Background: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a B cell neoplasm characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells. Skeletal complications are found in up to 80% of myeloma patients at presentation and are major cause of morbidity.
Background: We investigated the relationship among serum cardiac biomarkers including N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), uric acid and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and noninvasive predictors of atherosclerosis including carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), aortic stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV)) and transthoracic coronary flow reserve (CFR) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: 37 PD patients were included in the study. We measured (1) carotid IMT, (2) PWV and augmentation index (AIx), and (3) CFR. Simultaneous measurements of serum NT-pro-BNP, cTnT, uric acid and hs-CRP were also performed. Associations among these variables were analyzed. Results: cTnT was significantly associated with carotid IMT (r = 0.747, p < 0.001), PWV (r = 0.431, p = 0.035) and CFR (r = –0.439, p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, cTnT was a significant independent predictor of carotid IMT (β = 4.446, p < 0.001) and CFR (β = –2.272, p = 0.013). Patients with high cTnT levels (≥0.01 ng/ml) significantly hadhigher carotid IMT and PWV values. Only the aortic PWV significantly correlated with residual renal function (r = –0.574, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Serum cTnT appeared to be a useful clinical biomarker for evaluating noninvasive predictors of atherosclerosis in chronic PD patients. Arterial stiffness as determined by PWV is also correlated with residual renal function.
Sodium or calcium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate or analog) is an ion-exchange resin commonly used to treat hyperkalaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease. It is known to cause digestive complications, such as nausea, vomiting and constipation. Although rare, colonic necrosis and perforation are very severe complications associated with the medication. In this case report, we present a case of calcium polystyrene sulfonate-induced colonic necrosis and perforation to remind clinicians of this rare, but dangerous, toxicity associated with this commonly used medication.
LIM domain only-2 (LMO2) is an important regulator of hematopoietic stem cell development. LMO2 protein is expressed in all three hematopoietic lineages precursors of the hematopoietic system, and its expression has been shown to decrease gradually during differentiation. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a malignant clonal myeloproliferative disorder in which the terminal differentiation is not altered until the appearance of an accelerated or blast phase. We examined whether LMO2 protein expression can predict outcome CML patients undergoing tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, imatinib mesylate (IM). Immunohistochemistry on bone marrow biopsy material for LMO2 protein was performed in 47 CML patients. We report that the LMO2 protein expression is correlated with improved hematologic remission and overall survival in the CML patients treated with IM. The immunohistologic analysis of LMO2 protein expression may become a predictive factor for anticipating the treatment responses of CML patients.
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