Evaluation of salvaged myocardium after acute myocardial infarction using single photon emission computed tomography after 201Tl-glucose-insulin infusion.

BACKGROUND: GIK-201Tl imaging reportedly improves the detection of viable myocardium, so the present study evaluated whether it can detect myocardial viability after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Resting 201Tl and 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PYP) dual single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 201Tl SPECT after 201Tl with GIK (10% glucose, insulin 5 U, and KCl 10 mmol) infusion (GIK-201Tl) were performed in 25 AMI patients within 10 days of admission. GIK-201Tl SPECT images were obtained immediately and 4 h after infusion. Left ventriculography (LVG) was performed within 3 weeks and at 6 months when follow-up 201Tl SPECT was also performed. From 20 SPECT segments, both the summed defect score (RDS) and the number of defect segments (ES) were calculated. The infarcted area was defined as 99mTc-PYP uptake segments. Wall motion was estimated in 7 LVG segments. The ES of R-201Tl (5.5 +/- 2.8), immediate GIK-201Tl (4.0 +/- 2.3), and 4-h GIK-201Tl (5.6 +/- 2.7) were lower than that of 99mTc-PYP (7.5 +/- 4.1) (p<0.05), and the ES had significantly declined 6 months later on 201Tl (3.5 +/- 2.8) (p<0.05). Although the RDS of R-201Tl (11.3 +/- 7.9) and 4-h GIK-201Tl (11.2 +/- 6.3) were greater than at the 6-month 201Tl (7.1 +/- 6.5), immediate GIK-201Tl (7.4 +/- 6.5) was equivalent to follow-up 201Tl. The sensitivity of immediate GIK-201Tl was highest among the imaging methods. CONCLUSION: To detect myocardial viability after AMI, early imaging with GIK-201Tl is more useful than resting 201Tl imaging.     

Protocol digest of randomized phase II study of modified FOLFIRINOX versus gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel combination therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer: Japan clinical oncology group study (JCOG1407)

Gemcitabine is one of the standard treatments for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Recent studies on metastatic pancreatic cancer have shown that combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFIRINOX) and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) prolonged the overall survival compared with gemcitabine alone. To select the most promising chemotherapy, a randomized phase II selection design trial was started in July 2016 to compare between modified FOLFIRINOX and GnP for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. A total of 124 patients will be enrolled from 36 Japanese institutions within 2.5 years. The primary endpoint is the proportion of 1-year overall survival, and secondary endpoints are progression-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, response rate in patients with target lesions, CA19-9 response, adverse events, treatment-related death, early death, grade 4 non-hematological toxicity, and dose intensity. This trial has been registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry [http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm], and the registration number is UMIN000023143.     

Status of TIM-1 exon 4 haplotypes and CD4+T cell counts in HIV-1 seroprevalent North Indians

The TIM (T cell/transmembrane, immunoglobulin and mucin) proteins are crucial regulators of Th1/Th2 immune responses and have been implicated in several diseases including HIV-1/AIDS. The TIM1 exon 4 that codes for mucin domain is highly diverse, with sequence variants associated with varying phenotypes. In this study, TIM1 exon 4 was sequenced among 227 HIV-1 seroprevalent and 288 healthy non infected individuals from North Indian population and haplotypes established. A novel but rare haplotype D1^∗ was identified among the healthy and differed from D1 by a synonymous substitution G>T at Thr208Thr. The TIM1 haplotype diversity showed no association with susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. The seroprevalent individuals carrying D3A had relatively higher median CD4+T cell counts (368/μl) than those without (313/μl; p = 0.02). A comparison of CD4+T counts between D3-A individuals on ART or ART naïve did not show any significant difference plausibly due to confounding nature of ART and other factors.     

The effect of a first-generation H1-antihistamine on postural control: a preliminary study in healthy volunteers

First-generation H₁-antihistamines are known to cause fatigue and drowsiness, due to their poor receptor selectivity and their high penetration rate of the blood–brain barrier. However, little is known about the effects of first-generation H₁-antihistamines on postural stability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of d-chlorpheniramine on postural stability using posturography with and without foam rubber. A double-blind study with three parallel groups was conducted. Twenty-seven healthy young volunteers (mean age 21.9 years) were recruited and orally administered d-chlorpheniramine, 2 or 4 mg, or placebo. Postural sway was measured every hour up to 8 h after administration. Two-legged stance tasks were performed by each subject in four conditions: eyes open or eyes closed and with or without foam rubber. Inter-group comparisons showed that the group receiving 4-mg d-chlorpheniramine showed significantly larger sway in the eyes open with foam rubber condition (visual and vestibular information available, somatosensory information reduced). Inter-subject analysis in the 4-mg d-chlorpheniramine group showed that the effect of d-chlorpheniramine on postural control was variable. Our results suggest that among the three main sensory systems responsible for postural control (visual, vestibular, and somatosensory), d-chlorpheniramine may have a larger effect on the visual and/or vestibular systems in susceptible individuals.     

Epidermal Basement Membrane: Its Molecular Organization and Blistering Disorders

The epidermal basement membrane is a specialized structure localized between the epidermis and the dermis. Recent studies have elucidated the biological roles of the basement membrane and its pathophysiological involvement in bullous diseases. To understand the functions of the basement membrane, it is essential to have clear and precise information regarding the ultrastructural molecular organization of the epidermal basement membrane. Immunoelectron microscopy is a powerful technique and the only method available for the clarification of the ultrastructural localization or orientation of molecules. This review summarizes the latest information regarding the molecular organization of the epidermal basement membrane as determined by immunoelectron microscopy as well as the blistering diseases that occur in the epidermal basement membrane zone.     

Transient hypoglycorrhachia with paroxysmal abnormal eye movement in early infancy

Paroxysmal abnormal eye movement in early infancy is one of the initial symptoms of glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1DS). We describe four early infants with transient hypoglycorrhachia presenting with abnormal eye movements. Their symptoms disappeared after the introduction of a ketogenic diet (KD), and their development was normal. Since no variants in SLC2A1 were detected, the CSF-to-blood glucose ratios (C/B) were re-examined, and within normal range. None of the four patients displayed recurrent symptoms after withdrawal from the KD. Because long-term KD has potential adverse effects and could affect the quality of life of patients and their families, re-examination of CSF glucose during late infancy should be considered in the case of absence of the SLC2A1 pathogenic variant.     

Complex HeartWare left ventricular assist device infection treated with pump exchange: clinical alert for the driveline location

Journal of Artificial Organs - Infection is a major complication in patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Once a driveline exit-site infection (DLI) reaches the LVAD component,...     

External compression due to seroma of ventricular assist device outflow graft

Journal of Artificial Organs - A 45-year-old woman with repaired complex congenital heart disease, who underwent placement of Jarvik 2000, a ventricular assist device (VAD) for 4&nbsp;years,...     

Initial report of bridge to recovery in a patient with DuraHeart LVAD

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) provide acceptable clinical results, but the long waiting period for heart transplantation leads to diverse complications. LVAD support can cause reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling that results in the improvement of LV function and allows LVAD removal. We present a case of successful removal of a DuraHeart LVAD because of sufficient recovery of LV function. Before LVAD removal, we conducted an “LVAD weaning test” by decreasing pump speed and performing an additional normal saline infusion test. We consider that the LVAD weaning test can be used in place of the “pulsatile LVAD off test.”     

Does time of CCI measurement affect the evaluation of platelet transfusion effectiveness?

The measurement of corrected count increment at 1-h post-transfusion (CCI-1 h) of platelet concentrate (PC) transfusion is recommended, but in the revised Japanese Guideline (2017) it was changed to “after 10-min to 1-h”, following the revision of the guidelines from Western countries. Here, we aimed to investigate on the feasibility to apply the CCI measured at 10-min or 30-min post-transfusion as the surrogate of CCI-1 h. Peripheral blood was collected at 10-min, 30-min and 1-h post-transfusion of PC and the effectiveness of the transfusion was analyzed based on the CCI. In the period from December 2017 to February 2020, 8 patients, who received multiple PC transfusion (total 208) at our institution, were analyzed. We performed the univariate analyses to examine the relationship between CCI value and the categorical variables, p-value <0.1 was obtained for gender (p = 2.91 × 10^?19), fever after transfusion (p = 0.0163). The qualitative variables, namely measurement time (p = 0.0553), also showed p-value <0.1. Using these factors as covariates in the mixed effect model, we found that the measurement time (p = 0.0007) had a significant effect on the CCI value when looking at fixed effects. Although there is a tendency for decreased CCI values with time progression, the slope of the change in the mixed model was -0.00307, indicating that the CCI difference among the 3 measurements was small. Here we provide evidence that CCI measured at 10-min and 30-min post-transfusion give results comparable to those measured at 1-h post-transfusion, under the Japanese practice of platelet transfusion, which relies on 100 % single-donor apheresis PC, and ABO-identical whenever possible.