No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Erythrocyte Indices* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Erythrocytes*

No abstract available.
Head* ; Neck*

No abstract available.
Angiotensins* ; Cough* ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A* ; Reflex*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Proteinuria is associated with hypertension and preeclampsia in pregnancy. However, the impact of random urine proteinuria on fetal and maternal outcomes has not been established. We investigated the influence of random urine proteinuria on the clinical outcomes of pregnancy. METHODS: From January 2008 to December 2010, 2,822 patients were retrospectively studied. A total of 536 pregnant women with proteinuria in random urine and matched controls without proteinuria via propensity score matching were analyzed. Proteinuria was checked by the dipstick method. RESULTS: The patients’ mean age was 33.0 ± 4.7 years, and the mean gestational age was 235.6 ± 50.6 days on admission. The prevalence of hypertension and chronic kidney disease was 2.4% (n = 67) and 1.0% (n = 29), respectively. Women with random urine proteinuria showed higher blood urea nitrogen levels and a higher incidence of hematuria. These women also had a higher incidence of preeclampsia, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, and intrauterine growth restriction. Proteinuria was strongly correlated with preeclampsia in both propensity score matching (p < 0.001, r = 0.783) and unmatched whole samples (p < 0.001, r = 0.851). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that random urine proteinuria is associated with preeclampsia, preterm labor, premature rupture of membrane, and intrauterine growth restriction.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Case-Control Studies* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Membranes ; Methods ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Prevalence ; Propensity Score ; Proteinuria* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies* ; Rupture

No abstract available.
Female ; Fertilization* ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Twin*

PURPOSE: Leptin is encoded by the ob gene and is involved in the control of food intake and energy expenditure. Recent studies have implicated leptin expression to be an indicator of tumor features and prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of tissue expression of leptin with the clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: Patients who had undergone a curative surgical resection for a colorectal adenocarcinoma from 2000 to 2004 were included in the study. Immunohistochemical analyses of leptin expression were performed, and clinicopathological parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Clinical data and tumor tissues of 146 patients were evaluated. The mean age was 68.6 +/- 11.3 years, and 61.0% were men. Immunohistochemically, the rates of negative, weak, moderate, and strong leptin expression were 2.7% (4 of 146), 5.5% (8 of 146), 43.2% (63 of 146), and 48.6% (71 of 146), respectively. We compared the negative, weak, and moderate expression group (group A) with the strong expression group (group B). Leptin expression was inversely associated with nodal stage (P = 0.007) between the two groups. Leptin expression was not significantly associated with differentiation (P = 0.37), T stage (P = 0.16), and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (P = 0.49), and no significant differences in the disease-free and the overall survivals (P = 0.78 and P = 0.61) were observed. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrated an inverse association of nodal stage with high leptin expression. Higher leptin expression level might predict better oncologic outcome. However, further studies are warranted to identify the exact role of leptin expression in colorectal cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Eating ; Energy Metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Joints ; Leptin* ; Male ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Tissue Array Analysis

PURPOSE: Many studies on the time course of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression have been performed in the LPS (Lipopolysaccharide)-induced endotoxemic model, but there have been few experimental approaches to continuous peritonitis-induced sepsis model. We conducted this study to establish basic data for future sepsis-related research by investigating the time course of iNOS gene expression and the relationship with the production of inflammatory mediators in the early sepsis model induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were operated on by sing the CLP method to induce of peritonitis; and then, they were sacrificed and samples of blood and lung tissues were obtained at various times (1,2,3,6,9 and 12 h after CLP). We observed the expression of iNOS mRNA from lung tissues and measured the synthesis of nitric oxide, IL-1beta , and TNF-alpha from the blood. RESULTS: iNOS mRNA began to be expressed at 3 h and was maintained untill 12 h after CLP. The nitric oxide concentration was increased significantly at 6 h, reached its peak level at 9 h, and maintained a plateau untill 12 h after CLP. TNF-alpha began to be detected at 3 h, increased gradually, and decreased steeply from 9 h after CLP. IL-1beta showed its peak level at 6 h after CLP, and tended to decrease without significance. CONCLUSION: We observed that the iNOS gene was expressed later in peritonitis-induced sepsis than in LPSinduced sepsis. Nitric oxide and key inflammatory mediators were also expressed later in peritonitis-induced sepsis than in LPS-induced sepsis.
Animals ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Inflammation Mediators ; Ligation ; Lung ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Peritonitis ; Punctures ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger ; Sepsis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Rhabdomyolysis is defined as necrosis of the skeletal muscle fibers with release of the intracellular muscle constituents, including myoglobins,into the blood and urine. Severe myoglobinemia causes obstruction and necrosis of the renal tubule, resulting in acute renal failure (ARF). In this case, a patient with rhabdomyolysis-induced ARF was in recovery phase after treatment with fluid replacement and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). However, a sudden relapse of severe myoglobinemia occurred during CRRT. To remove myoglobinas rapidly as possible, we applied two sessions of plasmapheresis (total plasma exchange, TPE) in addition to CRRT for two days. The myoglobin level of the patient successfully decreased by 91%, and clinical symptoms and laboratory-measuredabnormalities subsequently improved. If severe myoglobinemia is persistent, or if relapse in spite of CRRT occurs, it would be reasonable to consider TPEas an additional therapy.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Humans ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal ; Myoglobin* ; Necrosis ; Plasma Exchange ; Plasmapheresis* ; Recurrence ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Rhabdomyolysis*

PURPOSE: Based on the vascular theory of glaucoma pathogenesis, we wanted to evaluate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on peripapillary blood flow in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS: Thirty patients with NTG were randomly placed in the GBE-treated or control groups. The GBE-treated group received 80 mg GBE orally, twice a day for four weeks, and the control group received a placebo twice a day for four weeks. Complete ocular examinations including visual field, Heidelberg retina flowmeter, and systemic examinations were performed on the first study day and on the day treatment was completed. RESULTS: After GBE treatment, the mean blood flow, volume, and velocity increased at almost all points, and there was a statistically significant increase in blood flow at almost all points, in comparison to the placebo. Blood volume significantly increased only in the superior nasal and superior temporal neuroretinal rim areas. GBE also significantly increased blood velocity in areas of the inferior temporal neuroretinal rim and superior temporal peripapillary area. CONCLUSIONS: GBE administration appears to have desirable effect on ocular blood flow in NTG patients.
Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; *Ginkgo biloba ; Humans ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry ; Low Tension Glaucoma/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; Male ; Optic Disk/blood supply ; Phytotherapy/*methods ; Plant Extracts/*therapeutic use ; Regional Blood Flow/*drug effects ; Retina/*physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Visual Fields