1,720,973 research outputs found
Prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with sterility undergoing 'in vitro' fertilization
No full text[No abstract available
Hypercalcaemia in systemic lupus erythematosus.
No full textHypercalcaemia is found in more than 90% of the cases of primitive hyperparathyroidism and malignancies. Rarely, D hypervitaminosis, sarcoidosis, other granulomatous diseases, some drugs, and endocrine diseases may be responsible. Nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hypercalcaemia, without evidence of primary hyperparathyroidism, have been previously described. Here we report the 10th patient with SLE and hypercalcaemia, along with a brief review of the literature. © 2011 The Author(s)
Association between fibrinogen plasma levels and platelet counts in an outpatient population and in patients with coronary heart disease
No full textAlthough numerous studies concern fibrinogen (FBG) associations, the relationship between platelet (PLT) count and FBG plasma levels has yet to be completely investigated. The present study concerns the association between FBG plasma levels and PLT count in 5891 patients (2831 men and 3060 women) attending our outpatients' laboratory. Of these, a subgroup of 4116 patients (1899 men and 2217 women) with normal values of the parameters investigated was selected. A group of 170 patients with coronary heart disease was also included. The parameters studied were FBG, PLT count, leukocyte count and age. Our results showed that, in the outpatient population, FBG was significantly correlated with the PLT count (P < 0.000001) and, as previously reported, with the leukocyte count and age. In the patients with coronary heart disease, there was a significant correlation between FBG and PLT count (P < 0.000001), to be considered very significant considering the limited number of patients, whereas no correlation with age or leukocyte count was found. The role of interleukin-6, both in FBG and PLT production, is well known and may explain the correlation between these two parameters. The association of FBG and PLT count has yet to be fully investigated in epidemiological studies, even though they play an important role as two of the major contributors to the pathogenesis and evolution of cardiovascular diseases. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 21:216-220 (C) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Age related prolactin secretion in men after fentanyl anaesthesia
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the role of age in the hormonal response to opiate anaesthetic fentanyl. In 90 patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass, 59.69.2 years mean age, 35–81 age range, prolactin (PRL), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), human growth hormone (HGH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I), glucagon and insulin were measured in venous blood samples drawn from fasting patients immediately before, at 8 h in the morning, and 60 min after the induction of anaesthesia with 30 g/kg intravenous fentanyl bolus, 30 min after a second 7 g/kg fentanyl bolus. Results showed a higher 60 min PRL peak in older, 65 years, in respect to younger, 50 years, patients (57.623.3 vs. 40.613.8 g/l, P0.005), with a significant upward trend with age across the entire age span (r=0.32; P0.002), while no difference by age was found for the basal concentrations. No differences were found between the respective basal and 60 min concentrations for the other hormones investigated. As expected, differences by age were found for FSH, higher in 65 and in 51–65-year-olds than in younger patients (for the basal values, respectively, P0.02 and P0.05); IGF I was lower in 65 in respect to50 (P0.02) and to 51–65-year-old patients (P0.05), with a significant negative correlation with age (r=−0.33; P0.005). The study shows an age related increase of PRL concentrations after fentanyl administration
Recurrent miscarriages in women not fulfilling classification criteria for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome
No full textObstetric antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), is well defined by classification criteria. It is well known that women with APS should receive prophylactic anticoagulation therapy with subcutaneous low weight heparin all throughout pregnancy and in the first 6 weeks postpartum. However, the optimal treatment for pregnant women having positive anti-phospholipid antibodies, but not fulfilling classification criteria for APS is still unclear. In this retrospective study we report pregnancy outcomes of 10 patients affected by recurrent miscarriages and positive anti-cardiolipin or aβ2GP1 antibodies with titers ranging from 10 to 20 GPL/MPL demonstrated at least twice before pregnancy.Obstetric antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), is well defined by classification criteria. It is well known that women with APS should receive prophylactic anticoagulation therapy with subcutaneous low weight heparin all throughout pregnancy and in the first 6 weeks postpartum. However, the optimal treatment for pregnant women having positive anti-phospholipid antibodies, but not fulfilling classification criteria for APS is still unclear. In this retrospective study we report pregnancy outcomes of 10 patients affected by recurrent miscarriages and positive anti-cardiolipin or aβ2GP1 antibodies with titers ranging from 10 to 20 GPL/MPL demonstrated at least twice before pregnancy
The acute myocardial infarction in very elderly
No full textA total 325 patients were studied at admission for myocardial infarction, measuring plasma fibrinogen (FBG), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and automatized hemocromocytometric parameters in order to contribute to explain the excess mortality reported in very elderly patients. It was found that age positively correlated with fibrinogen and LDH values and inversely with CPK, hemoglobin concentration and lymphocyte count. The unpaired comparison of the variables studied in age subgroups showed no differences between patients aged 65 or less than 65 years and patients aged 66-75 years. In patients aged over 75 years FBC, neutrophile count and LDH were significantly higher in respect to 65 or less and 66-75 years age subgroups and hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, hematocrit and lymphocyte count were lower. In the very elderly patients the study shows a biochemical feature suggesting delayed hospitalization for myocardial infarction, that may contribute to their poorer prognosis. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
MMP-12 as a new marker of Stanford-A acute aortic dissection
No full textBackground. The study evaluated macrophage cytokines and macrophage metalloprotease (MMP)-12 levels in patients with Stanford-A acute aortic dissection (AAD) and in patients with critical carotid artery stenosis (CAS) compared with patients matched for age, sex, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors (RF). The aim was to identify possible early serum markers of risk for atherosclerotic complications. Materials and methods. We selected 65 patients: 23 AAD patients, 21 CAS patients, 21 RF, and 10 healthy subjects (HS). In each patient and control serum, levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and MMP-12 were assessed by ELISA. Results. A significant increase of MMP-12, IL-6, and IL-8 levels in AAD versus CAS was found. Moreover, MMP-12 was shown to be significantly higher in AAD versus RF, but not in CAS versus RF. A significant increase of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, TNF-alpha, and VEGF levels was observed both in AAD and CAS versus RF. Conclusions. The results suggest that MMP-12 may be considered to be a specific marker of Stanford-A AAD. Furthermore, the study confirmed that in AAD and CAS macrophage cytokines play a key role in the progression of the atherosclerotic disease towards complications.Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The study evaluated macrophage cytokines and macrophage metalloprotease (MMP)-12 levels in patients with Stanford-A acute aortic dissection (AAD) and in patients with critical carotid artery stenosis (CAS) compared with patients matched for age, sex, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors (RF). The aim was to identify possible early serum markers of risk for atherosclerotic complications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
We selected 65 patients: 23 AAD patients, 21 CAS patients, 21 RF, and 10 healthy subjects (HS). In each patient and control serum, levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and MMP-12 were assessed by ELISA.
RESULTS:
A significant increase of MMP-12, IL-6, and IL-8 levels in AAD versus CAS was found. Moreover, MMP-12 was shown to be significantly higher in AAD versus RF, but not in CAS versus RF. A significant increase of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, TN
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
- …
