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PubMedDate not supplied

Doppler ultrasound of the subclavian artery as an aid to quantification of aortic insufficiency.

Aortic insufficiency (AI) induces backflow of blood in the arterial system that is most pronounced in the major arteries close to the heart. Assuming that the intensity of the arterial backflow of blood may reflect the severity of AI, the systolic and diastolic flow profiles of the subclavian artery were studied in 40 patients with and 10 patients without AI that was angiographically proved by use of continuous wave Doppler ultrasound (8 MHz transducer, supraclavicular approach). Patients with angiographically determined severe AI (n = 17) had significantly higher diastolic regurgitant flow velocities (V-max) than patients with only mild (n = 9) or moderate (n = 14) degrees of AI (Severe AI = 35.0 +/- 12.0 cm/sec, moderate AI = 16.8 +/- 3.9 cm/sec, mild AI = 7.4 +/- 2.6 cm/sec; p < 0.01) and also showed significantly higher values with regard to the time velocity integral of the regurgitant jet (severe AI = 13.8 +/- 5.6 cm; moderate AI = 5.7 +/- 2.4 cm, mild AI = 1.4 +/- 0.9 cm; p < 0.01). After classification by jacknife discrimination analysis, the Doppler ultrasound grading was compared with a corresponding three-point scale (mild, moderate, severe) from aortic root angiography. A correct estimation of the severity of AI was possible in 44 of 50 patients (88%; overestimation in one, underestimation in five) and in 41 of 50 patients (83%; overestimation in one, underestimation in eight) with regard to V-max and the time velocity integral of the regurgitant jet, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗

PubMed2000

Allelic imbalance on chromosome 18 in neuroblastoma.

We previously demonstrated that chromosome 18 is frequently deleted in neuroblastoma. To further elucidate the role of chromosome 18 deletions in the development of neuroblastomas we examined 82 cases of neuroblastomas for allelic imbalance (AI) at 17 loci on chromosome 18 to define the common region of AI in neuroblastoma. AI at one or more loci on chromosome 18 was detected in 18/82 (22%) cases. AI on 18q was detected in 17/82 (21%) cases, whereas AI on 18p was detected in 4/82 (5%) cases. There was a distinct common region of AI at 18q21.1 between the D18S363 and D18S858 loci. In addition, cases 16 and 53, which did not show AI at 18q21.1, showed AI at 18pter-q12.3 between the D18S52 and D18S36 loci, indicating that another common region of AI may exist on chromosome 18. AI on chromosome 18 did not significantly correlate with any clinicopathological findings of patients with neuroblastoma. The common region of AI at 18q21.1 includes the DCC gene but not the Smad2 and Smad4 genes. However, our previous studies together with the present study indicated that the incidence of DCC mutation is much less than that of AI at 18q21.1 in neuroblastoma. These results indicate that novel tumour suppressor genes involved in the development of neuroblastoma are present at 18q21.1, and possibly at 18pter-q12.3.

Blotting, Southern↗

PubMed2003

Exclusion of candidate genes in two families with autosomal dominant hypocalcified amelogenesis imperfecta.

The amelogenesis imperfectas (AI) are a group of hereditary enamel defects characterized by clinical and genetic diversity. The most common AI types are inherited as autosomal traits. Three mutations of the enamelin (ENAM) gene have been found in cases of autosomal dominant hypoplastic AI. The gene(s) responsible for hypocalcified forms of AI have not been identified, although a number of autosomal genes have been proposed as candidates for AI based on their expression by ameloblasts, including ameloblastin and enamelin (chromosome 4q13.3), tuftelin (chromosome 1q21), enamelysin (chromosome 11q22.3-q23) and kallikrein 4 (chromosome 19q13.3-q13.4). To localize the gene(s) responsible for autosomal dominant hypocalcified AI, we evaluated support for/against linkage of AI to genetic markers spanning five AI candidate genes in two extended families. Our data excluded all proposed candidate gene regions as causal for autosomal dominant hypocalcified AI in these families. These linkage findings provide further evidence for genetic heterogeneity among families with autosomal dominant AI and indicate that, at least, some forms of autosomal dominant hypocalcified AI are not caused by a gene in the five most commonly reported AI candidate genes.

Amelogenesis Imperfecta↗

PubMed2006

Is augmentation index a good measure of vascular stiffness in the elderly?

OBJECTIVES: we investigated the exact relationship between age and gender on augmentation pressure (AG) and augmentation index (AI) measured over the radial (muscular) and carotid (elastic) arteries. DESIGN AND METHODS: AG is the contribution that wave reflection makes to systolic arterial pressure. AI is an indirect measure of arterial stiffness and is calculated as AG divided by pulse pressure (PP) x100. AG and AI both increase with age. AG and AI were measured in 458 subjects using SphygmoCor. A total of 755 readings were obtained (302 carotid, 453 radial). The mean age was 57.5 +/- 13.7 years. Diabetic subjects were excluded. Among the subjects, 13.5% were hypertensive. RESULTS: statistically, women had mean values of AI significantly higher than men in both radial and carotid arteries. These differences were less marked with AG. Quadratic equations better described the relationship between AI and age but not AG and age. Thus, AI increased with age up to our median age of 55 years but plateaued thereafter, whereas the AG continued to increase steadily with age. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated that both AI and AG were negatively related to height and positively related to diastolic blood pressure (DBP). CONCLUSIONS: AG continues to increase in the elderly over the age of 55, but not AI. AI is higher in women and higher when measured over the carotid than the radial. AI is positively related to DBP and negatively to height. AG is proposed as a more suitable measure of arterial stiffness than AI.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A relook into the association of the estrogen receptor [alpha] gene (PvuII, XbaI) and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a study of 540 Chinese cases.

STUDY DESIGN: A genetic association study of estrogen receptor-[alpha] gene (ESR1) with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in Chinese. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether: 1) PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms in ESR1 are predisposition factor for AIS and 2) these polymorphisms correlate with the severity of curvature in AIS. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ESR1 (XbaI) was found to be associated with curve severity in Japanese AIS patients recently. The role of ESR1 as a predisposition gene using a case-control design in other ethnic groups is required to confirm the previous associations. METHODS: A total of 540 Chinese AIS girls with Cobb angle above 20 degrees were recruited as cases together with 260 healthy controls. The effect of ESR1 SNPs on severity of scoliosis was analyzed in a subgroup of AIS patients (n = 364) followed up until skeletal maturity with the maximum Cobb angle recorded. Two SNPs in ESR1 were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism in all subjects. RESULTS: The allelic frequency of X allele was 23% in both case and control groups. The P allele was found at allelic frequency of 40% and 36% in the case and control groups, respectively. No association between the two ESR1 SNPs and the occurrence of AIS by both genotype and haplotype analysis could be established, suggesting that both SNPs were not predisposition alleles for AIS. AIS patients with different genotypes showed no difference in the maximum Cobb angle. No association was found between the genotype and anthropometric measurements in AIS patients. CONCLUSION: The previously reported association with curve severity could not be replicated in our large series of Chinese AIS patients. The current study also did not show any association of the 2 SNPs with increased risk of having AIS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Correlation between endoscopic severity and the clinical activity index in ulcerative colitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between a new activity index and the endoscopic severity assessed by sigmoidoscopy in patients with ulcerative colitis. METHODS: We evaluated the sigmoidoscopic severity and Activity Index (AI) in 37 patients with distal colitis, 23 with left-sided colitis, and 36 with total colitis, in which the severity was divided into three categories: grade 1 = mildly active, grade 2 = moderately active, and grade 3 = severely active. We examined the relationship between the AI or clinical parameters and the endoscopic severity in all 96 cases. RESULTS: The AI was found to be significantly correlated with the degree of sigmoidoscopic activity in all cases, as well as in those with distal colitis, left-sided colitis, or total colitis. When patients with both grade 1 sigmoidoscopic activity and AI values of less than 150 were regarded to have mild colitis and patients with either grade 2 or grade 3 sigmoidoscopic activity and AI values of more than 150 were regarded to have moderate or severe colitis, 10 of 37 (27%) in the distal colitis, one of 23 (4.3%) in the left-sided colitis, and four of 36 (11.1%) in the total colitis groups were thus misclassified regarding the distinction between mild colitis and moderate or severe colitis. Three of four patients with severity of grade 1, indicating AI values of more than 150, had total colitis, whereas the remaining one had left-sided colitis. On the other hand, 10 of 11 patients with severity of grades 2 or 3 with AI values of less than 150 had distal colonic involvement. When the endoscopic activity was equivalent, the highest mean AI values occurred in total colitis whereas the lowest mean AI values were found in distal colitis. CONCLUSIONS: The AI well reflects the sigmoidoscopic activity. High AI values with a low sigmoidoscopic severity are thus considered to reflect extensive involvement, whereas a high sigmoidoscopic severity with low AI values is thought to indicate the involvement of the distal colon.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Apoptosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung: correlation with survival and clinicopathological features.

AIMS: Apoptosis is recognised as a physiological mechanism for controlling cell numbers and its subversion is thought to contribute to carcinogenesis. The aims of this study were to measure the apoptotic index (AI) in a series of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the lung using standard histological staining and confirm this by immunohistology using an antibody to an apoptosis specific protein (ASP), and to seek to correlate the AI with clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: Sections of 134 SCCs were stained by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for counting apoptotic bodies of determine the AI (number of apoptotic bodies/10,000 tumour cells); 26 of these were also stained with anti-ASP antibody and the proportion of ASP positive cells counted. Clinical data were obtained from hospital notes. RESULTS: The mean AI obtained by H&E staining of all 134 SCCs was 30.3 (SD, 24.75). Anti-ASP staining allowed easy identification of apoptotic bodies, and generated a somewhat higher index (mean, 51.4; SD 39); this was not a result of the selection of tumours because the AI by H&E in the subset stained with anti-ASP was 31.1. Regression analysis showed that the correlation between the two values of AI was highly significant (Rs = 0.9760; p < 0.001), indicating that the two methods were both reliable measures of apoptosis but that the anti-ASP staining is the more sensitive method. The tumours were grouped into high AI (> 50) and low AI (< 50) and survival analysis was carried out. The mean survival of the high AI group was 109 weeks and of the low AI group 72 weeks (p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Anti-ASP staining is a reliable, easy, and sensitive method for assessing apoptosis in tumour sections and confirms the validity of the AI obtained by H&E staining. AI is a guide to the behaviour of SCCs of the lung.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Comparison of responses in the anterior and primary auditory fields of the ferret cortex.

1. Characteristics of an anterior auditory field (AAF) in the ferret auditory cortex are described in terms of its electrophysiological responses to tonal stimuli and compared with those of primary auditory cortex (AI). Ferrets were barbiturate-anesthetized and tungsten microelectrodes were used to record single-unit responses from both AI and AAF fields. Units in both areas were presented with the same stimulus paradigms and their responses analyzed in the same manner so that a direct comparison of responses was possible. 2. The AAF is located dorsal and rostral to AI on the ectosylvian gyrus and extends into the suprasylvian sulcus rostral to AI. The tonotopicity is organized with high frequencies at the top of the sulcus bordering the high-frequency area of AI, then reversing with lower BFs extending down into the sulcus. AAF contained single units that responded to a frequency range of 0.3-30 kHz. 3. Stimuli consisted of single-tone bursts, two-tone bursts and frequency-modulated (FM) stimuli swept in both directions at various rates. Best frequency (BF) range, rate-level functions at BF, FM directional sensitivity, and variation in asymmetries of response areas were all comparable characteristics between AAF and AI. Responses in both areas were primarily phasic. 4. The characteristics that were different between the two cortical areas were: latency to tone onset, excitatory bandwidth 20 dB above threshold (BW20), and preferred FM rate as parameterized with the centroid (a weighted average of spike counts). The mean latency of AAF units was shorter than in AI (AAF: 16.8 ms, AI: 19.4 ms). BW20 measurements in AAF were typically twice as large as those found in AI (AAF: 2.5 octaves, AI 1.3 octaves). The AI centroid population had a significantly larger standard deviation than the AAF centroid population. 5. We examined the relationship between centroid and BW20 to see whether wider bandwidths were a factor in a unit's ability to detect fast sweeps. There was significant (P < 0.05) linear correlation in AAF but not in AI. In both fields the variance of the centroid population decreased with increasing BW20. BW20 decreased as BF increased for units in both auditory fields.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1981

Quantitation of aortic insufficiency using a catheter-tip velocity transducer.

Bidirectional instantaneous aortic root blood flow was measured in 18 patients with aortic insufficiency (AI) using a catheter-tip velocity transducer. The magnitude of AI was quantitated by determining total forward systolic flow from the area of the flow velocity curve above the zero baseline and regurgitant diastolic flow from the curve area below the baseline. Effective forward flow (stroke volume) was calculated as the difference between total forward systolic flow and regurgitant diastolic flow. Regurgitant fraction was determined as the ratio of regurgitant flow to total forward flow. These data were compared with conventional angiographic estimates (1+ to 4+) of the degree of insufficiency. Velocity transducer determination of regurgitant fraction was 26% in the patient with 1+ AI, 37% (31-48%) in 2+ AI, 49% (35-61%) in 3+ AI and 72% in 4+ AI (regurgitant fraction vs angiographic grade, r = 0.84). Regurgitant flow per diastole was 9 ml in the patient with 1+ AI, 39 ml (20-49 ml) in 2+ AI, 57 ml (31-102 ml) in 3+ AI and 183 ml (143 and 223 ml) in 4+ AI (regurgitant diastolic flow vs angiographic grade, r = 0.73). Good correlation (r = 0.90) was found between values of regurgitant flow obtained from the left ventriculogram and those obtained using the velocity transducer. Although the overall association was good, wide, variability in regurgitant fraction and regurgitant flow was found in the 15 patients with 2+ to 3+ AI. These results suggest that the electromagnetic velocity catheter offers a simple technique for quantitating AI.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2026

Artificial Intelligence Cannot Replace Peer Reviewers but May Help Editors Triage: A Comparative Analysis of a Large Language Model and Human Reviewer Recommendations at the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

BACKGROUND: The peer review system faces increasing strain from rising manuscript volumes, reviewer fatigue, and well-documented interreviewer disagreement. Large language models (LLMs) have shown potential to support the peer review process, but their ability to replicate editorial decisions at high-impact medical journals and their utility as manuscript screening tools remain unknown. PURPOSE: To compare the agreement between an LLM and the final editorial decision on manuscripts submitted to the American Journal of Sports Medicine and to evaluate the potential of LLMs as a manuscript screening tool. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional agreement study. METHODS: Fifty-four manuscripts randomly selected from submissions to the American Journal of Sports Medicine (September 2024-October 2024) were reviewed by a locally deployed LLM (Ministral 3 14B; Mistral AI) using a standardized prompt. The artificial intelligence (AI) produced a categorical recommendation (reject, cascade, revision, or accept) and a numerical score (0-100) for each manuscript. Agreement with the final editorial decision was assessed by Cohen kappa (4-category model) for pooled human reviewers (n = 139 reviews) and the AI (n = 54). Screening performance was evaluated by positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: Pooled human reviewers demonstrated fair agreement with the final decision (κ = 0.181 [P < .001]; 42.4% agreement), while the AI demonstrated slight, nonsignificant agreement (κ = 0.126 [P = .099]; 37.0% agreement). The AI recommended revision for 61.1% of manuscripts, of which 72.7% were ultimately rejected or cascaded, demonstrating systematic "revision bias." When the AI recommended rejection, 54.5% of those manuscripts were ultimately rejected and 27.3% were cascaded; when the AI recommended cascade, 50% were rejected and 50% were cascaded. However, when the AI recommended rejection or cascade (n = 21), 90.5% received a final decision of rejection or cascade (PPV, 90.5%; specificity, 81.8%). Manuscripts with an AI score <70 were rejected or cascaded 88.0% of the time (PPV, 88.0%). CONCLUSION: AI cannot replicate the nuanced judgment of human peer reviewers at a high-impact sports medicine journal. When AI recommended rejection or cascade, 90.5% of manuscripts received that final decision (descriptive PPV, 90.5%; 95% CI, 71.1%-97.3%), suggesting potential utility as an exploratory first-pass screening tool warranting further validation in larger cohorts. However, AI could not reliably distinguish manuscripts destined for outright rejection from those that would be cascaded to a sister journal-an important limitation for editorial triage applications.

Sports Medicine↗

PubMed1977

(Des-Asp1) angiotensin I: a study of its pressor and steroidogenic activities in conscious rats.

The steroidogenic and pressor activities of the nonapeptide (des-Asp1) angiotensin I [(des-Asp)-AI] were tested in conscious rats. (des-Asp)-AI caused dose related increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum aldosterone, and serum corticosterone in doses between 3 and 3,000 ng/kg/min. (des-Asp)-AI was 14% as potent as angiotensin I and angiotensin II and 60% as potent as (des-Asp1) angiotensin II [des-Asp)-AII] in raising MAP. (des-Asp)-AI was less active than AI, AII, or (des-Asp)-AII in causing increased release of aldosterone, possessing only 8%, 11%, and 17% of the potency of AII, (des-Asp)-AII, and AI, respectively. Each of these angiotensin peptides was equally potent in elevating serum corticosterone levels. Infusions of a nonapeptide inhibitor of converting enzyme (CEI, 0.5 mg/kg/min iv) did not alter control MAP or blood pressure responses to AII or (des-Asp-)-AII but inhibited equally the blood pressure effects of AI and (des-Asp)-AI. CEI also inhibited the ability of (des-Asp)-AI (67% inhibition) and AI (34% inhibition) to increase the serum aldosterone concentration, but had no effect on basal aldosterone levels. These data indicate that (des-Asp)-AI has pressor and steroidogenic effects, but requires conversion to (des-Asp)-AII for a major portion of its activity. These results further substantiate the hypothesis that (des-Asp)-AII, recently recognized as a hormone of the renin-angiotensin system, may be produced without the formation of AII as an intermediate and provide in vivo evidence for the conversion of (des-Asp)-AI to (des-Asp)-AII.

Aldosterone↗

PubMed2001

Body composition and metabolic features in women with adrenal incidentaloma or Cushing's syndrome.

The aim of this study was to evaluate body composition and metabolic features in women with nonhypersecretory adrenal cortical incidentaloma (AI) and women with Cushing's syndrome (CS) compared with healthy control (C) women matched for age, menopausal status, and body mass index. We examined 15 females with CS, 22 with AI, and 20 C. We evaluated anthropometric, hormonal, and metabolic parameters in all subjects. Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for total body (TB); in addition, abdominal fat was measured between L2 and L4 vertebrae. Women with CS and AI were overweight; waist to hip ratio mean values showed that women with CS and AI had a central fat distribution. TB fat was significantly higher in CS than in C women, however, AI women also had high fat values. Abdominal fat was significantly more increased in CS than in AI and C women. Eighty percent of CS women and 50% of AI women were hypertensive. High density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower and triglyceride levels were higher in CS and AI women than in C. The area under the curve for glucose after oral glucose tolerance test was significantly higher in CS and AI than in C. AI had urinary free cortisol values slightly higher than C and than the normal range. In conclusion, these data indicate that AI are at an intermediate state between normal and pathological. These alterations suggest that a subtle cortisol hypersecretion is probably present in AI and it may be the factor promoting alterations of body composition and metabolic parameters.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1983

Vascular effects and metabolism of angiotensins and their metabolites in the isolated perfused rat kidney.

The vascular effects of the injection of angiotensin I (AI), des-Asp1-angiotensin I (des-Asp1-AI), angiotensin II (AII), des-Asp1-angiotensin II ( (2-8)AII) and des-Asp1-Arg2-angiotensin II ( (3-8)AII) have been investigated in an isolated perfused rat kidney model, using a closed circuit system. The apparent half-life of these peptides was measured by AI and AII radioimmunoassays. Des-Asp1-AI is less potent than AI and has a shorter duration of action on perfusion pressure and renal flow. Up to 7.6% of circulating AI and 12.4% of circulating des-Asp1-AI are converted by the kidney to AII, (2-8)AII and other AII immunoreactive materials. This intrarenal conversion entirely explains the vasoconstrictor effects of these two peptides. The vasoconstrictor effects of (2-8)AII is similar to that of AII, but (2-8)AII has a shorter duration of action. At the doses injected, renin secretion is completely inhibited by AII and (2-8)AII, it is partially inhibited by AI, an effect which disappears when converting enzyme is inhibited. Des-Asp1-AI is a less potent inhibitor of renin secretion than AI, and (3-8)AII is devoid of any action on renin secretion. The apparent half-life of AI is 24.3 +/- 1.1 minutes, des-Asp1-AI: 20 to 23 minutes, AII: 19.6 +/- 1.8 minutes, (2-8)AII: 12 to 14.5 minutes and (3-8)AII: 12.5 to 13.5 minutes. Differences in the metabolism of these peptides may contribute to the differences of magnitude and duration of their vascular effects.

Angiotensin I↗

PubMed2000

Evaluation of reproductive performance in lactating dairy cows with prostaglandin F2alpha, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and timed artificial insemination.

Nine hundred and twenty Holstein cows from 16 commercial dairy herds to evaluate three systematic breeding protocols: 14-d PGF2alpha, timed artificial insemination (AI), and GnRH-PGF2alpha, relative to AI following estrus detection without hormone intervention. The timed AI protocol involved GnRH, followed by PGF2alpha 7 d later and GnRH again 2 d after PGF2alpha, with AI 6 to 18 h after the second GnRH. The GnRH-PGF2alpha protocol consisted of GnRH followed by PGF2alpha 7 d later. Eight herds relied on visual observation to detect estrus, and eight herds utilized the HeatWatch estrus detection system. The average interval to first postpartum AI was shortest for the timed AI protocol (77.1 d) followed by the 14-d PGF2alpha protocol (81.6 d). There was no difference in days to first AI between the control (86.1 d) and GnRH-PGF2alpha (89.5 d) protocols. Percent pregnant per first AI did not differ among control (45.6%), 14-d PGF2alpha (43.7%), or GnRH-PGF2alpha (44.0%) protocols, but all protocols had a higher percent pregnant per first AI than the timed AI protocol (30.1%). Response to the GnRH-PGF2alpha protocol was limited because 44.0% of the cows submitted to the protocol were not detected in estrus < or = 10 d post-PGF2, administration and had an interval to first AI of 103.8 d. Cumulative percent pregnant by 120 d postpartum did not differ between control cows (53.1%) and hormonally treated cows (50.6%). Visual observation herds had a shorter interval to first postpartum AI (82.8 d) than the HeatWatch herds (84.8 d), with a higher overall rate of estrus detection across all protocols (75.3 and 67.6%, respectively).

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on apoptosis and cell proliferation in gastric epithelium.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) may affect the normal balance between gastric epithelial cell proliferation and epithelial cell death, interfering thus with the maintenance of gastric mucosa integrity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Hp infection on cell proliferation index (PI) and apoptotic index (AI) in gastric epithelium of the antrum and corpus. METHODOLOGY: Prospective study in forty-one patients with functional dyspepsia (14 males, 27 females, average age = 54+/-16.1 years). Day one: upper digestive endoscopy with biopsies of the antrum and corpus, and a cytological smear of the antral area for AgNOR (argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region) analysis. Biopsies for the programmed tests were sent in separate labeled containers: to study AI (antibody anti-M30), PI (antibody anti-Ki 67) and histology (Sydney criteria and the detection of Hp). Detection of the AgNORs through the Giménez-Mas et al. technique, using Visilog-Microptic Software. Day two: a blood sample was drawn from each patient for the serologic detection of the status CagA and VacA, and a breath test was carried out with 13C-Urea. STATISTICS: SPSS program with the application of Student's t, chi-square and Fisher tests. RESULTS: 24 patients were Hp(+) and 17 Hp(-). The PI (Ki 67 and AgNORs) in the antral area was significantly increased in the Hp(+) patients. AI showed no significant difference in the subgroups Hp(+) and Hp(-). Both subgroups showed increased PI in the antrum and increased AI in the gastric corpus. There was significantly higher PI in CagA(+), without an increase in the AI. The AI was significantly higher in CagA(-), when compared with CagA(+). The VacA protein had no influence on PI and AI. Acute and chronic gastritis was more frequent and more severe in Hp(+) patients. This group lacked any correlation between the histological findings and the PI, but the opposite was the case between AI and the degree of cellular infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with functional dyspepsia, Hp infection induces an increase of PI, with significant presence in the antrum area, without the corresponding increase in AI. Cag A(+) promotes the increase of PI, and Cag A(-) promotes the increase of AI. The Vac A status has no influence on the PI or AI. The degree of cellular infiltration interferes with AI.

Apoptosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of desferrioxamine infusion on red blood cell aluminum.

The authors investigated the effect of desferrioxamine (DFO) on red blood cell aluminum (RBC-AI) and the effect of DFO on anemia. To do this, serum AI (s-AI), RBC-AI, and blood hemoglobin (Hb) levels were measured periodically for 4 months after the administration of 1,000 mg of DFO (DFO infusion test) in 10 patients treated by hemodialysis (HD). The s-AI levels increased by 2 days after the administration of DFO and then decreased by day 7 to almost baseline levels. No significant changes occurred in the RBC-AI levels until 1 month postinfusion, at which time the levels decreased slowly for the following month. Hb levels increased at 1 month postinfusion, suggesting that the changes in RBC-AI were independent of the changes in s-AI. Removal of AI by DFO may improve the anemia that accompanies diseases in which AI accumulates. DFO did not seem to transfer AI into the RBC or to remove the AI that had accumulated in these cells.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibody against avian influenza virus.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for detecting antibody to type A avian influenza (AI) virus. The sensitivity and group specificity of the AI-ELISA were compared with those of the agar-gel-precipitin test (AGPT) and the hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test under conditions of both controlled and field exposure. During the course of temporal experimental infection (0-76 days) of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens with AI subtype Hav9N2, the AI-ELISA was able to detect specific AI antibody as early as 8 days postinoculation (PI), and it measured rising levels of antibody through 35 days PI, at which time the chickens were re-exposed to AI virus. Conversely, AGP tests were negative through 35 days PI, and HI tests began to detect low levels of AI antibody only at 21 days PI. Following a secondary infection at 35 days PI with the same AI subtype, all tests measured rising levels of AI-specific antibody (35-76 days PI). However, the AGP test was positive at only the 7- and 14-day samplings postsecondary immunization. Under field conditions, the AI-ELISA was able to detect serum AI antibody in flocks from which highly pathogenic AI was isolated, but the AGP tests of these sera were negative.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

[Regression of heart hypertrophy in patients with operated aortic valve diseases].

In 33 patients with aortic stenosis (AS), 27 with combined aortic valve lesion (AS + AI) and 23 with chronic aortic insufficiency (AI) left ventricular angiographic muscle mass (LMMI) was determined before and after successful valve replacement. Preoperative age in the three groups was 51, 47 and 42 years (P less than 0.05 vs. AS) respectively; recatheterization was carried out 17, 20 and 21 months postoperatively (not significant). In all three groups angiographic mass decreased (P less than 0.001) following surgery: In AS from 167 to 117, in AS + AI from 200 to 127 and in AI from 192 to 142 g/m2. Left ventricular end-diastolic wall thickness decreased from 1.22 to 1.02 (P less than 0.001) in AS and from 1.19 to 1.03 cm (P less than 0.001) in AS + AI. No change of wall thickness occurred in the patients with AI. Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) increased from 61 to 68% (P less than 0.01) in AS, from 58 to 68% (P less than 0.005) in AS + AI and from 52 to 59% (P less than 0.02) in AI. The postoperative EF in the patients with AI was smaller (P less than 0.05) than in AS, AS + AI and in controls (EF = 68%, n = 18). Postoperative normalization of LMMI (less than or equal to 120 g/M2) occurred in 22/33 (67%) patients with AS, in 14/27 (52%) with AS + AI and in 8/23 (35%) with AI. The age of the patients and the time interval between surgery and recatheterization had no influence on postoperative normalization or non-normalization of LMMI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗