PURPOSE: To investigate the spontaneous cerebral microbleeding occurring at gradient-echo MRI, and its relationship with associated stroke lesions and risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 2001 and December, 2002, 32 patients (21 men and 11 women; mean age 63 years) in whom cerebral microbleeding occurred at gradient-echo MRI were retrospectively investigated. Using a 1.5 T MR imager, spin-echo T1-weighted, fast spin-echo T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and gradient-echo images were obtained. The number and location of microbleeds seen on gradient echo images, patient data, and associated stroke lesions such as intracerebral hemorrhage and lacunar and territorial infarction were assessed. RESULTS: Among the 32 patients, 563 microbleeds and between 1 and 66 (mean, 17.6) were noted at gradientecho imaging. Microbleeding occurred in the cortical/subcortical area (n=216), the basal ganglia (n=173), thalamus (n=92), cerebellum (n=41), brainstem (n=36) and corpus callosum (n=1), and in 20 patients was bilateral. Patients had a history of hypertension (n=26), hypertriglycemia (n=12), heart disease (n=4), and diabetes mellitus (n=3). Stroke lesions were seen in 27 patients, intracerebral hemorrhage in ten, lacunar infarction in 24, and territorial infarction in four. CONCLUSION: The incidence and number of microbleeds was greater in older patients and in those with hypertension, hypertriglycemia, and stroke lesions such as intracerebral hemorrhage or lacunar infarction. The detection of microbleeding at gradient-echo imaging is helpful, since it predicts the possibility of cerebral hemorrhage in these patients.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain Stem ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Corpus Callosum ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke* ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Thalamus

A 37-year-old female patient admitted due to dyspnea on exertion and peripheral edema. For one and a half years, the patient had been taking various drugs and supplements to reduce weight, including amphetamine-like drugs. The patient had no major cardiovascular risk factors except three pack-years of smoking. A chest computed tomography showed a 1.7 cm diameter, capsulated space-occupying lesion in the left ventricle (LV) and 2-dimensional echocardiography showed LV systolic dysfunction (Left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF], 30%) with a mobile cystic mass (1.1x1.8 cm) that was attached to the LV apex, which was increased in size and number the next day, even with low dose low-molecular-weight heparin. With an increased dose of anticoagulation medication and heart failure management with diuretics and angiotensin receptor II blocker, LV dysfunction was recovered and the LV thrombus disappeared.
Adult ; Amphetamine ; Angiotensins ; Cardiomyopathies* ; Diuretics ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Edema ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke Volume ; Thorax ; Thrombosis* ; Weight Loss*

Purpose: Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a common age-related chronic condition. Its pathogenesis involves androgen imbalance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This study aims to assess the protective effect of finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, against testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH in rats and explore its potential mechanism of action. Materials and Methods: TP-induced BPH rats received either saline or finasteride (1 mg/kg) orally once a day for 7 weeks. Prior to sacrificing the animals, blood samples were collected. After sacrifice, prostate and tissue around the prostate were dissected from seminal vesical for further analysis. Body weight, prostate weight, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 5α-reductase type 2 (5-AR2), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured. In addition, HIF-1α, VEGF, MMP-2 expressions in prostate, oxidative stress, inflammation, and ER stress responses were analyzed to understand the mechanism of action of finasteride. Results: Finasteride administration inhibited prostate enlargement, DHT, 5-AR2, and PSA levels in BPH rats. Additionally, finasteride inhibited angiogenesis markers such as HIF-1α, VEGF, and MMP-2. Moreover, components of oxidative stress, inflammation, and ER stress responses were significantly regulated by finasteride treatment. Conclusions This study suggests that finasteride prevents BPH-associated symptoms by regulating angiogenesis, reactive oxygen species, ER stress responses, and inflammation, another mechanism to explain the effect of the 5α-reductase against BPH.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between HBV and CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD in a nationwide multicenter study. METHODS: A total of 265,086 subjects who underwent health-check examinations in 33 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive cases (n = 10,048), and age- and gender-matched HBsAg negative controls (n = 40,192) were identified. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or proteinuria as at least grade 2+ of urine protein. RESULTS: HBsAg positive cases showed a significantly higher prevalence of GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (3.3%), and proteinuria (18.9%) than that of the controls (2.6%, P < 0.001, and 14.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor associated with GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² along with age, blood levels of albumin, bilirubin, anemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Likewise, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor for proteinuria along with age, male, blood levels of bilirubin, protein, albumin, and HbA1c. A subgroup analysis showed that HBsAg positive men but not women had a significantly increased risk for GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV infection was significantly associated with a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² and proteinuria (≥ 2+). Therefore, clinical concern about CKD in chronic HBV infected patients, especially in male, is warranted.
Anemia ; Antigens, Surface ; Bilirubin ; Case-Control Studies* ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic*