Diurnal variation of carbohydrate insulin ratio in adult type 1 diabetic patients treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion

To estimate the carbohydrate‐to‐insulin ratio (CIR), a formula dividing a constant, usually 300–500, by the total daily dose (TDD) of insulin, is widely utilized. An appropriate CIR varies for each meal of the day, however. Here, we investigate diurnal variation of CIR in hospitalized Japanese type 1 diabetic patients treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. After optimization of the insulin dose, TDD and total basal insulin dose (TBD) were 34.9 ± 10.2 and 9.3 ± 2.8 units, respectively, with a percentage of TBD to TDD of 27.3 ± 6.0%. The products of CIR and TDD at breakfast, lunch and dinner were 311 ± 63, 530 ± 161, and 396 ± 63, respectively, suggesting that in the formula estimating CIR using TDD, the constant should vary for each meal of the day, and that 300, 500, and 400 are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively.     

Conservative treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: can it reduce the incidence of surgical treatment?

Since 1986, the authors have been conducting conservative treatment for idiopathic scoliosis with the combination of brace treatment and physical treatment (side shift exercise and hitch exercise). A total of 328 female patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were at least 10 years of age at the first visit, with Cobb angle of 10° at the minimum and followed until after 15 years of age or skeletal maturity were included. The average Cobb angle was 32.4° and the average age was 13.8 years at the first visit. Surgery was recommended when curvature progressed to >50°. Twenty of 328 patients (6.1%) with more severe curves to begin with (mean Cobb angle at admission of 48.5?±?9.3°) progressed to 62.2?±?8.5° and were treated with spinal fusion by the age of 16.0?±?2.6 years. The remaining 308 patients, of comparable age at inception of treatment but with a smaller original mean Cobb angle (32.4?±?11.1°), showed no significant increase in magnitude of curvature (mean 33.6?±?11.5°) by the time of discharge (18.6?±?3.1 years). The fact that curvature magnitude was maintained at <35° means that these patients will have a good prognosis for avoiding dramatic progression during adulthood.     

Clinical study on anti-fungal drug activity against clinically isolated strains of oral Candida species

ObjectivesThe present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-fungal activity of amphotericin B (AMPH-B), flucytosine (5-FC), fluconazole (FLCZ), miconazole (MCZ), itraconazole (ITCZ), and micafungin (MCFG) against clinically isolated Candida strains from oral candidiasis (OC) patients and to collect information useful for the treatment of OC.Subjects and methodsThe study includes 116 strains of Candida isolated from patients. The Candida species were identified by polymerase chain reaction. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each drug against each Candida species was determined.ResultsOf the 106 participants (30 males and 76 females), 57 had OC, including 42 cases of pseudomembranous OC, 11 cases of erythematous OC, 2 cases of hypertrophic OC, and 2 cases of mixed pseudomembranous/erythematous OC. The Candida species isolated were Candida albicans (93 strains), C. glabrata (19 strains), and C. tropicalis (4 strains). AMPH-B and 5-FC had low MIC values against all species of Candida and a low incidence of resistance development. In some species of Candida, FLCZ and ITCZ showed high MICs, but MCZ had a low MIC value. AMPH-B, MCZ, and ITCZ prescribed to OC patients were effective against OC with respect to alleviation of OC symptoms.ConclusionMIC values of anti-fungal drugs against Candida strains isolated from OC patients were obtained and the 3 anti-fungal drugs given to OC patients were found to be effective against OC in spite of differences in their MIC values and in the number of resistant strains (or strains with a high MIC value).     

Falsely elevated thyroid hormone levels caused by anti-ruthenium interference in the Elecsys assay resembling the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of thyrotropin

The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of thyrotropin (SITSH) is defined as the inappropriate non-suppression of serum TSH in the presence of elevated free thyroid hormone; TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas and the syndrome of resistance to thyroid hormone are the main etiologies of SITSH. In addition, erroneous thyroid function testing may result in the diagnosis of this syndrome. A 63-year-old woman was referred because of suspected SITSH. Laboratory tests showed a normal TSH (0.52 μIU/L; normal range: 0.5-5.0) measured by sandwich Elecsys, and elevated FT4 (3.8 ng/dL; normal range: 0.9-1.6) and FT3 (7.6 pg/mL; normal range: 2.3-4.0), determined by competitive Elecsys. To exclude possible assay interference, aliquots of the original samples were retested using a different method (ADVIA Centaur), which showed normal FT4 and FT3 levels. Eight hormone levels, other than thyroid function tests measured by competitive or sandwich Elecsys, were higher or lower than levels determined by an alternative analysis. Subsequent examinations, including gel filtration chromatography, suggested interference by substances against ruthenium, which reduced the excitation of ruthenium, and resulted in erroneous results. The frequency of similar cases, where the FT4 was higher than 3.2 ng/dL, in spite of a non-suppressed TSH, was examined; none of 10 such subjects appeared to have method-specific interference. Here, a patient with anti-ruthenium interference, whose initial thyroid function tests were consistent with SITSH, is presented. This type of interference should be considered when thyroid function is measured using the Elecsys technique, although the frequency of such findings is likely very low.     

Analysis of effectiveness of therapeutic exercise for knee osteoarthritis and possible factors affecting outcome

Background

There are numerous reports and evidences to suggest that exercise therapy is effective for knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). However, there is a lack of sufficient research concerning the factors influencing its application and effectiveness. The purposes of this study were to evaluate effects of the mode of treatment delivery on the improvement of symptoms in knee OA, and to analyze potential risk factors affecting improvement after exercise therapies.

Methods

The 209 women applicants diagnosed with knee OA were randomly allocated into either a group performing group exercise in a class or a group performing home exercise. The 90 min exercise program was performed under the guidance of physiotherapists as a group exercise therapy. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) of the subjects of both groups before and after intervention was compared to examine the effect of exercise therapy. In addition, body mass index, knee range of motion (ROM), the femorotibial angle from radiographs, OA severity from Kellgren–Lawrence grade, and meniscus abnormality and subchondral bone marrow lesions from MRI findings were statistically analyzed as factors that may affect exercise therapy.

Results

A significantly greater improvement in WOMAC was observed in the subjects of group exercise (81 subjects) as compared with the subjects of home exercise (122 subjects). There was a significantly high proportion of subjects with knee flexion contracture among the subjects participating in group exercise that showed only minor symptom improvement (p < 0.05). In addition, exercise therapy proved to be highly effective for subjects with limited quadriceps muscle strength (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

When prescribing exercise therapy for knee OA, evaluation of a subject’s ROM and muscle strength is important in deciding whether to commence exercise therapy and what type of exercise therapy to apply; it is also important in predicting the effect of exercise therapy.     

Gender as a significant predictor of intravesical recurrence in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract following nephroureterectomy

ObjectivesTo retrospectively assess the significance of gender as a predictor of intravesical recurrence following nephroureterectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UC-UUT).Materials and methodsThis study included 502 consecutive patients (360 male and 142 female) who were diagnosed as having clinically localized UC-UUT and underwent nephroureterectomy. Clinicopathologic outcomes of these patients were analyzed focusing on the impact of gender.ResultsThe incidence of intravesical recurrence in male patients (41.9%) was significantly greater than that in female patients (27.5%). Despite the lack of significant differences in cancer-specific and overall survivals with respect to gender, the intravesical recurrence-free survival in male patients was significantly worse than that in female patients. Of several parameters examined, univariate analysis identified gender, tumor site, and tumor focality as significant predictors of intravesical recurrence following nephroureterectomy. Of these, only gender and tumor site appeared to be independently associated with intravesical recurrence-free survival on multivariate analysis. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in intravesical recurrence-free survival according to positive numbers of these two independent factors; that is, intravesical recurrence occurred in 12 of 55 patients who were negative for both risk factors (21.8%), 96 of 280 positive for a single risk factor (34.3%), and 82 of 167 positive for both risk factors (49.1%).ConclusionsThe incidence of intravesical recurrence following nephroureterectomy for UC-UUT is comparatively high. Therefore, it would be potentially important to perform careful follow-up targeting intravesical recurrence for such patients, particularly for male patients and/or patients with tumor located at the ureter.