Ankle-brachial index and extent of atherothrombosis in 8891 patients with or at risk of vascular disease: results of the international AGATHA study.

AIMS: AGATHA (a Global Atherothrombosis Assessment) was designed to assess the extent of atherothrombosis and the use of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in vascular patients. The principal hypotheses were that (1) in diseased patients, a low ABI was related to the number and site of vascular beds affected and (2) in at-risk patients without disease, a low ABI was related to the number of risk factors present. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were recruited consecutively by 482 clinicians in 24 countries and the ABI measurement was performed at a single visit. Of 8891 patients recruited, 1792 were defined as at risk and 7099 as with disease. Of the with-disease patients, 65.2% had one arterial bed affected, 27.6% two and 7.1% all three. Abnormal ABI (< or =0.9) was present in 30.9% of at-risk and 40.5% of with-disease patients. A lower ABI was weakly associated with an increasing number of risk factors in at-risk patients (r=-0.056, P=0.02) and with the site and number of arterial beds affected in with-disease patients (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This large international study confirms that atherothrombotic disease often occurs at more than one site. The ABI is related to the risk factor profile and to the site and extent of atherothrombosis.     

胃癌高系家族成员胃蛋白酶原C基因多态性及其诊断意义的探讨

采用限制性酶切片段长度多态性分析法，检测在胃癌高发区庄河检出的１９例胃癌高系家族成员胃蛋白酶原Ｃ基因多态性，发现三种常见片段及一种稀有片段。对其中４例携带稀有片段的受检者进行了胃镜追踪观察，２．５年后发现１例早期胃癌。本文对此作了初步探讨。     

Levels of cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus are dependent on the stage of proteinuria.

Levels of cardiovascular risk factors were determined in 75 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The patients were divided into three groups according to their urinary protein excretion (UPE): (a) normal proteinuria (less than or equal to 70 mg d-1); (b) microproteinuria (70-500 mg d-1); and (c) macroproteinuria (greater than 500 mg d-1). A significant stepwise increase in mean systolic blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol and fibrinogen levels was observed from the first to the third investigated group of patients. Mean apoprotein B levels were significantly increased in the group with macroproteinuria compared to the other two groups. Significant linear correlations were found between UPE and LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, apoprotein B, creatinine, systolic blood pressure and diabetes duration. In summary, it is concluded that the levels of some cardiovascular risk factors increase with the stage of proteinuria in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

Sustained low-grade pro-inflammatory state in unmedicated, remitted women with major depressive disorder as evidenced by elevated serum levels of the acute phase proteins C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) shows increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk of unknown mechanism(s). MDD is more common in women than men; CAD diagnosis can be difficult in women. Elevations of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) predict increased CAD risk in populations; few data on these markers exist in MDD, particularly in remitted patients. METHODS: We measured fasting am serum CRP (high sensitivity, CRP(hs)) and SAA in 18 unmedicated, remitted women with MDD (mean age 41 +/- (SD)12, body mass index (BMI) 25.2 +/- 4.1 kg/m(2)) and 18 BMI-matched healthy control subjects (age 36 +/- 10, BMI 25.3 +/- 3.8 kg/m(2)) on 2 separate occasions, > or = 6 days apart. RESULTS: Repeat SAA and CRP(hs) measurements strongly correlated across study days (SAA: r = .83, p < .001; CRP(hs): r = .94, p < .001). Both SAA (5.30 +/- 3.39 vs. 2.84 +/- 1.87 mg/L, p < .005) and CRP(hs) (3.23 +/- 3.17 vs. 1.12 +/- 1.45 mg/L; p < .01) were significantly elevated in MDD women versus controls. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated SAA and CRP(hs) in remitted, unmedicated women with MDD indicate a pro-inflammatory state unrelated to current depressive symptoms or pharmacotherapy. These findings suggest that inflammatory mechanisms may in part underlie findings of increased CAD risk in MDD.     

Identifying High Risk Groups and Quantifying Absolute Risk of Cancer After Kidney Transplantation: A Cohort Study of 15 183 Recipients

Transplant recipients have increased cancer risk, but data on risk variation across different patient groups are sparse. Rates and standardized rate ratios (SRR) of cancer (all sites, excluding nonmelanocytic skin and lip cancer) compared to the general population were calculated, using Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry data. Within the transplant population, risk factors were identified (hazard ratios: HR; 95% CI) and absolute risk estimated for recipient groups. A total of 1642 (10.8%) of 15 183 recipients developed cancer. Risk was inversely related to age (SRR 15-30 children, 2 if >65 years). Females aged 25-29 had rates equivalent to women aged 55-59 from the general population. Age trend for lymphoma, colorectal and breast risk was similar; melanoma showed less variability across ages, prostate showed no risk increase. Within the transplanted population, risk was affected by age differently for each sex (p = 0.007), elevated by prior malignancy (HR 1.40; 1.03-1.89), white race (HR 1.36; 1.12-1.89), but reduced by diabetic end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (HR 0.67; 0.50-0.89). Cancer rates in kidney recipients are similar to nontransplanted people 20-30 years older, but absolute risk differs across patient groups. Men aged 45-54 surviving 10 years have cancer risks varying from 1 in 13 (non-white, no prior cancer, diabetic ESKD) to 1 in 5 (white, prior cancer, other ESKD).     

伽玛刀治疗高危前列腺增生症的临床应用

目的探讨伽玛刀在不适合开放手术或经尿道电切术的高危前列腺增生患者治疗中的应用。方法采用深圳奥沃公司生产的OUR-QGD型立体定向全身伽玛刀治疗20例高危前列腺增生患者。应用国际前列腺症状评分(IPSS)、前列腺重量、最大尿流率(Qmax)、残余尿量作为评价指标。观察上述数据在治疗前后的改变及其临床意义。结果术后随访6个月,IPSS评分由治疗前29分降至19.6分(P<0.01)。前列腺重量平均值均由治疗前的(56.4±4.4)g减少至(54.8±4.3)g(P>0.05)。最大尿流率平均值由治疗前的(6.7±1.8)ml/s增加至(11.5±1.7)ml/s(P<0.01),残余尿量平均值由治疗前的(85.1±27.8)ml降至(50.9±15.6)ml(P<0.01)。结论立体定位体部伽玛刀治疗高危前列腺增生症患者具有简便、安全、无创、痛苦小、并发症少、疗效好,可不需住院等优点,对不愿意接受手术或不宜手术的高危前列腺增生患者不失为一种良好的治疗方法,但费用较高。     

早期胃癌术后复发的临床分析

目的分析早期胃癌术后复发情况，为制定防治策略提供依据。方法收集解放军总医院1983-2005年间发现的早期胃癌308例，其中245例术后进行了随访，对可能影响早期胃癌术后复发的临床病理特征进行单因素及多因素分析。结果30例出现胃癌复发（中位时间28个月），1、3、5、7、10、15年复发率分别为5．49％、8．44％、11．27％、14．83％、16．39％、37．79％。黏膜内癌复发13例（中位时间24个月），1、3、5、7、10、15年复发率分别为4．23％、6．68％、7．75％、9．34％、9．34％、28．24％。黏膜下癌复发17例（中位时间31个月），1、3、5、7、10、15年复发率分别为7．39％、11．14％、16．54％、24．49％、29．69％、64．85％。Cox回归分析提示浸润黏膜下层（P-O．044，OR-2．172）增加术后肿瘤复发危险，癌周黏膜明显肠化（p-0．047，0R-0．460）者术后肿瘤复发较少。30例复发者中23例（76．7％）无根治手术指征，未再次手术治疗；7例（23．3％）有再次根治手术指征，其中4例再次手术治疗，术后病理提示3例为残胃早期胃癌，无淋巴结转移，1例为残胃进展期胃癌，伴区域淋巴结转移（已无瘤存活28个月），另3例因身体原因未再手术治疗。Logistic回归分析提示癌周黏膜明显肠化（P-0．016，OR=17．000）为有再次根治手术指征的独立影响因子。86．7％（26／30）的复发患者至少每1～2年进行一次包括胃镜检查方式在内的复查。结论早期胃癌累及黏膜下层者术后更易出现复发；癌周明显肠化者术后复发较少，即使出现复发，也有再次进行根治手术的可能；每1～2年进行一次复查有助于早期发现残胃再发癌，但对提高复发转移者再次根治手术机会帮助不大。     

The plasma kallikrein–kinin system and risk of cardiovascular disease in men

BACKGROUND: The plasma kallikrein-kinin system (PKKS) has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, but activation of the PKKS has not been directly probed in individuals at risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke. OBJECTIVE: To determine the involvement of the PKKS, including factor XI, in cardiovascular disease occurring in a nested case-control study from the Second Northwick Park Heart Study (NPHS-II). METHODS AND RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 10.7 years, 287 cases of CHD and stroke had been recorded and 542 age-matched controls were selected. When FXIIa-C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-inhibitor) concentrations were divided into tertiles (lowest tertile as reference), the odds ratios (ORs) at 95% CIs for CHD were 0.52 (0.34-0.80) in the middle tertile and 0.73 (0.49-1.09) in the highest tertile (P = 0.01 for the overall difference; P = 0.01 for CHD and stroke combined). For kallikrein-C1-inhibitor complexes, the ORs for stroke were 0.29 (0.12-0.72) and 0.67 (0.30-1.52) in the middle and high tertiles, respectively (P = 0.02). FXIIa-C1-inhibitor and kallikrein-C1-inhibitor complexes were negatively related to smoking and fibrinogen (P < 0.005). FXIa-inhibitor complexes correlated strongly with FXIIa-inhibitor complexes. CONCLUSIONS: Lower levels of inhibitory complexes of the PKKS enzymes and particularly of FXIIa contribute to the risk of CHD and stroke in middle-aged men. This observation supports the involvement of the PKKS in atherothrombosis.