Relationship between serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and mortality in patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease

Background It is known that vitamin D has many functions besides involvement in calcium metabolism. It has recently been recognized that vitamin D deficiency is associated with mortality, especially in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Vitamin D deficiency is common in end-stage renal disease, but develops from the early stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD). So we investigated whether the serum level of the activated form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) affected mortality in patients with CKD stages 3 and 4. Methods Between January 1, 1995, and June 30, 2006 we measured serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D In 226 patients with CKD stages 3 and 4 and classified the results into two groups depending on whether the level was below (group I) or above (group II) 20 pg/ml. We ended the follow-up period on December 31, 2006. We compared all-cause and cardiovascular mortality between the two groups. We also examined predictors of mortality by using Cox proportional regression analysis. Results Two-hundred and twenty-six patients (67 men and 159 women, mean age 67.0) were registered in this study, and groups 1 and 2 comprised 84 and 142 patients, respectively. During the follow-up period 43 patients died. CVD was the major cause of death, followed by infectious disease. The Kaplan–Meier survival curve revealed that all-cause mortality was significantly higher in group I, but a significant difference between CVD mortality in the two groups was not demonstrated. By Cox proportional regression analysis, group I was related to all-cause mortality, but this was not proved to be an independent predictor. Conclusion The results suggested that serum level of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was associated with all-cause mortality in patients with CKD stages 3 and 4.     

Effectiveness of lidocaine infusion for status epilepticus in childhood: a retrospective multi-institutional study in Japan

We evaluated the usefulness of intravenous lidocaine therapy for managing of status epilepticus (SE) during childhood in a retrospective multi-institutional study. Questionnaires were sent to 28 hospitals concerning patients admitted for SE who were managed with lidocaine, assessing patient characteristics, treatment protocols and efficacy. In 279 treated patients, 261 SE occurrences at ages between 1 month and 15 years were analyzed. SE was classified as showing continuous, clustered, or frequently repeated seizures. Considering efficacy and side effects in combination, the usefulness of lidocaine was classified into six categories: extremely useful, useful, slightly useful, not useful, associated with deterioration, or unevaluated. In 148 SE cases (56.7%), lidocaine was rated as useful or extremely useful. Multivariate analysis indicated lidocaine was to be useful in SE with clustered and frequently repeated seizures, and SE attributable to certain acute illnesses, such as convulsions with mild gastroenteritis. Efficacy was poor when SE caused by central nervous system (CNS) infectious disease. Standard doses (approximately 2mg/kg as a bolus, 2mg/kg/h as maintenance) produced better outcomes than lower or higher doses. Poor responders to the initial bolus injection of lidocaine were less likely to respond to subsequent continuous infusion than good initial responders. We recommend lidocaine for use in SE with clustered or frequently repeated seizures, and in SE associated with benign infantile convulsion and convulsions with mild gastroenteritis. Lidocaine should be initiated with a bolus of 2mg/kg. If SE is arrested by the bolus, continuous maintenance infusion should follow; treatment should proceed to different measures when SE shows a poor response to the initial bolus of lidocaine.     

Monozygotic twins with severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy discordant for clinical features

Male monozygotic twins with genetically determined severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy are described. Although seizure onset, clinical seizure symptomatology, and motor and mental development were almost identical until age 38 months, their clinical courses then became discordant. The emergence of myoclonus was delayed by 12 months in twin 1 compared with twin 2. Regression in language development, which is a common feature of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy, was obvious in twin 2 after the emergence of myoclonus, whereas twin 1 did not demonstrate any regression. The clinical-course discordance between twins was attributable to bacterial meningitis, which twin 1 developed at age 35 months. Bacterial meningitis may have affected the clinical course of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy in twin 1, resulting in delayed onset of myoclonus and more favorable language development in twin 1 than in twin 2, who did not experience bacterial meningitis.     

"Spiral-cuff" technique for repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery

We describe a new technique for coronary transfer in the repair of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. The left coronary artery is elongated with the native pulmonary artery wall to form a spiral-shaped coronary cuff to construct an unstretched new left coronary artery system from the ascending aorta. A postoperative angiographic scan showed good flow of the left coronary artery without any kinking or narrowing. This technique is considered useful when an anomalous coronary artery arises a long way from the ascending aorta.     

Quadrilateral space syndrome: a rare complication of thoracic surgery

We report a case of quadrilateral space syndrome related to thoracic surgery. A 21-year-old man underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery for a left-sided pneumothorax. After the operation, he presented with difficulties in left arm abduction and paresthesia over the lateral aspect of the shoulder and upper arm. Deltoid muscle atrophy and tenderness over the quadrilateral space were also observed. On further examination, he was diagnosed with isolated paralysis of the axillary nerve, the so-called quadrilateral space syndrome. This is a rare complication, but it interferes with the activities of daily living, and thus one should pay attention to this syndrome.     

Antibody to the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) envelope protein Gp46 in patients co-infected with HCV and HTLV-1

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is known to affect hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and to accelerate the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-infected patients. In this study, we found the prevalence and titer of an antibody recognizing the central region of the HTLV-1 Gp46 protein to be associated with the severity of chronic liver disease. The antibody prevalence was significantly correlated with the stage of chronic liver disease (P < 0.0001): 3 (14.3%) of 21 patients with minimal-mild chronic hepatitis, 12 (24%) of 50 with moderate-severe chronic hepatitis, 7 (87.5%) of 8 with liver cirrhosis, and 13 (100%) of 13 with hepatocellular carcinoma. These results indicate that the antibody may be a useful marker of the deterioration of liver disease in patients co-infected with HCV and HTLV-1. This antibody may be useful for the diagnosis of liver diseases and the development of more effective treatments.     

Retrospective analysis of 27 consecutive patients treated with docetaxel/nedaplatin combination therapy as a second-line regimen for advanced esophageal cancer

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with docetaxel and nedaplatin in advanced esophageal cancer as a second-line regimen in an outpatient setting. Methods Twenty-seven consecutive patients with advanced esophageal cancer who received docetaxel/nedaplatin combination therapy as a second-line regimen were retrospectively evaluated. The combination therapy consisted of intravenous administration of docetaxel 30 mg/m² and nedaplatin 40 mg/m² every 2 weeks. Results The patients received a median of 7.4 cycles of treatment (range, 2–25 cycles ). No complete response was observed, and 3 of the 27 patients (11%) achieved partial responses. The disease control rate (partial response + stable disease) was 52%. The median survival time (MST) was 11.4 months. Severe hematological adverse events (grade 3–4) were: neutropenia (n = 10; 37%) and anemia (n = 5; 19%); there was neither febrile neutropenia nor grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, no severe nonhematological adverse events or treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusion Combination therapy of docetaxel with nedaplatin was safe and well tolerated; however, the development of more effective therapy is warranted to improve the prognosis of esophageal cancer.