Defensive hostility and anger expression: Relationship to additional heart rate reactivity during active coping

The main purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to assess the relationship between defensive hostility (high hostility/high defensiveness) and additional heart rate reactivity during active coping and (b) to determine if the construct of anger-out might lend additional, sensitivity to the predictive power of the defensive hostility model. Forty individuals were randomly assigned to complete a mental arithmetic task with or without the threat of shock. Participants also completed the Cook-Medley Hostility Inventory (Ho), the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC), and the Spielberger Anger Expression Scale. Defensive hostile subjects (high Ho/high MC) were significantly more reactive than any other subgroup. In addition, the combination of low Ho/high anger-out scores yielded a subgroup significantly less reactive than any other subgroup. These findings clarify the complex relationship of hostility and cardiovascular reactivity.     

Nasal nitric oxide is increased in allergic rhinitis

Background Nitric oxide (NO) plays a major role in the regulation of vascular tone and in non-specific host defence. The epithelium in the paranasal sinuses was recently identified as the major site of NO production in the upper airways. Objective To investigate NO status in allergic rhinitis, we compared the NO concentration in the nasal cavities of control subjects (n= 19) and in patients with allergic rhinitis (n= 36) with symptoms (WS, n= 17) or without symptoms (WOS, n= 19) on the day of the test. Methods NO concentration was measured using a chemiluminescent analyser aspiring from each nasal cavity at a sampling flow rate of 0.7L/min, before and 10min after administration of a nasal vasoconstrictor. Results The mean NO concentration (± se) in the control was 235 ± 11 ppb and 225 ± 9 ppb in the right and left nostrils respectively, and was decreased by 14% and 12% by the nasal vasoconstrictor (P < 0.001). The NO concentration in patients with allergic rhinitis was significantly higher in the right and left nostrils (382 × 20 ppb and 396 ± 28 respectively, P < 0.0001 versus control). All WOS patients demonstrated normal or increased NO concentrations in both nostrils, whereas two WS patients showed decreased NO concentrations in the left nostril. Inhalation of a nasal vasoconstrictor increased NO concentration by 6% and 27% in the right and left nostrils respectively in WS patients. Conclusion Nasal NO concentration is increased in patients with allergic rhinitis. Interestingly, patients without symptoms on the day of the test also showed a clear-cut increase in nasal NO production, which could reflect a permanent inflammation of the sinus mucosa.     

Comparison of the Systemic Levels of Inflammatory Markers after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Bare Metal versus Sirolimus-Eluting Stents

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with bare metal stent (BMS) deployment causes plaque disruption and a rise in systemic levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. Our aim is to study whether PCI with sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) use attenuates this response.
Methods: Patients with stable angina undergoing single-vessel PCI were enrolled in a randomized, open-label fashion into a BMS group or an SES group. Blood samples were drawn pre-PCI, 24 hours post-PCI, and 30 days post-PCI. Systemic concentrations of CRP, IL-6, and MCP-1 were measured at all time points.
Results: In total, 41 patients were enrolled (21 in the BMS group and 20 in the SES group). The baseline plasma concentrations of all markers were comparable between groups. At 24 hours, the mean plasma CRP concentration in the SES group was 20.21 mg/dL versus 8.95 mg/dL in the BMS group (P = 0.15). The mean plasma IL-6 concentration at 24 hours was 25.41 pg/mL in the SES group versus 17.44 pg/mL in the BMS group (P = 0.17). The mean plasma MCP-1 concentration at 24 hours was 382.38 pg/mL in the SES group versus 329.04 pg/mL in the BMS group (P = 0.2). At 30 days, plasma concentrations of all three markers decreased to similar values between groups.
Conclusions: The use of SES did not inhibit the rise in systemic concentrations of CRP, IL-6, and MCP-1 at 24 hours or 30 days post-PCI, compared with BMS. Moreover, at 24 hours, there was a trend for higher systemic levels of all proinflammatory markers in the SES group compared with the BMS cohort.     

GROWTH HORMONE (GH) SECRETION IN HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY

Elevated plasma concentrations and abnormal secretory patterns of GH have been found in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Displacement of brain dopaminergic monoamines by false ‘neurotransmitters’ produced in the gut has been postulated as a cause of encephalopathy. In this study basal GH plasma levels and their response to TRH and l -DOPA were determined in thirty-nine cirrhotic patients and fifteen controls. Eleven patients had evidence of encephalopathy (Group 1), twenty-eight did not (Group 2). Both basal levels and the mean peak response to TRH were significantly higher in the cirrhotic patients than in the controls (Group 3). Peak values were moderately, but not significantly, higher in Group 1 than in Group 2. The response to l -DOPA was considerably lower in the encephalopathic patients in comparison with the subjects of both Group 2 and Group 3. This finding is consistent with depletion of active ‘neurotransmitters’ in CNS. Our data fail to demonstrate clearly whether the paradoxical response to TRH can also be related to these abnormalities of monoamine metabolism in cirrhotics.     

SERUM THYROGLOBULIN IN PATIENTS WITH AUTONOMOUS THYROID NODULES

To investigate further the relationship between thyroid hormones and thyroglobulin (TG) secretion, total and free thyroid hormone levels, TSH and its response to TRH and serum TG concentrations were determined in 61 patients with solitary autonomous thyroid nodules. Thyroid function varied widely from euthyroidism to clearcut thyrotoxicosis. Serum TG levels were significantly higher in patients than in normal controls. Individually they were above the normal range (greater than 50 ng/ml) in 95% of the patients, as well as in those with normal total and/or free thyroid hormone levels. Patients with high total and/or free thyroid hormone levels had higher TG concentrations than euthyroid patients. TG concentrations were significantly correlated with FT3 values. They were higher in patients in whom TSH was unresponsive to TRH than in the responsive groups. TG was also slightly higher in patients with hot nodules than in those with warm nodules. These data seem to indicate that TG is secreted along with thyroid hormones in the absence of any stimulatory action. It also is a sensitive index of thyroid hyperfunction. Twenty patients were controlled 6 months after nodulectomy. TG levels, though significantly lower than in the preoperative state, were still higher than in normal subjects. This increase was attributed to persistent hyperthyroidism in two patients only. The observation that the increase in TSH after TRH stimulation in post-operative patients was greater than that found in normal controls led us to believe that in most cases the high TG levels after surgery are due to stimulation of the normal thyroid tissue by rebound TSH secretion.     

Enhanced Predictive Power of Quantitative TWA during Routine Exercise Testing in the Finnish Cardiovascular Study

Introduction: We examined whether quantification of T-wave alternans (TWA) enhances this parameter's capacity to evaluate the risk for total and cardiovascular mortality and sudden cardiac death (SCD).
Methods and Results: The Finnish Cardiovascular Study (FINCAVAS) enrolled consecutive patients (n = 2,119; 1,342 men and 777 women) with a clinically indicated exercise test with bicycle ergometer. TWA (time domain-modified moving average method) was analyzed from precordial leads, and the results were grouped in increments of 10 μV. Hazard ratios (HR) for total and cardiovascular mortality and SCD were estimated for preexercise, routine exercise, and postexercise stages. Cox regression analysis was performed. During follow-up of 47.1 ± 12.9 months (mean ± standard deviation [SD]), 126 patients died: 62 were cardiovascular deaths, and 33 of these deaths were sudden. During preexercise, TWA ≥ 20 μV predicted the risk for total and cardiovascular mortality (maximum HR >4.4 at 60 μV, P < 0.02 for both). During exercise, HRs of total and cardiovascular mortality were significant when TWA measured ≥50 μV, with 90 μV TWA yielding maximum HRs for total and cardiovascular death of 3.1 (P = 0.03) and 6.4 (P = 0.002), respectively. During postexercise, TWA ≥60 μV indicated risk for total and cardiovascular mortality, with maximum HR of 3.4 at 70 μV (P = 0.01) for cardiovascular mortality. SCD was strongly predicted by TWA levels ≥60 μV during exercise, with maximum HR of 4.6 at 60 μV (P = 0.002), but was not predicted during pre- or postexercise.
Conclusion: Quantification of TWA enhances its capacity for determination of the risk for total and cardiovascular mortality and SCD in low-risk populations. Its prognostic power is superior during exercise compared to preexercise or postexercise.     

Platelets modulate atherogenesis and progression of atherosclerotic plaques via interaction with progenitor and dendritic cells

Summary.  Platelets not only play a role in the late complications of atherosclerosis, but are also essential in its initiation, interacting with endothelial cells and leukocytes. Platelet adhesion to injured or atherosclerotic vessels is critical for the initiation of atherosclerotic lesion formation in vivo . Increasing evidence has recently highlighted the role of progenitor cells in inflammation, atherogenesis, and atheroprogression. Recruitment of progenitor and dendritic cells to sites of vascular injury is poorly understood so far. Both human progenitor and dendritic cells significantly adhere to platelets, indicating that platelets adherent to collagen or to endothelial cells can serve as a bridging mechanism directing circulating progenitor and dendritic cells to sites of impaired vasculature. Moreover, platelets regulate differentiation of progenitor cells to endothelial cells or macrophages and foam cells and modulate essential functions of dendritic cells, including their activation, differentiation and apoptosis in vitro . This review describes recent findings on platelet interaction with progenitor cells or dendritic cells and discusses potential consequences of this interaction in atherosclerosis.     

Improvement method for cervical cancer detection: A comparative analysis

Cervical cancer is a prevalent and deadly cancer that affects women all over the world. It affects about 0.5 million women anually and results in over 0.3 million fatalities. Diagnosis of this cancer was previously done manually, which could result in false positives or negatives. The researchers are still contemplating how to detect cervical cancer automatically and how to evaluate Pap smear images. Hence, this paper has reviewed several detection methods from the previous researches that has been done before. This paper reviews pre-processing, detection method framework for nucleus detection, and analysis performance of the method selected. There are four methods based on a reviewed technique from previous studies that have been running through the experimental procedure using Matlab, and the dataset used is established Herlev Dataset. The results show that the highest performance assessment metric values obtain from Method 1: Thresholding and Trace region boundaries in a binary image with the values of precision 1.0, sensitivity 98.77%, specificity 98.76%, accuracy 98.77% and PSNR 25.74% for a single type of cell. Meanwhile, the average values of precision were 0.99, sensitivity 90.71%, specificity 96.55%, accuracy 92.91% and PSNR 16.22%. The experimental results are then compared to the existing methods from previous studies. They show that the improvement method is able to detect the nucleus of the cell with higher performance assessment values. On the other hand, the majority of current approaches can be used with either a single or a large number of cervical cancer smear images. This study might persuade other researchers to recognize the value of some of the existing detection techniques and offer a strong approach for developing and implementing new solutions.