Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for sudden cardiac arrest: A multicenter case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vitamin D is known to influence the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is a recognized risk factor for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). However, the relationship between vitamin D and SCA is not well understood. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between vitamin D and SCA in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients compared to healthy controls. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the Phase II Cardiac Arrest Pursuit Trial with Unique Registration and Epidemiologic Surveillance (CAPTURES II) registry, a 1:1 propensity score-matched case-control study was conducted between 2017 and 2020. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D) levels in patients with OHCA (454 cases) and healthy controls (454 cases) were compared after matching for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and lifestyle behaviors. The mean vitamin D levels were 14.5 ± 7.6 and 21.3 ± 8.3 ng/mL among SCA cases and controls, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle behaviors, corrected serum calcium levels, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGRF). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for vitamin D was 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-0.91). The dose-response relationship demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency was associated with SCA incidence (severe deficiency, aOR 10.87, 95% CI 4.82-24.54; moderate deficiency, aOR 2.24, 95% CI 1.20-4.20). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency was independently and strongly associated with an increased risk of SCA, irrespective of cardiovascular and lifestyle factors, corrected calcium levels, and eGFR.

End-tidal carbon dioxide after sodium bicarbonate infusion during mechanical ventilation or ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PURPOSE: End-tidal CO2 is used to monitor the ventilation status or hemodynamic efficacy during mechanical ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and it may be affected by various factors including sodium bicarbonate administration. This study investigated changes in end-tidal CO2 after sodium bicarbonate administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center, prospective observational study included adult patients who received sodium bicarbonate during mechanical ventilation or CPR. End-tidal CO2 elevation was defined as an increase of ≥20% from the baseline end-tidal CO2 value. The time to initial increase (lag time, Tlag), time to peak (Tpeak), and duration of the end-tidal CO2 rise (Tduration) were compared between the patients with spontaneous circulation (SC group) and those with ongoing resuscitation (CPR group). RESULTS: Thirty-three patients, (SC group, n = 25; CPR group, n = 8), were included. Compared with the baseline value, the median values of peak end-tidal CO2 after sodium bicarbonate injection increased by 100% (from 21 to 41 mmHg) in all patients, 89.5% (from 21 to 39 mmHg) in the SC group, and 160.2% (from 15 to 41 mmHg) in the CPR group. The median Tlag was 17 s (IQR: 12-21) and the median Tpeak was 35 s (IQR: 27-52). The median Tduration was 420 s (IQR: 90-639). The median Tlag, Tpeak, and Tduration were not significantly different between the groups. Tduration was associated with the amount of sodium bicarbonate for SC group (correlation coefficient: 0.531, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: The administration of sodium bicarbonate may lead to a substantial increase in end-tidal CO2 for several minutes in patients with spontaneous circulation and in patients with ongoing CPR. After intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate, the use of end-tidal CO2 pressure as a physiological indicator may be limited.

Right-to-Left Shunts Occur During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Echocardiographic Observations.

OBJECTIVES: A significant proportion of the population has a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The intracardiac pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may differ from that of normal circulation, which may result in a right-to-left shunt in the presence of a PFO. In this study, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was conducted to evaluate whether CPR carried out in patients after cardiac arrest causes right-to-left shunt. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. SETTING: One academic medical center from January 2017 to April 2020. PATIENTS: Patients older than 20 years who suffered from nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and underwent intra-arrest TEE. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients who had microbubbles resulting from fluid injection in the right atrium, as indicated on TEE imaging, were included in the analysis. The presence of right-to-left shunt was defined as the appearance of microbubbles in the systemic circulation, including the left atrium, left ventricle, or aorta. A total of 97 patients were included in the final analysis. A right-to-left shunt was observed in 21 patients (21.6%), and no shunt was found in 76 patients (78.4%). The degree of the right-to-left shunt, determined by the number of microbubbles, was mild in 11 patients (52.4%), moderate in eight (38.0%), and severe in two (9.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that no factors were associated with the presence of right-to-left shunt during CPR. CONCLUSIONS: Right-to-left shunts can be appreciated during CPR in patients who experience OHCA. Further studies are needed to verify its clinical significance.

Incidence and Pattern of Aminotransferase Elevation During Anti-Hypertensive Therapy With Angiotensin-II Receptor Blockers.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin type II receptor blockers (ARBs) are the most widely used anti-hypertensive drugs. This study aimed to elucidate the likelihood and pattern of ARB-induced liver injury in a hospital-based cohort. METHODS: Data of patients receiving fimasartan (n = 5,543), candesartan (n = 6,406), valsartan (n = 6,040), and losartan (n = 9,126) were retrieved from the clinical data warehouse of two tertiary hospitals. Patients with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels > 5 times the upper normal limit were assessed according to the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM). RESULTS: A total of 27,115 patients were enrolled, including 14,630 (54.0%) men, with a mean age of 64.6 years (standard deviation, 13.6). During 31,717 person-years of ARB therapy, serum ALT levels > 120 IU/L were found in 558 (2.1%) person-years, and levels > 200 IU/L were found in 155 (0.6%) person-years. The incidence of ALT elevation > 120 IU/L per 106 cumulative defined daily doses was 6.6, 3.6, 3.9, and 4.0 in the fimasartan, candesartan, valsartan, and losartan groups, respectively (P = 0.002). An ALT level > 200 IU/L with RUCAM score ≥ 6 was found in 20 patients, suggesting probable drug-induced liver injury for 11 (0.2%) patients receiving fimasartan, five (0.1%) receiving candesartan, four (0.1%) receiving valsartan, and none receiving losartan (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Approximately 2% of patients receiving ARB therapy had significant ALT elevation (4.24/106 cumulative defined daily doses [cDDDs]), which was associated with probable ARB-related liver injury in 0.07% of patients (0.15/106 cDDDs). Elevation of ALT was more commonly associated with fimasartan than the other ARBs. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of ARB-related ALT elevation in patients with unexplained chronic abnormal ALT.

Antiviral activity by lecithin-induced fengycin lipopeptides as a potent key substrate against Cucumber mosaic virus.

In this study, the effect of different growth substrates on the production of biosurfactants in the PPL strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-a biocontrol agent for diseases affecting pepper and tomato plants-and on the antiviral effect of the PPL strain on Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-infected pepper plants was investigated. The multifunctional PPL strain exhibited enhanced growth and increased production of biosurfactants upon lecithin supplementation and consequently exhibited potent anti-CMV activity. The enhanced anti-CMV activity of the lecithin-supplemented PPL culture could be attributed to the antiviral effect as well as to the upregulation of plant defense-related genes. Treatment with pure commercial fengycins elicited a defense response against CMV in pepper plants; this effect was similar to that observed upon treatment with the lecithin-supplemented PPL culture. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the antiviral activity of lecithin-induced fengycin lipopeptides. These results suggest that the growth substrate affects antimicrobial production by B. amyloliquefaciens PPL, and consequently its antiviral activity.

External evaluation of the predictive performance of seven population pharmacokinetic models for phenobarbital in neonates.

AIM: Several studies have reported population pharmacokinetic models for phenobarbital (PB), but the predictive performance of these models has not been well documented. This study aims to do external evaluation of the predictive performance in published pharmacokinetic models. METHODS: Therapeutic drug monitoring data collected in neonates and young infants treated with PB for seizure control was used for external evaluation. A literature review was conducted through PubMed to identify population pharmacokinetic models. Prediction- and simulation-based diagnostics, and Bayesian forecasting were performed for external evaluation. The incorporation of allometric scaling for body size and maturation factors into the published models was also tested for prediction improvement. RESULTS: A total of 79 serum concentrations from 28 subjects were included in the external dataset. Seven population pharmacokinetic studies of PB were identified as relevant in the literature search and included for our evaluation. The model by Voller et al showed the best performance concerning prediction-based evaluation. In simulation-based analyses, the normalized prediction distribution error of two models (those of Shellhaas et al and Marsot et al) obeyed a normal distribution. Bayesian forecasting with more than one observation improved predictive capability. Incorporation of both allometric size scaling and maturation function generally enhanced the predictive performance, with improvement as observed in the model of Vucicevic et al. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive performance of published pharmacokinetic models of PB was diverse. Bayesian forecasting and incorporation of both size and maturation factors could improve the predictability of the models for neonates.

Diagnosis of aortic dissection by transesophageal echocardiography during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVES: Early identification of the causes of cardiac arrest is helpful in determining the resuscitation measures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during CPR in diagnosing aortic dissection and the influence of aortic dissection on resuscitation outcome in adult patients with prolonged non-traumatic cardiac arrest. METHODS: Adult patients aged >20 years with non-traumatic cardiac arrest who underwent prolonged CPR (>10 min) and TEE examination during CPR were enrolled. The enrolled patients were grouped according to the presence of aortic dissection on TEE: the aortic dissection (AD) group and the non-AD group. Variables related to cardiac arrest event, CPR, and resuscitation outcome were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (median age, 71 years; 26 men) were enrolled. Ten (22.2%) and 35 (77.8%) patients were included in the AD and non-AD groups, respectively. No patients in the AD group survived. Aortic dissection on TEE was inversely related to the rate of return of spontaneous circulation on multivariate analysis (odds ratio, 0.019; 95% confidence interval, 0.001-0.750; p = .035). CONCLUSION: TEE is a useful tool for diagnosing aortic dissection as a cause of cardiac arrest during CPR. Aortic dissection is associated with poor resuscitation outcomes.

Delayed Splenic Rupture: A Rare Complication of Snakebites.

Bites by venomous snakes can cause fatal systemic and coagulation disorders. Rare complications, such as compartment syndrome and hemoperitoneum, may also require surgical intervention. Here, we describe our experience with an unusual case of snakebite-induced delayed splenic rupture. A 54-y-old male with no specific medical history visited a local hospital for a bite by an unidentified snake. He had been bitten on the left thumb and was administered antivenom. He was discharged from the local hospital after 3 d when his symptoms had improved. However, he revisited our emergency medical center 2 d later, reporting dizziness with diaphoresis. Focused abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed large amounts of intraperitoneal fluid collection and hemoperitoneum with splenic rupture, respectively. The patient underwent immediate blood transfusion and received antivenom treatment in our emergency department and, subsequently, emergency splenectomy. Histopathologic findings at the time of surgery revealed multifocal lacerations on the external surface of the spleen, with fresh hemorrhage. He recovered 7 d after surgery without any complication.

Antifungal evaluation of fengycin isoforms isolated from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PPL against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PPL is known to have a broad spectrum antifungal activity against plant pathogenic fungi. We focused on the cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) extracted from the culture broth that are known to promote the ability and the efficiency of B. amyloliquefaciens PPL to control fungal diseases in pepper and tomato. In this study, the PPL strain exhibited enhanced culture yield and increased production of fengycin lipopeptides upon lecithin supplementation. The purified iturin A fraction from strain PPL exhibited higher antifungal activity (73 - 80%) against pepper anthracnose than fengycin fraction in vitro and in vivo. However, the control of tomato Fusarium wilt by the PPL strain was mainly attributed to fengycin lipopeptides. A comparison of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and LC-tandem MS analysis of the filtrate, we found that the antifungal compounds against Fusarium wilt present in the strain PPL culture filtrate were a series of isoforms of fengycin (type F1, F2, and F3). The purified fengycin F1 type showed better antifungal activity against Fusarium wilt compared the other isoforms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the antifungal activity of fengycin isoform types in the context of Fusarium wilt. The CLPs produced by the PPL strain are potential candidates for controlling fungal disease in tomato and pepper plants.

Characterization and antifungal activity of chitosanase produced by Pedobacter sp. PR-M6.

To investigate the temperature requirements of chitosanase activity, as well as the degradation patterns generated by enzyme-induced chitosan oligomer hydrolysis, Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 was inoculated onto 0.5% colloidal chitosan medium agar plates. Cell growth was higher at 30 °C than at 20 °C during the initial 2 days of incubation. The protein content rapidly increased on day 1 at both temperatures and then it slowly increased at 20 °C and slowly decreased at 30 °C during the following 5 days of incubation. In order to characterize the electrophoretic pattern, Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 was cultured in 1% powder chitosan medium at 20 °C and 30 °C for 5 days after incubation and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Four bands were visible, corresponding to ct1 (25 kDa), ct2 (17 kDa), ct3 (15 kDa), and ct4 (14 kDa), at both 20 °C and 30 °C. The optimal conditions for the activity of chitosanase produced from Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 were 60 °C and 1.81 enzyme units/mg protein. Two major isozyme bands (ct3 and ct4) exhibited their strongest chitosanase activity at 50 °C in SDS-PAGE gel. The reaction products generated from (GlcN)2-(GlcN)5 substrates at 60 °C after a 1 h incubation were investigated by thin-layer chromatography. Low-molecular weight chitosan and oligochitosan (LCOC) and soluble chitosan showed antifungal activity against A. brassicicola, B. cinerea, F. solani, and R. solani. LCOC exhibited higher antifungal activity than soluble chitosan. Moreover, LCOC treatments (500 ppm and 1000 ppm) inhibited conidia germination in A. brassicicola.

Functional Fragments of AIMP1-Derived Peptide (AdP) and Optimized Hydrosol for Their Topical Deposition by Box-Behnken Design.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1 (AIMP1)-derived peptide (AdP) has been developed as a cosmeceutical ingredient for skin anti-aging given its fibroblast-activating (FA) and melanocyte-inhibiting (MI) functions. However, a suitable strategy for the topical delivery of AdP was required due to its low-permeable properties. In this study, FA and MI domains of AdP (FA-AdP and MI-AdP, respectively) were determined by functional domain mapping, where the activities of several fragments of AdP on fibroblast and melanocyte were tested, and a hydrosol-based topical delivery system for these AdP fragments was prepared. The excipient composition of the hydrosol was optimized to maximize the viscosity and drying rate by using Box-Behnken design. The artificial skin deposition of FA-AdP-loaded hydrosol was evaluated using Keshary-Chien diffusion cells equipped with Strat-M membrane (STM). The quantification of the fluorescent dye-tagged FA-AdP in STM was carried out by near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The optimized hydrosol showed 127-fold higher peptide deposition in STM than free FA-AdP (p < 0.05). This work suggests that FA- and MI-AdP are active-domains for anti-wrinkle and whitening activities, respectively, and the hydrosol could be used as a promising cosmetic formulation for the delivery of AdPs to the skin.

Identification, purification, and expression patterns of chitinase from psychrotolerant Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 and antifungal activity in vitro.

In this study, a novel psychrotolerant chitinolytic bacterium Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 that displayed strong chitinolytic activity on 0.5% colloidal chitin was isolated from the soil of a decayed mushroom. Chitinase activity of PR-M6 at 25 °C (C25) after 6 days of incubation with colloidal chitin increased rapidly to a maximum level (31.3 U/mg proteins). Three chitinase isozymes (chiII, chiIII, and chiIV) from the crude enzyme at 25 °C (C25) incubation were expressed on SDS-PAGE gels at 25 °C. After purification by chitin-affinity chromatography, six chitinase isozymes (chiI, chiII, chiIII, chiIV, chiV, and chiVI) from C25-fractions were expressed on SDS-PAGE gels at 25 °C. Major bands of chitinase isozymes (chiI, chiII, and chiIII) from C4-fractions were strongly expressed on SDS-PAGE gels at 25 °C. Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 showed high inhibition rate of 60.9% and 57.5% against Rhizoctonia solani and Botrytis cinerea, respectively. These results indicated that psychrotolerant Pedobacter sp. PR-M6 could be applied widely as a microorganism agent for the biocontrol of agricultural phytopathogens at low temperatures.

Antifungal activity and patterns of N-acetyl-chitooligosaccharide degradation via chitinase produced from Serratia marcescens PRNK-1.

Serratia marcescens PRNK-1, which has strong chitinolytic activity, was isolated from cockroaches (Periplaneta americana L.). The chitinase from S. marcescens PRNK-1 was characterized after incubation in a 0.5% colloidal chitin medium at 30 °C for 3 days. The molecular weights of three bands after staining for chitinase activity were approximately 34, 41, and 48 kDa on an SDS-PAGE gel. S. marcescens PRNK-1 strain strongly inhibited hyphal growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) analyses were conducted to investigate the degradation patterns of N-acetyl-chitooligosaccharides by PRNK-1 chitinase. The N-acetyl-chitooligosaccharides: N-acetyl-chitin dimer (GlcNAc)2, N-acetyl-chitin trimer (GlcNAc)3, and N-acetyl-chitin tetramer (GlcNAc)4 were degraded to (GlcNAc)1-3 on a TLC plate. In an additional experiment, (GlcNAc)6 was degraded to (GlcNAc)1-4 on a TLC plate. The optimal temperature for chitinase activity of the PRNK-1 was 50 °C, producing 32.8 units/mL. As seen via TLC, the highest degradation of (GlcNAc)4 by PRNK-1 chitinase occurred with 50 °C incubation. The optimal pH for chitinase activity of PRNK-1 was pH 5.5, producing 24.6 units/mL. As seen via TLC, the highest degradation of (GlcNAc)4 by PRNK-1 chitinase occurred at pH 5.0-6.0. These results indicate that chitinase produced from S. marcescens PRNK-1 strain showed strong antifungal activity and potential of production of N-acetyl-chitooligosaccharides.

Antifungal activity and expression patterns of extracellular chitinase and ß-1,3-glucanase in Wickerhamomyces anomalus EG2 treated with chitin and glucan.

In this study, the expression patterns of extracellular chitinase and ß-1,3-glucanase from cultured Wickerhamomyces anomalus EG2 treated with chitin, glucan, and chemical chitinase inhibitors (kinetin, caffeine, and acetazolamide) were investigated using SDS-PAGE. Relationship between enzyme expression and antifungal activity from yeast plays a very important role for biocontrol of phytopathoges. To determine antifungal activity against phytopathogens, W. anomalus EG2 was shown to strongly inhibit hyphal growth of Fusarium oxysporum KACC 40032 and Rhizoctonia solani KACC 40111. Slight chitinase activity was observed 12 h after incubation in both PDB and YPD medium without colloidal chitin. The molecular weight of chitinase was approximately 124 kDa ß-1,3-Glucanase isoenzyme (GN1 and GN2) was observed distinctly on SDS-PAGE gels when laminarin was used as a substrate. ß-1,3-Glucanase isoenzyme was not observed when using glucan-containing high polymer complex (GHPC) as a substrate. Production of chitinase from W. anomalus EG2 was inhibited slightly by acetazolamide. Abnormal and cluster-shaped cells of W. anomalus EG2 were observed in both PDB and YPD medium treated with colloidal chitin. These results indicated that W. anomalus EG2 could be applied commercially as a biological control agent of phytopathogens and as a bioinhibitor of yeast cell growth.

Antifungal activity of chitinase obtained from Paenibacillus ehimensis MA2012 against conidial of Collectotrichum gloeosporioides in vitro.

To investigate the expression patterns of chitinase on SDS-PAGE gel, Paenibacillus ehimensis MA2012 was incubated in gelatin-chitin medium (GCM) at 30 °C for 7 days. Six major bands (Ch3, Ch4, Ch5, Ch6, Ch7, and Ch8) of chitinase isozymes in GC medium appeared on SDS-PAGE gel during the incubation period. Chitinase activity staining of P. ehimensis MA2012 was detected on 2-DE with different pI values (4-11). After DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, eight bands (Ch1 to Ch8) of chitinase isozymes were stained strongly with Calcofluor white M2R at fraction 45. After Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, six bands (Ch3 to Ch8) of chitinase isozymes were stained with Calcofluor white M2R at fractions of 11-12. The specific activity of the purified chitinase was 3.8 units mg(-1) protein with a purification factor of 0.27. Inhibition rate of the conidial germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was 87% in partial purified chitinase treatment compared with control.

Extracellular volume expansion and the preservation of residual renal function in Korean peritoneal dialysis patients: a long-term follow up study.

INTRODUCTION: In chronic peritoneal dialysis patients, preservation of residual renal function (RRF) is a major determinant of patient survival, and maintaining sufficient intravascular volume has been hypothesized to be beneficial for the preservation of RRF. The present study aimed to test this hypothesis using multifrequency bioimpedence analyzer (MFBIA), in Korean peritoneal dialysis patients. METHODS: A total of 129 patients were enrolled in this study. The baseline MFBIA was checked, and the patients were divided into the following two groups: group 1, extracellular water per total body water (ECW/TBW) < median, group 2, ECW/TBW > median. We followed up the patients, and then we analyzed the changes in the urine output (UO) and the solute clearance (weekly uKt/V) in each group. Data associated with patient and technical survivor were collected by medical chart review. The volume measurement was made using Inbody S20 equipment (Biospace, Seoul, Korea). We excluded the anuric patients at baseline. RESULT: The median value of ECW/TBW was 0.396. The mean patient age was 49.74 ± 10.01 years, and 62.1 % of the patients were male; most of the patients were on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (89.1 %). The mean dialysis vintage was 26.20 ± 28.71 months. All of the patients were prescribed hypertensive medication, and 48.5 % of the patients had diabetes. After 25.47 ± 6.86 months of follow up, ΔUO and Δweekly Kt/V were not significantly different in the two groups as follows: ΔUO (-236.07 ± 185.15 in group 1 vs -212.21 ± 381.14 in group 2, p = 0.756); Δ weekly Kt/v (-0.23 ± 0.43 in group 1 vs -0.29 ± 0.49 in group 2, p = 0.461). The patient and technical survivor rate was inferior in the group 2, and in the multivariable analysis, initial hypervolemia was an independent factor that predicts both of the patient mortality [HR 1.001 (1.001-1.086), p = 0.047] and the technical failure [HR 1.024 (1.001-1.048), p = 0.042]. CONCLUSIONS: Extracellular volume expansion, measured by MFBIA, does not help preserve residual renal function, and is harmful for the technical and patient survival in Korean peritoneal dialysis patients.

Enzymatic properties of chitinase-producing antagonistic bacterium Paenibacillus chitinolyticus with various substrates.

Various chitin substrates were used to investigate the properties of enzymes produced from the chitinase-producing bacterium Paenibacillus chitinolyticus MP-306 against phytopathogens. The MP-306 bacterium was incubated in nine culture media [crab shell powder chitin (CRS), chitin-protein complex powder (CPC), carboxymethyl-chitin powder (CMC), yeast extract only (YE), LB (Trypton, NaCl, and yeast extract), GT (Trypton, NaCl, and glucose), crab shell colloidal chitin (CSC), squid pen powder chitin (SPC), and cicada slough powder chitin (CSP)] at 30 °C for 3 days. Chitinase isozymes in CPC medium were expressed strongly as CN1, CN2, CN3, CN4, CN5, and CN6 bands on native-PAGE gels. Chitinase isozymes in CPC and CMC medium were expressed as 13 bands (CS1-CS13) on SDS-PAGE gels. Chitinase isozymes were expressed strongly on SDS-PAGE gels as two bands (CS6 and CS8) on YE and LB medium and 13 bands (CS1-CS13) on SPC medium. In crude enzyme, chitinase isozymes at pH 7 and pH 9 in chitin media appeared strongly on SDS-PAGE gels. Partial purified enzyme indicated high stability of enzyme activity at various temperatures and pHs in chitin medium, while these enzymes indicated low activity staining of enzyme on electrophoresis gels at various temperatures and pHs condition of chitin medium.

Shock duration after resuscitation is associated with occurrence of post-cardiac arrest acute kidney injury.

This retrospective observational study investigated the clinical course and predisposing factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) developed after cardiac arrest and resuscitation. Eighty-two patients aged over 18 yr who survived more than 24 hr after cardiac arrest were divided into AKI and non-AKI groups according to the diagnostic criteria of the Kidney Disease/Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for AKI. Among 82 patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest, AKI was developed in 66 (80.5%) patients (AKI group) leaving 16 (19.5%) patients in the non-AKI group. Nineteen (28.8%) patients of the AKI group had stage 3 AKI and 7 (10.6%) patients received renal replacement therapy during admission. The duration of shock developed within 24 hr after resuscitation was shorter in the non-AKI group than in the AKI group (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P < 0.05). On Multiple logistic regression analysis, the only predisposing factor of post-cardiac arrest AKI was the duration of shock. In conclusion, occurrence and severity of post-cardiac arrest AKI is associated with the duration of shock after resuscitation. Renal replacement therapy is required for patients with severe degree (stage 3) post-cardiac arrest AKI.

Evaluation of usefulness of myeloperoxidase index (MPXI) for differential diagnosis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The myeloperoxidase index (MPXI) is elevated in infection. We ascertained whether MPXI might be useful in differentiation of sepsis versus non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in emergency department (ED). METHODS: After exclusion of patients with an age of <18 years, trauma, haematological disease and on anticancer chemotherapy, 444 consecutive cases with SIRS (sepsis: 224, 50.3%; and non-infectious SIRS: 220, 49.7%) diagnosed and treated at the ED of The Wonju Severance Christian Hospital from May 2012 to June 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Median MPXI was higher in sepsis versus non-infectious SIRS (0.1 (IQR: -3.1 to 2.5) vs -1.2 (-4.1 to 1.6), respectively, p=0.020). Median white cell count, neutrophil percentage, C reactive protein level and δ neutrophil index were also higher. However, MPXI resulted as not statistically useful for differential diagnostic parameter in analysis. CONCLUSIONS: MPXI is higher in sepsis than in non-infectious SIRS. However, there is currently no evidence that the MPXI adds any additional benefit to differentiate sepsis from non-infectious SIRS in the ED. Therefore, further study will be needed.

Expression patterns of chitinase and chitosanase produced from Bacillus cereus in suppression of phytopathogen.

Bacillus cereus MP-310 was incubated on various culture media substrates as LB, colloidal chitin, chitosan powder, and chitosan beads to investigate the concurrent expression patterns of chitinase and chitosanase isozymes by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Chitinase activity increased rapidly with a maximum level after 6 days of incubation in CM-chitin medium. Major bands of chitinase isozymes were strongly expressed on SDS-PAGE in LB medium (four bands) and in colloidal chitin medium (five bands) after 6 days after incubation, and in chitosan powder medium (one band) and in chitosan beads medium (five bands) after 12 days after incubation. A major band of chitosanase isozymes was strongly expressed on SDS-PAGE in chitosan powder medium (one band) and in chitosan beads medium (one band) after 12 days of incubation.