Certain viral and bacterial infections may contribute to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to determine whether Helicobacter pylori (HP) seropositivity contributes to conventional atherosclerosis risk factors in the development of an early sign of atherosclerosis: intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery. Eighty-four patients who had at least two conventional atherosclerosis risk factors and a control group of 50 patients having no risk factors for atherosclerosis were enrolled in the study. None of the patients had ever received HP eradication treatment. HP IgG antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Carotid artery IMT was measured 1 cm before the carotid bifurcation. Seventy-five percent of the study group was HP seropositive. HP seropositive (n = 64) and seronegative (n = 21) groups were identical in terms of sex distribution, smoking pattern, mean age, hemoglobin, leukocyte, platelet, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels. There was no significant difference between the mean carotid IMT of HP seropositive (0.8 ± 0.3 mm) and negative (0.8 ± 0.3 mm) patients in the study group. Similar to the study group, there was no statistically significant difference between mean carotid IMT of HP seropositive (0.56 ± 0.19 mm) and negative patients (0.67 ± 0.13 mm) in the control group (p = 0.2). Future studies concerning virulent strains are needed to determine the probable role of HP in atherosclerosis.
Introduction: Hematoma is a common complication of inguinoscrotal surgery in childhood. We aimed to identify the possible effects of extratesticular hematoma on blood flow and the histology of testes in the early period.Also, the dartos tissue was evaluated histologically. Materials and Methods: Unilateral extratesticular hematoma was created in 12 New Zealand rabbits. Parenchyma of the testes and scrotum walls was evaluated by B-mode ultrasound and the spectrum from the intratesticular vessels was obtained by color Doppler ultrasound on days 1, 7 and 15 of the procedure. Testes and scrotal walls were removed at the end of the study for histologic evaluation. Results: There were no significant pathologic findings in the evaluation of the parenchyma and hemodynamia of the testes on days 1, 7 and 15. A well-organized but continuing hematoma was observed on day 15. Increased fibroblastic activity, dense inflammatory cells, necrotic areas and destruction of the muscular layer were observed at pathologic evaluation of the scrotum. Conclusions: Extratesticular hematoma has no effect on testicular histology and hemodynamia in the early period. Pathologic evaluation revealed fibrosis of the dartos fascia at the end of the second week. Destruction and fibrosis of this tissue may have an adverse effect on spermatogenesis by altering thermoregulation.
The RI in the fetal IRA does not differ in fetuses with and without renal pelvic dilatation of up to 10 mm. Thus, an increase in the RI or an RI that significantly differs between the right and left kidneys should be investigated further for possible renal pathology.
The perception of dyspnoea differs between subjects with obstructive pulmonary diseases, partly because the underlying mechanisms for bronchoconstriction are different. We investigated the perception of bronchoconstriction in subjects with bronchiectasis, asthma and chronic bronchitis and possible contributing factors. Forty-seven non-smoking subjects with bronchiectasis, 50 subjects with asthma and 31 with chronic bronchitis were challenged with histamine. The Borg score was assessed before and after each challenge. The perception score corresponding to a fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) by 20% (PS(20)) was calculated. The mean values of DeltaBorg/DeltaFEV(1) (the Borg score change divided by the change in FEV(1) as a percentage of the baseline FEV(1)) and PS(20) of subjects with bronchiectasis and chronic bronchitis were significantly lower than in subjects with asthma after histamine challenge. The ratio of non-perceivers was higher in bronchiectasis (25.5%) and in chronic bronchitis (32.3%) than in asthma (4.0%). When all subjects were considered, DeltaBorg/DeltaFEV(1) values were significantly related to female sex ( r (2)=11.5%, P =0.0001), but not to age, duration of the disease, PD(20) or baseline FEV(1)%. The present study indicates that perception of histamine-induced bronchoconstriction is lower in patients with bronchiectasis and chronic bronchitis than in asthmatic patients, and that sex partially contributes to this difference.
BackgroundObjectives To determine prognostic factors of remission in early RA. Methods A cohort of 191 patients with RA and disease duration shorter than 1 year were prospectively followed-up for 3 years. Numerous baseline clinical, laboratory, genetic and radiographic data (Sharp's method modified by van der Heijde) were obtained. Remission, defined by a Disease Activity Score (DAS) < 1.6, was used as outcome measure. 1 Results Forty eight patients (25.1%) fulfilled the remission criteria at the 3-year follow-up visit. According to Fisher?s exact test, remission was closely related with baseline values of DAS, HAQ score, morning stiffness, tender joint count, C-reactive protein and radiologic scores. No statistically significant correlation was demonstrated for sex, age, extraarticular manifestations, IgM and IgA rheumatoid factors, anti-perinuclear Ab, anti-keratin Ab, anti-HSP 90, anti-calpastatin Ab, antinuclear Ab, YKL-40 and HLA-DRB1* genotypes.The logistic regression analysis revealed that the independent variables able to predict the 3-year remission were: DAS, HAQ score, morning stiffness and total radiographic score. Conclusion Pronostic factors of remission in early RA were mainly clinical markers of disease activity and radiological scores.
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