Predictive factors of stroke in patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting: statins are protective.

BACKGROUND: Despite major improvement in surgical techniques and intensive care management, stroke remains one of the most devastating complications of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We aimed to determine factors predicting the occurrence of stroke during CABG. A special interest was focused on preoperative therapies. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 810 consecutive candidates for CABG alone in a specific database, including all pre- and perioperative data (history, clinical, therapeutic, cardiac catheterization, surgical and intensive care data). Univariate tests and then multiple logistic regression analysis were used to determine independent predictive factors. RESULTS: During the first postoperative month, stroke occurred in 11 cases and transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 4 additive cases (cumulative rate: 1.85%). After the multivariate analysis, the following factors remained significant (p<0.05) in the predictive model, with corresponding odds ratios between brackets: redo cardiac surgery (7.45), unstable cardiac status (4.74), past history of cerebrovascular disease (4.14), past history of peripheral arterial disease (3.55), whereas the presence of preoperative statins was protective (0.24, 95% IC: 0.07-0.78). The addition of perioperative data (aortic calcification, postoperative arrhythmia, on/off-pump surgery) did not change the final predictive model. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first real-world observational report highlighting the interest of statins for the prevention of stroke in the very special situation of CABG. Even though according to randomized trials coronary patients have a benefit from these drugs, a special level of interest should be directed towards those presenting the above-mentioned risk factors.     

Stability of transverse expansion in the mandibular arch.

This was a retrospective, longitudinal cephalometric and cast study of 29 white patients at pretreatment, posttreatment, and an average of 6 years 3 months postretention. The goal was to assess changes with treatment and retention with the expanding mandibular lingual arch appliance in conjunction with fixed edgewise treatment. Seven mandibular cast measurements were assessed, including arch crowding, arch perimeter, arch length, and arch width at the permanent canines, first premolars, second premolars, and first molars. Cephalometric radiographs were digitized, and 16 cephalometric measurements were made. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and 2-sample t tests were used to determine statistically significant changes. It was found that the expanding lingual arch used for less than 6 months with the mandibular fixed edgewise appliance caused an increase in both the transverse and sagittal dimensions of the mandibular dental arch. Transverse expansion was more stable in the posterior region of the mandibular dental arch than in the anterior region. Mandibular intercanine width increase could be maintained only by fixed retention. Although the maxillary and mandibular incisors were advanced and proclined, lip protrusion did not occur.     

BCR-ABL activity and its response to drugs can be determined in CD34+ CML stem cells by CrkL phosphorylation status using flow cytometry.

In chronic myeloid leukaemia, CD34(+) stem/progenitor cells appear resistant to imatinib mesylate (IM) in vitro and in vivo. To investigate the underlying mechanism(s) of IM resistance, it is essential to quantify Bcr-Abl kinase status at the stem cell level. We developed a flow cytometry method to measure CrkL phosphorylation (P-CrkL) in samples with <10(4) cells. The method was first validated in wild-type (K562) and mutant (BAF3) BCR-ABL(+) as well as BCR-ABL(-) (HL60) cell lines. In response to increasing IM concentration, there was a linear reduction in P-CrkL, which was Bcr-Abl specific and correlated with known resistance. The results were comparable to those from Western blotting. The method also proved to be reproducible with small samples of normal and Ph(+) CD34(+) cells and was able to discriminate between Ph(-), sensitive and resistant Ph(+) cells. This assay should now enable investigators to unravel the mechanism(s) of IM resistance in stem cells.     

Rostral anterior cingulate cortex activity in the theta band predicts response to antidepressive medication.

During the last 10 years the knowledge about rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in major depression has substantially increased. Several groups have independently described a relationship between resting activity in this area and response to antidepressant treatment. We have recently confirmed a relationship between resting activity of rostral ACC activity and response in a group of 20 patients with major depression using resting theta activity. In this earlier study regions of interest (ROI) were defined in order to establish regional specificity. Differences between responders and nonresponders were only found in the ACC-ROI, but not in the posterior cingulate region. We have now reanalyzed our data using a whole brain voxelwise approach, in order not to miss any other relevant functional differences. In addition to major differences between responders and nonresponders in the rostral ACC, we have identified a nearby region in the midline orbito-frontal region.     

Conversion from mycophenolate mofetil to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in liver transplant patients presenting gastrointestinal disorders: a pilot study.

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are one of the main adverse events in patients treated by mycophenolic acid (MPA). The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of conversion from mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) in liver transplant patients presenting GI side-effects Since January 2003, stable liver transplant patients receiving MMF and presenting GI disorders, without evidence of other origin than MMF were enrolled. Conversion was performed without a washout period at an equimolar daily dosage. Thirty-six patients were included after a median delay of 45 months after liver transplantation (LT) (16 women and 20 men, median age of 47 years). Diarrhoea was the main clinical symptom (n = 28, 77.7%). At the time of inclusion, patients were treated with MMF since 18 months (range 3-28) and GI disorders were known for 9 months (range 3-12). After a median follow-up of 12 months after conversion, GI disorders were resolved in 20 patients (55%), improved in 6 patients (17%) and not modified or worsened in 10 patients (28%). Our results strongly suggest that conversion from MMF to EC-MPS in liver transplant patients can improve gastrointestinal disorders in a majority of the patients, and therefore might be considered as the best therapeutic option.     

Tuberculosis trends in Madrid, 1994-2003: impact of immigration and HIV infection.

SETTING: Tuberculosis (TB) cases reported from nine districts of Madrid, where the percentage of immigrant population varied from 1.9% in 1996 to 12.2% in 2003. OBJECTIVE: To describe the trends in TB incidence from 1994 to 2003. DESIGN: Observational study. RESULTS: Between 1994-1995 and 2002-2003, the TB rate decreased from 48.5 (95% CI 45.8-51.1) to 23.3 per 100000 population (95% CI 21.5-25.1) (P < 0.001). The percentage of TB cases co-infected with HIV decreased from 55.9% in 1994 to 14.3% in 2003 (P < 0.001), whereas TB cases in foreigners increased from 2.6% in 1994 to 33.7% in 2003 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although the TB rates showed a marked decrease in the study period, the increasing impact of immigration contributed to slowing down the trend.     

CT定位下经皮穿刺射频消融治疗肺肿瘤疗效分析

目的探讨CT引导下集束电极射频治疗肺恶性肿瘤的疗效。方法对1999年以来在cT定位引导下。采用WE7568集束电极射频肿瘤消融仪。用集束电极经皮穿刺到肺内肿瘤进行射频消融治疗，每针次温度75～95℃左右维持10min或15min．结果78例病人经CT引导行射频消融80例次，绝大多数病灶（77．4％）复查CT均有不同程度缩小或CT值下降30～37，疼痛等症状明显缓解。无严重并发症，无围手术期死亡。结论CT定位下经皮集束电极射频消融对肺恶性肿瘤的近期疗效明显，对晚期肺癌、多发性肺转移瘤及不能耐受手术者，可作为综合治疗的方法之一。     

磷酸化信号传导与转录激活因子3在前列腺癌早期诊断中的应用

目的 探讨前列腺穿刺标本中磷酸化信号传导与转录激活因子3(P-STAT3)表达在前列腺癌(PCa)早期诊断中的应用价值.方法采用免疫组织化学方法检测接受重复穿刺的PCa患者初次穿刺未检出癌的标本(29例)、重复穿刺确诊PCa时的癌灶标本(29例)、重复穿刺确诊PCa时的非癌灶标本(29例)以及良性前列腺增生(BPH)患者初次穿刺标本(29例)中P-STAT3的表达.统计学分析其与临床诊断的相关性及对PCa发生的预测作用.结果 P-STAT3在PCa患者癌灶标本、非癌灶标本及初次穿刺标本中阳性表达率分别为93.1%(27/29)、82.8%(24/29)和86.2%(25/29),在BPH标本中阳性表达率为10.3%(3/29),前三者的阳性率明显高于后者(X2=60.123,P=0.000);如以初次穿刺标本中P-STAT3表达阳性作为PCa的诊断标准,该方法的敏感性为86.2%,特异性为89.7%.结论 检测穿刺标本P-STAT3表达可以作为前列腺穿刺活检的辅助诊断方法,用于PCa的早期诊断,预测PCa的发生.     

原发性肾上腺皮质癌的诊治分析

目的总结和提高原发性肾上腺皮质癌的诊治水平。方法回顾分析16例肾上腺皮质癌患者的临床资料。根据其临床症状、内分泌功能测定、影像学特点做出诊断，手术治疗并随访。结果16例患者中，内分泌功能紊乱者8例，以库欣征、性征异常、醛固酮增多症为主。超声、CT、MRI测定肿瘤直径为4．8～19．5cm，平均7．8cm。3例有远处转移。行根治性切除术13例，侵及同侧肾脏者做肾和肾上腙切除术2例，肾上腺肿瘤并腔静脉癌栓切除2例，腔静脉部分切除1例。病理结果：Ⅰ其耳2例，Ⅱ期8例，Ⅲ期3例，Ⅳ期3例。随访3-62个月，手术2年以上的11例患者中有6例仍存活，但1例肺转移，1例骨转移；死亡5例，平均存活26个月。结论肾上腺皮质癌患者预后差。影像学检查结合临床症状是早期诊断的关键，根治性手术是惟一有效的治疗方法。