Comparative outcomes of vascular access in patients older than 70 years with end-stage renal disease

Objective

The advantage of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) in older patients requiring dialysis is controversial. We reviewed our vascular access experience in patients ≥70 years of age (older group) compared with younger patients.

膀胱移行细胞癌P16、P15、P14基因5＇CpG岛甲基化检测

目的 探讨P16、P15、P14基因5＇CpG岛在膀胱移行细胞癌中甲基化状态及其临床意义。方法 应用甲基化特异性PCR（methylation—specific PCR，MSP）方法检测40例膀胱移行细胞癌P16、P15、P14基因甲基化程度，χ^2检验分析其甲基化程度与膀胱癌病理分级分期间关系。结果 膀胱移行细胞癌P16、P15、P14 5＇CpG岛甲基化扩增阳性化率分别为27．5％、17．5％、35％，而正常膀胱组织中均未检测到三种基因5＇CpG岛甲基化。P16、P14基因甲基化与膀胱癌病理分级分期有显著性差异（P〈0．05），P15基因则没有显著性差异（P〉0．05）。结论 P16、P15、P14基因在膀胱癌组织中的甲基化率较高，三种抑癌基因5＇CpG岛异常高甲基化，在膀胱癌的发生、发展中具有重要作用。     

Peripheral Vascular Complication from Coronary Angiography: a Case Report of Cholesterol Embolization

A 65-year-old man developed acute limb ischemia, severe abdominal wall and lower limb livedo reticularis following a coronary angiogram. The differential diagnoses of acute limb ischemia and multiple cholesterol emboli syndrome (MCES) are discussed. This work was performed at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, 270-05, 76^th Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040.     

促血小板生成素对预测脑瘫高危儿的意义

目的探讨缺氧缺血性脑病(hypoxia-ischem ia encephalopathy,H IE)胎儿和H IE新生儿血清中促血小板生成素(Thrombopoietin,TPO)水平与脑损伤的关系,为脑瘫(cerebral palsy,CP)高危儿人群进行早期干预提供监测手段。方法收集23例H IE胎儿和34例H IE新生儿血清以及25例正常胎儿和30例正常新生儿血清,34例H IE新生儿包括11例轻度H IE,8例中度H IE和15例重度H IE。采用双抗体夹心ABC-ELISA法检测H IE胎儿组和轻、中、重H IE新生儿组血清中TPO的水平,并与正常胎儿组和正常新生儿组比较。结果H IE胎儿组和H IE新生儿组TPO分别高于正常胎儿组和正常新生儿组(分别P<0.01,P<0.01),重度H IE组TPO低于轻度H IE组(P<0.05)。结论血清TPO水平与H IE所致脑损伤严重程度有关。脐血TPO检测可为脑瘫高危儿人群进行早期干预提供监测手段。     

The modified outside-in suture: vertical repair of the anterior horn of the meniscus after decompression of a large meniscal cyst

This article describes a modified suture technique designed for the vertical repair of the anterior horn of the meniscus after arthroscopic decompression of a large meniscal cyst. This procedure comprises of three steps: first, the meniscus was pierced vertically using a suture hook and a No. 0 PDS suture. Second, both ends of the No. 0 PDS on the femoral and tibial surfaces of the meniscus were pulled to the outside of the joint capsule using a spinal needle preloaded with suture material. Finally, a skin incision was made adjacent to the suture materials, and both ends were tied. We recommend this technique not only for the vertical repair of the anterior horn of the meniscus after decompression of large meniscal cyst, but also to repair a longitudinal tear of the meniscus.     

Application of a pigment measuring device – Mexameter®– for the differential diagnosis of vitiligo and nevus depigmentosus

Background/purpose: Vitiligo and nevus depigmentosus (ND) present similar hypopigmented macules with significantly different prognoses. Although the distinction between the two diseases is important, differential diagnosis relies on medical history and physical examination, which is far from decisive in some cases. The Mexameter^® is an objective skin color-measuring device, and has been reported to provide a reproducible and sensitive means of quantifying small skin color differences. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of a Mexameter^® for discriminating these diseases.
Methods: A selection of 202 hypopigmented skin lesions (182 from vitiligo and 20 from ND) were the objects of this study. Using a Mexameter, MIs were obtained from lesions and symmetrically located control skin. RMIs, ratios of the MIs of lesional skins to control skins, were calculated.
Results: The mean MIs and RMIs were significantly different for vitiligo and ND. The mean RMI of ND lesions was 74±13, which was significantly higher than that of vitiligo lesions (50±24). No ND lesion had an RMI of <50%.
Conclusion: This study shows that the Mexameter^®, an objective pigment-measuring device, can be used to achieve a more accurate diagnosis of hypopigmentary disorders, and that the relative melanin index (RMI), which represents the relative pigment levels, might be a more effective parameter than the melanin index (MI) itself for comparing pigmentation differences.