In this paper we reviewed the formulae and analyzed the factors which modified the relationship and estimate the time of death as precise as possible by potassium concentration in vitreous humor. The extra factors including numbers of the cases, cause of death, different eye of both, the urea or/and creatinine in vitreous humor, environmental temperature, sampling techniques, experimental and analytical method were also mentioned.
Aqueous Humor/chemistry* ; Creatinine/analysis* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Postmortem Changes ; Potassium/analysis* ; Time Factors ; Urea/analysis*

The quality and grade of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs were assessed by their characteristics traditionally. According to traditional experience, the quality of the purple Flos Farfarae is better than that of yellow buds. NMR-based metabolomic approach combined with significant analysis of microarray (SAM) and Spearman rank correlation analysis were used to investigate the different metabolites of the Flos Farfarae with different color feature. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed clear distinction between the purple and yellow flower buds of Tussilago farfara. The S-plot of orthogonal PLS-DA (OPLS-DA) and t test revealed that the levels of threonine, proline, phosphatidylcholine, creatinine, 4, 5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, rutin, caffeic acid, kaempferol analogues, and tussilagone were higher in the purple flower buds than that in the yellow buds, in agreement with the results of SAM and Spearman rank correlation analysis. The results confirmed the traditional medication experience that "purple flower bud is better than the yellow ones", and provide a scientific basis for assessing the quality of Flos Farfarae by the color features.
Caffeic Acids ; analysis ; Color ; Creatinine ; analysis ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Kaempferols ; analysis ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Metabolomics ; Phosphatidylcholines ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Principal Component Analysis ; Proline ; analysis ; Quinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Rutin ; analysis ; Sesquiterpenes ; analysis ; Threonine ; analysis ; Tussilago ; chemistry

PURPOSE: Predicting life expectancy of terminally ill cancer patients is very important. In many studies, ferritin is detected at higher levels in the sera of cancer patients, and higher ferritin level correlates with aggressiveness of disease and poor outcomes of patients. This study evaluated a prognostic role of serum ferritin levels in terminally ill cancer patients. METHODS: This study enrolled 65 terminally ill cancer patients from March through June 2012. We assessed routine laboratory findings including serum ferritin levels as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. To examine the association between serum ferritin levels and patient's characteristics, we used Spearman's correlation analysis, Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriately. For multivariate analysis, Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate significance of serum ferritin levels as a prognostic factor. RESULTS: A negative correlation between serum ferritin levels and survival time was found. After adjusting for sex, age, performance status, creatinine levels and white blood cell counts, serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with survival time. CONCLUSION: Even at the very end of life of terminal cancer patients, serum ferritin levels were an independent prognostic factor for survival.
Creatinine ; Ferritins* ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Life Expectancy ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Terminally Ill*

Urinary protein per se causes renal tubular injury and stimulates immunologic reaction. The extent of proximal tubular injury can be estimated by measuring the amount of 24 hours urinary beta2-microglobulin (U beta2-MG). The aim of this study was whether U beta2-MG level could predict the response to the initial steroid treatment for the patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). We analyzed 58 adult patients (33 M, 25 F), aged 33+/-15 years (range 16-76), with biopsy-proven MCNS treated with 40 to 60mg of oral prednisolone daily up to 16 weeks. The responsiveness (44 cases) inculded complete and partial remission or steroid resistance (14 cases). No difference was found between the steroid responsive and resistant group with regard to age, BUN, serum creatinine, albumin, cholesterol, and urinary protein. The levels of U beta2- MG (microgram/g creatinine) were 250808+/-478917 and 1648+/-2386 in resistan ia Kwang-Yul Chang, et al.:Prediction of Steroid Responsiveness in Adult Minimal Change Nephrotic. Syndrome Using Urinary beta2-Microglobulint group and responsive group, respectively (P<0.05). The cut off value was 400microgram/ g creatinine with 78% of sensitivity and 48% of specificity. The likelihood ratio for the resistance was 2.5 to 2.8 with the U beta2-MG levels over 400 ug/g creatinine and was 0.2 to 0.3 below that value. Multivariate analysis confirmed that higher U beta2- MG level was associated with a lower likelihood of steroid responsiveness, independent of age, sex, creatinine, serum protein, and urinary protein. This study showed that the pretreatment U beta2- MG level may be used to identify subgroup of patients with MCNS who are more likely to be responsive to initial steroid treatment.
Adult* ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Prednisolone ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: With the improved surgical techniques and immunosuppression available today, conventional prognostic factors have taken on less significance. Accordingly, the native renal function of the donor is thought to be more important. Thus, we analyzed the prognostic significance of the donor's renal function as assessed by 24-hour urine creatinine clearance on kidney graft survival for 10 years after living kidney transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1998 to July 2000, 71 living kidney transplantations were performed at a single institution. From among these, 68 recipients were followed for more than 6 months and were included in the present analysis. We analyzed kidney graft survival according to clinical parameters of the donor and the recipient. RESULTS: Mean follow-up duration of recipients after living kidney transplantation was 115.0+/-39.4 months (range, 10 to 157 months), and 31 recipients (45.6%) experienced kidney graft loss during this time period. Estimated mean kidney graft survival time was 131.8+/-6.2 months, and 5-year and 10-year kidney graft survival rates were estimated as 88.2% and 61.0%, respectively. Donor's mean 24-hour urine creatinine clearance (Ccr) before kidney transplantation was 122.8+/-21.2 ml/min/1.73 m2 (range, 70.1 to 186.6 ml/min/1.73 m2). The 10-year kidney graft survival rates for cases stratified by a donor's Ccr lower and higher than 120 ml/min/1.73 m2 were 39.0% and 67.2%, respectively (p=0.005). In univariate and multivariate analysis, donor's Ccr was retained as an independent prognostic factor of kidney graft survival (p=0.001 and 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Donor's 24-hour urine Ccr before living kidney transplantation was an independent prognostic factor of kidney graft survival. Therefore, it should be considered before living kidney transplantation.
Creatinine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Multivariate Analysis ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Hypoalbuminemia is the well- known marker of morbidity and mortality in the dialysis population. An albumin concentration at a single time point may not be of help in predicting the outcome of an individual patient. The direction of change over time may offer better prediction. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical significance of the trends in serum albumin concentration over time. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 61 patients. Additionally 24 patients were excluded in this study with an admission history during last one year and clinically apparent acute/chronic infection. The albumin slope (AS: g/dL/mon) was obtained from monthly measured serum albumin levels from September 2001 to August 2002 by method of least squares. RESULTS: AS was negatively correlated with hs- CRP (r=-0.530, p=0.000) and positively correlated with TCO2 (r=0.272, p=0.034), but not correlated with age, dialysis duration, wKt/V, nPCR and Hb. When the studied population was divided according to the albumin slope to group I (n=45, AS > or =+0.01, lASl <0.01) and group D (n=16, AS < or =-0.01), dialysis duration was longer and iPTH was higher in the group I than in group D (52.3+/-40.3 vs 32.8+/-18.9, p<0.05; 98.1+/-110.9 vs 46.4+/-30.7, p<0.01, respectively). AS was higher in group I than in group D (0.015+/-0.012 vs -0.026+/-0.023, p<0.001); hs-CRP tended to be higher in group D but did not reach statistical significance (1.78+/-2.81 vs 0.44+/-1.08; p=0.08). When it comes to Ca, P, Mg and TCO2, there was no difference between the groups. Compared to initial 3 months, last 3 months showed a significant increase of serum creatinine (10.3+/-3.0 vs 10.9+/-2.8, p<0.01) and a significant decrease of serum TCO2 (23.7+/-3.2 vs 20.8+/-2.2, p<0.001) in group I with no change in group D. CONCLUSION: Slope of albumin over time, even if its degree is clinically negligible, can offer valuable information about the patient's status that is not apparent.
Creatinine ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Mortality ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy (IVC) in proliferative lupus nephritis (PLN) with normal serum creatinine. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 53 PLN patients treated with IVC more than 6 times from 1992 to 1997. The patients were classified into the alternative and the initial. In the former, IVC was started after failed remission with steroid or steroid and oral immunosuppressive drug; in the latter, IVC was started as initial treatment. Remmission was endpoint of study and defined as all of the followings should be maintained for more than 6 months, 1) 24-hour urine protein less than 1g, 2) normal serum creatinine, 3) less than 5 RBC in high power field microscopy and no granular and RBC cast in urine. We compared remission rate and frequency of complications associated with IVC between the initial and alternative by chi-square test and analyzed the variables of remission including methodological; initial or alternative, clinical; age, onset age of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN), duration of SLE and LN, laboratory; serum concentration of creatinine, C3, C4, albumin, anti ds-DNA Ab. titers and 24 hour urine proteins and pathological; activity and chronicity index, multivariatly. RESULTS: All 53 patients (22 initial, 31 alternative) had normal serum creatinine at start of IVC, treated with 9.7 +/-2.3 times of IVC and followed up during 37.2 +/-15.4 months. Thirty-four patients (64%) had remission (18 of the initial and 16 of the alternative). The remission rate of the initial was higher (82% vs 52%, p=0.04 by chi-square test) than the alternative, but frequency of complications was not different. In multivariate analysis, any other variables; including methodological, clinical, laboratory and pathological, did not influenced on remmission significantly. CONCLUSIONS: IVC is effective in PLN with normal serum creatinine as initial treatments and our results suggest that IVC may be chosen as an alternative therapy in PLN patients who failed remission with steroid or steroid and oral immunosuppressive drug.
Age of Onset ; Creatinine* ; Cyclophosphamide ; DNA ; Humans ; Lupus Nephritis* ; Microscopy ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies

To identify pretreatment prognostic factors in carcinoma of the uterine cervix, a retrospective analysis was undertaken of 510 patients treated with curative radiation therapy in Seoul National University Hospital during the 7 year period, from March 1979 through December 1986. According to FIGO classification, 35 patients were stage IB, 89 were stage IIA, 232 were stage IIB, 8 were stage IIIA, 134 were III B, and 12 were stage IVA. Five year locoregional control (LRC) rates in stage IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, and IVA were 79%, 78%, 70%, 58%, 51% and 27%, respectively. Five year disease free survival(DFS) rates were 76%, 67%, 60%, 57%, 40%, and 25%, respectively. Overall survival(OS) rates at five years were 82%, 72%, 67%, 67%, 51%, and 33%, respectively. In univariate analyses, stage, age, initial hemoglobin level, type of histology, tumor size, and several CT findings including pelvic lymph node(LN) status, paraaortic lymph node(PAN) status, extent of parametrial invasion, bladder invasion, and rectal invasion were significant factors in terms of overall survival, stage, initial hemoglobin level, type of histology, tumor size, elevation of BUN or creatinine, and five CT findings associated with LRC were prognostically significant. In multivariate analysis excluding CT findings, stage IV disease, non-squamous histology, and tumor size > or=4 cm were associated with poor LRC and DFS. Stage IV disease and tumor size significantly affected OS. In multivariate analysis including CT findings, histology, tumor size, and pelvic LN status on CT were uniformly significant in terms of LRC, DFS, and OS. PAN status on CT affected overall survival only.
Cervix Uteri* ; Classification ; Creatinine ; Female ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Urinary Bladder ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Malnutrition is commonly seen in children with chronic liver diseases, and there are interactions between them. Chronic liver diseases can cause malnutrition and this can affect the prognosis of children with chronic liver diseases. Due to the complexity of nutritional assessment in children with chronic liver diseases, there are still no unified standards for the diagnosis of malnutrition. Early identification of malnutrition and related intervention helps to improve the prognosis of children with chronic liver diseases. This article reviews the features of nutrition in children with chronic liver diseases and related nutritional assessment methods.
Blood Proteins ; analysis ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Creatinine ; urine ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; metabolism ; Nutrition Assessment ; Skinfold Thickness

OBJECTIVE: Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) is a result of injury to the proximal tubules. The incidence of CIN is around 11% for imaging done in the acute care setting. We aim to analyze the metabolic patterns in the urine, before and after dosing with intravenous contrast for computed tomography (CT) imaging of the chest, to determine if metabolomic changes exist in patients who develop CIN. METHODS: A convenience sample of high risk patients undergoing a chest CT with intravenous contrast were eligible for enrollment. Urine samples were collected prior to imaging and 4 to 6 hours post imaging. Samples underwent gas chromatography/mass spectrometry profiling. Peak metabolite values were measured and data was log transformed. Significance analysis of microarrays and partial least squares was used to determine the most significant metabolites prior to CT imaging and within subject. Analysis of variance was used to rank metabolites associated with temporal change and CIN. CIN was defined as an increase in serum creatinine level of ≥ 0.5 mg/dL or ≥ 25% above baseline within 48 hours after contrast administration. RESULTS: We sampled paired urine samples from 63 subjects. The incidence of CIN was 6/63 (9.5%). Patients without CIN had elevated urinary citric acid and taurine concentrations in the pre-CT urine. Xylulose increased in the post CT sample in patients who developed CIN. CONCLUSION: Differences in metabolomics patterns in patients who do and do not develop CIN exist. Metabolites may be potential early identifiers of CIN and identify patients at high-risk for developing this condition prior to imaging.
Citric Acid ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Incidence ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Metabolomics* ; Spectrum Analysis ; Taurine ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Xylulose