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E A Saad

Publications and source records attributed to E A Saad.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Peripheral plasma met-enkephalin levels in ovulatory and anovulatory human menstrual cycles.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that met-enkephalin has a role in human ovulation and that plasma levels may differ between ovulatory and anovulatory ovarian cycles. DESIGN: This is a descriptive study comparing levels of plasma met-enkephalin, gonadotropins, and ovarian steroids in 12 ultrasonically confirmed ovulatory cycles and 12 anovulatory cycles. SETTING: The study took place in the infertility clinic of a large teaching hospital receiving primary and tertiary referrals of both private and public sector patients. PATIENTS: All patients (n = 16) had infertility greater than or equal to 3 years and normal findings on previous investigation including evidence of ovulation. INTERVENTIONS: Ovarian cycles were defined using transabdominal ultrasound scanning. Biochemical analyses were by radioimmunoassay. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The differences between plasma met-enkephalin levels in the two groups of cycles were compared. RESULTS: Met-enkephalin levels are significantly higher in ovulatory cycles with a significant peak in the 2 postovulatory days (Duncan's multiple range test; P less than 0.05). CONCLUSION: Human ovulation is associated with cyclic elevation of plasma met-enkephalin. Further studies are required to elucidate causality.

Anovulation

[Cineventriculography with radionuclides and intravenous dipyridamole in the prognostic evaluation after acute myocardial infarction].

PURPOSE: To evaluate safety and usefulness of dipyridamole-radionuclide ventriculography (D-RVG), soon after acute myocardial infarction (MI), in the prediction of future cardiac events. Traditionally performed tests were also compared. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients (4 females) with recent MI underwent rest and dipyridamole (0.58 mg/kg of body weight) radionuclide ventriculography. The criteria for a positive test for ischemia was failure to increase left ventricular ejection fraction in 0.05 from baseline value. All patients had also coronary angiography and 36 patients underwent thallium-201 scintigraphy for comparison. The mean follow-up was 16 +/- 3 months. The following findings were considered future for events: cardiac death, reinfarction, significant angina or heart failure. RESULTS: During the follow-up 18 of the 20 patients who had cardiac events had shown positive dipyridamole-RVG, as opposed to 5 of 21 event-free patients (p less than 0.01). The ventriculographic criteria for a positive test and dipyridamole left ventricular ejection fraction were the strongest predictors of those medical events (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001). Among the 36 patients who had thallium-201 imaging, 16 subsequently had cardiac events and the scans were positive in 82% (p less than 0.01). Twelve (29%) patients experienced reactions during dipyridamole infusion although no fatal complications were noted. CONCLUSION: Dipyridamole-RVG is relatively safe and a sensitive predictor of future cardiac events soon after acute MI, although additional experience is required before this new technique should be routinely recommended as an alternative approach.

Coronary Angiography

Myocardial enzyme activities in congestive cardiomyopathy.

A number of enzyme activities concerned with various catabolic pathways have been measured in biopsy specimens of the left ventricle in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy and compared with those in patients undergoing surgery for valvar or congenital heart disease. The myopathic patients showed a diminution in glycolytic capacity, in hexokinase activity and in the capacity to transfer reducing equivalents across the mitochondrial membrane.

Glycolysis

Persistent atrial standstill.

The authors present a case of permanent atrial standstill with syncopal attacks, in a patient with chronic Chagas' Heart Disease. The recognition of this dysrhythmia was based upon the conventional and intracavity electrocardiographic tracings in addition to phonomecanographic and hemodynamic data. The recording of the His Bundle electrogram demonstrated the absence of atrial activity, with the His potential preceding all ventricular complexes and an advanced conduction defect distal to the bundle of His. A diffuse type of atrial involvement was suggested by the lack of response to pacemaker stimulation. An increase in ventricular rate following intravenous atropine administration, led to the diagnosis of an a-v junctional rhythm with a widened QRS complex due to an associated right bundle branch block. Following the implantation of an epicardial ventricular pacemaker, the patient became completely asymptomatic despite the persistence of electrical and mechanical atrial standstill.

Adult