North American Journal of Medicine and Science
Not a member yet
440 research outputs found
Sort by
Parinaud Oculoglandular Syndrome as a Prominent Presenting Feature of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease – A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Get PDFKikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is an often under-diagnosed form of lymphadenitis that clinically mimics lymphoma. Ocular manifestations are rare in patients with KFD and are under-appreciated in the literature. We describe a man who presented with eye redness, blurred vision, and pain on upward gaze associated with fever, weight loss and cervical lymphadenopathy. This presentation was initially interpreted as Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome which is most often caused by infection leading to an infectious workup. Lymph node biopsy was eventually performed and showed KFD. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease needs to be added to the list of known causes of Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome.
Prospects of Stem Cell Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Get PDFAutism is a group of highly complicated neurodevelopment disorders affecting 1 in every 110 children born in USA. The etiology and pathophysiology are poorly understood and it currently has no universally accepted therapy or cure. Stem cell replacement therapy via transplantation potentially reverse brain hypo perfusion and immune dysfunction, which are considered to be two major pathophysiology mechanisms of autism. Recent advances in the in vitro study of disease modeling of autism reveals disease-specific cellular defects and reversible symptoms, opens the possibility of cell therapy and offers new hopes for cures. However, this new therapy is still in its infancy. There are many technological barrier such as immune-rejection, tissue migration and integration, cancer risk, safety concern, proper development in the inner environment and clinical barriers of individual sensitivity and liability, disease complexity, and more, which will need to be overcome before reaching new era of therapy. It will be necessary to conduct in vivo animal studies and then further clinical trials, however, before any potential clinical application in autism and other human disease can be realized
Role of Lysosomal Cathepsins in Post-Myocardial Infarction Remodeling
Get PDFLeft ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) includes extensive cardiac cell death, inflammatory cell infiltration, cell differentiation, and scar formation. Lysosomal proteases cathepsins participate in all these events during post-MI cardiac repair. These cathepsins cleave Bcl-2 interacting protein Bid, and degrade the anti-apoptotic members Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, thereby triggering a mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Cathepsins also contribute to monocyte and macrophage differentiation and migration. Monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils are recruited to the site of infarction, where they also release lysosomal cathepsins as inflammatory mediators to regulate post-MI inflammatory responses. Cathepsins also regulate fibroblast trans-differentiation and further affect collagen or other matrix protein synthesis during post-MI extracellular matrix remodeling
Associations of Daily Eating Episodes, and Eating Away-from-home with Blood Level of Total Cholesterol
Get PDFThe objective of this investigation is to describe the associations of number of eating episodes and proportion of meals eaten away from home with total serum cholesterol. Data from 499 participants, recruited from a health maintenance organization in central Massachusetts, aged 20-70, were used for this analysis. Dietary information and total blood cholesterol were obtained at five sampling points (baseline and four consecutive quarters) during the one-year follow-up. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The results from the study do not support the hypothesis that the number of eating episodes per day is associated with total blood cholesterol. However, we noted that the mean concentration of total cholesterol decreased with increasing number of eating episodes among women, although the adjusted mean among three categories of number of eating episodes per day was not statistically significant. On the other hand, the results of our study suggest that increased frequency of meals (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) eaten away from home is positively associated with mean total blood cholesterol concentration. Furthermore, meals eaten away from home, especially breakfast and dinner, were significantly higher in total calories, and percent calories from total and saturated fat, but lower in percent calories from protein and carbohydrate, and grams of fiber, than corresponding meals eaten at home. We conclude that eating out may have adverse influences on blood lipids. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of eating away from home on blood lipids
Autism Disease: Neural Network Going Awry and Therapeutic Strategy Underlying Neural Plasticity
Get PDFAutism is the major form of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Autism was first discovered in 1940s and has attracted enormous research and social activities recently. It is a disease currently defined only by behavior problems including impairments in communication, inability in social interactions, and stereotyped patterns of interest and behavior. Because of the complexity nature of the disease, there are many basic questions yet to be answered by scientific research. Autism is of great and increasing public health concern because the number of children receiving services is growing each year. In this commentary review, we will analyze recent studies on brain structure, genetics, and brain conditions and graph an overview of autism from these findings. Under the basis of synaptic plasticity, we believe the findings have led us to propose a hypothesis on therapeutic strategy, by which we may be able reshape the troubled neural network towards its normal networking function
A Review of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Get PDFThe standard of care for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer is surgical resection. However, many patients with this disease have other medical co-morbidities, which may preclude them from undergoing a surgical procedure. In these patients, conventional fractionated radiation therapy over 6-8 weeks has historically resulted in poor outcomes. The development of stereotactic body radiation therapy, a new form of very precise radiation therapy that delivers high doses of radiation in as few as 1 to 5 treatments to the tumor, provides these patients with a promising new alternative. Several phase II studies have demonstrated high local control rates of greater than 80-90% with this approach, and a low risk of severe toxicity (<10%) when patients are appropriately selected. Further study is required to examine the optimal candidates for this treatment and to further refine the technique, but stereotactic body radiation therapy is emerging as a promising, non-invasive treatment for stage I non-small cell lung cancer
Behavioral Treatment for Children with Autism
Get PDFAutism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder representing a heterogeneous group of individuals with similar symptomatologies and multiple biologic etiologies. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined. Government statistics suggest the prevalence rate of Autism is increasing, around 10-17 percent annually. Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure that is expected to increase significantly in the next decade. In efforts to remedy this devastating epidemic, many treatments and interventions are being developed. Among these interventions, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is probably the best-known and best-researched treatment available for autism spectrum disorders. This article will very briefly describe the ABA behavioral treatment process for children with autism, and review several key studies on its effectiveness. Due to the complexity of ABA principles, techniques, and their application, this article is not intended to be a detailed or definitive explanation on the subject
Pulse Wave Velocity in Association with Cognitive Function
Get PDFDementia is an important public health issue in the ageing society; however the cause of dementia has not been clear yet except for age and genes. Cardiovascular risk factors have been suggested to contribute to dementia, such as high blood pressure, but the evidence from clinical trials has not been conclusive. The biological mechanism of cardiovascular disorders in association with cognitive function needs further study. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), a “gold standard” measurement of arterial stiffness, has been established as an independent predictor of CVD events. Understanding the association of PWV and cognitive function can further help to understand the role of vascular risk factors in cognitive decline and dementia. Studies on the association of PWV and cognitive function have emerged recently. This manuscript introduced the measurement of aortic PWV, summarized the studies of its association with cognitive function, and commented on the possible mechanism of the association between arterial stiffness and cognitive function. Because of the link between cardiovascular disorders and dementia, intervention of cardiovascular risk factors may have additional benefits on cognitive function with ageing.
Pathogenesis of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Mediated Liver Injury
Get PDFAs a “stealth” virus, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is not directly cytopathic for infected hepatocytes. Hepatic injury is due primarily to the response of the body’s immune system to either acute or chronic infection with HBV. In general, two types of host’s responses occur to viral infection, i.e., innate immune response and adaptive immune response. Current evidence suggests that the innate immune response does not play an important role either in HBV clearance or in liver injury. In contrast, the adaptive immune response mediated by cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) cells is kinetically associated with viral clearance and liver injury. This observation suggests that the pathogenesis of HBV is closely related to the CTL-mediated immune response. One important way in which CTL cells mediate viral clearance is to secrete serine protease granzymes such as granzyme A and granzyme B which lead to the apoptosis of infected cells. However, HBV replication can upregulate the expression of apoptosis inhibitors such as serine protease inhibitor Kazal, or SPIK, resulting in the resistance of the cells to CTL-mediated immune killing. The inability of the immune system to clear HBV-infected cells can lead to chronic hepatitis B and development of HBV cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma
The Impact of HBV Infection and Barriers to HBV-related Care in Asian Americans
Get PDFHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major global public health problems. The prevalence of HBV infection is very high in Asian Americans (ASAMs), accounting for more than 50% cases in this country. Many of these individuals may not be aware of this infection, due to under utilization of HBV screening and community education. A high incidence of HBV infection has also been associated with lower knowledge and access to hepatitis B care in ASAMs. Studies have identified many health provider-, patient-, and resource-related factors that contribute to barriers of HBV care in this special population. Understanding these will help us in developing multiple approaches to effectively reduce the disparity and improve the outcomes of HBV infection in the ASAMs