Investigation of relationship between idiopathic hypercalciuria and urinary enzyme activities

In patients with uncomplicated idiopathic hypercalciuria renal function is normal except for increased renal calcium excretion. In this study, the level of fractional urinary enzyme excretion was assessed in relation to calciuria. Fourteen patients with a mean age of 5.8 +/- 0.8 years who had daily urinary calcium excretion more than 4 mg/kg and with otherwise normal renal function tests were included in the study. None of the patients manifested either renal calculus or nephrocalcinosis. Fourteen normal children with a mean age of 5.4 +/- 0.74 were included in the control group. The level of the urinary N-acetyl beta-D glucosaminidase (NAG) to creatinine ratio, fractional aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) excretion were not significantly different compared to the control group (p > 0.05). The patients were subdivided according to the type of hypercalciuria. The levels of NAG/creatinine ratio, fractional ALT, AST, ALP, LDH excretion were not significantly different in the absorptive type of calciuria group compared to the control group (p > 0.05). In conclusion, hypercalciuria during childhood which is 6.46 +/- 1.83 mg/kg/day is not related to the levels of NAG/creatinine ratio, fractional ALT, AST, ALP and LDH excretion in urine.     

Coexistence of a Meckel's diverticulum and a urachal remnant

Meckel's diverticulum, which is a remnant of the omphalomesenteric or vitelline duct, is the most common congenital abnormality of the gastrointestinal system. Urachal abnormalities, resulting from anomalous urogenital development, are not observed frequently and case reports are mainly represented in literature. The presence of these two congenital anomalies together is a very rare pathology. Complications arising from a Meckel's diverticulum or urachal remnant may clinically mimic acute appendicitis and other surgical pathologies. We report on a patient who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis when it was discovered that the symptoms were produced by a perforated Meckel's diverticulitis. In the course of the surgery, a urachal remnant was found to coexist with the diverticulum.     

Survivin expression in non-small-cell lung carcinomas: correlation with apoptosis and other apoptosis-related proteins, clinicopathologic prognostic factors and prognosis.

The role of survivin that regulates the biological behavior of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is still controversial. We aimed to investigate survivin expression in NSCLC and to define any correlation with expressions of p53, bcl-2, bax, apoptotic index (AI), tumor cell proliferation, clinicopathologic variables, and overall survival. Tumors of 63 patients with NSCLC were examined for expressions of survivin, p53, bcl-2, bax, and Ki-67 by immunohistochemistry. AI was also evaluated. Results for each antibody were correlated with each other, and with clinicopathologic variables including age, sex, histologic subtype, TNM (T: primary tumor, N: regional lymph node metastasis, M: distant metastasis) stage, lymph node status, smoking history, and prognosis. Nuclear survivin expression was inversely correlated with p53 expression (P = 0.04, r = - 0.367), and tumor stage (P = 0.03, r = - 0.273), and positively correlated with tumor cell proliferation (P = 0.009, r = 0.329). Cytoplasmic survivin expression positively correlated with smoking history (P = 0.02, r = 0.282). Survivin/bax ratio was inversely correlated with AI (r: - 0.004). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, TNM stage (P < or = 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.04), and Ki-67 index (P < or = 0.001) were associated with survival, whereas survivin was not. In multivariate analysis, only TNM stage was an independent predictor. Although survivin and other apoptosis-related protein expressions fail to predict the clinical outcome, the present findings suggest that survivin is involved in tumor cell apoptosis and proliferation and may play a role in critical steps of cancer progression in NSCLC.     

Comparison of efficacy and safety of daily oral L-arginine and PDE5Is alone or combination in treating erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

The meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of daily oral L-arginine and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) alone or combination in treating patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). We performed a search of randomised controlled trials in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. Four articles including 373 patients were studied. Erectile functions were significantly improved in three therapy groups compared with baseline. Patients who received the combination of L-arginine and PDE5Is showed significant improvement compared to those treated with L-arginine and PDE5Is alone, as assessed by sexual function index (p <0.00001 and p =0.005, respectively) and total testosterone (p <0.00001 and p =0.0007, respectively). Furthermore, patients who treated with PDE5Is alone exhibited the better efficacy than those treated with L-arginine alone in respects of sexual function index (p <0.00001) and total testosterone (p =0.0001). However, the combination of L-arginine and PDE5Is had no obvious difference relative to PDE5Is alone in terms of various adverse events (AEs). Conclusively, compared with monotherapy, the combination of L-arginine and PDE5Is showed a greater improvement of sexual function and total testosterone, and did not significantly increase the AEs. Besides, PDE5Is alone revealed a better effect than those treated with L-arginine alone for patients with ED.     

Pulmonary contusions in patients with rib fractures: The need to better classify a common injury

BackgroundPulmonary contusions are common injuries. Computed tomography reveals vast contused lung volume spectrum, yet pulmonary contusions are defined dichotomously (unilateral vs bilateral). We assessed whether there is stepwise increased risk of pulmonary complications among patients without, with unilateral, and with bilateral pulmonary contusion.MethodsWe identified adults admitted with rib fractures using the largest US inpatient database. After propensity-score-matching patients without vs with unilateral vs bilateral pulmonary contusions and adjusting for residual confounders, we compared risk for pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), respiratory failure, intubation, and mortality.ResultsAmong 148,140 encounters of adults with multiple rib fractures, 19% had concomitant pulmonary contusions. Matched patients with pulmonary contusions had increased risk of pneumonia 19% [95%CI:16–33%], respiratory failure 40% [95%CI: 31–50%], and intubation 46% [95%CI: 33–61%]. Delineation showed bilateral contusions, not unilateral contusions, attributed to increased risk of complications.ConclusionsThere is likely a correlation between contused lung volume and risk of pulmonary complications; dichotomously classifying pulmonary contusions is insufficient. Better understanding this correlation requires establishing the clinically significant contusion volume and a correspondingly refined classification system.