Application of creatinine-based eGFR equations in Chinese septuagenarians and octogenarians.

PURPOSE: The utilization of creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations in the adult population is acknowledged. Nevertheless, the appropriateness of creatinine-based eGFR in septuagenarians and octogenarians is debatable. This study evaluates the creatinine-based equations in Chinese septuagenarians and octogenarians cohorts. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study employed a retrospective design, utilizing a review of the hospital medical records system to identify 347 hospitalized participants within the Division of Geriatrics or the Division of Nephrology. These participants underwent renal dynamic imaging with 99 m Tc-DTPA and serum creatinine testing. Comparison of the equations was performed, including the full age-spectrum equation (FAS-Cr equation), European Kidney Function Consortium equation (EKFC equation), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation for Asian (Asian CKD-EPI equation), Xiangya equation, and Lund-Malmö revised equation (LMR equation). RESULTS: Most equations tended to underestimate GFR. The FAS-Cr equation had the smallest interquartile range (IQR), while the Asian CKD-EPI equation (mGFR ≥ 30) and Xiangya equation (mGFR < 30) had the biggest IQRs. The FAS-Cr equation had the highest overall P30 of 63.98%, while the Asian CKD-EPI equation had the highest P30 of 75.64% in mGFR ≥ 60. The Xiangya equation, on the other hand, reported the lowest P30 of 36.36% in mGFR < 30. We discovered similar patterns in root-mean-square error (RMSE) as P30. GFR category misclassification rates in the entire cohort ranged from 46.11 to 49.86% for all equations. The FAS-Cr equation exhibited an advantage in octogenarians over other equations in the GFR category misclassification with mGFR lower than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. CONCLUSION: None of the creatinine-based equations in this study could perform well regarding precision, accuracy, and CKD stages' classification for the Chinese elderly. Nevertheless, the FAS-Cr equation should be suitable for octogenarians with mGFR lower than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2.

Effect of Surface Modification on Cellular Internalization of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles in Strong Static Magnetic Field.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) controlled by alternating mangetic field (AMF) are widely investigated in biomedical applications, while the effects of strong static magnetic field (SMFs) on mammalian cells with MNPs for drug-delivery, magnetic resource imaging and magnetofection have been evaluated poorly. Although surface modifications provide a suitable system for expanding the bioapplication of MNPs, the viability and the cellular internalization of modified MNPs which stands for their biocompatibility and efficiency in application need to be examined urgently. In present study, human lung cancer cells (A549), a well-known epithelial cell model for drug metabolism research, were used to evaluate the effects of strong SMFs on cellular internalization and cell viability of Fe3O4 MNPs modified by chitosan, dextran, polyacrylamide, polyethylene glycol, phosphatidylcholine, cationic-charged and anionic-charged. The cationic-charged and phosphatidylcholine-coated Fe3O4 MNPs could increase the cellular uptaken in a dose dependent manner and the particles caused a vacuolar appearance in A549 cells. With exposure to 8.5 T SMF, the assay of ATP content showed that anionic-charged and phosphatidylcholine-coated Fe3O4 MNPs changed the energy metabolism of A549 cells, which might be consistent with the observation in cellular internalization. The cell viability and proliferation of A549 cells were all slightly affected by various modified MNPs with or without 8.5 T SMF exposure.

Do cigarette smoking and obesity affect semen abnormality in idiopathic infertile males?

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to find the relative risk of semen abnormality with respect to smoking history and obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subfertile or infertile men were enrolled in this study from July 2010 to June 2011. All participants provided their cigarette use information, self-reported weight, height, semen analysis, physical examination, and sexually transmitted disease status. None of the enrolled patients had any specific pathological reason for infertility. Semen abnormality was defined as a condition in which one or more parameters did not satisfy the World Health Organization's criteria. RESULTS: A total of 1,073 male patients were considered for this study. After the application of the inclusion criteria, 193 patients were finally analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups according to semen abnormality: the normal semen group (n=72) and the abnormal semen group (n=121). Baseline characteristics, except age and smoking history, were not significantly different between the two groups. Smoking history and age were risk factors for the semen abnormality of idiopathic infertile male patients. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and old age were risk factors for semen abnormality. However, obesity did not affect the semen abnormality. Smoking affected semen quality and is therefore expected to play a negative role in conception.

Evaluation of reflectance confocal microscopy in dermatophytosis.

Traditional diagnostic testing for dermatophyte infection currently requires skin scraping for light microscopy and/or fungal culture or skin biopsy. Immunofluorescent microscopy can also be used with calcofluor stain. All of these tests can be time-consuming to perform, require a waiting period for results and are invasive. This study aimed to define the in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) features of superficial cutaneous fungal infections and to analyse concordance with microscopic examination. Totally, 45 patients, who were diagnosed with superficial cutaneous fungal infections according to the positive result of microscopic examination, were enrolled in this study. We selected three typical lesions examined by RCM, and then recorded the results. In the patients with the tinea manus and pedis, mycelium in stratum corneum was found by the RCM in 14 of 22 patients (14/22; 63.64%). In the patients with the tinea cruris, mycelium in stratum corneum was found by the RCM in 19 of 23 patients (19/23; 82.61%). RCM seems to be useful for microscopic evaluation of mycelium features and may have a scientific value in study of superficial cutaneous fungal infections.

Causes and classification of male infertility in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the various causes of male infertility using multiple approaches. METHODS: Nine-hundred-twenty infertile male patients were analyzed at their first visit with one physician between January 1 and December 31, 2009. All patients were subjected to physical examination, semen analysis and azoospermic patients underwent hormonal testing, chromosomal tests, and testicular biopsy. Semen analysis was based on the definition of the World Health Organization. RESULTS: Among the 920 patients, 555 patients (60.3%) had semen results within the normal range, 269 patients (29.2%) within the abnormal range, and 96 (10.5%) were diagnosed with azoospermia. Varicoceles were diagnosed in 84 of the 555 normal-range patients (15.1%) and in 113 of the 269 abnormal-range patients (42.0%). Of the 96 patients with azoospermia, 24 patients (25%) were diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia, 68 patients (71%) with non-obstructive azoospermia, and 4 patients (4%) with retrograde ejaculation. CONCLUSION: Various causes of male infertility have been reported and diverse treatment methods can be adopted for each cause. In this regard, research must be conducted on a larger number of patients to accurately assess the various causes of infertility in Korean patients and to investigate various infertility treatment methods.

Platelet count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are good predictors of Kawasaki disease: ROC analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired pediatric cardiac disease and requires a timely diagnosis. Available effective therapy is ideally administered within 10 days of illness diagnosis. Recent reports of several laboratory tests in KD have been published. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of several laboratory tests. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients diagnosed with KD from January to December 2008. We studied the sensitivity and specificity of several different tests [T-cell subgroups, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP)] to predict KD using receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: No significant difference was demonstrated in T-cell subgroups between patients with KD and referent patients (P>0.05). However, platelet count, ESR, and CRP were significantly higher in patients with KD than in referent patients (P<0.05). ESR showed a sensitivity of 93.9% and specificity of 83.3% with a cut-off of 15 mm/hr (area under the curve [AUC], 89.1%; P=0.03). Platelet count showed a sensitivity of 70.6% and specificity of 75% with a cut-off of 336.5×10(9)/l (AUC, 71.2%; P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that platelet count and ESR are good predictors of KD.