The cytokine erythropoietin (EPO) possesses potent neuroprotective activity against a variety of potential brain injuries, including transient ischemia and reperfusion. It is currently unknown whether EPO will also ameliorate spinal cord injury. Immunocytochemistry performed using human spinal cord sections showed abundant EPO receptor immunoreactivity of capillaries, especially in white matter, and motor neurons within the ventral horn. We used a transient global spinal ischemia model in rabbits to test whether exogenous EPO can cross the blood-spinal cord barrier and protect these motor neurons. Spinal cord ischemia was produced in rabbits by occlusion of the abdominal aorta for 20 min, followed by saline or recombinant human (rHu)-EPO (350, 800, or 1,000 units/kg of body weight) administered intravenously immediately after the onset of reperfusion. The functional neurological status of animals was better for rHu-EPO-treated animals 1 h after recovery from anesthesia, and improved dramatically over the next 48 h. In contrast, saline-treated animals exhibited a poorer neurological score at 1 h and did not significantly improve. Histopathological examination of the affected spinal cord revealed widespread motor neuron injury associated with positive terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling in control but not in rHu-EPO-treated animals. These observations suggest both an acute as well as a delayed beneficial action of rHu-EPO in ischemic spinal cord injury. Because rHu-EPO is currently used widely with an excellent safety profile, clinical trials evaluating its potential to prevent motor neuron apoptosis and the neurological deficits that occur as a consequence of ischemic injury are warranted.

Patients with psoriasis had a higher level of EFA compared with controls, and EFA was independently associated with the presence of CAC in all study subjects.

We tested the hypothesis that increased platelet activation may be present in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) and may contribute to the pathogenesis of slow coronary flow phenomenon (SCFP). Fifty patients angiographically proven normal coronary flow (control group; mean age = 61.3 +/- 7.0 years, 43 male) and 50 patients with angiographically proven SCF in all coronary arteries (patient group; man age = 62.7 +/- 6.7 years, 38 male) were included in the present study. Coronary flow rates of all subjects were documented by Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction frame count (TIMI frame count). Patients with a corrected TIMI frame count greater than two standard deviations from normal published range for the particular vessel were considered as having SCF. Complete blood count and mean platelet volume (MPV) was measured from whole blood sample with Abbott Cell-Dyne 4000 cell counter. Plasma sP-selectin concentrations were analyzed with sP-Selectin ELISA kit. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to baseline demographic, clinical and lipid parameters. Not only MPV values but also plasma sP-selectin levels were significantly higher in patients with the patients with SCF compared to those of controls (for MPV; 8.2 +/- 0.7 vs. 7.2 +/- 0.6 fl, P < 0.001, for sP-Selectin; 1.5 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.2 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Interestingly, significant positive correlations were detected between mean TIMI frame counts and MPV and sP-selectin levels (for MPV; r = 0.56, P < 0.001, for sP-selectin r = 0.67, P < 0.001). The current study demonstrates that platelet activity is increased in the patients with SCF compared to that of the patients with normal coronary flow.

ate weakness of the right ankle dorsal and plantar flexions (muscle strength 3 and 4/5, respectively) in the right lower extremity. The Achilles reflex was depressed and pinprick sensation was decreased over the right L5 nerve root dermatome. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a central disc herniation at the L5-S1 level, causing severe compression to the right L5 root, surgical decompression was planned on the same day. The obstetricians also evaluated her. According to an ultrasonographic examination, the fetus was healthy, and a fetal heart rate of 140-160 beats·min Ϫ1 was recorded.She was then transported to the operating room, in the lateral decubitis position, where standard monitoring by continuous electrocardiography, noninvasive blood pressure measurement, and oxygen saturation (M1094B; Hewlett Packard, Saronno, Italy) were established. A peripheral venous cannula was also inserted. Before the induction of anesthesia, she was preoxygenated with 6 l·min Ϫ1 oxygen for a period of 5 min. The operating table was maintained in the left tilt position. Induction was achieved with 2 mg·kg Ϫ1 propofol. Vecuronium (0.1 mg·kg Ϫ1 ) was given to facilitate tracheal intubation, with a size 7.5 tube. Anesthesia was maintained with 1%-1.5% sevoflurane in a mixture of oxygen and air (Narkomed; North American Dräger, Telhord, PA, USA) following tracheal intubation. She was placed in the left lateral position and her abdomen was supported with pillows in order to prevent direct pressure on the fetus. Throughout the L5-S1 discectomy operation, which lasted for 2 h, neither fetus nor mother exhibited any hemodynamic change. The fetal heart rate was monitored with Doppler ultrasonography during the induction of anesthesia, emergence, recovery, and whenever possible during surgery. No change was detected in the fetal heart rate (140-160 beats·min Ϫ1 ). At the end of the operation, she was extubated immediately. The postoperative period was smooth and her neurological deficits recovered gradually. Her general

Using CLOtest to detect H. pylori in dental plaque is a reliable first-line diagnostic approach for gastric H. pylori infection. Dental plaque might be a sanctuary for H. pylori, leading to gastric recurrence.

Objective: The present study was undertaken to investigate the prognostic value of the frontal planar QRS-T angle in patients without angiographically apparent coronary atherosclerosis. Subjects and Methods: Three hundred and seven patients with normal coronary arteries on coronary angiography were included. The absolute difference between the frontal QRS- and T-wave axes was defined as the frontal planar QRS-T angle, and patients were divided into 3 subgroups based on the frontal planar QRS-T angle (<45, 45-90, and >90°). Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and angiographic data were compared between groups. Based on the regression analysis results, patients were recategorized into 4 groups according to their luminal calibers of left main coronary artery (LMCA) and history of hypertension (HT) (nonhypertensive LMCA ≤4.13 mm, nonhypertensive LMCA >4.13 mm, hypertensive LMCA ≤4.13 mm, and hypertensive LMCA >4.13 mm). Results: The median value of the frontal planar QRS-T angle of all participants was 38°. Subjects with the widest frontal planar QRS-T angle were older (p = 0.027), were hypertensive (p = 0.001), and had higher corrected QT values (p = 0.001). Patients with the widest frontal planar QRS-T angle had larger LMCA and left anterior descending coronary artery diameters compared to subjects with a normal and borderline frontal QRS-T angle (p = 0.004 and p = 0.028, respectively). Corrected QT, HT, and LMCA diameter were found as independent predictors of the frontal planar QRS-T angle. Subjects with HT and a larger luminal caliber of LMCA had the widest frontal planar QRS-T angle. Conclusion: Patients with a history of HT and a larger luminal caliber of LMCA had the widest frontal planar QRS-T angle. Since HT-induced electrophysiological changes are still not well established and we observed that changes in the luminal caliber of coronary arteries are associated with an abnormal frontal QRS-T angle, the frontal QRS-T angle could serve as a marker of ventricular repolarization heterogeneity in hypertensive patients in addition to keeping track of arrhythmic events, even before overt disease.

Helicobacter pylori was examined in 110 patients (82 (74.5) with gastritis, 18 (16.4) with duodenitis, six (5.5) with duodenal ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux, and four (3.6 %) with normal) with gastrointestinal problems living in rural area, no history of macrolide use, and detected by culture (71.8) or direct detection from gastric biopsies by PCR (82.7 %). Also, cagA gene was identified using PCR and was found positive in 68/91 (74.7 %) strains. The prevalence of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori was investigated by two methods including PCR-RFLP (7.7 (A2142G 1.1 and A2143G 6.6 %)) and twofold agar dilution (8.9 %) to detect phenotypic and genotypic status simultaneously. Among all the H. pylori positive patients, eight (8.8 %) isolates were found to be resistant to clarithromycin by at least one of the AD and/or PCR-RFLP methods. H. pylori positive rates were significantly correlated with patients' sex, age, and endoscopic findings (p = 0.040, <0.001 and <0.001, respectively). There were no differences in gender or endoscopic findings related to cagA (+) and cagA (-) patients. The gene of cagA was not significantly helpful in predicting the clinical outcome of H. pylori infection alone. In conclusion, we revealed that there was a low prevalence of primer clarithromycin resistance in patients living in rural area with no history of macrolide use. The prevalence of mutant strains among the macrolide-resistant H. pylori varies even geographically between close provinces.

Patients with LP are likely to present first to a dermatologist because of the appearance of their skin; therefore, it is important that the dermatologic diagnosis is not to be missed. We described patients with LP and discuss the salient features of this disease.