Effects of uncomplicated carotid endarterectomy on cognitive function and brain perfusion in patients with unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery by comparison with unoperated patients

Objective: The purpose of the present exploratory study was to evaluate the effects of uncomplicated carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on cognitive function and brain perfusion in patients with unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) by comparison with unoperated patients.

Methods: Patients with age ≤75 years and unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis (≥70%) of the cervical ICA underwent CEA with antiplatelet therapy (surgically treated group: 116 patients) or antiplatelet therapy alone or neither (medically treated group: 45 patients). For the surgically treated group, neuropsychological testing and brain perfusion measurement using single-photon emission computed tomography were performed within one month before surgery and one month after surgery. For the medically treated group, the same testing and measurement were performed twice at an interval of 1 to 2 months.

Results: None of the operated patients developed new major ischemic events after surgery or intraoperative cerebral hyperperfusion. None of the patients in the medically treated group experienced neurological deficits including transient ischemic attacks during the study period. The incidence of patients with interval cognitive improvement was significantly greater in the surgically treated group (11 patients: 9%) than in the medically treated group (0%) (p = 0.0352). The incidence of patients with interval brain perfusion improvement in the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere was significantly greater in the surgically treated group (24 patients: 21%) than in the medically treated group (0%) (p = 0.0003).

Conclusions: Uncomplicated CEA may improve cognitive function and brain perfusion in patients with unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis of the ICA when compared with unoperated patients.     

Malignancy in Renal Transplant Recipients Exposed to Cyclophosphamide Prior to Transplantation for the Treatment of Native Glomerular Disease

Study Objective

To evaluate the risk of posttransplantation malignancy in renal transplant recipients exposed to pretransplantation cyclophosphamide for the treatment of glomerular nephropathy (GN).

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary academic medical center.

Patients

Six hundred adult renal transplant recipients were transplanted between 1993 and 2014; 54 patients were exposed to pretransplantation cyclophosphamide for treatment of GN (GN‐CYC group), and 546 patients with polycystic kidney disease were not exposed to pretransplantation cyclophosphamide (PKD group).

Measurement and Main Results

Data were collected retrospectively from electronic medical records. The primary outcome was occurrence of posttransplantation malignancy. During a median follow‐up of 5.5 years, 130 patients developed malignancy (incidence rate 3.5 events per 100 person‐yrs). Exposure to cyclophosphamide before transplantation was significantly associated with malignancy after transplantation (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–4.22, p=0.02), specifically skin cancer (aHR 2.24, 95% CI 1.09–4.60, p=0.03). Malignancy risk in the GN‐CYC group was higher in the setting of lymphocyte‐depleting induction (alemtuzumab; aHR 4.53, 95% CI 0.99–20.72, p=0.05) compared with basiliximab induction. Incidences of death‐censored graft loss and mortality were similar between the GN‐CYC and PKD groups.

Conclusion

In our observational study, renal transplant recipients exposed to pretransplantation cyclophosphamide appeared to have a higher risk of developing a malignancy compared with unexposed renal transplant recipients. Further investigation into the impact of pretransplantation immunosuppression on malignancy, particularly the compounded effect with lymphocyte‐depleting induction, is warranted.     

泼尼松联合来氟米特治疗狼疮性肾炎的临床疗效及其安全性评价

目的 探讨与评价泼尼松联合来氟米特治疗狼疮性肾炎的临床疗效及其安全性。方法 2014年2月-2017年3月选择在安阳市人民医院诊治的狼疮性肾炎患者170例作为研究对象,根据入院顺序随机分为观察组与对照组各85例,对照组给予泼尼松治疗,观察组在对照组治疗的基础上给予来氟米特治疗,两组都治疗观察4周。比较两组治疗后的临床疗效、血白蛋白、24 h尿蛋白定量、肌酐清除率及不良反应情况。结果 所有患者都顺利完成治疗,观察组与对照组的治疗总有效率分别为97.6%和88.2%,观察组的治疗总有效率明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗后观察组的血白蛋白、24 h尿蛋白定量和肌酐清除率值分别（36.3±8.4） g/L、（1.9±0.8） g/24 h和（88.6±29.1） mL/min,对照组分别为（28.5±7.9） g/L、（2.8±1.7） g/24 h和（80.2±22.7） mL/min,各指标均较治疗前显著改善,组内差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;同时治疗后观察组的血白蛋白和肌酐清除率显著高于对照组,24 h尿蛋白定量显著低于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗期间观察组的肝功能损伤、消化道症状、肺部感染等不良反应发生率为5.9%,对照组为7.1%,两组对比差异无统计学意义。结论 泼尼松联合来氟米特治疗狼疮性肾炎能改善患者的肾功能,提高治疗效果,且不会增加不良反应的发生,有很好的应用价值。     

Outcomes for carotid endarterectomy in nonagenarians

ObjectiveCarotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a well-established procedure with prospective randomized data demonstrating the benefit of stroke prevention. With the aging of the population, there are limited data published for nonagenarians, especially for asymptomatic stenosis. This study investigated 30-day morbidity and mortality as well as late survival in symptomatic and asymptomatic nonagenarians with severe carotid stenosis undergoing CEA.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted of a single vascular surgery group's registry involving multiple hospitals between November 1994 and June 2017 for all primary CEAs of patients ≥90 years old at the time of surgery. The exclusion criterion was redo surgery or bilateral CEAs. Demographic data, sex, symptoms, risk factors, and postoperative complications were analyzed. Survival analysis was conducted using SPSS software (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY) for the specific end point 30-day morbidity or mortality and late survival.ResultsThere were 77 patients (44 male [57%]) who underwent CEA for symptomatic (44 [57%]) and asymptomatic (33 [43%]) internal carotid artery stenosis with a median age of 92 years; 23 women were symptomatic compared with 21 men, and 23 men were asymptomatic compared with 10 women. Symptomatic patients included amaurosis fugax (n = 3), stroke (n = 16), and transient ischemic attack (n = 25). CEAs were performed using the eversion technique under cervical block with selective shunting. The 30-day morbidity included one (2.3%) nonfatal myocardial infarction and one (2.3%) ischemic stroke in the symptomatic group compared with one (3%) patient having a nonfatal myocardial infarction and none with ischemic stroke in the asymptomatic group. One patient of the symptomatic group required return to the operating room for hematoma evacuation. The 30-day mortality was 2.3% in the symptomatic group compared with 6.1% in the asymptomatic group. There was no statistical difference in survival based on sex (P = .444). The symptomatic and asymptomatic groups had similar median survival of 27.7 months and 29.4 months (P = .987), respectively.ConclusionsThe aging population adds increasing difficulty in decision-making for surgical intervention on carotid stenosis. CEA in nonagenarians is associated with reasonably low 30-day rates of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction in our small study. However, enthusiasm for asymptomatic CEA in this population must be tempered by low survival rates.     

Asymptomatic prostatic inflammation in men with clinical BPH and erectile dysfunction affects the positive predictive value of prostate-specific antigen

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that sexual dysfunction in elderly men with benign prostatic hyperplasia leads to prostatic inflammation, diagnosed by prostatic fluid interleukin-8 (IL-8), which lowers the positive predictive value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).MethodsOverall, 160 men with lower urinary tract symptoms between 50 and 75 years of age with an elevated PSA level of more than 4 ng/ml with normal digital rectal examination and 50 age-matched controls with normal PSA level were prospectively evaluated for prostatic fluid IL-8 levels. Erectile dysfunction was measured by self-administered questionnaire of the Sexual Health Inventory for Men. Total and free serum PSA levels and IL-8 in prostatic fluid were measured 6 to 8 weeks after a course of 400 mg of ofloxacin and 20 mg of piroxicam given daily for 2 weeks. Transrectal ultrasonography–guided biopsy was done only when PSA level did not decrease less than 4 ng/ml.ResultsMean ages of patients and controls were 63.18 (standard deviation [SD]±7.10) and 60.18 (SD+6.02) years, respectively. Mean concentration of IL-8 in prostatic fluid of the patients was significantly higher, i.e., 6678 pg/ml (SD±1985.7) than in control, i.e., 1543 pg/ml (SD±375.7) (P<0.001). Following anti-inflammatory treatment, there was a significant decrease in the mean level of IL-8 from baseline to 5622 pg/ml (SD±1870.66) (P<0.001). Corresponding to this, a significant decrease was noted in total PSA levels to less than 4 ng/ml in 105 (65.62%) patients. Men with the highest levels of IL-8 had a greater degree of erectile dysfunction.ConclusionMen with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction had significant inflammation of the prostate to cause spurious rise in PSA level resulting in an unnecessary biopsy.     

阳离子化牛血清白蛋白致大鼠慢性肾炎模型的研究

目的 探索利用阳离子化牛血清白蛋白(C-BSA)复制膜性肾病模型的可行性,探讨模型特点,以及模型对各项指标的影响及规律.方法 模型组隔日尾iv给予C-BSA溶液5 mg/只,持续6周;造模停止后继续观察4周.造模期第4、6周以及观察期第8、10周采集血样、尿样,测定血清生化指标、血常规指标、尿蛋白指标等,并留取相关脏器,计算脏器系数,并进行病理学检查.结果 造模期时,血清总蛋白、白蛋白明显下降,血脂明显升高,肌酐、尿素氮变化不明显;血浆黏度明显升高,全血黏度变化不大;尿蛋白明显增加,尿量减少,尿白细胞增加;血红细胞、血红蛋白降低;肾系数、脾系数明显提高,体质量明显下降;模型组动物肾脏可见不同程度的肾小管蛋白管型、肾小管扩张、再生肾小管、间质炎细胞浸润、肾小球鲍曼氏囊增厚.造模结束进入观察期后,模型出现一定程度的恢复,各项指标均向正常值趋近.结论 成功复制了大鼠C-BSA模型,模型稳定,临床表现典型,可重复性高.     

高分辨弥散加权成像在心房颤动导管消融围术期无症状脑栓塞发生的评估价值

目的比较高分辨弥散加权成像（hDWI）和常规DWI（cDWI）检测心房颤动（房颤）导管消融相关无症状性脑栓塞（ACE）的发生率及其特征。 方法连续入组2018年11月至2018年12月南京医科大学第一附属医院的32例房颤消融患者,以及上海市东方医院2019年1月至2019年2月的18例房颤消融患者。消融前24 h进行头颅高分辨率DWI检查以除外近期脑栓塞事件,消融后48 h内重复hDWI和cDWI检查。比较同一患者消融术后hDWI与cDWI中ACE的发生率、数量、大小和位置。 结果与cDWI相比,hDWI显示急性ACE的发生率更高（70%对42%,P<0.001）,ACE病灶数量明显更多（102对42,P < 0.001）,且hDWI测量的病灶尺寸较大（5.42 mm对4.21 mm,P < 0.001）。多因素回归分析显示,左心室射血分数受损（P=0.047）和术中激活凝血时间较低（P=0.003）与ACE发生相关。 结论hDWI能够更好地显示房颤消融相关ACE的发病情况及病灶特点。在评估ACE的研究中应考虑磁共振设置。