PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of presurgical endorectal MRI (eMRI) for local staging before radical prostatectomy (RP) and its influence on neurovascular bundle (NVB) resection during radical prostatectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 385 patients with histologically proven prostate cancer (PCa) have been included in this retrospective study between ...

BACKGROUND: Hydronephrosis can be a side effect of radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. The incidence of clinically relevant hydronephrosis has not been studied in a large sample and the benefit of early detection of hydronephrosis is not clear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of hydronephrosis, following radical hysterectomy and evaluate ...

Introduction. (11)C-choline-PET/CT is a promising technique for detection/restaging of patients with biochemical failure (BF) after curative therapy for prostate cancer (PCA). The aim of this paper was to evaluate the PSA response in patients with BF after radical prostatectomy (RP) who underwent secondary lymphadenectomy (LAD) due to (11)C-choline-PET/CT findings. Material ...

Aim:  Associations between several vascular diseases such as Kawasaki disease, venous and arterial thromboembolism, cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism have been reported. This is a clinical study designed to investigate the possible effects of MTHFR C677T polymorphism on the development of Henoch-Schönlein ...

Acromegaly is a syndrome characterized by a sustained elevation of circulating growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Insulin-like growth factor-1 is a potent mitogen and has a role in the transformation of normal cells to malignant cells. This study aims to evaluate the spontaneous micronucleus (MN) frequency by using ...

Background/Aim: Some biological factors play a role in stimulation of malignant growth, metastasis and angiogenesis; however, their clinical relevance has not yet been well established for most of them. This work was aimed at studying the clinical relevance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin -6 (IL-6), in ...

Hepatocyte growth factor is a potent angiogenic agent. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of intramuscular injection of naked plasmid DNA encoding the human hepatocyte growth factor gene in Japanese patients with Buerger's disease and critical limb ischemia. An open-label clinical study was performed at eight hospitals in Japan ...

Heart failure (HF) is an important health concern with almost a quarter million deaths each year despite advances in medical therapy. Improvement of cardiac function has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with HF. There has been recent interest in the growth hormone (GH) / insulin-like growth ...

Objective. To investigate the clinical features of paranasal sinus osteomas and to estimate the growth rate of these tumors in a large series of patients. Design. Case series with chart review. Setting. University hospital, tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods. The authors retrospectively reviewed the paranasal sinus tomography scans that ...

To determine the clinical significance of an increase in various fragmented forms of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) in amniotic fluid (AF), a retrospective cohort study was conducted in 103 consecutive patients with preterm labor and intact membranes. Amniotic fluid samples were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and ...

Cytogenetic abnormalities identified by conventional cytogenetics (CC) have important prognostic and therapeutic roles in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) complements CC since it is able to evaluate large numbers of interphase and metaphase nuclei. The question has been raised as to whether interphase FISH in addition to ...

OBJECTIVE: Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (TS) is the primary treatment of choice for patients with acromegaly. Macroadenomas (>1 cm) are more difficult to resect than microadenomas (remission rate ± 50% compared to ± 90%). Besides the conventional microscopic TS, the more recently introduced endoscopic technique is nowadays frequently used. However, no large ...

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of different peak GH cut-offs after GHRH-Arg, IGF1 or their combination in identifying GHD.Design and Patients894 controls(used for normative IGF1 levels) and 302 patients with suspected GHD. Different peak GH cut-off limits[used by European or North American(4.1 μg/l) Endocrine societies, by HypoCCs(2.5 μg/l), or with 95% ...

The clinical and pathological characteristics of hyperparathyroidism-induced hypercalcemic crisis (HIHC) are incompletely described. The present study was designed to elucidate the nature and effects of HIHC in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy in our unit. A prospective database of 1,754 consecutive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) who underwent parathyroidectomy from 1991-2009 identified ...

OBJECTIVE: Hurler Syndrome, (MPSIH) is an inborn error of glycosaminoglycan metabolism. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has transformed the prognosis for these children. Prior to transplant patients receive chemotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy. Regular screening for the development of endocrine sequelae is therefore essential. We present for the first time data on ...

Clinical outcomes of patients with asthma are highly variable. Immunological biomarkers associated with asthma control have not been elucidated. To identify the association between clinical control of asthma and serum immunological profiles of asthmatics and compare these profiles with those of healthy controls by using a multiplex assay. Sera were ...

The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of three different treatment modalities on the reduction of serum anti-gastric parietal cell autoantibody (GPCA) level in GPCA-positive oral lichen planus (OLP) patients. Of 147 GPCA-positive OLP patients, 100 were treated with levamisole plus vitamin B12, 10 with vitamin B12 ...

Objective: To report a case of proton pump inhibitor-induced hypocalcemic seizure in a patient with hypoparathyroidism.Methods: We describe the clinical history, physical examination findings, and laboratory values of the patient and briefly review the relevant literature.Results: A 48-year-old woman with a history of postsurgical hypoparathyroidism who was taking calcium carbonate, ...

Spontaneous rupture of tendons is rare, and typically occurs in large weight bearing tendons such as the quadriceps, Achilles and patellar tendon, in the context of various chronic diseases including end-stage renal disease. In general, tendon rupture in dialysis patients is associated with hyperparathyroidism, long duration of dialysis, steroid and ...

The purpose of this study is to investigate the results of first-time surgery for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) in patients with preoperatively negative sestamibi scintigraphy and ultrasound. Data were gathered prospectively in a multicenter database for quality control in parathyroid surgery. Between 2004 and 2008, 3,158 patients underwent first-time surgery ...

In primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) the predictive value of technetium 99m sestamibi single emission computed tomography (Tc99m-MIBI-SPECT) for localizing pathological parathyroid glands before a first parathyroidectomy (PTx) is 83-100%. Data are scarce in patients undergoing reoperative parathyroidectomy for persistent hyperparathyroidism. The aim of the present study was to determine the value ...

The degree of electroanatomical remodeling of the left atrial (LA) affects the clinical outcome after rhythm control of atrial fibrillation (AF). Our hypothesis was that plasma concentrations of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 reflect LA voltage and structural remodeling in patients with non-valvular AF. In ...

To compare the distribution of osteophytes and joint space narrowing (JSN) between patients with acromegaly and primary generalised osteoarthritis to gain insight into the pathophysiological process of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-I)-mediated osteoarthritis. We utilised radiographs of the knee and hip joints of 84 patients ...

In patients after the Fontan procedure, assessment of ventricular function is difficult and amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels failed to be directly related to echocardiographic measures of systolic ventricular function. The aim of the study was to evaluate growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a marker of various stress pathways in ...

The liver is the main organ involved in homeostasis, metabolism and the storage of retinol. During the fibrotic process, hepatic stellate cells lose their lipid drops, and retinol reserves may deplete. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate serum retinol levels (RL), hepatic retinol storage and dietary vitamin A intake ...

The purpose of this study was to analyze craniofacial characteristics from lateral head profile radiographs of patients with cri-du-chat (CdC) syndrome. The craniofacial morphology of 10 CdC patients was evaluated using standard cephalometric methods, measuring 39 craniofacial variables on cephalometric x-ray images. The principal characteristics were skeletal class II malocclusion, ...

Patients on extended hours (>15 h/week) hemodialysis may be at a higher risk of deficiency of water-soluble vitamins than conventional (≤15 h/week) hemodialysis patients due to their increased weekly hours of dialysis. We compared serum levels of the water-soluble vitamins in a group of extended and conventional hours hemodialysis patients. Predialysis serum ...

POEMS syndrome and amyloidosis are rare plasma cell diseases that share common features, including polyneuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate serum vascular endothelial growth factor (sVEGF) in patients with amyloidosis and to evaluate changes in response to treatment. Twenty-five patients [17 primary light-chain amyloidosis (AL-A), 7 transthyretin ...

POEMS syndrome and amyloidosis are rare plasma cell diseases that share common features, including polyneuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate serum vascular endothelial growth factor (sVEGF) in patients with amyloidosis and to evaluate changes in response to treatment. Twenty-five patients [17 primary light-chain amyloidosis (AL-A), 7 transthyretin ...

Patients with growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR) mutations exhibit pronounced dwarfism and are phenotypically and biochemically indistinguishable from other forms of isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD). We presented here two siblings with clinical findings of IGHD due to a nonsense mutation in the GHRHR gene who reached their target ...

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is characterized by inappropriate secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH). The proportion of PHPT with asymptomatic or nontypical symptoms is continuously increasing. PHPT typically affects elderly women, and it is characterized by few symptoms or complications. We explored a case of a 77-year-old woman with previously undiagnosed PHPT ...

A 3-year-old Ragdoll cat was referred for investigation of polyuria, polydipsia, vomiting, weight loss and hypercalcaemia. Serum biochemical abnormalities included total and ionised hypercalcaemia and hypophosphataemia. Following clinical investigations a diagnosis of idiopathic hypercalcaemia was made. Because of the severity of the hypercalcaemia and the associated clinical signs, treatment for ...

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by thrombosis, obstetric complications and the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies such as anti-β2GPI-Abs. These antibodies may set off the coagulation cascade via several mechanisms, including the induction of tissue factor (TF) expression. Vitamin D has recently emerged as an immunomodulator that ...

Objectives: Disproportionate vitamin D levels may play an important role in the development of certain systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to compare serological and clinical parameters in ...

Vitamin D is a multifunctional hormone that can affect many essential biological functions, ranging from the immune regulation to mineral ion metabolism. A close association between altered activity of vitamin D and vascular calcification has been reported in various human diseases, including in patients with atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, and chronic kidney ...

Children may be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency following HSCT because of lack of sun exposure, the recommended use of sunscreen, dietary insufficiency, malabsorption, and the use of certain medications. We prospectively assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D deficiency in 67 patients ...

The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical manifestations and the most frequent causes of osteomalacia (OM) in a group of 28 patients diagnosed with this disorder during a 20-year period. OM was diagnosed by bone biopsy and/or by Bingham and Fitzpatrick criteria (two of the following: low ...

Background. Progressive secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) is characterized by parathyroid gland hyperplasia which may ultimately require parathyroidectomy (PTX). Although PTX is generally a successful treatment for those patients subjected to surgery, a significant proportion develops recurrent sHPT following PTX. ECHO was a pan-European observational study which evaluated the achievement of KDOQI(TM) ...

Vitamin B(12) (VitB(12), cobalamin) deficiency has been associated with various neuropsychiatric conditions, such as peripheral neuropathy, subacute combined degeneration, affective disorders, and cognitive impairment. Current assays analyze vitamin B(12), of which only a small percentage is metabolically active. Measurement of its active fraction, holotranscobalamin, might be of greater relevance, but ...

To determine the most common location of parathyroid adenomas. Data from 147 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism in Montreal at a McGill University teaching hospital between January 2001 and January 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients with histopathologic confirmation of parathyroid hyperplasia were excluded from the study (n = ...

OBJECTIVE: Many patients with primary hyperparathyroidism either decline or are not candidates for surgical parathyroidectomy. There are drawbacks to medical therapy as well as percutaneous ethanol injection as alternative therapies for primary hyperparathyroidism. Therefore, in this pilot study, our aim was to test the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a ...

To evaluate vitamin D status in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) who practice photoprotection because of their genetic predisposition to skin cancer and to determine risk factors for deficiency. Retrospective cohort study. Academic medical centers. Forty-one ambulatory patients with BCNS who participated in a 2-year chemoprevention clinical trial. ...

Hypercalcemia occurs in 10-20% of patients with hyperthyroidism, but its pathogenesis is still unclear. To evaluate changes in parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTH-rP) concentration in hyperthyroid patients compared with healthy controls. We studied PTH-rP, parathormone (PTH) and ionized calcium levels in 153 hyperthyroid patients, and 89 control subjects. These variables were ...

Obesity is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism in the general population. It is unknown whether body mass index (BMI) affects parathyroid hormone (PTH) level and its association with mortality in dialysis patients. From a prospective cohort study of incident dialysis patients in the Netherlands (NECOSAD), we selected all patients with recorded ...

Abnormal vitamin D levels are common in bariatric surgery patients. The incidence of deficiencies and the response to therapy is not accurately delineated. The purpose of this study was to define the vitamin D status of patients who undergo either a malabsorptive (gastric bypass) or restrictive (adjustable gastric band) bariatric ...

To determine the efficacy and safety of cinacalcet, a calcimimetic drug that suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH) production, we studied its effect on 20 patients (13 males) on maintenance hemodialysis (HD), 80% of them have persistent high PTH levels (i.e. more than 80 pmol/L), the remaining patients had PTH levels more ...

Neuropsychiatric and hematological manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency are well known. The present report highlights the biochemical basis for the impaired synthesis of DNA and neurological disorders associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. We present a case of an old patient who developed acute ataxia, dizziness and imbalance 2 days after ...

Vitamin D deficiency has received increased academic interest because of its association with many common disease processes. The goal of our study was to document the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. A retrospective chart review of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (ng/ml) levels at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center was conducted ...

To determine patient and treatment characteristics associated with vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in an UK inner city HIV-1-positive adult cohort. Two hundred twenty-seven HIV-positive patients attending prospectively for routine blood tests in winter had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations and other routine chemistry measured. Those with and ...

We aimed to investigate effects of vitamins C and E (VCE) supplementation with exercise (EX) on antioxidant vitamin and lipid peroxidation (LP) levels in blood of patients with fibromyalgia (FM). A controlled study was performed on blood samples from 32 female FM patients and 30 age-matched controls. The patients were ...