The study of biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a technique used with increasing frequency in the early diagnosis of Alzheimers disease (AD). Our objectiv was to gain an own experience while evaluating the reliability, sensitivity, and reproducibility of this technique in ...

The aim of this study is to validate the clinical utility of the flow cytometric scoring system (FCSS), quantifying phenotypic aberrancies in the myelomonocytic lineages, in the diagnosis and prognosis for conventionally treated myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients. The bone marrow samples from 56 consecutive newly diagnosed MDS patients were characterized ...

Objectives: Inflammation and serum oxidative stress (OS) are important components in heart failure (HF) deterioration. In this study we tested the hypothesis that an increase in patients' sera OS levels is associated with acute HF (AHF) readmissions. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients (mean age 71 ± 10 years) admitted with AHF ...

OBJECTIVE: Current data on primary aldosteronism (PA) from Asian populations are scarce. This cohort study clarifies the attributes of patients with PA in a typical Chinese population. DESIGN: An observational cohort study. METHODS: The records of patients referred to the Hypertension Clinic from a multi-centre registration in Taiwan from January ...

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic respiratory diseases often have the simple goal of wanting to walk for longer. We evaluated the properties of a patient-goal orientated, symptom limited self-paced walk (SPW). METHODS: Patients with symptomatic chronic respiratory disease, referred for a six week course of pulmonary rehabilitation, were screened for ...

Microalbuminuria is an early predictor of diabetic nephropathy and premature cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether treatment with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) would delay or prevent the occurrence of microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and normoalbuminuria. In a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, controlled trial, we assigned 4447 patients with type ...

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are effective in ameliorating anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). A recent trial in diabetic patients with CKD, however, suggested a greater risk of stroke associated with full correction of anemia with ESAs. Using national Veterans Affairs data we performed a case-control study examining the association of ...

BACKGROUND:: Nasal deviation plays an important role in plagiocephaly nosography, and it is frequent in plagiocephaly and objectivable both in early treated patients and in those patients who did not undergo any surgical correction. PATIENTS AND METHODS:: The group analyzed consisted of 12 patients affected by anterior synostotic plagiocephaly. All ...

It seems apparently that the 2 separate anatomical areas (nasal cavity and paranasal sinus mucosa) are indeed one single unit with an identical behavior during inflammatory process. Similar histopathologic evidence in long-term condition could emphasize on the concept of rhinosinusitis in patients with inflammatory paranasal sinus disease. Prospective study was ...

BACKGROUND: The aim was to describe the clinicopathological features and prognosis of young patients with breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 1478 consecutive patients aged ≤50 years with first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer referred to surgery from January 1999 to March 2005. A total of ...

Background Since the first outbreak caused by the pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza in Mexico, the virus has spread widely across the world with meaningful morbidity and mortality. However, there are few data on the comparative investigations to assess the clinical and radiological features between the H1N1 patient and non-H1N1 patients. ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate muscle strength, balance control and gait capacity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to study the correlations between these parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty MS patients were evaluated in terms of knee muscle strength, gait and balance parameters. These evaluations were performed using an isokinetic dynamometer ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities are related to coronary artery diseases. However, there are a few data about the association of paraoxonase and arylesterase activities with in-stent restenosis (ISR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between paraoxonase and arylesterase activities and ISR ...

Abstract Objective: To evaluate adherence to European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and European Summary of Product Characteristic (SmPC) guidance on recommended haemoglobin (Hb) values in routine clinical practice use of darbepoetin alfa (DA) in cancer patients internationally. Methods: This multicentre, prospective, observational study assessed DA use ...

Uncertainties about the frequency and the associated bleeding risk of recent silent ischemia (RSI), incidentally found on pretreatment MRI, in candidates for thrombolysis require clarification because exclusion from therapy is a serious consequence for patients with such MRI findings. We retrospectively analyzed the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)/diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) obtained ...

Background: Tracheal intubation in the lateral position is difficult because the laryngeal view is compromised during direct laryngoscopy. The Airway Scope facilitates intubation even when laryngeal views are poor with direct laryngoscopy, as they often are in the lateral position. We thus compared the efficacy of the Airway Scope in ...

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:: To present a case of traumatic cortical and dural AVF after a BB gun accident. CLINICAL PRESENTATION:: The patient presented with a small left frontal subdural hematoma and small contusions in the left frontal lobe after he was shot with a BB. He had no skull fractures ...

Background and Aims: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is reported to be infrequent in Asians, with no data from India regarding the prevalence and risk factors for BE. We investigated the frequency and risk factors of columnar mucosa with or without specialized intestinal metaplasia (SIM) in Indian patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The immunochemical fecal occult blood test (i-FOBT) is widely used as a recommended screening strategy for colorectal cancer (CRC). A growing number of patients potentially targeted by CRC screening programs are on oral anticoagulant or chronic low-dose aspirin therapy, mainly for primary or secondary cardiovascular prophylaxis. This ...

BACKGROUND: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a diagnostic biomarker for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the clinical significance of measurements of NT-proBNP levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who have undergone drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation has not been fully elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS: We recruited ...

PURPOSE: The authors sought to determine the prognostic value of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in patients with acute chest pain (ACP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 145 consecutive patients (75 men; 64±12 years) with ACP were referred from the Emergency Department for CTCA, which was performed with a ...

OBJECTIVE: We describe the neuroimaging characteristics of prodromal AD (PrdAD) patients diagnosed using the new research criteria in a clinical setting. In order to further characterize these patients, we also study the relationship between neuropsychology, CSF biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. METHODS/PATIENTS: 76 participants-24 controls (CTR), 20 amnesic ...

Levodopa-induced dyskinesias represent disabling complications from long-term therapy with dopaminergic drugs for treating Parkinson's disease (PD). Although several neuroimaging studies have reported altered striatofrontal function that contributes to the emergence of these motor complications, the neuroanatomical correlates of this disorder are still unknown. Optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was applied to ...

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remains one of the strongest predictors of long-term prognosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) often precedes clinically overt heart failure (HF) and is an area of extensive research nowadays. We studied the association between serum ...

BACKGROUND: Nurse-administered propofol sedation (NAPS) is now in widespread use. The safety profile of NAPS for routine endoscopic procedures in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is unknown. AIMS: To compare outcomes of patients with and without OSA undergoing routine endoscopic procedures with NAPS and standard conscious sedation (CS) with ...

Nasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and sinuses that is regulated by T lymphocyte subsets. Imbalance of Th17/Treg has been considered critical in the development of inflammation and atopic reactions. To assess whether the balance of Th17/Treg is disrupted in patients with NP, we ...

Pelvis-shoulder coordination while walking may, as a consequence of changes in spinal structure and posture, be susceptible to modifications in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) sufferers. We designed an explanatory, cross-sectional trial to assess whether Pelvis-shoulder coordination during walking in AS patients differs from that in healthy subjects. Seventeen AS patients and ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that serum selenium levels are decreased in hemodialysis patients. Selenium deficiency may contribute to an increased risk for death among hemodialysis patients. METHODS: A population-based prospective cohort study in adult hemodialysis patients was conducted. A total of 1041 patients were enrolled. Patients were divided into ...

BACKGROUNDS: It has been reported that patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) may have cognitive deficit. The authors performed EEG and ERP analysis during daytime to identify electrophysiologic relations with cognitive dysfunction in unmedicated RLS patients. METHODS: Seventeen drug naive RLS patients (53.7±9.6years) and 13 age-matched healthy controls participated in ...

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the applicability of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) in the screening diagnostics of voice dysfunction and in the evaluation of the level of handicap due to dysphonia. Patients andMethods: A total of 165 patients with voice disorders (vocal paresis, benign vocal ...

Does Adenosine Response Predict Clinical Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation. Background: Approximately 30% of patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) have clinical recurrence of AF, and a great majority of these patients have recovery of vein conduction. Adenosine can be associated with acute recovery of conduction to ...

SUMMARY: BACKGROUND: High mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) has been implicated as an important mediator in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the expression of HMGB1 in serum and sputum of patients with asthma and COPD across disease severity needs to be defined. OBJECTIVE: To ...

BACKGROUND: Uremic pruritus (UP) is still a common tormenting symptom among patients on hemodialysis (HD). The pathogenesis of UP is complex and not fully clarified. Some preliminary studies indicate that UP is a systemic inflammatory disease with a deranged balance of T helper (TH) cell differentiation toward TH1 predominance. The ...

Abstract Objective. To get insight into usefulness of 96-h wireless monitoring in diagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and in patients' management. Material and methods. 51 patients who underwent 96-h wireless and 51 matched patients who underwent 24-h traditional pH monitoring were enrolled and retrospectively contacted with a structured telephone ...

Background: We hypothesized that the presence of tiny, enhancing foci ('spot sign') within acute hematomas is associated with hematoma expansion. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the effect of hematoma volume on accuracy of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in predicting hematoma expansion in 312 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The patients ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have compared the accuracy of spiral analysis in distinguishing essential tremor (ET) from PD. In this study, we have used this technique to distinguish cases of tremulous PD (TDPD) (N = 24) from tremulous parkinsonian subjects without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (N = 41). METHODS: All patients ...

Background  The prevalence of ophthalmic involvement in rosacea is probably higher than previously presumed and varies considerably among several studies. Objective  This study aimed to determine the incidence of ocular disease among a population of rosacea patients in Northern Greece, to objectively determine the presence of eye dryness in rosacea ...

BACKGROUND:: Frequent PVCs can cause cardiomyopathy. The mechanism is not known and may be multifactorial. This study assessed the role of PVC interpolation in PVC-induced cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS:: In 51 consecutive patients (14 women, age: 49±15 years, ejection fraction (EF): 0.49±0.14) with frequent PVCs, 24-hour Holter recordings were performed. ...

BACKGROUND: Delayed presentation of splenic trauma is a well described entity. METHOD: We report two patients who presented with splenic abnormality found incidentally on imaging for other medical problems. A remote history of splenic trauma was elicited during clinical evaluation; 18 months in one patient and 11 years in the second patient. ...

INTRODUCTION: Functional heartburn is defined by Rome III criteria as an endoscopy-negative condition with normal oesophageal acid exposure time, negative symptom association to acid reflux and unsatisfactory response to proton pump inhibitors. These criteria underestimated the role of non-acid reflux. AIM: To assess the contribution of impedance-pH with symptom association ...

We investigated whether the functional connections to the primary sensorimotor cortex (SMC) at rest are abnormal in 26 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and whether such changes are related to the corticospinal tract (CST) damage, measured using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT MRI). ALS patients versus controls showed ...

Serum total sialic acid (sTSA) has recently been shown to be a cardiovascular risk factor. However, there is little information about the role of sTSA and TSA in saliva in periodontitis, a chronic and inflammatory disease known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to investigate ...

High-mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein is a key regulator of insulin receptor (INSR) gene expression. We previously identified a functional HMGA1 gene variant in 2 insulin-resistant patients with decreased INSR expression and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). To examine the association of HMGA1 gene variants with type 2 DM. DESIGN, ...

Pallix-Guyot M, Guennoc A-M, Blasco H, de Toffol B, Corcia P, Praline J. Predictive value of motor evoked potentials in clinically isolated syndrome. Acta Neurol Scand: DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2011.01498.x. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives -  To assess the predictive role of several measures obtained by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) ...

Previous studies suggest a role for IL-1β in the pathophysiology of upper extremity soft tissue disorders (UESTDs). We studied the levels of interleukin-1 family members in patients with incipient UESTDs and compared them with healthy controls. In this case control study, we included 163 patients with UESTDs and symptom duration ...

Background: Circulating Tissue Factor (TF) is associated with inflammation and may contribute to thrombotic events. Aim of this study was to analyze circulating TF activity and proinflammatory cytokines in patients with deep venous thrombosis. Patients and methods: Forty-eight patients with deep vein thrombosis and 45 control subjects were included. Venous ...

A minimally invasive approach to primary hyperparathyroidism is equivalent to bilateral exploration when intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IOPTH) monitoring is used. The optimal strategy for the monitoring has been debated. There exists an optimal strategy for IOPTH monitoring. Retrospective study. Tertiary referral hospital. Patients and A total of 1882 patients underwent ...

Object Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a disorder afflicting as many as 2% of East Asians. However, reports of OPLL in non-Asians have been sporadic in the medical literature. This study describes clinical and radiographic findings with OPLL in non-Asians at a tertiary care center treating a ...

Abstract Conclusion: The Meniett device is a minimally invasive and safe treatment that may be used to provide longer-term reduction of vestibular symptoms in patients with delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) as well as those with Meniere's disease (MD). Objective: The effects of the Meniett device were evaluated in patients with ...

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, and REM sleep abnormalities. A genome-wide association study identified a novel narcolepsy-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs5770917, which is located adjacent to CPT1B (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B). In this study, we analyzed the CPT1B expression level and measured the carnitine ...