Healthy ranges of serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Iranian blood donors

AIM: The healthy ranges for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are less well studied. The aim of this study was to define the upper limit of normal (ULN) for serum ALT levels, and to assess factors associated with serum ALT activity in apparently healthy blood donors. METHODS: A total of 1,939 blood donors were included. ALT measurements were performed for all cases using the same laboratory method. Healthy ranges for ALT levels were computed from the population at the lowest risk for liver disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate associations between clinical factors and ALT levels. RESULTS: Serum ALT activity was independently associated with body mass index (BMI) and male gender, but not associated with age. Association of ALT with BMI was more prominent in males than in females. Upper limit of normal for non-overweight women (BMI of less than 25) was 34 U/L, and for non-overweight men was 40 U/L. CONCLUSION: Serum ALT is strongly associated with sex and BMI. The normal range of ALT should be defined for male and female separately.     

Healthy ranges of serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Tranian blood donors

AIM:The healthy ranges for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are less well studied. The aim of this study was to define the upper limit of normal (ULN) for serum ALT levels, and to assess factors associated with serum ALT activity in apparently healthy blood donors.METHODS: A total of 1 939 blood donors were included.ALT measurements were performed for all cases using the same laboratory method. Healthy ranges for ALT levels were computed from the population at the lowest risk for liver disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate associations between clinical factors and ALT levels.RESULTS: Serum ALT activity was independently associated with body mass index (BMI) and male gender, but not associated with age. Association of ALT with BMI was more prominent in males than in females. Upper limit of normal for non-overweight women (BMI of less than 25) was 34 U/L,and for non-overweight men was 40 U/L.CONCLUSION: Serum ALT is strongly associated with sex and BMI. The normal range of ALT should be defined for male and female separately.     

Central sleep apnea and complex sleep apnea in patients with epilepsy

Purpose

We sought to examine the prevalence of central sleep apnea (CSA) and complex sleep apnea (CompSA) in patients with epilepsy and to examine their clinical profile, with respect to epilepsy type, etiology, medication use, and EEG abnormalities.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective analysis of 719 consecutive patients with epilepsy who underwent polysomnography (PSG) at our institution between 2004 and 2011. Of the 458 patients with complete data, we excluded 42 patients with congestive heart failure or left ventricular ejection fraction <40 %. Comparison of clinical and PSG variables between the three groups were conducted with Fisher exact test and analysis of variance.

Results

Out of 416 patients tested, 315 (75 %) had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 16 (3.7 %) had CSA, 33 (7.9 %) had CompSA. There were more males in the CSA and CompSA groups than in the OSA group (81.2, 81.8, and 59.6 %, respectively, p?=?0.04). Focal seizures were more prevalent in patients with CSA than in patients OSA or CompSA (62.5, 265, and 21.1 %, respectively, p?=?0.02).

Conclusion

About 11 % of epilepsy patients have sleep-breathing disorders with central apneas, which is not higher than that in a general population. These data should be expanded with future research investigating the role of interictal, ictal, and postictal central apneas in epileptogenesis and epilepsy.     

Ring-opening cyclization of activated spiro-aziridine oxindoles with heteroarenes: a facile synthetic approach to spiro-oxindole-fused pyrroloindolines

Herein, we report a facile tandem approach for the synthesis of both spiro-oxindole-fused pyrroloindolines and benzofurano-pyrrolidines via a Lewis acid-catalyzed domino ring-opening with concomitant ring annulation using activated spiro-aziridines and heteroarenes. This method offers a new class of novel spiro-fused polycyclic pyrrolidines in a one-pot and sustainable manner with good yields and high diastereoselectivity. In addition, the structure of 3d was confirmed by single X-ray crystallography analysis.

Herein, we report a facile tandem approach for the synthesis of both spiro-oxindole-fused pyrroloindolines and benzofurano-pyrrolidines via a Lewis acid-catalyzed domino ring-opening annulation using activated spiro-aziridines and heteroarenes.