BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Cerebral infarct volume as observed in follow-up CT is an important radiologic outcome measure of the effectiveness of treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, manual measurement of CIV is time-consuming and operatordependent. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a robust automated measurement of the CIV.

BackgroundChronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an immune-inflammatory disease, characterized by acute phase response (APR) and immune activation. There has been increasing evidence showing that vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is associated with increased incidence and/or severity of immune-inflammatory disorders.AimTo assess relationship between vitamin D status and C-reactive protein (CRP), a nonspecific inflammatory marker of CSU activity.MethodsConcentrations of CRP and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], a biomarker of vitamin D status were measured in serum of CSU patients and compared with the healthy controls.ResultsSerum 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in CSU group as compared with the normal subjects. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/ml) was significantly higher in patients with CSU than among normal population. There were no significant differences in prevalence of 25(OH)D insufficiency between the groups. Serum CRP concentrations were significantly higher in CSU patients as compared with the healthy subjects. There were no significant correlations between CRP and 25(OH)D concentrations in CSU patients.ConclusionsCSU is associated with lower serum 25(OH)D concentration and higher prevalence of its deficiency. The results failed to show any effect of vitamin D status on circulating CRP concentrations in CSU. A potential role of vitamin D in pathogenesis and/or additive therapy of CSU needs to be examined in other cohorts of CSU patients as well as in larger studies.

AVP, acting via V(1a) receptors, is involved in endogenous central histamine-induced reversal of critical haemorrhagic hypotension in rats.