Rh (D) alloimmunization treated by double filtration plasmapheresis

Here in this report a 31?year old pregnant woman with positive serum antiglobulin test against anti-D antierythrocyte antibodies who was treated succesfully with double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is presented. The DFPP was started in the early stage of pregnancy together with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and the antierythrocyte antibody titer of the patient was successfully maintained in a stable level below 1:64 dilution. She delivered successfully on the 30th week of gestation. The favorable outcome of this patient implies that DFPP is an effective and safe treatment modality in pregnant women with red cell alloimmunization.     

Hypovitaminosis D in obese and overweight schoolchildren

Aim: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D hypovitaminosis among obese and overweight schoolchildren.Design: A cross−sectional population based sample.Methods: In a cross−sectional study, 301 students (177 girls and 124 boys) aged 11−19 years were selected by multistage stratified sampling design. Subjects were classified according to their body mass index as obese, overweight and normal. Serum 25−hydroxyvitamin D (25−OHD), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in late winter months. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25−OHD 20 ng/ml.Results: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was found as 65% in all students. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 12% and insufficiency in 53% of all students. Vitamin D deficiency in female students was about two times more common than in males. In obese and overweight schoolchildren with hypovitaminosis D, serum 25−OHD levels decreased as BMI increased. There were no correlations between serum 25−OHD and ALP and iPTH levels.Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common in obese and overweight schoolchildren, especially in girls. Obesity could be a risk factor in terms of hypovitaminosis D in adolescents. Vitamin D supplementation should be administered particularly to adolescent girls.Conflict of interest:None declared.     

Noninvasive quantification of ascorbate and glutathione concentration in the elderly human brain

In this study, ascorbate (Asc) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations were quantified noninvasively using double-edited (1)H MRS at 4 T in the occipital cortex of healthy young [age (mean ± standard deviation) = 20.4 ± 1.4 years] and elderly (age = 76.6 ± 6.1 years) human subjects. Elderly subjects had a lower GSH concentration than younger subjects (p < 0.05). The Asc concentration was not significantly associated with age. Furthermore, the lactate (Lac) concentration was higher in elderly than young subjects. Lower GSH and higher Lac concentrations are indications of defective protection against oxidative damage and impaired mitochondrial respiration. The extent to which the observed concentration differences could be associated with physiological differences and methodological artifacts is discussed. In conclusion, GSH and Asc concentrations were compared noninvasively for the first time in young vs elderly subjects.     

Noninvasive quantification of T2 and concentrations of ascorbate and glutathione in the human brain from the same double-edited spectra

The transverse relaxation times (T₂) and concentrations of Ascorbate (Asc) and glutathione (GSH) were measured from a single dataset of double‐edited spectra that were acquired at several TEs at 4 T in the human brain. Six TEs between 102 and 152 ms were utilized to calculate T₂ for the group of 12 subjects scanned five times each. Spectra measured at all six TEs were summed to quantify the concentration in each individual scan. LCModel fitting was optimized for the quantification of the Asc and GSH double‐edited spectra. When the fitted baseline was constrained to be flat, T₂ was found to be 67 ms (95% confidence interval, 50–83 ms) for GSH and ≤115 ms for Asc using the sum of spectra measured over 60 scans. The Asc and GSH concentrations quantified in each of the 60 scans were 0.62 ± 0.08 and 0.81 ± 0.11 µmol/g [mean ± standard deviation (SD), n = 60], respectively, using 10 µmol/g N‐acetylaspartate as an internal reference and assuming a constant influence of N‐acetylaspartate and antioxidant T₂ relaxation in the reference solution and in vivo. The T₂ value of GSH was measured for the first time in the human brain. The data are consistent with short T₂ for both antioxidants. These T₂ values are essential for the absolute quantification of Asc and GSH concentrations measured at long TE, and provide a critical step towards addressing assumptions about T₂, and therefore towards the quantification of concentrations without the possibility of systematic bias. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Perioperative workflow: barriers to efficiency, risks, and satisfaction

AN IN-DEPTH, INTERDISCIPLINARY CASE study was conducted to map and describe the information, material, and functional processes common to high-volume surgical specialty procedures at a southeastern US hospital.RESEARCHERS IDENTIFIED PROCESS defects and their effects using both observation and staff member interviews.OUTDATED INFORMATION and structural barriers to communications were responsible for many procedural delays, procedural interruptions, and staff member work-arounds.OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT are identified, including redesigns and enhancement of information technology systems. AORN J 87 (January 2008) 187-208. © AORN, Inc, 2008.     

糖尿病视网膜病变患者玻璃体样本中白细胞介素-8和肿瘤坏死因子-α水平

目的:测量糖尿病性视网膜病变(DR)行玻璃体切除术(PPV)患者玻璃体样品中白细胞介素-8(IL-8),肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)的水平,与对照组比较结果并探讨其对DR的影响。方法:将伊斯坦布尔Bilim大学眼科系的57例(57眼)DR患者和22例黄斑裂孔未伴有增生性玻璃体视网膜病变患者分为研究组和对照组。对所有79例患者行3切口,20G PPV。PPV手术眼内灌注前,用Vitrector抽吸0.5mL玻璃体样品并稀释。样品转至冷藏室,存放在-70℃。IL-8和TNF-α的测量结果用酶联免疫吸附法以pg/mL为单位计算。结果:DR患者玻璃体样本中IL-8水平[82.7891±74.08700(0.08-307.09)pg/mL]明显高于对照组患者[2.9805±3.77546(0.08-18.53)pg/mL](P<0.001)。同样,DR患者TNF-α水平[18.0007±13.90015(2.32-51.11)pg/mL]也显着高于对照组[1.7005±1.26949(0.1-5.17)pg/mL](P<0.001)。结论:在视网膜新生血管形成中起重要作用的TNF-α和作为炎症和血管生成介体的IL-8水平在DR患者玻璃体样本中明显高。