These results show that eosinophil infiltration was present in the nasal mucosa of asthmatic patients even in the absence of rhinitis, and add further support to the hypothesis that asthma and rhinitis are clinical expressions of the same disease entity.
We evaluated the performance of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) threshold values and kinetics as predictors of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) survival and septic shock development.45 adult patients with VAP were studied. Serum CRP and PCT levels and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score were measured on days 1, 4 and 7 (D1, D4, D7) of VAP and their variations between different days (kinetics) were calculated (DPCT, DCRP). A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed with either VAP 28-day survival or septic shock development as dependent variables, and PCT values, CRP values, kinetics, age, sex, SOFA and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score as independent variables.No difference was found in CRP levels between survivors and nonsurvivors. Nonsurvivors had significantly higher PCT levels on D1 and D7. In the multivariate analysis, the only factors predicting VAP survival were DPCT 7-1 (OR 7.23, 95% CI 0.008-0.468) and DCRP 7-4 (OR 4.59, 95% CI 0.013-0.824). VAP patients who developed septic shock had significantly higher CRP levels on D1 and D7 and higher PCT levels on D1 and D4. The only factor predicting the development of septic shock was SOFA on D1 (OR 7.44, 95% CI 1.330-5.715).Neither PCT and CRP threshold values nor their kinetics can predict VAP survival or septic shock development.
SUMMARY Two groups, one of 824 adult diabetics and one of 320 age and sex matched non-diabetics, were examined for abnormal glucose metabolism and calcifications on anteroposterior shoulder x rays. Two hundred and sixty two (31-8%) of the diabetics had shoulder calcification compared with 33 (10-3%) of the control group, with a preponderant localisation in the right shoulder. Diabetes of long duration treated with insulin for a long time was associated with a larger percentage of shoulder calcifications. These data and previous laboratory findings suggest a possible pathogenetic correlation between the prevalence of calcific shoulder tendinitis and diabetes.Diabetes is a common disease, affecting about 6% of the Athens population, and generally making the patient susceptible to a wide range of metabolic disturbances. 1 A variety of rheumatological syndromes, such as osteopenia, gout, pseudogout, neuroarthropathy, osteolysis, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthrosis, Dupuytren's contracture, cheiroarthropathy, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, and periarthritis, may all present in association with diabetes mellitus. Only neuroarthropathy and osteolysis are definite associations, the others being considered as probable or even possible associations. 2 Periarthritis is a term which refers to inflammatory disorders of structures surrounding joints-that is, tendons, tendon sheaths, capsules, and bursae. Publications discussing the relation between diabetes mellitus and periarthritis are few. Only three controlled studies have been published. Two suggest a four-to sixfold increased prevalence of association between frozen shoulder and diabetes3 4 whereas the third records calcifications of the shoulders in a small group of diabetics.5The purpose of this controlled study was to investigate the prevalence of calcific shoulder tendinitis in a large group of adult diabetics and to report
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