Assessment of Toll-like receptor-4 gene polymorphism on pyelonephritis and renal scar

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the TLR-4 gene TLR4 c.896A相似文献   

Renal medullary changes in renal allograft recipients with raised serum creatinine

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the renal medulla may reflect rejection related changes and thus have a predictive value in the assessment of acute renal allograft rejection or chronic graft damage. METHODS: 75 post-transplant biopsies from 57 patients were scored according to the Banff 1997 scheme. The biopsies with adequate cortical and medullary tissue (n = 23) were selected and medullary tissues were reviewed for rejection related lesions except intimal arteritis. Chronic damage was determined by image analysis depending on periodic acid-methenamine silver (PAMS)-Masson trichrome (MT) staining. Medullary and cortical changes were compared. RESULTS: Interstitial inflammation and tubulitis were more frequent and severe in the cortex (p<0.001). Medullary tubulitis was associated with intimal arteritis (p = 0.003, r = 0.598). Medullary interstitial inflammation (n = 8) and tubulitis (n = 4) were associated with cortical borderline changes (n = 5) or allograft rejection (n = 3). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of medullary inflammatory changes in predicting cortical allograft rejection were 43%, 69%, 37%, and 73%, respectively. A significant association was observed between medullary MT-SAP and cortical PAMS-SAP values (p = 0.02, R(2) = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS: Acute rejection related lesions are more common and severe in the cortex, and the renal medulla does not sufficiently reflect cortical rejection. The positive and negative predictive values of medullary changes for allograft rejection are low, and medullary inflammation is not a reliable indicator of allograft rejection. Increased medullary fibrosis is correlated with chronic cortical damage.     

Assessment of cardiac function in absence of congenital and acquired heart disease in patients with Down syndrome

Background

Extra genetic material in patients with Down syndrome (DS) may affect the function of any organ system. We evaluated cardiac functions using conventional tissue Doppler and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with DS in the absence of congenital and acquired heart disease in patients.

Methods

A total of 115 patients with DS between 6 and 13 years of age with clinically and anatomically normal heart and 55 healthy children were included in this cross-sectional study. DS was diagnosed by a karyotype test. Patients with mosaic type were not included in this study. Systolic and diastolic functions were evaluated by echocardiography.

Results

Pulsed waved Doppler transmitral early/late inflow velocity (E/A), tissue Doppler mitral annular early/late diastolic peak velocity (Ea/Aa), transtricuspid E/A and tricuspid valve annulus Ea/Aa, pulmonary venous Doppler systolic/diastolic (S/D) wave ratio were lower in patients with Down syndrome than in the control group (P=0.04, P=0.001, P<0.05, P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). Mitral and tricuspid annular Ea were lower in patients with DS (P<0.001). The right and left ventricular myocardial performance indexes were higher in patients with DS than in the controls (P<0.01). They had significantly higher left ventricular mass, ejection fraction, the mitral annular plane systolic excursion values. However, the Down syndrome group compared with the controls had a lower strain values examined by two-dimensional longitudinal speckle-tracking strain echocardiography.

Conclusion

These findings suggest conventional tissue Doppler and two-dimensional longitudinal speckletracking strain echocardiography were useful methods of investigating ventricular function and identifying a higher incidence of biventricular dysfunction in patients with Down syndrome compared with the healthy controls.

     

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (T-786C) polymorphism in patients with slow coronary flow

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between T-786C polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and slow coronary flow (SCF). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 56 patients with SCF but otherwise normal coronary arteries (mean age 48+/-9 years) and 37 controls with normal coronary angiograms (mean age 50+/-12 years) were enrolled in the study. Screening for the eNOS T-786C polymorphism was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. RESULTS: In normal coronary artery and SCF groups, TT genotype frequency was 23 (62.2%) versus 22 (39.3%), TC heterozygote genotype frequency was 11 (29.7%) versus 30 (53.6%), and CC homozygote genotype frequency was 3 (8.1%) versus 4 (7.1%), respectively (P=0.07). In dominant model statistical analysis, total CC and CT genotype frequency in control and study groups was found to be 14 (37.3%) versus 34 (60.7%), respectively (P=0.025). A positive correlation was found between the mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count and C allele in patients with SCF (r=0.21, P=0.043). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the T-786C polymorphism of eNOS gene might be a risk factor for the SCF.     

Can midline brain shift be used as a prognostic factor to predict postoperative restoration of consciousness in patients with chronic subdural hematoma?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aim was to determine if midline brain shift could be used as a prognostic factor to predict postoperative restoration of consciousness in patients with CSDH. In these patients, we evaluated the relation (1) between midline brain shift as measured on CT and alteration of level of consciousness, and (2) between midline brain shift and restoration of consciousness after the operation. METHODS: Prospectively recorded data of 45 patients with CSDH were evaluated. We compared level of consciousness of patients measured by GCS score, brain displacement at PG and SP both in the preoperative and early postoperative period. RESULTS: Preoperatively, PG and SP shifts of the patients who were alert (GCS = 15) were significantly less than those of patients who had diminished consciousness. However, in patients with diminished consciousness (GCS < 15), the amount of lateral brain displacement and the degree of diminution of consciousness did not correlate. Those patients who had a preoperative SP shift of less than 10 mm had a significantly lesser chance to become alert after operation (2 of 5 patients) when compared with those patients who had a preoperative SP shift of 10 mm or more (21 of 23 patients). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that preoperative SP shift may be used as a factor to predict restoration of consciousness in patients with CSDH; the likelihood of becoming alert after operation is increased if SP shift is 10 mm or greater, and is decreased if SP shift is less than 10 mm.     

A fatal case of Behcet's disease with rare complications

Behcet's disease BD may involve in any large or small artery, vein. We present a case of BD with multiple venous thromboses, cardiac and pulmonary involvements, and renal failure. A 22-year-old man admitted with progressive dyspnea and edema on his face and neck. He had the history of recurrent oral and genital ulcers, and pustular skin lesions for 4 years. Doppler ultrasonography revealed right internal jugular vein thrombosis. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a pericardial effusion, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction. While his symptoms were regressing moderately with a pulse cyclophosphamide, prednisolone, and low molecular weight heparin treatment, new thromboses occurred in vena cava inferior, and bilateral renal veins after the third and 7th dosages of pulse cyclophosphamide. Creatinine levels increased progressively, which required hemodialysis. However, he died after the second session of hemodialysis. Patients with BD should be followed up for new developing thrombosis even during an immunosuppressive treatment.