Background and Purpose-This study aimed to independently derive an intracerebral hemorrhage grading scale (ICH-GS) for prediction of 3 outcome measures. Methods-We evaluated 378 patients with primary ICH at hospital arrival and during the next 30 days. Independent predictors were identified by multivariate models of in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Points were allotted to each predictor based on its prognostic performance. ICH-GS was also evaluated to predict good 30-day functional status and ICH-GS was compared with the ICH score as the reference scoring system. Results-Independent predictors were age, Glasgow Coma Scale, ICH location, ICH volume, and intraventricular extension, all components of the ICH score. Nevertheless, different cutoffs and scoring improved substantially the prognostic power of the predictors. Compared with the ICH score, ICH-GS explained more variance in the 3 outcome measures, had higher sensitivity in predicting in-hospital and 30-day mortality, and performed equally well in predicting good functional outcome at 30 days follow up. Conclusions-The derived ICH-GS is a simple yet robust scale in predicting in-hospital and 30-day mortality, as well as good 30-day functional status, with equivalent performance.

Background: The number of persons reaching the age 80 years and over is increasing in most populations. Literature focusing on hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) inthis age group is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the main clinical characteristics of ICH of the advanced old age, in the context of hypertension. Methods: From 1999 to 2003 we studied 56 hypertensive very elderly patients presenting with ICH (50% women; age 80–99 years). As controls, 168 hypertensive gender-matched persons with ICH, aged <80 years, were randomly selected by a 3:1 factor for clinical comparisons. Results: Compared with their younger counterparts, the very elderly patients had a trend for fewer cases of obesity (34 vs. 49%, p = 0.05) and diabetes mellitus (12 vs. 24%, p = 0.06), had lower systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure measures (in all, p < 0.01) and more cases with hematoma extension into ventricles (p = 0.02). Thalamic hemorrhage was more frequent in the very elderly patients than in controls (43 vs. 28%, p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, age, Glasgow coma scale score at hospital admission, ICH volume and infratentorial location were independent predictors of inhospital mortality, in all persons combined. In the very elderly group exclusively, Glasgow coma scale score was the only factor independently associated with mortality. Conclusions: ICH occurring in hypertensive patients aged ≧80 years has several differences from that seen in younger people; however, these differences do not seem to impact on early outcome.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology in which inflammatory pathology involves T cell activation and the CD28 costimulatory molecule involved in T cell presentation. The gene includes the CD28 IVS3 +17T/C polymorphism that could be associated with susceptibility to RA whereas the soluble concentrations of CD28 (sCD28) could be related to clinical activity. Methods: We investigated the CD28 IVS3 +17T/C polymorphism in 200 RA patients and 200 healthy subjects (HS). Furthermore, we quantified the sCD28 concentrations in 77 samples of each group. We applied indexes focused to determine the activity and disability (DAS28 and Spanish HAQ-DI, respectively) in RA patients. Methods: We investigated the CD28 IVS3 +17T/C polymorphism in 200 RA patients and 200 healthy subjects (HS). Furthermore, we quantified the sCD28 concentrations in 77 samples of each group. We applied indexes focused to determine the activity and disability (DAS28 and Spanish HAQ-DI, respectively) in RA patients. Results: RA patients had significantly higher frequencies of the CD28 T allele compared to HS (p = 0.032 OR = 1.59, C.I. 1.02–2.49). In addition, the IVS3 +17 T/T genotype frequency was also increased in RA vs. HS (p = 0.026). The RA patients showed higher sCD28 serum levels than HS (p = 0.001). Carriers of the T/T genotype in RA patients showed higher sCD28 levels than C/C carriers (p = 0.047). In addition, a correlation between sCD28 and Spanish HAQ-DI (correlation, 0.272; p = 0.016), was found. Conclusion: The T allele in CD28 IVS3 +17T/C polymorphism is associated with a susceptibility to RA in Western Mexico. In addition, increased sCD28 levels are related to T/T genotype in RA patients.

Background and Purpose-Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in young people has been the object of only succinct analyses. Therefore, it is unclear whether extrapolation of the information obtained from older patients is also valid for the young. Here we describe young persons with hypertensive ICH and compare them with their older counterparts to determine whether age-related clinical differences exist. Methods-From 1988 to 2004, we studied 35 consecutive young patients with ICH (60% men; mean age, 33 years; range, 15 to 40 years) for whom the etiology of the brain hemorrhage was hypertension. For clinical comparisons, sex-matched persons with hypertensive ICH, aged Ͼ40 years, were randomly selected by a factor of 3:1 (nϭ105). Results-Essential hypertension was present in 26 (74%) young patients and secondary hypertension in 9 (26%), with renovascular hypertension being the most common cause (nϭ5, 55%