Activated protein C resistance and lipoprotein (a) in young adults with branch retinal vein occlusion

We investigated the effects of activated protein C resistance (APCR), Factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation, and high lipoprotein (a) levels in 32 young patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) vs 30 controls. No difference between patients with BRVO and controls was found with regard to APCR, FVL mutation, or lipoprotein (a) levels. These factors do not seem important in the etiology of BRVO. The authors have stated that they do not have a significant financial interest or other relationship with any product manufacturer or provider of services discussed in this article. The authors also do not discuss the use of off-label products, which includes unlabeled, unapproved, or investigative products or devices.     

Excimer laser coronary angioplasty after primary unsuccessful PTCA]

Excimer laser coronary angioplasty is a new technique for ablation of coronary stenosis, however, the indications for its application are still controversial. We describe two male patients, 60 and 65 years old, who underwent unsuccessful balloon PTCA with a short, concentric and calcified coronary stenosis, although balloon inflation pressure was increased to a maximum in both cases. Excimer laser angioplasty following the failed procedures showed no evidence for tissue ablation angiographically, but a repeat attempt with balloon angioplasty was successful in both cases. Thus, laser angioplasty may be considered as an adjunct technique to balloon angioplasty after a failed PTCA in resistant, non-inflatable lesions.     

Effect of body position on tongue posture in awake patients with obstructive sleep apnoea

BACKGROUND: Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are worse or may only occur in the supine position. The effect of body position on upper airway size has been reported, but the effect on tongue posture has not previously been examined. METHODS: Detailed measurements were made of tongue posture from upright and supine lateral cephalograms on 24 men with OSA and 13 men with non-apnoeic snoring matched for age, body mass index, and craniofacial skeletal pattern. Patients with OSA had apnoea/hypopnoea indices (AHI) of > 50/hour and/or apnoea indices (AI) of > 25/hour while non-apnoeic snorers had AHI of < 10/hour and AI of < 5/hour. RESULTS: In non-apnoeic snorers the tongue depth measurements for the superior-posterior portion of the tongue were larger in the supine than in the upright position (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in tongue depth measurements between the upright and the supine position in the patients with OSA. CONCLUSIONS: When awake patients with OSA move from the upright to the supine position they maintain their upright tongue posture which may tend to protect against upper airway collapse secondary to the increased gravitational load on the tongue. In contrast, when awake non-apnoeic snorers move from the upright to the supine position a significant dorsal movement in the superior-posterior portion of the tongue is observed.


     

Intracoronary shunt reduces postoperative troponin leaks: a prospective randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether intracoronary shunt usage reduced the myocardial damage on the basis of the cardiac markers when compared with the shuntless anastomosis in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) surgery of isolated left anterior descending artery lesions. METHODS: Forty patients who had stable angina with isolated left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery lesion undergoing OPCABG surgery were randomized into two groups. Shunt group consisted of 20 patients who had OPCABG using intracoronary shunt, whereas the shuntless group consisted of 20 patients who underwent OPCABG without using intracoronary shunt. Cardiac troponin I, CK, and CK-MB before and 24h after the surgery were assessed in the groups. RESULTS: There were no deaths in the study. The two groups were similar with respect to sex and age. Duration of LIMA-LAD anastomosis was significantly higher in the shunt group (p=0.01). There was no significant difference between the groups concerning the preoperative and postoperative CK and CK-MB levels. The preoperative troponin I levels of the groups were not different (p=0.238; NS), whereas postoperative levels of this marker was significantly higher in the shuntless group (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Intracoronary shunt reduced the postoperative troponin I levels significantly, so it may be indicated in the patients who are thought to be susceptible to transient ischemia.     

Resistance of Drosophila to cadmium: biochemical factors in resistant and sensitive strains

With regard to cadmium toxicity, Drosophila strains v;bw and Austin represent extremes in resistance and sensitivity, respectively. Both strains produced metallothionein (MT) in response to Cd ions in their diet. Austin produced more metallothionein than v;bw at Cd ion levels below 0.2 mM, when both strains were allowed lifetime development on Cd2+-containing media. When the rate of MT appearance was measured for 4 days in young adults the results showed no clear trend with time within a strain or between strains. The plot of LC50 vs. MT levels for identical developmental conditions revealed that for v;bw small increases in MT corresponded to large increases in resistance whereas for the sensitive Austin even large increases in MT had comparatively little effect on increasing LC50. Results given here suggest that differences in total MT content do not explain the genetically demonstrable difference in Cd2+-resistance between v;bw and Austin. However, since two MT genes are identified in Drosophila, differences in resistance could be reflective of greater relative amounts of one "more important" MT in the resistant fly.     

Assessment of the efficacy of teriparatide treatment for osteoporosis on lumbar fusion surgery outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Neurosurgical Review - Treatment of osteoporosis with medications like teriparatide, a parathyroid hormone, is known to improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures....     

Maternal serum thrombospondin-1 is significantly altered in cases with established preeclampsia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate whether maternal serum TSP-1 level was associated with PE.

Materials and methods: In our case control study, 84 pregnant women in the third trimester were included. Forty-one of them were healthy and 43 of them were with the diagnosis of PE. The diagnosis was based on the definitions of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program working Group on High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy. Preeclamptic patients were divided into two subgroups as mild and severe. Blood pressure (BP) of pregnant women were obtained in left-side lying position using a mercury sphygmomanometer after at least 10 minutes of rest. Ten milliliters of venous blood was taken from every pregnant women and dispensed into lithium heparin and serum was obtained. Samples were stored at ?80?°C until analyzed. Serum TSP-1 level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All tests were two-tailed and p < .05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results: TSP-1 level was significantly lower in PE group than in controls (p?=?.003). Platelet counts were similar in two groups (p = .26). TSP-1 levels were significantly lower in severe PE than in mild PE cases. According to the subgroup analysis, TSP-1 level was found significantly lower in severe preeclampsia group compared to control group (p = .015).

Conclusions: In light of the association between endothelial dysfunction and preeclampsia, we claim that lower levels of TSP-1 which is released mostly from endothelial cells seem to reflect disease severity in PE. Our study reveals that maternal serum TSP-1 levels decrease in pregnant women presenting with PE and TSP-1 may be a new biomarker for the detection of PE and even severity of it. Further studies especially prospective ones with greater numbers of cases are needed.