Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of bathtub drowning on erythrocytes in victims.   Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive victims with CPA were included in the present study and consisted of 16 males and 23 females, 8-95 years of age, median 78 years old. Data on the arrival examination were analyzed, which consisted of serum sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl), hematocrit (Ht)/hemoglobin (Hb) ratio, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). In addition, the changes of MCV level in accordance with treatment in two bathtub drowning victims, one who was resuscitated and the other who had been under treatment in our hospital, were compared with those in two water intoxication patients.  Results: Of the 39 victims, 18 showed serum Na levels to be lower than normal range (NR) but no victim showed one higher than NR. In serum Cl level, 22 victims showed levels below NR but no one showed a level above NR. As to the value for the Ht/Hb ratio, the ratios were within NR in only three victims and were above NR in the rest. In MCH, three victims showed levels below NR and one victim showed a level above NR. In MCV, 16 victims showed levels above NR but no one showed a level below NR. The comparison of MCV between drowning victims and water intoxication patients pointed out a difference in the effect on treatment: in cases of drowning, MCV increased only on the day of the event and returned to baseline the next day, whereas in cases of water intoxication, MCV remained unchanged for a few days after treatment and then increased.   Conclusion: It is well known that freshwater drowning induces both hyponatremia and hypochloremia, which are caused by water transferred from alveoli to blood vessels. The increased MCV in bathtub drowning victims is induced by the expansion of erythrocytes through lower osmotic pressure, which exceeds the decreased change in hematocrit due to hemodilution, although the mechanism of the change in MCV in water intoxication cases is not identified.

Periodontal tissue has a unique structure in that the human periodontal ligament (hPDL) lies between the hard tissues of cementum and alveolar bone. Although the role of cytokines in hPDL function is not clearly understood, we investigated the effect of mechanical stress as hydrostatic pressure (HP) on cytokine expression in hPDL cells.The hPDL cells were obtained from a healthy maxillary third molar. After the 3rd to 4th passage, the cells were exposed to HP ranging from 1 MPa to 6 MPa as previously described. The expression of cytokine mRNA was determined by RT-PCR and cytokines in the culture supernatants were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The exposure to 6 MPa of HP caused no morphological changes of hPDL cells, and did not affect cellular viability. No expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, RANK, RANKL or OPG mRNA was observed in the control cells under atmospheric pressure, whereas in hPDL cells treated with HP, enhancement of IL-6, IL-8, RANKL and OPG mRNA expression was observed between 10 and 60 minutes after the exposure to HP. After the exposure to HP, the production of IL-6 and TNF-α were induced significantly in hPDL cells, but IL-1β and IL-8 were not produced.These results suggest that hPDL cells may play a role in the production of cytokines in response to mechanical stress in vivo.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effects of heart rate, body mass index (BMI) and noise level on interscan and interobserver variability of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring on a prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered 64-slice CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS:One hundred and ten patients (76 patients with CAC) were scanned twice on prospective ECG-triggered scans. The scan parameters included 120 kV, 82 mAs, a 2.5 mm thickness, and an acquisition center at 45% of the RR interval. The interscan and interobserver variability on the CAC scores (Agatston, volume, and mass) was calculated. The factors affecting the variability were determined by plotting it against heart rate, BMI, and noise level (defined as the standard deviation: SD). RESULTS: The estimated effective dose was 1.5 +/- 0.2 mSv. The mean heart rate was 63 +/- 12 bpm (range, 44-101 bpm). The patient BMIs were 24.5 +/- 4.5 kg/m2 (range, 15.5-42.3 kg/m2). The mean and median interscan variabilities were 11% and 6%, respectively by volume, and 11% and 6%, respectively, by mass. Moreover, the mean and median of the algorithms were lower than the Agatston algorithm (16% and 9%, respectively). The mean and median interobserver variability was 10% and 4%, respectively (average of algorithms). The mean noise levels were 15 +/- 4 Hounsfield unit (HU) (range, 8-25 HU). The interscan and interobserver variability was not correlated with heart rate, BMI, or noise level. CONCLUSION: The interscan and interobserver variability of CAC on a prospective ECG-triggered 64-slice CT with high image quality and 45% of RR acquisition is not significantly affected by heart rate, BMI, or noise level. The volume or mass algorithms show reduced interscan variability compared to the Agatston scoring (p < 0.05).
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Body Mass Index ; Calcium/*analysis ; Coronary Angiography/*methods ; Coronary Vessels/*chemistry ; *Electrocardiography ; Female ; *Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Observer Variation ; Prospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods