseline foveal disorganisation of retinal inner layers (DRIL) as a prognostic factor in eyes with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). METHODS: Twenty-eight CRAO patients who were followed-up between 2010 and 2016 were retrospectively investigated. Demographic characteristics and detailed ophthalmological examination findings of all patients were recorded. Macular thicknesses (MTs) from 5 separate spots and DRIL were measured with spectral-domain optic coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Correlations between DRIL score and logMAR converted visual acuity (VA), change in VA, patient reference time (RT), number of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) sessions, MT and MT change were investigated. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between the DRIL score and the final VA (r=0.787) and a negative correlation with the change in VA (r=-0.763). The RT and MT were closely related to the DRIL score. A negative correlation was found between the number of HBOT sessions and the DRIL score (r=-0.341). CONCLUSION: The DRIL score is a parameter assessed by SD-OCT, which can provide us reliable information regarding the prognosis of visual functions and response to the treatment for CRAO patients at acute phase.     

Internalized Stigma in Pediatric Psoriasis: A Comparative Multicenter Study

BackgroundInternalized stigma, adoption of negative attitudes and stereotypes of the society regarding persons'' illness, has not been studied previously in pediatric psoriasis patients.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the internalized stigma in pediatric psoriasis patients and to determine differences according to factors affecting internalized stigma compared to adult psoriasis patients.MethodsThis multicenter, cross-sectional, comparative study included 125 pediatric (55 female, 70 male; mean age±standard deviation [SD], 14.59±2.87 years) and 1,235 adult psoriasis patients (577 female, 658 male; mean age±SD, 43.3±13.7 years). Psoriasis Internalized Stigma Scale (PISS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Perceived Health Status (PHS), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 were the scales used in the study.ResultsThe mean PISS was 58.48±14.9 in pediatric group. When PISS subscales of groups were compared, the pediatric group had significantly higher stigma resistance (p=0.01) whereas adult group had higher scores of alienation (p=0.01) and stereotype endorsement (p=0.04). There was a strong correlation between mean values of PISS and DLQI (r=0.423, p=0.001). High internalized stigma scores had no relation to either the severity or localization of disease in pediatric group. However, poor PHS (p=0.007) and low-income levels (p=0.03) in both groups, and body mass index (r=0.181, p=0.04) in the pediatric group were related to high PISS scores.ConclusionInternalized stigma in pediatric patients is as high as adults and is related to poor quality of life, general health, and psychological illnesses. Unlike adults, internalized stigma was mainly determined by psoriasis per se, rather than disease severity or involvement of visible body parts, genitalia or folds.     

The use of sucralfate suspension in the treatment of oral and genital ulceration of Beh?et disease: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of topically applied sucralfate suspension in the treatment of oral and genital ulceration of Beh?et disease. DESIGN AND SETTING: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study at a university referral center. PATIENTS: Forty patients with Behcet disease were included in the study. INTERVENTION: Patients were given topical sucralfate or placebo 4 times a day for 3 months and examined clinically at biweekly intervals. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: For each lesion, the mean frequency, healing time, and pain were evaluated during the pretreatment, treatment, and follow-up periods. No patients were given any concurrent disease-specific or immunosuppressive topical and systemic drugs during the 9-month study period. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients included in the study, the results in 30 patients (16 patients treated with sucralfate and 14 patients treated with placebo, ranging in age from 16 to 52 years [mean+/-SD age, 34.3+/-8.1 years]) were evaluable for efficacy. Treatment with sucralfate decreased significantly the mean frequency, healing time, and pain of oral ulceration and healing time and pain of genital ulceration compared with the pretreatment period. The effectiveness of sucralfate on the frequency and healing time of oral ulceration continued during the post-treatment period. In the placebo group, no significant difference was found in measured parameters of oral and genital ulceration except the pain of the oral ulceration between the pretreatment and treatment periods. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that topical sucralfate suspension is an easy, safe, inexpensive, and effective treatment for oral and genital ulceration in patients with Beh?et disease.     

Comorbidities Do not Influence Primary Fistula Success in Incident Hemodialysis Patients: A Prospective Study

Background and objectives: Concern about primary fistula failure may contribute to the underuse of arteriovenous fistula. The objective of this study was to investigate the baseline clinical parameters associated with primary fistula success.Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Consecutive incident patients who commenced dialysis during a 28-mo period in a regional renal program were studied. Data on patient-related variables and on surgical approach (e.g., whether the surgeons routinely assess vessel size during the operation) were collected. Primary fistula success was defined as an arteriovenous fistula that was able to afford successful dialysis for 3 h with blood pump speed of ≥300 ml/min for three consecutive sessions.Results: A total of 205 (69%) patients had an AVF attempted as their first vascular access. The overall primary success rate was 64% and was similar for radiocephalic and brachiocephalic fistula. Logistic regression was done separately for patients with the two types of fistula because of the presence of statistical interaction. For radiocephalic fistula, male gender was the only parameter associated with primary fistula success (odds ratio 3.57; P = 0.01). The presence of comorbidity was not significantly associated with primary fistula failure.Conclusions: Despite significant patient comorbidity, there was a high primary fistula success rate among this incident hemodialysis cohort. Given that vessel size may be the ultimate determinant of fistula success, if surgeons assess vessel size perioperatively, then the presence of significant comorbidity might not preclude arteriovenous fistula from being attempted as the initial access.Given the well-documented advantages of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) over arteriovenous graft and central venous catheter (CVC), the current Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines suggest that AVF should be attempted as the initial vascular access in at least 50% of incident patients and that at least 40% of prevalent hemodialysis (HD) patients should undergo dialysis with an AVF (1–5). Despite these recommendations, it is clear that AVF are underused in many centers in North America, especially when compared with European centers (6,7). Recent data suggest that only 32% of prevalent US HD patients undergo dialysis with an AVF (8). In Canada, AVF are used by 53% of prevalent and only 26% of incident HD patients (7).One of the fears that may reduce the use of AVF is the high primary fistula failure rate (i.e., failure of AVF to mature) (9). Identifying risk factors that contribute to primary fistula failure may help clinicians and patients make an informed decision as to for whom to attempt an AVF. Only a few studies have prospectively examined the risk factors associated with primary fistula failure, which has been reported in 20 to 50% of patients (9–12).Most studies that have evaluated factors that are associated with primary fistula failure have typically used a retrospective design. For instance, Miller et al. (10) reported higher primary fistula failure rate in older and female patients with diabetes, although small numbers and a highly selected patient population limit the generalizability of these results. Feldman et al. (13) published data from a larger cohort (348 patients), reporting a primary success rate of 54%. Preexisting cerebrovascular disease, older age, and commencement of dialysis before access creation were noted to be associated with higher primary fistula failure in their study. Ravani et al. (11) noted that cardiovascular disease and late referral to nephrologists were associated with lower primary AVF success in patients from northern Italy.More recently, Lok et al. (14) studied a cohort of 422 HD patients who were undergoing their first AVF placement to identify preoperative clinical characteristics that are predictive of fistula failure to mature and to use this information to develop a prediction rule to estimate the risk for fistula failure to mature. This prediction rule was validated in an external data set from five North American centers. Age, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, and white race all were associated with fistula failure to mature in their study; however, in this and the previously mentioned studies, it is not clear whether there was any consistent surgical assessment performed perioperatively to guide fistula placement; as such, the results may not be applicable to programs that use pre- or intraoperative surgical assessment to guide fistula placement.Given these uncertainties, we sought to determine the association of various baseline clinical parameters with primary fistula success in a cohort that consisted of all incident dialysis patients between July 1, 1999, and November 1, 2001, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the majority of whom had an indirect assessment of vessel diameter intraoperatively to guide the location of fistula placement.     

Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of growth of human hepatoma HepG2 cells by heparin

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of heparin on a number of cancers have been described. There have been no studies analyzing the effect of heparin on human hepatoma cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heparin on human hepatoma cell line, HepG2. METHODOLOGY: HepG2 cell line was cultured with different concentrations of heparin. Colony count, viability assay, percentage of the apoptosis and proliferative index were assessed at the end of the 7th day. Trypan blue was used to assess viability. Apoptosis and proliferative indexes were assessed by flow-cytometry. RESULTS: Hepatoma cells were arrested at the G0/G1 phase with heparin incubation and proliferative indexes decreased significantly in 20, 40 and 80 U/mL of heparin concentrations in comparison with the control (36 +/- 1%, 30 +/- 5% and 29 +/- 8% vs. 44 +/- 1%, p < 0.01). Flow cytometry revealed a statistically significant increase in apoptosis in groups incubated with 40 and 80 U/mL of heparin in comparison with the control (39 +/- 26% and 58 +/- 18% vs. 0.83 +/- 1.3%, p < 0.01). Colony counts per well and viable cells per microL decreased significantly in 80 U/mL of heparin. CONCLUSIONS: Heparin leads to a significant anti-proliferative and an apoptotic effect on human hepatoma cells in vitro.