Analysis of deaths in patients awaiting heart transplantation: impact on patient selection criteria.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the clinical characteristics of patients who died on the Stanford heart transplant waiting list and to develop a method for risk stratifying status 2 patients (outpatients). METHODS: Data were reviewed from all patients over 18 years, excluding retransplants, who were accepted for heart transplantation over an eight year period from 1986 to 1994. RESULTS: 548 patients were accepted for heart transplantation; 53 died on the waiting list, and 52 survived on the waiting list for over one year. On multivariate analysis only peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2: 11.7 (SD 2.7) v 15.1 (5.2) ml/kg/min, P = 0.02) and cardiac output (3.97 (1.03) v 4.79 (1.06) litres/min, P = 0.04) were found to be independent prognostic risk factors. Peak VO2 and cardiac index (CI) were then analysed in the last 141 consecutive patients accepted for cardiac transplantation. All deaths and 88% of the deteriorations to status 1 on the waiting list occurred in patients with either a CI < 2.0 or a VO2 < 12. In those with a CI < 2.0 and a VO2 < 12, 38% died or deteriorated to status 1 in the first year on the waiting list. Patients with CI > or = 2.0 and a VO2 > or = 12 all survived throughout follow up. Using a Cox's proportional hazards model with CI and peak VO2 as covariates, tables were constructed predicting the chance of surviving for (a) 60 days and (b) 1 year on the waiting list. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a basis for risk stratification of status 2 patients on the heart transplant waiting list.     

Gangliosides and sialoglycoproteins in hypothalamus of normal, postnatal, and pre- and postnatal protein undernourished rats.

Total ganglioside and sialoglycoprotein concentrations were determined in the hypothalamus of normal (diet: 25% casein), postnatal undernourished (diet: 8% casein since birth), and pre- and postnatal undernourished rats (diet: 8% casein since pregnancy). Hypothalamic weights for the two low protein diet groups were lower than for the normal diet groups at all ages studied. Total hypothalamic ganglioside and sialoglycoproteins (mumol NANA) of postnatal undernourished rats were lower than control at day 10, while in pre- and postnatal undernourished rats this difference occurred at day 7. The reduction in gangliosides and sialoglycoprotein contents was not solely a consequence of the decrease in hypothalamic weight since, when the data were expressed as nmol NANA/mg tissue, similar reductions were observed principally in the pre- and postnatal protein undernutrition group. These results suggest that the effects of pre- and postnatal undernutrition on hypothalamic gangliosides and sialoglycoproteins are more pronounced than those that occur as a result of postnatal undernutrition.     

Incidence of Finding Residual Disease for Incidental Gallbladder Carcinoma: Implications for Re-resection

Re-resection for gallbladder carcinoma incidentally discovered after cholecystectomy is routinely advocated. However, the incidence of finding additional disease at the time of re-resection remains poorly defined. Between 1984 and 2006, 115 patients underwent re-resection at six major hepatobiliary centers for gallbladder carcinoma incidentally discovered during cholecystectomy. Data on clinicopathologic factors, operative details, TNM tumor stage, and outcome were collected and analyzed. Data on the incidence and location of residual/additional carcinoma discovered at the time of re-resection were also recorded. On pathologic analysis, T stage was T1 7.8%, T2 67.0%, and T3 25.2%. The median time from cholecystectomy to re-resection was 52 days. At the time of re-resection, hepatic surgery most often consisted of formal segmentectomy (64.9%). Patients underwent lymphadenectomy (LND) (50.5%) or LND + common bile duct resection (43.3%). The median number of lymph nodes harvested was 3 and did not differ between LND alone (n = 3) vs LND + common duct resection (n = 3) (P = 0.35). Pathology from the re-resection specimen noted residual/additional disease in 46.4% of patients. Of those patients staged as T1, T2, or T3, 0, 10.4, and 36.4%, respectively, had residual disease within the liver (P = 0.01). T stage was also associated with the risk of metastasis to locoregional lymph nodes (lymph node metastasis: T1 12.5%; T2 31.3%, T3 45.5%; P = 0.04). Cystic duct margin status predicted residual disease in the common bile duct (negative cystic duct, 4.3% vs positive cystic duct, 42.1%) (P = 0.01). Aggressive re-resection for incidental gallbladder carcinoma is warranted as the majority of patients have residual disease. Although common duct resection does not yield a greater lymph node count, it should be performed at the time of re-resection for patients with positive cystic duct margins because over one-third will have residual disease in the common bile duct. Presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract at Digestive Week 2007, Plenary Session, Washington, DC, March 23, 2007.     

Can energy drinks reduce the depressor effect of ethanol? An experimental study in mice

Although the popularization of the combined use of alcoholic beverages and energy drinks (ED) containing caffeine, taurine and other substances has increased, there are no controlled experimental studies on the effects of ED alone or combined with ethanol. This work aimed at evaluating the effects of different doses of ED combined or not with ethanol, on the locomotor activity of Swiss mice. The administration of 3.57, 10.71 or 17.86 ml/kg of ED alone increased the locomotor activity of the animals in relation to a control group. Low doses of ethanol (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg) alone or in combination with 10.71 ml/kg of ED did not affect their locomotor activity. However, the reduction of activity observed after 2.5 g/kg of ethanol was antagonized by 10.71 ml/kg of ED. Further studies on the mechanisms of this interaction are still needed.     

真核表达人呼吸道合胞病毒F蛋白的纯化方法

目的 真核表达人呼吸道合胞病毒(human respiratory syncytial virus,SV)融合蛋白(fusion protein,),并完成蛋白纯化及纯度测定.方法 根据编码F蛋白的基因序列设计引物,CR方法扩增出3'端带His标签的F基因序列,克隆入pGEM-T-easy载体,经核酸序列分析后,进一步克隆到pcDNA3.1( )真核表达载体,限制性内切酶鉴定,用脂质体Lipofectamine2000转染COS-7细胞,2 h后再用Westem blot检测目的蛋白的表达.Ni柱亲和层析纯化COS-7细胞表达的F蛋白,高效毛细管电泳分析纯化后蛋白纯度.结果 核酸序列分析证实获得带His标签的RSV F基因序列,没有发生无义突变.转染COS-7细胞后,利用Western blot方法检测到F蛋白的特异性条带,纯度达99%以上.结论 初步建立了真核表达RSV F蛋白的纯化方法,为进一步优化RSV F蛋白制备条件及单克隆抗体及诊断试剂等研究奠定了基础.     

Exploratory Efficacy of Calcium-Vitamin D Milk Fortification and Periodontal Therapy on Maternal Oral Health and Metabolic and Inflammatory Profile

In this 2 × 2 factorial, outcome-assessor blinded, feasibility randomised trial we explored the effect of a non-pharmaceutical multi-component intervention on periodontal health and metabolic and inflammatory profiles among pregnant women with periodontitis receiving prenatal care in a Brazilian public health centre. 69 pregnant women (gestational age ≤20 weeks, T0) were randomly allocated into four groups: (1) fortified sachet (vitamin D and calcium) and powdered milk plus periodontal therapy during pregnancy (early PT) (n = 17); (2) placebo sachet and powdered milk plus early PT (n = 15); (3) fortified sachet and powdered milk plus late PT (after delivery) (n = 19); (4) placebo sachet and powdered milk plus late PT (n = 18). Third trimester (T1) and 6–8 weeks postpartum (T2) exploratory outcomes included periodontal health (% sites with bleeding on probing (BOP)), glucose, insulin, C-Reactive Protein, serum calcium and vitamin D. The mean BOP was significantly reduced in the early PT groups, while BOP worsened in the late PT groups. No significant effect of fortification on BOP was observed. Changes in glucose levels and variation on birthweight did not differ among groups This feasibility trial provides preliminary evidence for estimating the minimum clinically important differences for selected maternal outcomes. A large-scale trial to evaluate the interventions’ clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness is warranted.