摘要:

Background:Many veterans who were involved in the Persian Gulf theater of operations have had a variety of unexplained physical complaints, collectively called the Gulf War syndrome or similar names. There has been much debate on the issue and numerous publications, both in the medical and the lay press. A method for examining urinary sediment that was developed in an effort to identify nonculturable bacteria has been used in Gulf War veterans and was the basis for intensive antimicrobial therapy in many of them.Methods:We evaluated eight Gulf War veterans with complaints compatible with Gulf War syndrome. Subjects were from various parts of the United States. A detailed history and physical examination were performed. Urine was obtained before and after prostatic massage (men) or before and after pelvic examinations (women) and was tested by a previously described microscopic method as well as by culture and conventional Gram stain. Age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were tested similarly and concurrently.Results:Two female Gulf War veterans had findings ofCandida albicansandKlebsiella pneumoniaeby conventional culture. The same organism types were seen both by the special method and by conventional Gram stain. All other subjects and controls were completely indistinguishable.Conclusion:Examining the urinary sediment by this elaborate method does not differentiate persons with Gulf War syndrome from normal, healthy control subjects who were never in the Persian Gulf area.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

To clarify the different roles of free radical scavenging systems in various thyroid disorders, we measured the levels of α-, β-, andγ-tocopherols and coenzyme Q in the thyroid tissues of patients with thyroid tumors and Graves' disease using high-performance liquid chromatography. The levels of α-tocopherols and γ-tocopherols in the thyroid tissue of patients with papillary carcinoma and the level ofγ-tocopherol in the thyroid tissue of patients with malignant lymphoma were elevated compared with those in normal thyroid tissues. The level of coenzyme Q was reduced in the thyroid tissue of patients with Graves' disease and follicular and papillary thyroid carcinomas. These findings imply that vitamin E and coenzyme Q as scavengers play some role in thyroid follicular cell hyperfunction or dysfunction.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Although leukocytosis has long been recognized to occur in patients with hemorrhage, there are no data regarding leukocytosis in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We evaluated the prevalence and significance of the admission white blood cell count in consecutive patients admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital with upper gastrointestinal bleeding seen prospectively over a 50-month period. Any white count greater than 8.5× 103/mm3was considered abnormal. Of the 731 patients eligible for the study, leukocytosis was seen in 463 (63%). When compared to patients with a normal white count, patients with leukocytosis on admission were more likely to be tachycardic (31.4% versus 24.3%, P = 0.04) and hypotensive (10.9% versus 5.7%, P = 0.018), required more units of blood(4.6 ± 5.9 versus 3.5 ± 6.0, P = 0.01), had a longer hospital stay (7.3 ± 9.7 versus 5.9 ± 6.2 days, P = 0.01), and required more frequent surgical intervention for bleeding (8.0% versus 4.2%, P = 0.04). No significant difference in mortality was seen between patients with leukocytosis and those with a normal white count (8.7% versus 6.4%, P = 0.27). Leukocytosis is common in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, appears to reflect the severity of the bleeding episode, and is associated with a more complicated course.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Eighteen patients with polycythemia vera who were less than 60 years old received human leukocyte interferon-α subcutaneously at a starting dose of 3 MU three times a week. The interferon dose was escalated to 6 MU three times a week if it was well tolerated and disease was not controlled after 3 months of treatment at the lower dose. Hematologic response was defined as complete if the hematocrit was maintained at less than 45% in the absence of phlebotomy and partial if the hematocrit was kept at 45% to 50%, associated with a 50% or greater reduction of phlebotomy requirements; no response was defined as a response less than a partial response. Complete disease control was achieved in 11 patients, with partial control in a further six cases. One patient failed to respond. Median duration of response was 16 months (range 5 to 43 months), with 15 patients still under treatment. Therapy with human leukocyte interferon-α significantly improved (p<.01) phlebotomy requirements, the degree of splenomegaly, pruritus scores, iron stores and mean red cell volume values, and platelet and leukocyte counts. Interferon treatment did not produce remarkable side effects and no patient withdrew from the study because of intolerance. We conclude that subcutaneous human leukocyte interferon-α is an effective and well-tolerated therapy in the management of polycythemia vera-associated myeloproliferation and pruritus in patients less than 60 years old.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Recent data indicate that hypercholesterolemia increases endothelial superoxide anion (· O2-) production, and that this diminishes the bioactivity of nitric oxide produced in the endothelium. Probucol, a drug commonly employed for treatment of hypercholesterolemia, has antioxidant properties and inhibits oxidation of low density lipoproteins in vitro. We tested the hypothesis that probucol would decrease vascular· O2-production and improve endothelium-dependent relaxations in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Rabbits were divided into four groups: 1) a control group fed a standard diet; 2) a probucol group fed a standard diet containing 0.3% probucol; 3) a hypercholesterolemic group fed a diet containing 0.5% cholesterol; 4) a hypercholesterolemia-probucol group fed a diet containing 0.5% cholesterol and 0.3% probucol. The cholesterol-rich diet markedly increased plasma total cholesterol level and lipid peroxidation in the plasma, as reflected by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). This concentration of probucol did not lower plasma cholesterol, but markedly reduced TBARS in the plasma of cholesterol-fed rabbits. Aortic segments from cholesterol-fed rabbits produced 1.8-fold more · O2-(assessed by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence) and decreased endothelium-dependent vascular relaxations to acetylcholine compared to vessels from normal rabbits. In cholesterol-fed rabbits, probucol treatment normalized both· O2-production and endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine. In control rabbits, probucol had no effect on either of these parameters. We conclude that probucol treatment may prevent · O2--induced inactivation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide and reduce vascular oxidant stress via reducing the level of·O2-.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Background:To investigate the duration of effectiveness in the postoperative period of temporary epicardial atrial pacing electrodes on the right atrium, based on position.Methods:The function of temporary epicardial atrial pacing electrodes were examined in 55 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting from March 20, 1996, to July 31, 1996, at Allegheny University Hospitals, Hahnemann Division, Philadelphia, PA. There were 41 male and 14 female patients. The mean age was 71 years (range 35 to 86 years). Two atrial and two ventricular temporary epicardial pacing electrodes were placed at the termination of cardiopulmonary bypass. One atrial electrode was placed on the body of the right atrium at the junction of the superior vena cava (body electrode); the other was passed through the pursestring of the atrial cannulation site(appendage electrode).Results:The mean thresholds for the atrial body electrodes on the operative day and postoperative days 1 and 2 were 4.96, 6.67, and 6.80 mA, respectively. The mean thresholds for the atrial appendage electrodes were 5.98, 7.50, and 8.59 mA, respectively.Conclusions:Temporary epicardial atrial pacing electrodes are more effective when the wires are placed in the atrial body of the right atrium than if they are wrapped within the pursestring of the right atrial appendage. As a result of these findings, the common practice of placing the pacing wire through pursestring tissue should be abandoned.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a characteristic cytokine that plays an essential role in placenta maintenance, and thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) is a hemostatic marker that is remarkably altered both in normal pregnancy and in preeclampsia. The present study was designed in order to show various levels of M-CSF and TAT in pregnancies. Peripheral blood was collected from 49 subjects, of whom 31 were normal pregnant women consisting of the four groups (namely 10th, 20th, 30th, and 38th weeks of gestation), 13 were preeclamptic pregnant women (37th week of gestation; mean blood pressure, 158/99 mm Hg), and 5 were non-pregnant controls. We compared blood M-CSF and TAT levels among them. Results showed that blood M-CSF and TAT levels increased significantly with gestational age. Furthermore, the ratio of increase in M-CSF was significantly lower than that in TAT in normal pregnant women compared with controls. In contrast, the ratio of increase in M-CSF was significantly higher than that in TAT in preeclamptic women compared with normal pregnant women. These results concerning the ratio of increase in M-CSF and TAT have not been reported. These findings show that M-CSF level increases significantly in preeclampsia even in its earlier stage, exhibiting a systolic blood pressure of less than 160 mm Hg.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Bombesin-related peptides (BRP) are present in the lung and have various biological functions, including modulation of lung maturation. Many recent studies have suggested that BRP have a pathogenic role in airway wall remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to evaluate the distribution of urinary BRP excretion as a indirect marker of pulmonary BRP production and to assess the prevalence of smoking, chronic respiratory symptoms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma in a population sample from northern Italy. Associations between urinary BRP excretion and several respiratory and nonrespiratory variables were also evaluated. The only variable tested that was significantly predictive of high urinary levels of BRP was the presence of respiratory symptoms. In contrast to previous studies, smoking per se was not significantly associated with urinary BRP levels.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a genetically heterogeneous and progressive degenerative disorder of the brain. It affects approximately 4 million Americans and causes more than 100,000 deaths each year, and there is no cure. It is estimated that by the year 2020, 14 million Americans will be affected by the disease. Although the major pathology is confined to regions of the brain, some patients show an impaired sense of smell and selective loss of retinal ganglion cells. The biochemical processes that lead to AD are largely unknown. Genetic studies on inherited AD have identified three genes that when mutated can cause an early-onset form of the disease. Mutation of these genes has been shown to increase the production of a unique protein called β-amyloid, which is the predominant component of neuritic plaques found in the brain of AD patients. Also, one susceptibility gene has been shown to be associated with the risk of late-onset AD in both familial and sporadic forms. The available data support to a large extent the amyloid cascade hypothesis as a mechanism of the disease pathology. The newly identified "AMY plaques" and the future identification of other susceptibility genes may give further clues to the neurodegenerative mechanisms of AD.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1998

数据来源: OVID