Exercise duration rather than peak oxygen uptake better correlates with Fev1 and inspiratory capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND: Exercise duration of constant-load endurance tests has been recently demonstrated to be more sensitive in detecting the changes after bronchodilator administration than either walking distance or peak oxygen uptake in patients with COPD. In the present study, we questioned whether exercise duration of progressive load is better correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 sec and inspiratory capacity than other indices of submaximal exercise test during stable period in patients with COPD. METHODS: Thirty-three stable COPD patients, and 26 age- and BMI-matched control subjects were recruited. Resting pulmonary function tests and incremental cycle exercise tests were performed. All indices of exercise and pulmonary function tests including exercise duration, peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)), and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)) were recorded. RESULTS: Exercise capacity was lower in COPD than age- and BMI-matched controls as shown by exercise duration and ergometric work (535 +/- 159 vs. 705 +/- 115 sec, p <0.001 and 89.2 +/- 26.6 vs. 117.8 +/- 19.5 W, p <0.001). Statistical analysis revealed that exercise duration slightly better correlates with FEV(1) and inspiration capacity (IC) (R = 0.600, p <0.001; R = 0.615, p <0.001) than peak oxygen uptake (R = 0.284, p >0.05; R = 0.127, p >0.05) in stable period COPD patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is an impairment of aerobic capacity in stable period COPD patients compared to healthy controls. Exercise in COPD patients is ventilation-limited and exercise duration with respect to peak VO(2) is better correlated with FEV(1) and IC in stable COPD patients undergoing progressive-load cycling exercise.     

Aqueous humor erythropoietin levels in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the levels of erythropoietin (EPO) in the aqueous humor in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and without glaucoma. METHODS: Levels of EPO were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in aqueous humor aspirates taken during anterior segment surgery from 45 patients, of whom 20 had POAG and 25 had senile cataract only. RESULTS: The mean aqueous humor EPO concentration in eyes with POAG (10.91+/-4.32 mU/mL) was significantly higher than that from eyes with cataract (8.24+/-1.77 mU/mL, P=0.008). There was no significant difference between the serum EPO concentrations of POAG (26.46+/-10.36 mU/mL) and the control group (24.50+/-7.59 mU/mL, P=0.468). There was no correlation (P=0.165) between the EPO aqueous humor concentration and the EPO serum concentration while there was no correlation between the EPO aqueous humor concentration and the EPO serum concentration in the control group (P=0.819). CONCLUSIONS: The aqueous humor EPO level is increased in eyes with POAG.     

Evaluation of effects of T and N type calcium channel blockers on the electroencephalogram recordings in Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rij rats,an absence epilepsy model

Objectives:It is suggested that excessive calcium entry into neurons is the main triggering event in the initiation of epileptic discharges. We aimed to investigate the role of T and N type calcium channels in absence epilepsy experimental model.Results:Beta and delta recording ratios in 1 μM/5 μl mibefradil group was significantly different from basal and other dose-injected groups. Beta, alpha, and theta recordings in 0.2 μM/5 μl w-Conotoxin MVIIA group was significantly different from basal and other dose-injected groups. In w-Conotoxin MVIIA after mibefradil group, beta, alpha, and theta recording ratios were significantly different from basal and mibefradil group. Mibefradil and w-Conotoxin MVIIA significantly decreased the frequency and duration of SWDs. The decrease of frequency and duration of SWDs in mibefradil group was significantly different from w-Conotoxin MVIIA group. The frequency and duration of SWDs significantly decreased in w-Conotoxin MVIIA after mibefradil group compared with basal, mibefradil, and w-Conotoxin MVIIA groups.Conclusions:We concluded that both T and L type calcium channels play activator roles in SWDs and have positive effects on frequency and duration of these discharges. These results are related with their central effects more than peripheral effects.KEY WORDS: Epilepsy, mibefradil, T and N type calcium channels, Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rij rats, w-Conotoxin MVIIA     

IgG4-related disease and ANCA positive vasculitis in childhood: a case-based review

Clinical Rheumatology - Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) type 1 is an IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), characterized by inflammatory pseudotumors and histologically by dense lymphoplasmacytic...     

Plasma microRNA levels in childhood IgA vasculitis

Clinical Rheumatology - Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common form of childhood systemic vasculitis. It is mostly self-limiting and characterized by skin, joint, gastrointestinal...     

Comparison of the effectiveness of cyclophosphamide and rituximab treatment in patients with systemic sclerosis–related interstitial lung diseases: a retrospective,observational cohort study

Clinical Rheumatology - To compare the effectiveness of cyclophosphamide and rituximab in the treatment of patients with systemic sclerosis with pulmonary involvement (SSc-ILD). Symptoms and the...