A randomized comparison of repeat stenting with balloon angioplasty in patients with in-stent restenosis

OBJECTIVES: This randomized trial compared repeat stenting with balloon angioplasty (BA) in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR). BACKGROUND: Stent restenosis constitutes a therapeutic challenge. Repeat coronary interventions are currently used in this setting, but the recurrence risk remains high. METHODS: We randomly assigned 450 patients with ISR to elective stent implantation (224 patients) or conventional BA (226 patients). Primary end point was recurrent restenosis rate at six months. Secondary end points included minimal lumen diameter (MLD), prespecified subgroup analyses, and a composite of major adverse events. RESULTS: Procedural success was similar in both groups, but in-hospital complications were more frequent in the balloon group. After the procedure MLD was larger in the stent group (2.77 +/- 0.4 vs. 2.25 +/- 0.5 mm, p < 0.001). At follow-up, MLD was larger after stenting when the in-lesion site was considered (1.69 +/- 0.8 vs. 1.54 +/- 0.7 mm, p = 0.046). However, the binary restenosis rate (38% stent group, 39% balloon group) was similar with the two strategies. One-year event-free survival (follow-up 100%) was also similar in both groups (77% stent vs. 71% balloon, p = 0.19). Nevertheless, in the prespecified subgroup of patients with large vessels (> or =3 mm) the restenosis rate (27% vs. 49%, p = 0.007) and the event-free survival (84% vs. 62%, p = 0.002) were better after repeat stenting. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ISR, repeat coronary stenting provided better initial angiographic results but failed to improve restenosis rate and clinical outcome when compared with BA. However, in patients with large vessels coronary stenting improved the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome.     

In vitro characterization of the human recombinant soluble granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor

We have cloned, expressed, and partially purified a naturally occurring, truncated, soluble form of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptor alpha subunit to investigate its biochemical and biologic properties. The soluble receptor species lacks the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains that are presumably removed from the intact receptor cDNA by a mechanism of alternative splicing. The resulting soluble 55- to 60-kD glycosylated receptor species binds GM-CSF with a dissociation constant (kd) of 3.8 nmol/L. The soluble GM-CSF receptor successfully competes for GM-CSF binding not only with the transmembrane-anchored GM-CSF receptor alpha subunit but also with the native oligomeric high-affinity receptor complex. In addition, in human bone marrow colony-forming assays, the soluble GM-CSF receptor species can antagonize the activity of GM-CSF. Our data suggest that the soluble GM-CSF receptor may be capable of acting in vivo as a modulator of the biologic activity of GM-CSF.     

Value of gated-SPECT in defining the post-revascularization prognosis of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Gated-SPECT simultaneously evaluates perfusion and ventricular function and could provide important prognostic information in ischemic cardiomyopathy. Our aim was to study the value of gated-SPECT performed before revascularization in a cardioischemic population to predict the outcome of revascularization. METHODS: One hundred and ten patients who had undergone percutaneous (n = 100) or surgical revascularization were included. Patients underwent sestamibi gated-SPECT before revascularization. After revascularization, they were followed-up for at least 12 months (mean 23.7 months, maximum 44 months). We recorded deaths and a combined clinical event of death, non-fatal infarction, and hospital re-admission for cardiac reasons. We analyzed the prognostic value of clinical, angiographic, and gated-SPECT variables. RESULTS: During follow-up, there were 14 deaths (6.4%/ year) and 36 cases of combined events (16.5%/year). Multivariate analysis showed that depressed gated-SPECT ejection fraction (threshold 0.30) was the only variable independently related to death (OR = 4.8; 95%CI, 1.6-14.6) and combined event (OR = 2.5; 95%CI, 1.2-4.8). Survival analysis showed that patients with ejection fraction < or = 0.30% had a significantly shorter period of time free of death (33 months [28-38] versus 42 months [40-44]; p = 0.002) and combined events (28 months [23-32] versus 36 months [33-39]; p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Gated-SPECT, due to the information it provides about left ventricular function, predicts the prognosis of patients after coronary revascularization.     

Lung Cancer in the Young

Introduction

Median age at diagnosis of lung cancer is 70 years. Its presentation in patients 40 or younger is uncommon and it has been proposed that maybe it is a different disease due to its clinical characteristics and genetic makeup. There are a limited number of studies in this population and they report different clinic-pathological characteristics in comparison with older patients.

Methods

We described the incidence of lung cancer patients diagnosed at age 40 or younger at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (INEN), Lima-Peru; from 2009 to 2017 and evaluated the characteristic of NSCLC. Epidemiologic and clinic-pathological data was collected from clinical files. Analysis was carried out using SPSSvs19 software.

Results

We identified 3823 patients with lung cancer seen at INEN during the study period. Among these, 166 (4.3%) patients were 40 years or younger, and 137/166 (82.5%) were NSCLC. Median age at diagnosis was 36 years (range 14–40 years) and 59.1% of patients were female. A smoking history was present in 14.4% of patients. Frequent symptoms at diagnosis were cough (62.0%), chest pain (51.8%) and dyspnea (40.9%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological type (63.3%). Most patients had advanced disease at diagnosis (84.7%). The median overall survival was 8.2 months.

Conclusions

The proportion of young patients with lung cancer in our population is higher than that reported in the most recent literature. Lung cancer in the young is mostly sporadic, more frequent in women, usually adenocarcinoma type and it presents with advanced disease, resulting in a very poor survival.

     

Anthropomorphic radiologic phantoms

A technique is being developed for the design and fabrication of anthropomorphic phantoms for diagnostic x-ray imaging. Anatomic information extracted from actual patient radiographs is incorporated into the phantoms using computer image processing and computer-assisted machining methods. In this paper, the technique is described as applied to a breast phantom, and preliminary images that closely mimic human anatomy on radiographs are shown.     

Otago Glaucoma Surgery Outcome Study: long‐term results of 841 trabeculectomies

Background: To describe the long‐term outcomes of trabeculectomies performed at Dunedin Hospital and followed in the Otago Glaucoma Surgery Outcome Study. Methods: Prospective non‐comparative case series of 841 eyes of 607 patients who had first trabeculectomies for primary open‐ or closed‐angle glaucoma at Dunedin Hospital between 1976 and 2005 and followed for a mean of 7.5 years (standard deviation 6.0). Results: The probability of a trabeculectomy controlling the intraocular pressure at 21 mmHg or less at 1, 10 and 20 years was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95, 0.97), 0.86 (95% CI 0.83, 0.89) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.74, 0.83), respectively. Visual acuity was maintained or improved between preoperative assessment and final follow up in 68% of cases. The probability of not being blind following trabeculectomy at 1, 10 and 20 years was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96, 0.98), 0.83 (95% CI 0.80, 0.87) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.64, 0.76), respectively. The proportion of those with glaucomatous field loss increased during follow up from 16% (44/283) at 0–5 years to 50% (10/20) for those with 21 or more years of follow up. A repeat drainage procedure was required in 65 eyes (8%) (56 Molteno implant insertions and 9 repeat trabeculectomies). Conclusions: Intraocular pressure was well controlled by trabeculectomy; however, a steady decline in intraocular pressure control, visual acuity and visual field occurred during follow up.     

Genetics of the Berardinelli-Seip syndrome (congenital generalized lipodystrophy) in Norway: epidemiology and gene mapping

Five of the six families with the Berardinelli Seip syndrome in Norway cluster in six adjacent rural municipalities of south-western Norway. The six patients from this area were born between 1951 and 1973, none between 1974 and 1995. The absence of new cases may be explained by a decrease in the intraregion marriage rate and inbreeding. Genealogical investigations show that the mutation must have occurred at least 400 years ago. The sixth family was clinically different and geographically sporadic from a Finnish-descent rural East Norwegian population. A genetic linkage study of all six families revealed fresh crossovers versus the disease allele in nine DNA marker systems and the absence of recombination in three (maximum lod score + 1.3). None of the last showed allelic association. These families are included in an international effort to map the CLBS locus. The patients have been included in the homozygosity testing of totally 28 patients in an international collaborative study. The three patients, assumed identical in descent from both parents, were jointly homozygous in none of the 250 dinucleotide markers tested. A heterochromatic 9qh + segregated from one parent in two families.     

Effects of a few food diet in attention deficit disorder

Seventy-eight children, referred to a diet clinic because of hyperactive behaviour, were placed on a 'few foods' elimination diet. Fifty nine improved in behaviour during this open trial. For 19 of these children it was possible to disguise foods or additives, or both, that reliably provoked behavioural problems by mixing them with other tolerated foods and to test their effect in a placebo controlled double blind challenge protocol. The results of a crossover trial on these 19 children showed a significant effect for the provoking foods to worsen ratings of behaviour and to impair psychological test performance. This study shows that observations of change in behaviour associated with diet made by parents and other people with a role in the child's care can be reproduced using double blind methodology and objective assessments. Clinicians should give weight to the accounts of parents and consider this treatment in selected children with a suggestive medical history.