Composition of the essential oil from Thymus moesiacus from Macedonia

Composition of the essential oil of Thymus moesiacus Velen. from Macedonia was examined by GC and GC-MS methods. The main constituents of the oil were geraniol, linalool, geranyl acetate, and terpenyl acetate.     

Evaluating Matching‐Adjusted Indirect Comparisons in Practice: A Case Study of Patients with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Differences in patient characteristics across trials may bias efficacy estimates from indirect treatment comparisons. To address this issue, matching‐adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) measures treatment efficacy after weighting individual patient data to match patient characteristics across trials. To date, however, there is no consensus on how best to implement MAIC. To address this issue, we applied MAIC to measure how two attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatments (guanfacine extended release and atomoxetine hydrochloride) affect patients' ADHD symptoms, as measured by the ADHD Rating Scale IV score. We tested MAIC sensitivity to: matched patient characteristics, matched statistical moments, weighting matrix, and placebo‐arm matching (i.e., matching on outcomes in the placebo arm). After applying MAIC, guanfacine and atomoxetine had similar reductions in ADHD symptoms (Δ: 0.4, p < 0.737). The results were similar for three of four sensitivity analyses. When we applied MAIC with placebo‐arm matching, however, guanfacine reduced symptoms more than atomoxetine (Δ: ?3.9, p < 0.004). We discuss the implication of this finding and advise MAIC practitioners to carefully consider the use of placebo‐arm matching, depending on the presence of residual confounding across trials. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Married men's first time experiences of early childbearing and their role in sexual and reproductive decision making: a qualitative study from rural Vietnam

Male partners' involvement in women's sexual and reproductive health has been increasingly emphasised in international health. A qualitative approach with open-ended qualitative interviews was used to explore young, married men's first time experiences of early childbearing, their sexual and reproductive decision making and the meanings they make of their role as husbands and fathers. The results offer a nuanced picture of the men's vulnerability in becoming young fathers and having to assume their role as family decision-makers, while still being inexperienced in matters related to the health of their wives and newborn child. Constraints to gender equality and traditional norms and values continue to pose barriers to both young men and women making independent decisions in relation to marriage and childbearing. Men's involvement is necessary in healthcare programmes designed to improve women's sexual and reproductive health and the health of the newborn. Young, first-time fathers, in particular, need support and empowerment.     

Blast injuries of the ear]

Blast injury of the ear is the actual military medical problem. The ear, due to its anatomo-physiologic characteristics, is more sensitive to effects of blast waves than other organs and systems. The anatomic and functional ear damages, their symptoms, etiology and clinical course are described. The diagnosis and treatment have been pointed out.     

Soluble adhesion molecules in acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory adhesion molecules play a key role in the development of ischemic lesions. Elevated plasma concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules are reported in stroke patients, but data are still controversial. Our aim was to explore the potential association of plasma levels of soluble (s) intercellular and vascular cellular adhesion molecules-1 (sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1), sE-selectin and sL-selectin with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: At our university hospital in Zagreb, Croatia, we prospectively enrolled 67 subjects with acute ischemic stroke, as well as 76 consecutive healthy individuals as controls who were visiting the centre for reasons unrelated to stroke. Serum concentrations of the molecules of interest were determined by means of quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Mean levels of sICAM-1 (p < 0.001), sVCAM-1 (p < 0.034) and sE-selectin (p < 0.002) were higher in patients than in controls, whereas sL-selectin was lower in patients (p = 0.043). In patients, levels of soluble adhesion molecules were independent of age and sex except for sL-selectin, which was inversely correlated with age (r = -0.260, p = 0.034) and higher in women (p = 0.006) and diabetics (n = 14; p = 0.004). Serum levels did not differ significantly with respect to carotid atherosclerotic disease, smoking status, hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. As well as correlating with each other, concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules in patients correlated with traditional biochemical markers of inflammation: total leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein level. Concentrations of sICAM-1 and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and ESR were identified as significant independent predictors/indicators of acute ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Acute ischemic stroke is associated with elevated plasma levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin, independent of age, sex and other recognized risk factors for stroke. Decreased levels of sL-selectin are associated with acute stroke. The observed changes in serum concentrations of adhesion molecules indicate inflammatory process occurring during acute cerebral ischemia.     

Oxidative stress increases susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid

Isoniazid is a first-line antibiotic used in the treatment of infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Isoniazid is a prodrug requiring oxidative activation by the catalase-peroxidase hemoprotein, KatG. Resistance to isoniazid can be obtained by point mutations in the katG gene, with one of the most common being a threonine-for-serine substitution at position 315 (S315T). The S315T mutation is found in more than 50% of isoniazid-resistant clinical isolates and results in an approximately 200-fold increase in the MIC of isoniazid compared to that for M. tuberculosis H37Rv. In the present study we investigated the hypothesis that superoxide plays a role in KatG-mediated isoniazid activation. Plumbagin and clofazimine, compounds capable of generating superoxide anion, resulted in a lower MIC of isoniazid for M. tuberculosis H37Rv and a strain carrying the S315T mutation. These agents did not cause as great of an increase in isoniazid susceptibility in the mutant strain when the susceptibilities were assessed by using the inhibitory concentration that causes a 50% decrease in growth. These results provide evidence that superoxide can play a role in isoniazid activation. Since clofazimine alone has antitubercular activity, the observation of synergism between clofazimine and isoniazid raises the interesting possibility of using both drugs in combination to treat M. tuberculosis infections.     

Oxidative stress,NOx/l-arginine ratio and glutathione/glutathione S-transferase ratio as predictors of ‘sterile inflammation’ in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatorenal syndrome type II

Continuous intake of alcohol leads to liver cirrhosis because of imbalance of oxidative stress/antioxidative defense and chronic ‘sterile inflammation’. Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is the most severe complication of liver cirrhosis. The aim of our study was to assess: (1) the oxidative stress/antioxidative defense markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), oxidative glutathione (GSH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), (2) inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP)], and (3) nitrate/nitrite levels (NOx) and its substrate L-arginine level. The study enrolled three groups: a group with cirrhosis and HRS (48 patients), a group with cirrhosis without HRS (32 patients), and a control group (40 healthy blood donors). All the patients with cirrhosis and HRS had type II HRS. MDA concentration was significantly higher in the groups with cirrhosis with and without HRS. Significant positive correlation was documented between the MDA level and de Ritis coefficient (AST/ALT), a marker of liver damage severity; between MDA and inflammation (CRP); between MDA and NOx concentration in the groups with cirrhosis with and without HRS. The correlation between MDA and creatinine level was significant in the group with HRS. The levels of GSH and GST were significantly lower in the groups with cirrhosis with and without HRS. The results of the study revealed that an increase in MDA and NOx concentration, along with decreased values of antioxidative defense and L-arginine, may indicate that liver damage can have an influence on progression to renal failure.     

Abnormal fatty acid distribution of the serum phospholipids of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The data about the fatty acid (FA) status of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients are poor. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the FA profile of serum phospholipids in NHL patients related to the aggressiveness and clinical stage of NHL. We analyzed the FA profile of serum phospholipids in 47 newly diagnosed, untreated NHL patients and in 29 healthy subjects. Significantly higher (p?<?0.001) levels of palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1 n-9) and arachidonic acids (20:4 n-6), saturated and monounsaturated FA were found in NHL patients, while linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) and the levels of total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic (20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6 n-3) were significantly reduced (p?<?0.01). The level of oleic acid in patients with indolent NHL was significantly lower (p?<?0.05) than in more aggressive types of disease. Contents of palmitoleic acid, docosatetraenoic (22:4 n-6), and PUFA was lower in very aggressive NHL. According to clinical stage (CS), patients with CS I had significantly higher SFA and lower n-6 FA than other three groups, and group with CS IV showed significantly decreased DHA and n-3 PUFA. Our results showed an abnormal FA profile in serum phospholipids in NHL patients.