Radiological evaluation of response to treatment in hepatobiliary fascioliasis

PurposeIn this study, we aimed to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) findings of Fasciola hepatica infestations on initial and follow-up imagings after treatment, and also to describe the role of CT during diagnosis.MethodsIn this retrospective study, patients with a diagnosis of fascioliasis by clinical and laboratory examination who underwent initial and follow-up contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans after treatment (a single oral dose of 10 mg/kg Triclabendazole) were included. The CT scans were evaluated regarding liver and spleen sizes, portal and splenic vein diameters, involved hepatic segment numbers and involvement patterns, the presence of focal perihepatic hyperdensity, gallbladder wall thickening, dilatation of the intrahepatic biliary tract, periportal-right subdiaphragmatic lymphadenopathy, hepatic subcapsular and intra-abdominal bleeding, and perihepatic/intraabdominal free fluid. Initial (pre-treatment) and post-treatment CT scans (average 25 months after the treatment) were compared with for these features.ResultsA total of 36 patients with a mean age of 39.28 ± 14.64 [15-83] years, were included in this study. After treatment, marked improvement in liver parenchymal involvement, biliary system findings, hepatomegaly-splenomegaly, periportal-peridiaphragmatic lymphadenopathy, and hepatic subcapsular hematoma were detected and focal perihepatic hyperdensity, free intraperitoneal fluid disappeared.ConclusionContrast-enhanced abdominal CT can be used in the diagnosis and post-treatment follow-up of fascioliasis. Awareness of intrahepatic/extrahepatic lesions and all the complications of fascioliasis can greatly aid the diagnosis and also evaluation of the response to treatment.     

Glycated haemoglobin predicts progression to diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians with impaired glucose tolerance

Summary Glycated haemoglobin could offer several practical advantages over the OGTT for assessing glucose metabolism. Initial cross-sectional studies (1983–1985) on 381 subjects (mostly Pima Indians) described the relationship between HbA_1c (a specific glycated Hb) and the OGTT. We performed follow-up OGTTs and HbA_1c measurements on 257 of these same subjects 1.6–6.1 years later. Subjects were again grouped according to both the result of the OGTT (normal, IGT or diabetes, by WHO criteria) and HbA_1c result (normal or elevated based on mean ± 1.96 SD of normal). Of 66 subjects with IGT at baseline, 47 (71%) had normal HbA_1c and 19 (29%) had elevated HbA_1c. Twentysix (39%) of these subjects had diabetes at follow-up. Of these subjects with IGT, a significantly greater percentage of subjects with elevated HbA_1c at baseline (68%) showed worsening to diabetes than those with a normal HbA_1c (28%); (chi-square=7.8, df=1, p<0.01). Thus, in subjects with IGT, glycated Hb may be a useful predictor of progression to diabetes.Abbreviations OGTT Oral glucose tolerance test - WHO World Health Organisation - IGT impaired glucose tolerance     

人工机械瓣膜置换术后口服抗凝药的抗凝治疗强度标准

目的 探讨适合我国人工机械瓣膜置换患者特点的抗凝强度标准并分别确定主动脉瓣置换(AVR)、二尖瓣置换(MVR)、双瓣置换(DVR)的抗凝强度标准。方法 对北京安贞医院心外科1658例人工机械瓣膜置换术后的患者随访,分析随访抗凝强度(国际标准化比,INR)与口服抗凝治疗相关并发症的关系,总结并发症发生率最低的抗凝强度范围,即最佳抗凝强度标准。结果 完成随访1508例,随访率91.0％,随访(0.08～5.08)年,平均随访(3.8±1.3)年,随访总人年数为5731.9。随访INR 2.13±0.56,口服华法林剂量(3.09±0.85)mg,发生血栓栓塞66例(1.17％人年),抗凝有关的出血115例(2.02％人年),总事件发生率为3.24％人年,其中INR于1.3-2.3(AVR:1.3～1.8;MVR及DVR:1.8～2.3)范围内出血和总事件发生率最低(P<0.001)。结论 我国人工机械瓣膜置换患者的抗凝强度控制在INR1.3～2.3范围(AVR:1.3～1.8;MVR、DVR:1.8～2.3),可以减少口服抗凝治疗的并发症,获得满意的预防血栓栓塞,减少与抗凝有关的出血的效果。     

Association of serum hs-CRP and lipids with obesity in school children in a 12-month follow-up study in Japan

Objectives

To investigate the association of serum lipids and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) with obesity in school children and to explore whether hs-CRP levels could be used to predict the presence or absence of obesity 12 months later.

Methods

The subjects were school children (6–11 years old) in Japan. Blood sampling and physical measurements were performed in school (2001); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, and hs-CRP levels were measured. Data from children who could be followed 12 months later were analyzed. Subjects weighing 20 % or more over his/her standard weight were regarded as obese, and the association of obesity with serum parameters was analyzed.

Results

Data from 612 subjects were analyzed (follow-up rate, 75.4 %). The mean of each serum parameter was significantly higher (inverse for HDL-C; lower) in obese than that in non-obese children. Logistic regression analysis for obesity at baseline showed that the odds ratio (OR) of hs-CRP was the highest [OR, 2.15; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.65–2.78 for an interquartile rage (IQR) increase]; the association with triglycerides and LDL-C/HDL-C was significant. At the 12-month follow-up, the OR of high hs-CRP remained the highest of all serum parameters (2.09; 95 % CI, 1.63–2.69 for an IQR increase).

Conclusions

High levels of triglycerides, LDL-C/HDL-C, and hs-CRP increased the risk of obesity in school children. Hs-CRP is considered to be a better predictor of obesity 12 months later than is LDL-C/HDL-C.     

Is CEA analysis of value in screening for recurrences after surgery for colorectal carcinoma?

The progress of 139 patients operated upon for cure of colorectal carcinoma, was followed postoperatively with a standardized protocol. A CEA test was performed for comparison with other parameters. Median observation time was four years. When an upper limit for CEA of 7.5 μg/l was allowed, sensitivity was found to be 78 per cent, specificity 91 per cent, and predictive value of an elevated CEA concentration, 83 per cent. In general, CEA measurement traced, recurrence six months before clinical diagnosis. In only a few cases was recurrence first heralded by an abnormality in other blood chemistry test results. CEA may thus be used in postoperative screening for recurrence even though most recurrences, when detected, are not curable. Read at the meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Boston, Massachusetts, June 5–9, 1983 Presented in part at The World Congresses of Gastroenterology (OMGE) and Coloproctology, Stockholm, Sweden, June 14–19, 1982.     

Type 2 diabetes and risk of non-embolic ischaemic stroke in Japanese men and women

Aims/hypothesis The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between type 2 diabetes and risk of ischaemic stroke in Asian populations.Methods We conducted a 17-year prospective cohort study in 10,582 Japanese individuals (4287 men and 6295 women) aged 40–69 years living in five communities in Japan. All subjects were free of stroke and CHD at baseline. Diabetes was defined as a fasting glucose level of 7.0 mmol/l, a non-fasting glucose of 11.1 mmol/l, or receiving medication for diabetes.Results The risk of non-embolic ischaemic stroke was approximately two-fold higher in diabetic subjects than in subjects with normal glucose levels. The multivariate relative risk after adjustment for age, community, hypertensive status, BMI, triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness (TSF and SSF), and other known cardiovascular risk factors was 1.8 (95% CI 1.0–3.2) for men and 2.2 (1.2–4.0) for women. This excess risk was primarily observed among non-hypertensive subjects and individuals with higher values for measures of adiposity (BMI, TSF and SSF values above the median), particularly those with higher values for SSF. The association between non-embolic ischaemic stroke and glucose abnormality was particularly strong among non-hypertensive subjects with higher SSF values: the multivariate relative risk was 1.9 (1.0–3.7) for borderline diabetes and 4.9 (2.5–9.5) for diabetes.Conclusions/interpretation In this cohort, type 2 diabetes was a significant risk factor for non-embolic ischaemic stroke, particularly in non-hypertensive and non-lean individuals. Due to the nationwide decrease in blood pressure and increase in mean BMI among the Japanese population, with current levels approaching those observed in Western countries, the impact of glucose abnormalities on risk of ischaemic stroke represents a forthcoming public health issue in Japan.     

起搏治疗肥厚梗阻型心肌病的长期疗效观察

摘要 目的 评价起搏治疗对肥厚梗阻型心肌病(hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy，HOCM)左室流出道梗阻及临床症状的长期疗效。方法 25例HOMC患者接受起搏治疗，临床随访12个月，观察临床症状体征；采用超声心动图观察起搏前后室间隔厚度(IVS)、左室后壁(LVPW)、左室舒张末内径（LVDd）、左室收缩末内径（LVDs）、左房内径（LAD）、跨左室流出道压力阶差（LVOT）、及二尖瓣前向运动程度（SAM）、二尖瓣反流的变化。结果 25例患者中植入双腔生理性起搏器21例，占84%，单腔SSIR起搏4例，占16%。起搏治疗12个月后，临床症状明显改善，15例晕厥发作术后症状完全消失，劳力性呼吸困难、胸痛改善分别占82.6%和75.0%， LVOT显著下降，从术前89.7±23.8 mmHg 降至术后36.8±12.6 mmHg ，P<0.01，IVS、LAD、MVA减少，SAM运动明显改善，其他指标无显著变化。结论起搏治疗对HOCM长期临床效果满意。     

男性高血压患者发生糖代谢异常的危险因素

目的探讨正常葡萄糖耐量的男性高血压患者发生糖代谢异常的危险因素。方法对口服葡萄糖耐量试验(OGTT)正常的106例男性原发性高血压患者进行随访研究,随访前后测定OGTT、同步胰岛素释放试验(InRT)、血脂、血压、体重指数(BMI)及腰围,用HOMA-IR、胰岛素敏感性指数(ISI)及胰岛素代谢清除率(MCRi)计算胰岛素敏感性,用HOMA-β及胰岛素1相和2相分泌计算β细胞功能。结果(1)106例正常葡萄糖耐量(NGT)的男性原发性高血压患者,平均随访3年后,新发糖尿病6例(5.7%),进展为IGT的39例(36.8%),保持NGT的61例(57.5%);(2)随访后进展为IGT的患者与仍为NGT的患者相比较,前者随访前的腰围、BMI、空腹血糖、OGTT2h和3h血糖、OGTT2h胰岛素水平均显著增高(P<0.01),ISI及MCRi显著减低(P<0.01);(3)调整年龄、血压、血脂等因素后,多因素Lo-gistic回归显示腹型肥胖和OGTT2h血糖是男性EHT从NGT转为IGT的独立危险因素(OR值分别为6.81和2.13);(4)随访前有腹型肥胖的NGT高血压患者进展为IGT的比率明显高于无腹型肥胖者(60%vs19%,P<0.01)。比较随访前指标发现,腹型肥胖组的ISI和MCRi显著降低、糖负荷后胰岛β细胞分泌显著增强(P<0.01),随访前后比较,腹型肥胖组HOMA-IR和HOMA-β明显增高(P<0.01)。结论腹型肥胖和OGTT2h血糖是无糖代谢异常的男性原发性高血压患者发展为糖耐量异常的风险预测指标。胰岛素敏感性降低及胰岛β细胞功能增强与腹型肥胖的男性NGT高血压患者发生IGT有关。