Can catheter-based renal denervation reduce frequency of hospitalization in patients who have resistant hypertension and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction?

Hypertension is one of the most powerful and modifiable risk factors for the development, progression and even decompensation of heart failure. Uncontrolled hypertension increases to frequency of heart failure hospitalizations by increase sympathetic tone. Catheter-based renal denervation has been shown to reduce blood pressure in the treatment of multidrug-resistant hypertension. We report the improvement in clinical status after renal denervation in a 47-year-old male patient with a history of hypertension, chronic ischemic heart failure, and recurrent hospitalizations for acute hypertensive pulmonary edema despite optimal medical therapy.

The effect of interarm blood pressure difference on coronary collateral flow in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who had undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with acute myocardial infarction, coronary collateral circulation (CCC) is associated with reduced infarct size, preserved cardiac function, and decreased mortality. An interarm blood pressure difference (IABPD) is shown to be independently associated with cardiovascular and all-cause of mortality. We aimed to determine the effect of IABPD on coronary collateral flow in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who had undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively investigated 1,348 consecutive patients who were hospitalized for STEMI and underwent p-PCI. The Rentrop classification was used to assess CCC. According to this classification, we defined Rentrop 0 and 1 as poor CCC, and Rentrop 2 and 3 as good CCC. A 10 mm Hg difference is considered the upper limit of IABPD. RESULTS: Patients were divided into two groups according to the collateral circulation, 325 patients (24%) had good collateral, while 1,023 patients (76%) had poor collateral. IABPD was significantly higher in the poor collateral group (57 patients, 5.6%) than in the good collateral group (9 patients, 2.8%) (p=0.04). Pre-infarction angina and IABPD were identified as independent predictors of poor collateral (OR: 0.516, 95% CI 0.370-0.631, p=0.007; OR: 3.681, 95% CI: 1.773-7.461, p=0.01, respectively) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The IABPD was shown as an independent predictor of poor collateral circulation in patients with STEMI who underwent p-PC.

Successful treatment of multidrug-resistant hypertension with catheter-based renal denervation in a patient with a renal artery stent.

Renal artery stenting (RAS) and its effectiveness in the treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery disease are controversial.1 Catheter-based renal denervation (RDN) has been shown to reduce blood pressure in the treatment of multidrug-resistant hypertension.2 In this case, we presented the successful regulation of multidrug resistant hypertension after renal denervation in a patient with renal artery stent.

Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Second-Line Treatment Options: Is the Difference Only in Cost?

INTRODUCTION: Although pancreatic cancer ranks seventh in cancer-related deaths, it is an extremely fatal disease, and more than 330,000 people die from this disease worldwide. Although there are many first-line treatment studies in the literature, there are almost no prospective studies regarding second-line therapy. Therefore, there is no standard approach in the second-line treatment of pancreatic cancer. We decided to conduct this study to investigate second-line treatments with problems such as cost, treatment efficacy, and toxicity. METHODS: Patients older than 18 years old who applied to Ege University Hospital medical oncology department with a diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer, who received first-line chemotherapy due to their illness, and who had progressed afterwards were included in the study. The files of the patients who applied between 2013 and 2017 were examined. RESULTS: Our study's primary endpoint was progression-free survival, and it was found that the median progression-free survival was 3.2 months in the Xelox patients, 3.7 months in the gemcitabine-nab paclitaxel patients, and 3.5 months in the other regimens. When the secondary endpoint was evaluated, overall survival, the median overall survival was 5.9 months in the Xelox patients, 5.3 months in the gemcitabine-nab paclitaxel patients, and 4.8 months in the other regimens. CONCLUSION: As a result, second-line treatments were compared, and no statistically significant difference was found between them. For this reason, the side effects of previously used drugs and the side effects of new drugs to be used, as well as their costs, should be evaluated when choosing a treatment.

Effect of gadolinium perfusion magnetic resonance imaging on surgeons' management preferences in kienböck's disease. A survey study.

In literature, the use of gadolinium perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (GP-MRI) is recommended in Kienböck's disease to evaluate the lunate bone's perfusion. This survey study sought to assess how GP-MRI findings affect the management preferences of hand surgeons. A questionnaire consisting of 11 scenarios differing in ulnar variance, GP-MRI findings and management preferences was developed. The scenarios were designed based on the last published clinical guidelines. The questionnaire was sent to the members of a national hand surgery society consisting of 160 hand surgeons. Sixty-six surgeons completed the questionnaire. The surgeons' preferences changed significantly by ulnar variance in stages II and IIIA, and by GP-MRI in stages I and II. No need for other diagnostic tools was found in any of the scenarios. Management preferences of the study participants related to alterations in ulnar variance and treatment choices in all stages were in accordance with previously published clinical and survey studies. This study showed that GP-MRI findings significantly changed the management preferences of hand surgeons in early stages of Kienböck's disease. There was no significant tendency among the participants to use further assessment tools beyond direct radiography, MRI, and GP-MRI. Given the study results and the literature, we emphasize the limited and well-defined indications of GP-MRI in Kienböck's disease.

The comparison of the efficacy of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequences with 3 different T2-weighted sequences in the detection of focal liver lesions.

PURPOSE: In this study we aimed to compare and evaluate the efficacies of the low and high b value diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequences with three different T2-weighted (T2W) sequences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 255 liver lesions of 147 patients who had undergone MR examinations of the upper abdomen were evaluated. A maximum number of 4 lesions was taken for consideration in patients with multiple lesions. Low and high b valued DWI and 3 different T2W sequences (SSFSE, FIESTA, and PROPELLER FSE) were utilized. The evaluations were done by 3 different radiologists, by utilizing the double blind principle. RESULTS: The lesion detection performances of the b 0 DWI, b 600 DWI, FIESTA T2W, SSFSE T2W, and PROPELLER FSE T2W sequences, were 95.7 %, 66.3 %, 94.4 %, 92.8 %, and 93.8 %, in sequence order. The high b value DWI sequence was able to detect malignant lesions with a higher accuracy rate than the T2W sequences. There was a moderate to high rate of agreement among the interpreters, and the lesion-detection rates of the interpreters were in line with their levels of expertise. CONCLUSION: Even though the higher lesion detection rates of the DWI sequences were not found to be statistically significant, it was concluded that making the evaluations with the addition of DWI to the imaging protocol would certainly decrease the lesion-missing rate, and it would be wise to utilize the DWI technique in routine liver MR imaging.

THE ROLE OF THYROID FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY IN THE TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP OF THYROID NODULES IN THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION.

OBJECTIVE: Thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and cytology is a reliable diagnostic method used in the assessment of malignancy when evaluating thyroid nodules, in conjunction with clinical and ultrasonographic findings. The aim of this study is to compare clinical, ultrasonographic, cytological and histopathological findings in children who underwent thyroid FNA. METHODS: Subjects comprised 80 patients (52 female) aged 13.7±2.8 years at the time of FNA who where evaluated for thyroid nodules. Clinical, ultrasonographic and cytological findings of patients were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Autoimmune thyroiditis was present in 30% and history of radiotherapy to the head or neck in 10%. The cytological diagnosis of patients included: inadequate or hemorrhagic sample in 10%; benign in 42.5%; atypia or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) in 15%; suspicion of follicular neoplasia (SFN) in 7.5%; suspicion of malignancy (SM) in 8.8%; and malignant in 16.3%. Thirty-seven patients underwent thyroidectomy. Malignancy rates for histopathologic follow-up were 75%, 85.7% and 100% for SFN, SM and malignant categories, respectively. Only one benign and two AUS/FLUS FNAs were found to be malignant on histopathological examination. Among patients who had received radioiodinetherapy, 87.5% had malignancy. In this study, the sensitivity of FNA was 96%, specificity 50%, positive predictive value 90.9%, negative predictive value 75%, and diagnostic value of FNA was 89.2%. CONCLUSION: Thyroid FNA results were highly compatible with histopathological examination. Sensitivity, positive predictive value and diagnostic value of FNA were high.

Factors Affecting Recurrence and Survival After Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Liver transplantation (LT) remains the best treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patient selection is crucial and debated ever since the emerging of the Milan criteria in 1996. As live-donor LT is being more routinely performed worldwide, numerous new and/or expansions of the original criteria have been suggested to allow more patients to benefit from this superior treatment modality. This study aims to contribute to the ever-growing data in search for better coverage of patients with acceptable outcomes. METHODS: Medical recordings of 187 adult patients who underwent LT for HCC in a 6-year period were retrospectively collected. Patients were classified by Milan and University of California, San Francisco, criteria. Survival times as well as tumor, liver disease, and recurrence-related data were recorded for each patient and the outcomes were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Factors significantly affecting recurrence and survival were histologic differentiation, number and the size of the tumor, and the presence of vascular invasion. Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels did not significantly affect outcomes. Among the patients exceeding both of the criteria, having a total tumor size of less than 160 mm was significantly associated with better outcomes (P = .007). CONCLUSION: HCC patients having tumors with vascular invasion, poor differentiation, exceeding 6 in number and 160 mm in total diameter demonstrate higher recurrence rates and worse outcomes.

In vivo cartilage tissue engineering.

BACKGROUND: Biologic treatment options for cartilage injuries require chondrocyte expansion using cell culture. Clinical application is accomplished in two surgical sessions and is expensive. If isolation of chondrocytes and stimulus for proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis can be achieved in vivo, the treatment can be performed in one session and the cost can be reduced. METHODS: A 2.5-cm diameter full-thickness chondral defect was created in the knees of five groups of sheep. In one group, some of the chondral tissues obtained from the creation of the defect were diced into small pieces and were placed into the defect and were covered with a collagen membrane (MIV group). In the other group, the collagen membrane was soaked in collagenase prior to usage. In the next group, the collagen membrane was soaked in both collagenase and growth factors. Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) was applied to another group in two sessions, and the last group was left untreated. After 15 weeks of follow-up, repair tissues were compared macroscopically, histomorphometrically, and biochemically for tissue concentrations of glycosaminoglycan and type II collagen. RESULTS: MACI and MIV groups demonstrated better healing than others and were similar. Addition of collagenase or growth factors did not improve the results. Addition of collagenase did not have detrimental effect on the surrounding cartilage. CONCLUSIONS: With the described method, it is possible to obtain comparable results with MACI. Further studies are also needed to see if it works similarly in humans.

Neuronal regeneration in injured rat spinal cord after human dental pulp derived neural crest stem cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the effect of human Dental Pulp-Neural Crest Stem Cells (hDP-NCSCs) delivery on lesion site after spinal cord injury (SCI), and to observe the functional recovery after transplantation. METHODS: Neural Crest Stem Cells (NCSCs) were isolated from human Dental Pulp (hDP). The experimental rat population was divided into four groups (n = 6/24). Their behavioral motility was scored regularly. After 4-weeks, rats were sacrificed, and their spinal cords were examined for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) labeled hDP-NCSCs by immunofluorescence (IF) staining. RESULTS: In early post-injury (p.i) period, the ultrastructure of spinal cord tissue was preserved in Group 4. The majority of cells forming the ependymal region around the central canal were found to be hDP-NCSCs. While the grey-and-white-matter around the ependymal region was composed of e.g. GFP cells, with astrocytic-like appearance. The scores showed significant motor recovery in hind limb functions in Group 4. However, no obvious change was observed in other groups. CONCLUSION: Cells e.g., mesenchymal (Vimentin+) which express GFP+ cells in the gray-and-white-matter around the ependymal region could indicate the potential to self-renewal and plasticity. Thus, transplantation of hDP-NCSCs might be an effective strategy to improve functional recovery following spinal cord trauma (Fig. 10, Ref. 32).

AT-101 acts as anti-proliferative and hormone suppressive agent in mouse pituitary corticotroph tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Gossypol, a naturally occurring compound in cottonseeds, has anticancer effects against several tumor cell lines. It has been extensively studied in clinical trials and is well tolerated with a favorable safety profile. AT-101, a derivative of R (-)-gossypol, binds to Bcl-2 family proteins and induces apoptosis in vitro. Although transsphenoidal surgical excision of the pituitary corticotroph adenoma is the gold standard of care, it is not successful all the time. Medical therapy for Cushing's disease still remains a challenge for the clinicians. We aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of AT-101 in mouse pituitary corticotroph tumor AtT20 cells. METHODS: Cytotoxic effect of AT-101 was assessed by XTT cell viability assay. Apoptosis was shown by measuring DNA fragmentation and Caspase-3/7 activity. Changes in mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related genes were investigated by qPCR array after treatment with AT-101. ACTH was measured by ACTH-EIA Kit. RESULTS: AT-101 induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in AtT20 cells. mRNA levels of pro-apoptotic genes such as TNFR-SF-10B, Bid, PYCARD, Caspase-8, Caspase-3, and Caspase-7 were induced by 2.0-, 1.5-, 1.7-, 1.5-, 1.6-, and 2-fold, respectively, in AtT20 cells by AT-101 treatment. Moreover, some of the anti-apoptotic genes such as BCL2L10, NAIP1, and PAK-7 were reduced by 2.1-, 2.3-, 4.0-fold, respectively, in AtT20 cells. AT-101 also decreased ACTH secretion significantly. CONCLUSION: AT-101 induces apoptosis in mouse pituitary corticotroph tumor cells.

Living-Donor Liver Transplantation for Budd-Chiari Syndrome: Case Series.

BACKGROUND: Venous reconstruction in living-donor liver transplantation for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) has challenges because the grafts from living donors lack vena cava, and hepatic venous anastomosis must be performed on an already-thrombosed and/or stenosed inferior vena cava. Several techniques are described to overcome this problem, and we represent our experience with 22 patients. METHODS: Medical recordings of 22 patients were retrospectively collected, and disease-specific data as well as recordings about surgical technique were analyzed. RESULTS: Creation of a wide, triangular de novo orifice was the main method used for venous drainage, which was used in 19 patients. The remaining 3 patients had totally thrombosed vena cava; thus, direct anastomosis to the supra-hepatic portion of the vena cava was used in 2 patients and an anastomosis to the right atrium was used in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: Venous reconstruction in BCS can be achieved without the use of patch-plasty, and the inferior vena cava can be safely resected in selected patients. Living-donor liver transplantation is a feasible option for the treatment of BCS, considering the scarcity of cavaderic donors.

Rhino-Orbita-Maxillary Mucormycosis After Liver Transplantation: A Case Report.

Mucormycosis is a rare lethal complication of organ transplantation that progresses rapidly, and the prognosis is dismal if diagnosed late. We present a surviving liver transplant recipient in whom severe rhino-orbita-maxillary mucormycosis developed 1 month after liver transplantation. Prompt diagnosis with tissue biopsy, local control of the underlying condition with aggressive surgical debridement, and appropriate administration of systemic antifungal therapies are essential to improve prognosis and survival.

Development and Optimization of Self-emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SEDDS) for Enhanced Dissolution and Permeability of Rosuvastatin.

Rosuvastatin calcium is commonly used statin for treatment of dyslipidemia. It has low bioavailability. The aim of this study was to develop new rosuvastatin calcium self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) as an alternative formulation and to evaluate the permeability of rosuvastatin calcium SEDDS by using Caco-2 cells. Rosuvastatin calcium SEDDSs were developed by using pseudo ternary phase diagram and characterized by using heating cooling cycle, robustness to dilution, stability and in vitro drug release and permeability. The permeability studies of rosuvastatin calcium SEDDS (Papp (A→B) for F1-RS=1.492×10-5±0.413×10-5 and Papp (A→B) for F2-RS=1.254×10-5±0.19×10-5) across Caco-2 cells showed that permeability value from apical to basolateral was higher than permeability value of commercial formulation (Papp (A→B) =7.13×10-5±0.668×10-5). In conclusion, SEDDS as a drug carrier may be used as an effective and alternative hyperlipidemia therapy for oral delivery of rosuvastatin calcium.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of shoulder joint in patients with early stage of ankylosing spondylitis: A case-control study.

PURPOSE: The goal of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of shoulder abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who have normal shoulder X-ray examinations and no clinical shoulder abnormalities using a case-control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-three patients with AS according to the SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) criteria were enrolled in the study. Fifty-three patients with no AS served as control subjects. Shoulder MRI examinations of patients in the two groups were analyzed and results were compared. RESULTS: In the patient group, 26/53 patients (49.1%) demonstrated one or two of the defined pathological shoulder MRI findings, whereas 5/53 patients (9.4%) had similar findings in the control group. In the patient group, 11/53 patients (20.8%) had enthesal bone marrow edema, 19/53 patients (35.8%) had increased synovial fluid, 8/53 patients (15.1%) had tendinitis, and 2/53 patients (3.8%) had bursitis. There was statistically significant difference between the patient and control groups in terms of prevalence of enthesal bone marrow edema, increase in synovial fluid, and tendinitis. CONCLUSION: Shoulder involvement is often overlooked in AS. Knowledge of the early-stage findings of the shoulder involvement due to AS is important to establish an early diagnosis and select treatment options.

Doppler ultrasonography helps discriminate between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients with viral B and C hepatitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to define the cutoff values between compensated cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic patients with viral hepatitis B and C, using the criteria of the Doppler parameters of liver vascularity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy non-cirrhotic patients with viral hepatitis B and C and 30 cirrhotic patients were included in this prospective study. The diagnostic decisiveness properties of the Doppler values in the pre-determination of liver cirrhosis were evaluated using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. RESULTS: Taking the cutoff value for hepatic vein waveform index as 0.605, a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 77.1% were obtained. The sensitivity was 80%, and the specificity was 68.6% for a mean max portal velocity cutoff value of 18.25cm/s. When the hepatic artery resistivity index cutoff value was taken as 0.705 for the diagnosis of cirrhosis, the sensitivity was 82.5% and the specificity 72.1%. For a hepatic artery pulsatility index cutoff value of 1.295, a sensitivity of 82.5% and a specificity of 72.1% were found. CONCLUSION: It is not possible to diagnose cirrhosis with only hemodynamic changes. However, the cutoff values may be helpful in the selection of patients to undergo the procedure of liver biopsy.

Isolated brain stem edema in a pediatric patient with head trauma: a case report.

Brain stem is the most vital part of our body and is a transitional region of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. Though, being small in size, it is full of indispensible functions such as the breathing, heart beat. Injury to the brain stem has similar effects as a brain injury, but it is more fatal. Use of the Glasgow Coma Score as a prognostic indicator of outcome in patients with head injuries is widely accepted in clinical practice. Traumatic brain stem edema in children is rare, but is associated with poor outcome. The question is that whether it is being aware of computerized tomography appearance of the posterior fossa when initial evaluating pediatric patients with head trauma at emergency clinics. Normal and edematous brain stem without an additional pathology are slightly different and not distinguished easily. On the other hand, brain stem edema should be promptly identified and appropriately treated in a short time.

Alveolar-capillary adaptation to chronic hypoxia in the fatty lung.

AIM: Obese diabetic (ZDF fa/fa) rats with genetic leptin resistance suffer chronic lipotoxicity associated with age-related lung restriction and abnormal alveolar ultrastructure. We hypothesized that these abnormalities impair adaptation to ambient hypoxia. METHODS: Male fa/fa and lean (+/+) ZDF rats (4-months old) were exposed to 21 or 13% O2 for 3 weeks. Lung function was measured under anaesthesia. Lung tissue was assayed for DNA damage and ultrastructure measured by morphometry. RESULTS: In normoxia, lung volume, compliance and diffusing capacity were lower, while blood flow was higher in fa/fa than +/+ rats. In hypoxia, fa/fa animals lost more weight, circulating hematocrit rose higher, and lung volume failed to increase compared to +/+. In fa/fa, the hypoxia-induced increase in post-mortem lung volume was attenuated (19%) vs. +/+ (39%). Alveolar ducts were 35% smaller in normoxia but enlarged twofold more in hypoxia compared to +/+. Hypoxia induced broad increases (90-100%) in the volumes and surface areas of alveolar septal components in +/+ lungs; these increases were moderately attenuated in fa/fa lungs (58-75%), especially that of type II epithelium volume (16 vs. 61% in +/+). In fa/fa compared to +/+ lungs, oxidative DNA damage was greater with increased hypoxia induced efflux of alveolar macrophages. Harmonic mean thickness of the diffusion barrier was higher, indicating higher structural resistance to gas transfer. CONCLUSION: Chronic lipotoxicity impaired hypoxia-induced lung expansion and compensatory alveolar growth with disproportionate effect on resident alveolar progenitor cells. The moderate structural impairment was offset by physiological adaptation primarily via a higher hematocrit.