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Background: Carotid plaque morphology plays an important role in determining outcome of carotid artery stenting (CAS). Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and its extension VH (Virtual Histology)-IVUS evaluate plaque characteristics in real time and guide decision making during stenting. To date, there is no consensus about indications of IVUS and its validated methods. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the clinical utility of IVUS in carotid artery interventions (CAS) and develop a future consensus for research and practice parameters. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed of the English literature articles published till February 2021. Studies reporting on IVUS parameters and findings and also its performance compared with other imaging modalities were included in review. Pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated. The statistical analysis was conducted in R version 3.6.2. Results: A total of 2015 patients from 29 studies were included. Proportional meta-analysis was performed on 1566 patients from 11 studies. In 9 studies, stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) had a pooled prevalence of 4% (95% CI 3%–5%) while asymptomatic stroke had a pooled prevalence of 46% (95% CI 31%–62%) in 4 studies following IVUS. Two studies reported that IVUS detected more plaque protrusion compared with angiography (n=33/396 vs 11/396). IVUS led to stent type or size change in 8 of 48 cases which were missed on angiography in 3 other studies. Concordance between VH-IVUS and true histology was good at 80% to 85% reported in 2 studies. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed, though IVUS fared better to computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) angiography for better stent selection during CAS, with low to moderate risk of bias in the studies included. However, large scale, preferably randomized controlled studies are needed to predict its role in determining clinical outcome.

While a potential causal factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD), brain insulin resistance has not been demonstrated directly in that disorder. We provide such a demonstration here by showing that the hippocampal formation (HF) and, to a lesser degree, the cerebellar cortex in AD cases without diabetes exhibit markedly reduced responses to insulin signaling in the IR→IRS-1→PI3K signaling pathway with greatly reduced responses to IGF-1 in the IGF-1R→IRS-2→PI3K signaling pathway. Reduced insulin responses were maximal at the level of IRS-1 and were consistently associated with basal elevations in IRS-1 phosphorylated at serine 616 (IRS-1 pS⁶¹⁶) and IRS-1 pS⁶³⁶/⁶³⁹. In the HF, these candidate biomarkers of brain insulin resistance increased commonly and progressively from normal cases to mild cognitively impaired cases to AD cases regardless of diabetes or APOE e4 status. Levels of IRS-1 pS⁶¹⁶ and IRS-1 pS⁶³⁶/⁶³⁹ and their activated kinases correlated positively with those of oligomeric Aβ plaques and were negatively associated with episodic and working memory, even after adjusting for Aβ plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and APOE e4. Brain insulin resistance thus appears to be an early and common feature of AD, a phenomenon accompanied by IGF-1 resistance and closely associated with IRS-1 dysfunction potentially triggered by Aβ oligomers and yet promoting cognitive decline independent of classic AD pathology.

Mosapride citrate selectively acts on serotonin (5-HT4) receptors, thus accelerating gastrointestinal motility via acetylcholine. However, few studies have evaluated the influence of mosapride citrate on autonomic nervous activity and hemodynamics. Methods: The changes in autonomic nervous activity, QT interval, and QT dispersion resulting from the administration of mosapride citrate were studied. Blood pressure, electrocardiograms (ECGs), percutaneous electrogastrograms (EGGs), and ultrasonography were recorded in 20 healthy adult volunteers before and after mosapride citrate (10 mg) was administered. Autonomic nervous activity was evaluated by spectral analyses of heart rate and blood pressure variabilities. Serial changes in low-frequency components (LF, 0.04–0.15 Hz), high-frequency components (HF, 0.15–0.40 Hz), and the LF/HF ratio were investigated. Results: The mean peak power of EGG increased significantly, from 86 ± 34 μV to 131 ± 49 μV, after the administration of mosapride citrate (P < 0.05). Gastric emptying significantly increased after the administration of mosapride citrate (P < 0.05). However, neither blood pressure nor heart rate changed significantly after the drug was administrated. In addition, spectral analyses of heart rate and blood pressure variabilities showed no significant changes in autonomic nervous activity parameters, QT intervals, or QT dispersions. Conclusions: Mosapride citrate increased gastric motility and emptying without influencing autonomic nervous activity, suggesting that it may be very useful for elderly patients or patients with autonomic imbalance.

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is involved in the formation of chronic peptic ulcer. However, a previously reported hypothesis concerning the involvement of central autonomic nervous disorder in this condition cannot be ruled out. Aim: To use spectrum analysis of heart rate viability to examine autonomic nervous activity before and after H. pylori eradication. Methods: Twenty patients with chronic duodenal ulcer (duodenal ulcer group) and 20 age-matched normal adults (N group). In both groups, 24-h Holter electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded and spectrum analysis of heartrate variability was performed. In the duodenal ulcer group, Holter ECG was recorded before and after H. pylori eradication. Results: In the N group, analysis of heart rate variability showed that high frequency (HF) power, an index of parasympathetic activity, was high at night, while the low frequency (LF)/HF ratio, an index of sympathetic function, was high during the daytime. In the duodenal ulcer group, HF power was higher at night than during the daytime, showing a similar pattern to the N group, but the power value was higher than in the N group (P

In order to clarify the mechanism of postprandial hypotension in the elderly, the influence of gastric motility and autonomic nervous activity on hypotensive reactions after meals was investigated, using electrogastrograms (EGGs) and spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Methods. EGGs, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and blood catecholamine levels before and after a meal were measured in 20 healthy young subjects (mean age, 25.6 ± 5.6 years; young group) and in 20 healthy elderly subjects (mean age, 78.3 ± 5.6 years; elderly group). Results. In the analy-sis of heart rate variability, no significant changes were observed in the low-frequency component (LF power), high-frequency component (HF power), or LF/HF ratio after the meal in the young group. In the other hand, the LF/HF ratio was significantly increased after the meal in the elderly group. In the EGG analysis, the peak power amplitudes after the meal were significantly increased compared with those before the meal in both groups. After the meal, the peak power amplitudes in the young group were significantly greater than those in the elderly group. The baseline blood noradrenaline level (before the meal) was higher in the elderly group than in the younger group, but the level of this catecholamine in the elderly group did not increase significantly after the meal. Conclusions. It is suggested that the down-regulation of catecholamine may be one of the causes of postprandial hypotension in the elderly. The response to secreted catecholamine and the compensatory response to decreased blood flow in the systemic circulation were impaired in the elderly group, which finding may explain the high incidence of postprandial hypotension in the elderly subjects.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease which must be controlled over the lifetime of a patient. We investigated the issues of stress and coping for diabetes mellitus which may influence self-management. In addition, we examined the association of these factors with blood glucose control, in order to review self-management instructions for diabetes mellitus. The study included 153 patients with diabetes mellitus. The patients were divided into two subgroups: good-control group, comprising patients with glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) values less than 7.0%; and poor-control group, comprising those with HbA1c values of 7.0% or more. All patients responded to a questionnaire regarding stress tolerance, Jalowiec and Power's coping scale and awareness of diabetes mellitus. Stress tolerance was not significantly different between the good-control and poor-control groups. No significant gender differences in coping score were evident for the good-control group. However, in the poor-control group, the coping score in men was significant higher than that in women. The problem-oriented coping score for men in the poor-control group was significantly higher than that for the good-control group (p < 0.01). In a comparison of awareness of diabetes mellitus, the proportion of patients who replied that they were rigidly following diabetes treatment was higher in the poor-control group than the good-control group. Patients with diabetes mellitus may have a knowledge of the disease and a strong will to resolve problems. This is especially true for male patients in that their will appeared to be stronger, but they may not have the resolve to establish appropriate behavior patterns. In the future, methods for evaluating self-management should be included in diabetes education.

Distinguishing metastatic carcinoma of breast origin (MCBO) to lung from primary lung carcinomas (PLC) is a diagnostic quandary with clinical ramifications. Immunostains CK7, CK20, ER, PR, and Mammaglobin as well as pertinent negative stains are utilized but prove insufficient. We set out to identify stains either alone or as a group that would better discern between these 2 entities.Tissue microarrays of 109 MCBO to lung and 102 PLC were stained with CK7, CK20, ER, PR, AR, Mammaglobin, Napsin A, GATA-3, and TTF-1. An H-score was calculated for each case and stain.The highest area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves for each stain was seen with GATA-3 (0.817), Napsin A (0.817), and TTF-1 (0.854). When all possible combinations were analyzed, GATA-3 and TTF-1 proved to correctly classify with the highest accuracy (0.934). Combinations of GATA-3 and Napsin A (0.920) and GATA-3, Napsin A, and TTF-1 (0.933) were not significantly different from GATA-3 and TTF-1. The odds ratios for each stain and combination of stains showed that those for GATA-3 and TTF-1 were divergent, signifying that cases with higher H-scores for GATA-3 and TTF-1 were more likely to be classified as MCBO and PLC, respectively.GATA-3 and TTF-1 can correctly classify a case as either MCBO or PLC in 93.4% of cases. Although highly specific and sensitive for PLC, Napsin A in lieu of TTF-1 or as an additional stain did not improve classification accuracy.

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is known for its high lateral resolution. The unreliability of the scanning and positioning motion of the STM were monitored by interferometer and capacitance recently. The widely used conventional lead zirconium titanate (PZT) tube scanner has good mechanical properties; however, the motion of the tube includes angular motion which generates large error. Even with an optical interferometer to calibrate STM tip motion, the angular motion reduces or eliminates the visibility of interference. We have developed an eight-segmented tube scanner which reduces angular motion for maintaining the visibility of interference and reduces Abbe error. The residual error of the value measured by a high-accuracy interferometer which measured the motion of the newly developed eight-segmented tube scanner was estimated by measuring a standard pattern. The accuracy of the interferometer, which used a balanced detection technique, the principle of which is also reported in this paper, was measured by a capacitance gauge.

Low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma (LGASC) is an uncommon variant of metaplastic carcinomas of the breast. The immunohistochemical profile of this entity has not been well characterized and is likely because of its seemingly inconsistent staining patterns when commonly used immunohistochemical stains are employed. We set out to further elucidate the immunohistochemical profile of this uncommon entity in a sizable cohort of patients.Thirty cases of LGASC were identified in our files. Commonly used immunohistochemical stains such as myoepithelial and cytokeratin markers used to evaluate a small glandular proliferation in the breast (the differential diagnosis of which includes LGASC) were utilized. The pattern and location of immunoreactivity were recorded in each case. Results were compared for staining trends.All cases of LGASC demonstrated variable staining in both lesional glands and stromal cells for myoepithelial (p63, smooth muscle myosin, smooth muscle actin, CD10, calponin) and cytokeratin (CK AE1/3, CK5/6, CK7, CK 34βE12, Cam 5.2) markers. Within a single case, circumferential staining using myoepithelial markers was complete, discontinuous, and absent in over a third of the studied cases. A minority of cases showed either complete circumferential staining (or complete absence) by any single immunohistochemical stain. Lamellar staining of stromal cells surrounding glands was best highlighted using smooth muscle myosin heavy chain or calponin. Using cytokeratin stains, core staining (luminal glandular cells demonstrating distinctly stronger staining intensity than the basally located cells in the same gland) was observed in approximately half of the studied cases. These lesional stromal cells were negative for all cytokeratins, with the exception of 1, which was focally positive for 1 cytokeratin immunostain (CK7) while being negative for 3 others.LGASC consistently stains in an inconsistent manner using commonly used immunohistochemical stains. In addition, we found lamellar staining and core staining using myoepithelial and cytokeratin stains, respectively, to be distinctive and therefore diagnostically valuable.

A new non sulphur photosynthetic bacterium, strain NKPB 0021, was isolated from sea water samples and assigned to the genus Rhodobacter on the basis of morphology and presence of vesicular photosynthetic membranes. Cells are motile rods, 0·6-1·2 μm in diameter and multiply by binary fission. This isolate is unusual since it is oxygen sensitive and cannot grow aerobically. Strain NKPB 0021 grows best anaerobically in the light and requires NaCl for growth (optimum 1·5%). Cells are capable of assimilatory sulphate reduction, and are sensitive to sulphide, with no growth above 0·7 mM sulphide. The mean DNA base composition is 66·7 mol% G + C. On the basis of this study, we propose strain NKPB 0021 to be the type strain of a new species, Rhodobacter marinus.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and nephrotoxicity are adverse events induced by cisplatin administration. These effects can be reduced by treatment regimens with low-dose cisplatin, but high-dose cisplatin is still used. In Japan, high-dose cisplatin is usually administered in an inpatient setting to permit management of CINV. However, with use of new-generation antiemetic agents such as aprepitant, CINV and nephrotoxicity are controllable in an outpatient setting. Here, we discuss issues related to the management of high-dose cisplatin administration in outpatients. Grade 2 or worse CINV induced by high-dose cisplatin occurs in more than 40% of patients without treatment with aprepitant, but is controllable by administration of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, steroids and aprepitant. Moreover, prevention of CINV using these drugs is cost-effective, since outpatient settings have advantages with regard to health economics and patient quality of life. These findings suggest that shifting high-dose cisplatin administration to the outpatient setting may be achieved with co-administration of aprepitant. Available facilities and the status of the patient should be considered when selecting whether an outpatient setting is suitable for administration of cisplatin, but the use of aprepitant and adequate oral hydration should allow use of cisplatin in this setting.

To determine the clinical characteristics of patients (young women) with cervical carcinoma aged less than 35 years.Data from patients who were treated for cervical carcinomas from 1990 to 2000 in the Kinki District were retrospectively investigated for clinical stage, histologic type, treatment procedure and prognosis.Of a total of 4,975 cases, 441 patients were aged less than 35 years old. The incidence of cervical carcinoma in these women was 7.9% from 1990 to 1995, 9.1% from 1996 to 2000, and 9.5% from 2001 to 2005. FIGO Stage I included 374 cases, followed by, 49 in Stage II, 11 in Stage III, and seven in Stage IV. Squamous cell carcinoma incidence was 80.7% and non-squamous cell carcinoma incidence was 19.3%. Several types of surgery were performed in patients with Stage I and II, while patients with Stage III and IV were treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy without any type of surgery. In patients who underwent lymphadenectomy, 21.1% cases had nodal involvement. The 5-year survival rate was 95% for Stage I disease, 73% for Stage II, 68% for Stage III, and 19% for Stage IV.The incidence of cervical carcinoma in young women slightly increased from 1990 to 2005. The prognosis of cervical carcinoma tends to be better in young women than in older patients, especially in Stage III disease.

We attempt to reveal the unsteady three‐dimensional flow structure in a suction sump with the vertical‐wet‐pit‐pump configuration. In the present study, we consider the simultaneous measurement of a three‐dimensional particle tracking velocimetry (3D‐PTV) with another velocimetry, that is, an ultrasonic velocity profiler (UVP), using common tracer particles. This simultaneous measurement is expected to be a suitable method for the accuracy check of the 3D‐PTV. At first, we have successfully found the suitable condition for simultaneous measurements with high accuracy. Then, we have revealed the concerning unsteady three‐dimensional flow structure at various instants, quantitatively.

Despite a marked reduction in restenosis and the need for repeat revascularization procedures with the use of drug-eluting stents (DES), the risk for stent thrombosis remains of serious concern. Although the safety profiles of DES dose not seem to differ from those of bare metal stent (BMS) in the acute and subacute phases following coronary intervention, recent data suggest a potential increase of thrombotic events late after DES deployment. The main factors associated with late stent thrombosis remain elusive. Delayed re-endothelialization, hypersensitivity reaction, technical and mechanical factors and hypercoagulability have all been proposed as contributing factors. It is unlikely that any of these variables alone can cause stent thrombosis, as the incidence of each factor is much higher than the currently known rates of DES thrombosis. Further, temporal appearances of the thrombotic events represent a challenge to our understanding of re-endothelialization, as one would expect that endothelial coverage would be higher in the later phases after treatment. New expanded definitions of stent thrombosis, which also include events secondary to repeat revascularization, have been proposed to provide a better comparative endpoint between BMS and DES. Such clinical attempt to characterize stent thrombosis is valuable, but does not provide much insight into the pathophysiology and intrinsic thrombotic risk of each device. A true progress in this field will only be possible after we improve our understanding of the patho-physiology of very late stent thromboses, which may differ from events occurring earlier after treatment. The incidence of stent thrombosis remains rare, but its potential catastrophic consequences should remind clinicians and scientists to make every effort to develop strategies and technologies for its prevention. The topic of stent thrombosis in the era of DES will be reviewed in this article.

Bifurcation coronary artery disease is a frequent problem faced by interventional cardiologists and it affects approximately 15-20% of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The application of drug-eluting stents (DES) technology to prevent restenosis after PCI represents one of the success stories in cardiology, but DES have not resolved the bifurcation PCI challenge. Bifurcation PCI remains associated with higher procedural failure and worse outcomes compared with PCI of non-bifurcated lesions even in DES era. A dependable strategy for PCI of bifurcation lesions has yet to be established, which is likely due to the paucity of studies evaluating the anatomical intricacies of the bifurcation as well as the lack of large scale randomized therapeutic trials. Further, bifurcation has many anatomical variants and it is unlike that one technique will fit all. Currently, we are left with the option of a tailor-made strategy for each patient and bifurcation anatomy and make the most of the limited evidence available to support our therapeutic decisions. In this review, we attempted to describe the current understanding of bifurcation anatomy and corresponding PCI strategies.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) is a promising non-invasive technique to assess the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), which is free of ionizing radiation and iodine contrast. cMRI can detect CAD by angiographic methods or indirectly by perfusion stress techniques. While coronary angiography by cMRI remains limited to research protocols, stress perfusion cMRI is currently being applied worldwide in the clinical setting. Studies have shown good correlation between adenosine-induced stress myocardial perfusion cMRI and single-photon-emission computed tomography or positron emission tomography to detect CAD. Quantitative methods to analyze cMRI perfusion data have been developed in an attempt to provide a more objective imaging interpretation. Standardization of such quantitative methods, with minimal operator dependency, would be useful for clinical and research applications. Myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR), calculated using Fermi deconvolution technique, has been compared with well established anatomical and physiological CAD detection techniques. MPR appears to be the most accurate quantitative index to detect anatomical and hemodynamically significant CAD. Beyond physiological assessment of CAD, cMRI provides information regarding regional and global left ventricular function and morphology, myocardial infarction size, transmurality and viability. Such comprehensive information would require the performance of multiple tests if other modalities were used. This article describes current applications of cMRI for evaluation of patients with CAD.

Purpose Type-II endoleak (T-II-EL) after endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair (EVAR) is an unresolved problem. Our purpose was to investigate the impact of T-II-EL on aneurysm sac growth and to identify potential preoperative T-II-EL predictors. Material and Methods We enrolled 162 consecutive patients (Zenith: 61, EXCLUDER: 57, ENDURANT: 44) who underwent successful EVAR without Type-I or Type-III endoleak and had at least 1-year follow-up. Computed tomography (CT) before and after EVAR (1 week, 6 month, and 1 year) were reviewed to estimate T-II-EL and measure sac diameter. Three-dimensional volume analyses were performed during CT for measuring sac volume. Vessel number and diameter of the patent lumbar artery (LA) and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) were determined. Various anatomical parameters and patient characteristics were investigated as possible T-II-EL predictors. Results T-II-EL was 35.8%, 15.4%, and 12.3% at 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year after EVAR, respectively. The mean preoperative maximum sac diameter and volume were 50.1 ± 8.2 mm and 153.8 ± 75.5 mL, respectively, without differences between T-II-EL cases (T-II-group) and absence of T-II-EL cases (non-T-II-groups). Significant differences in the reduction of sac diameter (T-II-group: -0.11 ± 3.4 mm vs. non-T-II-group: -7.3 ± 6.0 mm; p Conclusions Persistent T-II-EL after EVAR was observed in 12% of patients in the current stent graft system. DAPT and EXCLUDER use were independent predictors of persistent T-II-EL. Sac growth was observed in half of the patients with persistent T-II-EL. Because T-II-EL with patent IMA was significantly associated with sac growth, careful observation and additional intervention may be considered.

Helicobacter pylori infection is involved in the formation of chronic peptic ulcer. However, a previously reported hypothesis concerning the involvement of central autonomic nervous disorder in this condition cannot be ruled out.To use spectrum analysis of heart rate viability to examine autonomic nervous activity before and after H. pylori eradication.Twenty patients with chronic duodenal ulcer (duodenal ulcer group) and 20 age-matched normal adults (N group). In both groups, 24-h Holter electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded and spectrum analysis of heartrate variability was performed. In the duodenal ulcer group, Holter ECG was recorded before and after H. pylori eradication.In the N group, analysis of heart rate variability showed that high frequency (HF) power, an index of parasympathetic activity, was high at night, while the low frequency (LF)/HF ratio, an index of sympathetic function, was high during the daytime. In the duodenal ulcer group, HF power was higher at night than during the daytime, showing a similar pattern to the N group, but the power value was higher than in the N group (P0.05). In the duodenal ulcer group, LF/HF at night was significantly higher than that of the N group. In addition, in the duodenal ulcer group, autonomic activity after H. pylori eradication did not differ significantly from that before H. pylori eradication.In patients with chronic peptic ulcer, both sympatheticotonia and parasympatheticotonia may occur at night, and this abnormality in autonomic nervous activity may cause increased gastric acid secretion and gastric mucosal vasoconstriction. Abnormalities in autonomic activity persist even after H. pylori eradication, suggesting that they may be an independent risk factor in the formation of chronic peptic ulcer in addition to H. pylori infection.

This study is intended to clarify the relationship between occurrence of peptic ulcer disease and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. We studied heart rate variability and assessed the circadian rhythm of autonomic nervous function in 20 patients with peptic ulcer (PU group) and 20 age-matched healthy controls (N group) using 24-hour Holter monitoring. Moreover, the relationship between gastric juice secretion and autonomic activity was examined under intravenous injection of insulin or butylscopolamine in adult mongrel dogs. High frequency spectral (HF) power, an indicator of parasympathetic tone, was increased markedly at night in the PU group. Low frequency spectral (LF) power, an indicator of sympathetic tone modified by vagal tone, was higher during the day than at night in the N group, whereas this normal circadian rhythm of LF power disappeared in 11 cases (55%) in the PU group. In addition, the LF power was increased significantly at night (p0.01) in the PU group. HF power and gastric juice secretion was increased by the administration of insulin. High sympatho-vagal tone at night may result in spasm of gastric arteries and excess secretion of gastric acid in the PU group. These results suggest that the nocturnal acceleration of LF, HF, and LF/HF is related to peptic ulcer diseases.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is 1 cause of a disturbance of consciousness, most cases being associated with liver cirrhosis. There are 2 previous reports of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the brain in acute HE.[1][1],[2][2] We now report a rare case of shunt encephalopathy caused by primary

s for the 29th Annual Congress of Japanese Society / Journal of Reproductive Immunology 106 (2014) 1–20 7 endometrium 3.6±2.3% vs. 1.8±1.4%, P

The strategy for post coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was investigated in patients with graft stenosis.The study included 123 post-CABG patients with graft stenosis. The patients were divided into three groups according to target vessels; saphenous vein graft (SVG; n = 72), internal mammary artery (IMA; n = 21) and native coronary artery (n = 30). Furthermore, SVG lesions were divided into proximal anastomosis (n = 23), body (n = 40) and distal anastomosis (n = 9). The procedural success rate and late patency rate were compared between the three groups. Furthermore, the relationships between pre percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) percentage diameter stenosis, procedural success rate and late patency rate were evaluated.Procedural success rate was similar in the three groups, but late patency rate was higher in the IMA group. Procedural success rate and late patency rate were significantly lower in proximal anastomoses compared to other sites of SVG stenoses, IMA group and native coronary artery group (p0.05). Totally occluded native coronary artery lesions had a high procedural success rate compared with occluded IMA and SVG lesions, but the late patency rate was not higher. Procedural success rate showed no significant difference for 75-99% stenotic lesions, but the late patency rate was significantly higher in the IMA group (p0.05). Patients in the stenting group had a greater late patency rate compared with the balloon angioplasty group. There was no significant difference in late patency rate between the IMA group and SVG group.Late patency rate of the IMA is higher than that of the native coronary artery. SVG with proximal anastomosis and severe stenosis shows a significantly lower late patency rate than the native coronary artery. Therefore, PTCA should be considered for the native coronary artery in the absence of chronic total occlusion.

The rates of cardiac events and coronary revascularization were evaluated in patients with significant coronary stenosis of more than 75% by the American Heart Association (AHA) classification but no ischemic evidence by exercise myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.Subjects were 171 patients (113 males, 58 females, mean age 66 +/- 9 years) undergoing coronary angiography and without scintigraphic evidence of myocardial ischemia. They were divided into two groups according to the severity of coronary artery stenosis based on AHA classification. Group A was composed of 139 patients with more than 75% stenosis (101 patients with 75% stenosis and 38 patients with more than 90% stenosis), and Group B was composed of 32 patients with 50% stenosis. Cardiac events including angina pectoris (n = 63), myocardial infarction (n = 1), heart failure (n = 2) and cardiac death (n = 0), coronary revascularization and predictive factors were evaluated during follow-up of 34 +/- 21 months. Furthermore, the interval between coronary revascularization and exercise myocardial perfusion scintigraphy was estimated.The rates of cardiac events (45%) and coronary revascularization (29%) in Group A were significantly higher than the rate of cardiac events (9%, p0.05) and coronary revascularization (6%, p0.05) in Group B. Only percentage stenosis and the number of diseased vessels affected the rates of cardiac event and coronary revascularization.Patients with significant coronary stenosis, but without ischemic evidence by exercise myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, have a relatively high rate of cardiac event and coronary revascularization, especially in patients with severe stenosis or multivessel disease. However, coronary revascularization should not be performed in all patients with significant coronary stenosis.

During October and December of each year of from 1994 to 1996, 3,849 strains of 10 species of bacteria were isolated from clinical materials in 21 institutions nationwide. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for these bacteria of four carbapenems (imipenem [IPM], panipenem [PAPM], meropenem [MEPM], and biapenem [BIPM]) and other representative antibacterial agents were measured to investigate annual changes in antibacterial activity. Carbapenems showed potent activity against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), S. pneumoniae, E. faecalis, H. influenzae, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae, S. marcescens, and the B. fragilis group, with the activity being stable. However, these drugs showed weak activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and P. aeruginosa. The antibacterial activity (MIC90) against the tested organisms generally remained stable. Particularly, there was annual improvement of the MIC90 values of IPM and BIPM for S. pneumoniae, as well as the values of IPM and PAPM for H. influenzae, and those of IPM, PAPM, and BIPM for S. marcescens. On the other hand, the activity of carbapenems (including IPM) against MRSA was not necessarily strong, but there was annual improvement of MIC90 values.

Previous epidemiologic studies produced inconsistent results when examining the relation between Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of gastric carcinoma by measuring various anti-H. pylori antibodies. This study investigated the increased risk of cancer by examining different antibodies, including the specific anti-CagA antibody and antibodies from two commercially available kits.An ELISA for the detection of serum anti-CagA was established using a recombinant CagA protein that the authors previously reported. Serum anti-CagA titer was determined for 80 patients with gastric carcinoma and 80 gender- and age-matched controls. Two anti-H. pylori antibodies from the commercially available kits HEL-p (Amrad, Kew Vic, Australia) and HM-CAP (Enteric Product Inc., Westbury, NY) were also evaluated.Anti-CagA seropositivity differed significantly between gastric carcinoma patients and controls (92.5% vs. 55.0%; P = 0. 0001), showing an odds ratio of 10.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.23-29.74). The difference was less prominent for the seropositivity of HEL-p (77.5% vs. 58.8%; P = 0.0139; odds ratio: 2. 38; 95% CI: 1.20-4.82) and insignificant for that of HM-CAP (65.0% vs. 57.5%; P = 0.4325; odds ratio: 1.30; 95% CI: 0.68-2.49).The current study revealed that the antibody assay system used could be one important factor in the assessment of gastric carcinoma risk for patients with H. pylori.

This study was designed to examine the postoperative analgesic effect of pre-/post-incisional administration of ketamine. Thirty-nine female patients scheduled for transabdominal hysterectomy were randomly allocated into 3 groups. Patients in group-K1 (n = 13) received intravenous ketamine 100 mg before surgical incision and patients in group-K2 (n = 13) received the same after laparotomy. Group-C (n = 13) did not receive any ketamine. All patients were anesthetized with combined spinal/epidural anesthesia supplemented with sevoflurane 0.5% and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Postoperative pain was controlled by epidural infusion of the mixture of fentanyl (25 mcg.ml-1) and bupivacaine (3.8 mg.ml-1) at 2.1 ml.hr-1. Analgesic effect was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and verbal rating scale (VRS). VAS and VRS in group-K1 were significantly lower compared with those in group-C, while there was no difference between group-K2 and C. The incidence of side effects and additional use of analgesics were similar among the three groups. In conclusion, pre-incisional administration of ketamine reduced the postoperative pain, but post-incisional ketamine was not effective.

Research groups were formed in 21 institutions nationwide to investigate carbapenem resistance. The activities of various antibacterial agents, principally carbapenems were tested against clinical isolates collected from these institutions. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 17 antibacterial agents for 1,282 strains of 11 bacterial species isolated at all institutions between October and December 1995. The results were as follows: 1. Carbapenems exhibited strong antibacterial activities against MSSA and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Their activities against Enterococcus faecalis were comparable to that of ABPC. Carbapenems showed low activities against MRSA. 2. OFLX exhibited the greatest antibacterial activity against Haemophilus influenzae, followed by MEPM. The antibacterial activities of the other carbapenems were comparable to those of FMOX and CTM. 3. The carbapenems showed high activities against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Bacteroides fragilis group. Their activities were greater than that exhibited by other beta-lactam antibacterial agents. The carbapenems also exhibited greater antibacterial activities against Serratia marcescens than the other beta-lactam antibacterial agents, but some resistant strains were detected. 4. The antibacterial activities of carbapenems against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were comparable to those of CAZ, AZT, AMK.

A 69 year-old male with ischemic heart disease indicated for coronary artery bypass grafting was scheduled for carotid microendoarterectomy. We induced mild hypothermia technique with vasodilation and surface cooling by convecting warming device. We examined hemodynamics by pulmonary artery catheter. Anesthesia was induced with thiamylal, fentanyl, midazolam and isoflurane in nitrous oxide and oxygen. Following administration of vecuronium, trachea was intubated. Pulmonary artery catheter was inserted from the femoral vein. Dopamine, dobutamine 3-5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 and PGE1 5-10 ng.kg-1.min-1 were continuously administered to keep peripheral blood circulation and cardiac output (CO). Systemic vascular resistance decreased from 1800 to 591 dyne.s.cm-5 and CO increased from 2.8 to 6.9 l.min-1. The occlusion of blood flow of the right carotid artery for 40 min at 34.5 degrees C of rectal temperature did not cause any neurological deficits. No other complications such as arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia and bleeding tendency were observed. Keeping peripheral blood circulation and uniform cooling and warming are important in inducing mild hypothermia safely in a patient with ischemic heart disease.

Research groups were formed in 20 institutions nationwide to investigate carbapenem resistance of clinical isolates. Activities of various antibacterial agents, principally carbapenems, were tested against clinical isolates collected from these institutions. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 17 antibacterial agents for 1,326 strains of 11 bacterial species isolated at the institutions between October and December 1994. The results are as follows: 1. Carbapenems exhibited strong antibacterial activities against MSSA and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Their activities against Enterococcus faecalis were comparable to that of ABPC. Carbapenems showed low activities against MRSA. 2. OFLX exhibited the greatest antibacterial activity against Haemophilus influenzae, followed by MEPM. Antibacterial activities of the other carbapenems were comparable to those of FMOX, CTM, and ABPC. 3. The carbapenems showed high activities against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Bacteroides fragilis group. Their activities were greater than those exhibited by other beta-lactam antibacterial agents. The carbapenems also exhibited stronger antibacterial activities against Serratia marcescens than the other beta-lactam antibacterial agents, but some resistant strains were detected. 4. The antibacterial activities of carbapenems against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were comparable to those of CAZ, AZT, AMK.

We evaluated the efficiency of a new porous type leukocyte removal filter for red cell blood components, Terumo Imuguard III-RC, in the rapid transfusion conditions. One leukocyte removal filter was used for 2 units of RC-M.A.P (red cell mannitol-adenine-phosphate). Filtration methods employed were gravity infusion, high pressure infusion (300 mmHg), pumping infusion and 20 ml.min-1 infusion under high pressure (300 mmHg). Blood samples were taken before and after the filtration to measure white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelet content. Blood samples before filtration and after filtration with WBC excluded, were examined by automated hematology analyzer (Coulter counter STKS-Retic). WBC after filtration was counted by the hemacytometer method using Nageotte Chamber. The removal rate of WBC was found to be more than 99.99% and residual WBC content was less than 4 x 10(4) with every method. The recovery rate of RBC was not significantly decreased in all filtration methods. The removal rate of platelet was equal in all filtration methods. In conclusion, Imuguard III-RC could be useful for effective homologous blood transfusion.

A 64 year-old man developed life-threatening anaphylactoid reaction caused by povidone-iodine during induction of anesthesia for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery. While he had a history of cardiac arrest caused by iodine, he could tolerate contrast material and povidone-iodine for pre-operative coronary angiography with pretreatment of H1 and H2 receptor blockades and methylprednisolone. During the operation and postoperative care we could manage cardiac failure by continuous monitoring of cardiac output (CCO) using pulsed-thermodilution method. We recommend prophylactic use of H1 and H2 receptor blockades for surgical patients who may be at risk for anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid reaction.

Purpose: Percutaneous coronary interventions involving small coronary vessels represent a true challenge because of the increased risk of restenosis and adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the one-year clinical results following small coronary stenting between everolimus- (EES) and paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES). Methods: PLUM (PROMUS/Xience V Everolimus-ELUting Coronary Stent for sMall coronary artery disease: 264 patients with 279 lesions) and SACRA (SmAll CoronaRy Artery treated by TAXUS Liberte: 245 patients with 258 lesions) registries are prospective, multicenter registries to assess the efficacy of single EES and PES in patients with small coronary artery diseases. Inclusion criteria were 1) Lesions >75% diameter stenosis in vessels

To investigate the influence of the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genotype on the clinical features of diabetes, 212 Japanese patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (154 males and 58 females aged 17–83 years; mean age 58.2 years) were investigated. Genotyping of ALDH2 was performed by the polymerase chain reaction — restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The pattern of inheritance of diabetes and various clinical parameters was compared between active and inactive ALDH2 groups. Of the 212 subjects, 120 had active ALDH2 and 92 had inactive ALDH2. The percentage of patients with a diabetic mother was higher in the inactive ALDH2 group (32.6%) than in the active ALDH2 group (19.2%) (p

A 61-year-old male with coma and undiagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy received emergency cerebral aneurysm surgery. Anesthesia was induced with thiamylal, fentanyl and vecuronium and maintained with 66% N2O and 1.0% isoflurane. Five hundred ml of 20% mannitol was infused in 30 min. At the end of the infusion, hypotension occurred. Immediately after the injection of ephedrine, acute brain swelling was observed. The operation was switched to external decompression. Post-operative echocardiography revealed the presence of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The ejection fraction was 34%. Two weeks later, the second operation was scheduled. The anesthesia was induced with fentanyl, midazolam and vecuronium and maintained with N2O and 0.7% isoflurane. Nitroglycerine, lidocaine, PGE1, dopamine and dobutamine were infused throughout the operation. Five hundred ml of 20% mannitol was infused in 60 min. There were no considerable hemodynamic changes and no episode of brain expansion during operation. We conclude that the rapid infusion of mannitol can trigger acute cardiac failure and brain edema in patients with DCM.

Background The aim of the present study was to assess prognostic factors for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy as a primary treatment and to assess post-treatment squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen cut-off levels to predict the 3-year survival. Methods One hundred sixteen patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (FIGO stage IIB-IVA) with radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan–Meier life table analysis and the log-rank test were used to assess the survival rate and differences according to the prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis of the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) was done using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results The median age was 68 years (range: 27–79 years). The complete response rate was 70.7% and the 3-year OS rate was 61.1%. The median level of pretreatment SCC was 11.5 ng/ml (range: 1.6–310 ng/ml), and post-treatment SCC decreased significantly to 0.9 ng/ml (range: 0.4–41.0 ng/ml) (P = 0.001). On univariate analysis, FIGO stage (P = 0.041), pretreatment hemoglobin levels 40 mm (P = 0.001), CCRT (P = 0.016) and posttreatment SCC levels >1.5 ng/ml (P = 0.001) were a significant prognostic factor for overall survival. Of these, pretreatment anemia (P = 0.041), pelvic lymph node metastasis (P = 0.016) and posttreatment SCC (P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors on multivariate analysis. The SCC level cut-off point for the 3-year OS calculated using a receiver operating characteristic curve was 1.15 ng/ml (sensitivity 80.0%, specificity 74.0%). Conclusion In cases of locally advanced cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy, patients with pretreatment anemia, positive for pelvic lymph node metastasis and post-treatment SCC levels >1.5 ng/ml had a poor prognosis. Furthermore, post-treatment SCC level of 1.15 ng/ml or less predicted 3-year survival.

We evaluated the significance of patient's position in the measurement of gastric contents at the induction of anesthesia (n = 18). After the induction of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation, a nasogastric tube (16F) was inserted into the stomach. Presence of the tube within the stomach was verified by ausculation of injected air. Gastric fluid was aspirated with the patient supine and then in the right and left lateral decubitus positions. The existence of the gastric content which can not be aspirated with supine position was confirmed. We conclude that it is necessary to place the patient on bilateral decubitus positions besides supine to evaluate the volume of the gastric content correctly.

A handy blood glucose analyzer (Toecho Super), using disposable enzyme electrodes, is widely used not only for the self-control of diabetes but also for critical care settings such as the ICU or the operating room. Recently we reported that the measured glucose value was lower compared with the true reference data, when oxygen tension was high. We investigated the interaction between the blood glucose levels and oxygen tension in vitro using 5 levels of glucose and 5 levels of oxygen tension. Measured glucose value decreased linearly as oxygen tension rose with a high correlation factor (0.816-0.996). The measured glucose level (mg.dl-1) could be estimated by the reference data minus one tenth of oxygen tension (in mmHg). Therefore we conclude that the measured glucose value is dependent only on oxygen tension but not on the range of glucose level. The reference glucose value can be estimated when oxygen tension is available.

Alcoholic ingestion is one of the major factors for increasing serum uric acid levels. Genotypes of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2, E.C.1.2.1.3), which regulates the sensitivity of an individual to ethanol, were determined in Japanese patients with gout and control subjects by allele specific oligonucleotide hybridization using PCR amplified gene. The most common allele ALDH2*1 codes for normal ALDH2 activity, while the less common allele ALDH2*2 codes for a lower enzyme activity. The frequency of homozygotes of ALDH2*2 was significantly lower in patients with gout than those with rheumatoid arthritis or a normal population. Plasma and urinary hypoxanthine levels were strikingly increased after ethanol drinking in homozygotes for ALDH2*1 but not in heterozygotes for ALDH2*1/ALDH2*2, indicated extensive purine nucleotide degradation in homozygote for ALDH2*1. These data indicated that alcohol ingestion may not be the requisite factor but is deeply involved in the pathogenesis of gout and hyperuricemia.

e15571 Background: The aim of the present study was to assess prognostic factors for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy as a primary treatment and to assess po...

Four cDNA clones encoding myeloperoxidase were isolated from a cDNA library of monocytic leukemia SKM-1 cells. The sequences of two of them were identical to those of cDNA clones previously isolated from a HL-60 cell cDNA library. The sequences of the other two cDNA clones, MP-S34 and MP-S29, differed from those previously described. There was a deletion of 57 bp in the MP-S34 sequence, which was generated by partially skipping exon 9. MP-S29 had a 171 bp deletion, which was generated by completely skipping exon 10. Thus MP-S34 and MP-S29 encoded polypeptides lacking 19 and 57 amino acids, respectively. Both deletions were located on the sequence encoding the heavy subunit. These results indicate that the heterogeneity of the heavy subunit of MPO observed in leukocytes or leukemia could be in part produced by partial or complete skipping of an exon.