Outcomes of Stroke Thrombectomy Performed by Interventional Radiologists versus Neurointerventional Physicians.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that interventional radiologists (IRs) and neurointerventional (NI) physicians have similar outcomes of endovascular stroke thrombectomy (EVT), which could be used to improve the availability of thrombectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight hospitals providing EVT performed by IRs and NI physicians at the same institution submitted sequential retrospective data limited to the era of modern devices. Good clinical outcomes (a 90-day modified Rankin score [mRS] of 0-2) and technically successful revascularization (a modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score of ≥2b) were compared between the specialties after adjusting for treating hospital, patient age, stroke severity, Alberta stroke program early computed tomography score, time from symptom onset to door, and clot location. Propensity score matching was used to compare the outcomes. A total of 1,009 patients were evaluated (622 treated by IRs and 387 treated by NI physicians). RESULTS: The median time from stroke onset to puncture was 245 versus 253 minutes (P = .49), the technically successful revascularization rate was 81.8% versus 82.4% (P = .81), and the good clinical outcome rate was 45.5% versus 50.1% (P = .16). After adjusting, the physician specialty was not a significant predictor of good clinical outcomes (odds ratio, 1.028; 95% confidence interval, 0.760-1.390; P = .86). After matching, an mRS of 0-2 was present in 47.7% of IR treated patients and 51.1% of NI treated patients (P = .366). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in the successful revascularization rate and good clinical outcomes between IRs and NI physicians. The outcomes of EVT performed by IRs were similar to those of EVT performed by NI physicians, as determined using previously published trials and registries. This may be useful for addressing coverage and access to stroke interventions.

Common femoral vein obstruction secondary to femoral sheath lipoma.

Common femoral vein obstruction secondary to femoral sheath lipomas are rare. We describe the case of a 49 year-old male that presented to the clinic with a 3 month history of progressive right lower extremity pain, edema and discoloration. Venous duplex imaging was consistent with proximal venous obstruction and led to Computerized Tomographic Venography (CTV) which demonstrated a large mass obstructing the external iliac vein (EIV) and common femoral vein (CFV) consistent with a femoral sheath lipoma. Surgical exploration revealed a large well encapsulated lipoma in the right femoral sheath posterior to the CFV and external iliac vein causing near occlusion. We present an overview of the diagnosis and surgical management of symptomatic femoral vein obstruction caused by a large femoral sheath lipoma.

Endovascular treatment of traumatic azygous vein injuries: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Management of thoracic vascular injury predominantly focuses on the aorta and its tributaries while reports of venous injury are less frequent. Although rare, traumatic azygous vein injuries are associated with high mortality. Prompt treatment is required and has traditionally been open surgery. We present a case of an endovascular repair of an azygous vein injury. CASE PRESENTATION: A female patient presented to our trauma center following ejection after a motor vehicle collision (MVC). CT imaging workup revealed mediastinal and periaortic hematoma with active contrast extravasation adjacent to the azygos vein. She was referred to interventional radiology for vascular evaluation and potential endovascular intervention. The patient met criteria for class III hypovolemic shock upon arrival in the endovascular suite. Aortography demonstrated no arterial injury. Venography revealed a pseudoaneurysm on the superior aspect of the azygos arch and contrast extravasation from the inferior margin of the azygous arch. A stent-graft was deployed and post-deployment venogram showed no extravasation and successful exclusion of the injuries. The patient did not have further signs of bleeding. She left the interventional suite with improved vital signs, yet her condition remained guarded. Follow-up CT chest confirmed continued patency of the stent-graft at 8 days and 2 years post-procedure. CONCLUSION: Historically, azygos vein injuries are a rare occurrence and managed with open surgery. Swift management is necessary to prevent the increased morbidity and mortality associated with azygous vein injury, particularly in polytrauma patients such as the one presented here. We believe endovascular stent-graft treatment offers an innovative alternative to the current standard of operative management of azygos vein injury.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis).

OBJECTIVE: Nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is a common problem that occurs at some point in at least 60% of people in the United States. While the majority of nosebleeds are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience nosebleeds will seek medical attention. For the purposes of this guideline, we define the target patient with a nosebleed as a patient with bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that is sufficient to warrant medical advice or care. This includes bleeding that is severe, persistent, and/or recurrent, as well as bleeding that impacts a patient's quality of life. Interventions for nosebleeds range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive procedural interventions in medical offices, emergency departments, hospitals, and operating rooms. Epistaxis has been estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Inpatient hospitalization for aggressive treatment of severe nosebleeds has been reported in 0.2% of patients with nosebleeds. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in the management of nosebleeds and to create clear and actionable recommendations to implement these opportunities in clinical practice. Specific goals of this guideline are to promote best practices, reduce unjustified variations in care of patients with nosebleeds, improve health outcomes, and minimize the potential harms of nosebleeds or interventions to treat nosebleeds. The target patient for the guideline is any individual aged ≥3 years with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or seeks medical advice. The target audience of this guideline is clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with nosebleed. This includes primary care providers such as family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. It also includes specialists such as emergency medicine providers, otolaryngologists, interventional radiologists/neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists, hematologists, and cardiologists. The setting for this guideline includes any site of evaluation and treatment for a patient with nosebleed, including ambulatory medical sites, the emergency department, the inpatient hospital, and even remote outpatient encounters with phone calls and telemedicine. Outcomes to be considered for patients with nosebleed include control of acute bleeding, prevention of recurrent episodes of nasal bleeding, complications of treatment modalities, and accuracy of diagnostic measures. This guideline addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleed. It focuses on nosebleeds that commonly present to clinicians via phone calls, office visits, and emergency room encounters. This guideline discusses first-line treatments such as nasal compression, application of vasoconstrictors, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. It also addresses more complex epistaxis management, which includes the use of endoscopic arterial ligation and interventional radiology procedures. Management options for 2 special groups of patients-patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome and patients taking medications that inhibit coagulation and/or platelet function-are included in this guideline. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the guideline development group. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide for managing patients with nosebleed. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, generalists, and specialists from a variety of disciplines to improve quality of care. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based on their experience and assessment of individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The guideline development group made recommendations for the following key action statements: (1) At the time of initial contact, the clinician should distinguish the nosebleed patient who requires prompt management from the patient who does not. (2) The clinician should treat active bleeding for patients in need of prompt management with firm sustained compression to the lower third of the nose, with or without the assistance of the patient or caregiver, for 5 minutes or longer. (3a) For patients in whom bleeding precludes identification of a bleeding site despite nasal compression, the clinician should treat ongoing active bleeding with nasal packing. (3b) The clinician should use resorbable packing for patients with a suspected bleeding disorder or for patients who are using anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications. (4) The clinician should educate the patient who undergoes nasal packing about the type of packing placed, timing of and plan for removal of packing (if not resorbable), postprocedure care, and any signs or symptoms that would warrant prompt reassessment. (5) The clinician should document factors that increase the frequency or severity of bleeding for any patient with a nosebleed, including personal or family history of bleeding disorders, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, or intranasal drug use. (6) The clinician should perform anterior rhinoscopy to identify a source of bleeding after removal of any blood clot (if present) for patients with nosebleeds. (7a) The clinician should perform, or should refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to identify the site of bleeding and guide further management in patients with recurrent nasal bleeding, despite prior treatment with packing or cautery, or with recurrent unilateral nasal bleeding. (8) The clinician should treat patients with an identified site of bleeding with an appropriate intervention, which may include one or more of the following: topical vasoconstrictors, nasal cautery, and moisturizing or lubricating agents. (9) When nasal cautery is chosen for treatment, the clinician should anesthetize the bleeding site and restrict application of cautery only to the active or suspected site(s) of bleeding. (10) The clinician should evaluate, or refer to a clinician who can evaluate, candidacy for surgical arterial ligation or endovascular embolization for patients with persistent or recurrent bleeding not controlled by packing or nasal cauterization. (11) In the absence of life-threatening bleeding, the clinician should initiate first-line treatments prior to transfusion, reversal of anticoagulation, or withdrawal of anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications for patients using these medications. (12) The clinician should assess, or refer to a specialist who can assess, the presence of nasal telangiectasias and/or oral mucosal telangiectasias in patients who have a history of recurrent bilateral nosebleeds or a family history of recurrent nosebleeds to diagnose hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome. (13) The clinician should educate patients with nosebleeds and their caregivers about preventive measures for nosebleeds, home treatment for nosebleeds, and indications to seek additional medical care. (14) The clinician or designee should document the outcome of intervention within 30 days or document transition of care in patients who had a nosebleed treated with nonresorbable packing, surgery, or arterial ligation/embolization. The policy level for the following recommendation, about examination of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx using nasal endoscopy, was an option: (7b) The clinician may perform, or may refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to examine the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in patients with epistaxis that is difficult to control or when there is concern for unrecognized pathology contributing to epistaxis.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis) Executive Summary.

OBJECTIVE: Nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is a common problem that occurs at some point in at least 60% of people in the United States. While the great majority of nosebleeds are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience nosebleeds will seek medical attention. For the purposes of this guideline, we define the target patient with a nosebleed as a patient with bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that is sufficient to warrant medical advice or care. This includes bleeding that is severe, persistent, and/or recurrent, as well as bleeding that impacts a patient's quality of life. Interventions for nosebleeds range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive procedural interventions in medical offices, emergency departments, hospitals, and operating rooms. Epistaxis has been estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Inpatient hospitalization for aggressive treatment of severe nosebleeds has been reported in 0.2% of patients with nosebleeds. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in the management of nosebleeds and to create clear and actionable recommendations to implement these opportunities in clinical practice. Specific goals of this guideline are to promote best practices, reduce unjustified variations in care of patients with nosebleeds, improve health outcomes, and minimize the potential harms of nosebleeds or interventions to treat nosebleeds. The target patient for the guideline is any individual aged ≥3 years with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or seeks medical advice. The target audience of this guideline is clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with nosebleed. This includes primary care providers such as family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. It also includes specialists such as emergency medicine providers, otolaryngologists, interventional radiologists/neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists, hematologists, and cardiologists. The setting for this guideline includes any site of evaluation and treatment for a patient with nosebleed, including ambulatory medical sites, the emergency department, the inpatient hospital, and even remote outpatient encounters with phone calls and telemedicine. Outcomes to be considered for patients with nosebleed include control of acute bleeding, prevention of recurrent episodes of nasal bleeding, complications of treatment modalities, and accuracy of diagnostic measures. This guideline addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleed. It will focus on nosebleeds that commonly present to clinicians with phone calls, office visits, and emergency room encounters. This guideline discusses first-line treatments such as nasal compression, application of vasoconstrictors, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. It also addresses more complex epistaxis management, which includes the use of endoscopic arterial ligation and interventional radiology procedures. Management options for 2 special groups of patients, patients with hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome (HHT) and patients taking medications that inhibit coagulation and/or platelet function, are included in this guideline. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the working group. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide for managing patients with nosebleed. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, generalists, and specialists from a variety of disciplines to improve quality of care. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based upon their experience and assessment of individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The guideline development group made recommendations for the following key action statements: (1) At the time of initial contact, the clinician should distinguish the nosebleed patient who requires prompt management from the patient who does not. (2) The clinician should treat active bleeding for patients in need of prompt management with firm sustained compression to the lower third of the nose, with or without the assistance of the patient or caregiver, for 5 minutes or longer. (3a) For patients in whom bleeding precludes identification of a bleeding site despite nasal compression, the clinician should treat ongoing active bleeding with nasal packing. (3b) The clinician should use resorbable packing for patients with a suspected bleeding disorder or for patients who are using anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications. (4) The clinician should educate the patient who undergoes nasal packing about the type of packing placed, timing of and plan for removal of packing (if not resorbable), postprocedure care, and any signs or symptoms that would warrant prompt reassessment. (5) The clinician should document factors that increase the frequency or severity of bleeding for any patient with a nosebleed, including personal or family history of bleeding disorders, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, or intranasal drug use. (6) The clinician should perform anterior rhinoscopy to identify a source of bleeding after removal of any blood clot (if present) for patients with nosebleeds. (7a) The clinician should perform, or should refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to identify the site of bleeding and guide further management in patients with recurrent nasal bleeding, despite prior treatment with packing or cautery, or with recurrent unilateral nasal bleeding. (8) The clinician should treat patients with an identified site of bleeding with an appropriate intervention, which may include 1 or more of the following: topical vasoconstrictors, nasal cautery, and moisturizing or lubricating agents. (9) When nasal cautery is chosen for treatment, the clinician should anesthetize the bleeding site and restrict application of cautery only to the active or suspected site(s) of bleeding. (10) The clinician should evaluate, or refer to a clinician who can evaluate, candidacy for surgical arterial ligation or endovascular embolization for patients with persistent or recurrent bleeding not controlled by packing or nasal cauterization. (11) In the absence of life-threatening bleeding, the clinician should initiate first-line treatments prior to transfusion, reversal of anticoagulation, or withdrawal of anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications for patients using these medications. (12) The clinician should assess, or refer to a specialist who can assess, the presence of nasal telangiectasias and/or oral mucosal telangiectasias in patients who have a history of recurrent bilateral nosebleeds or a family history of recurrent nosebleeds to diagnose hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome (HHT). (13) The clinician should educate patients with nosebleeds and their caregivers about preventive measures for nosebleeds, home treatment for nosebleeds, and indications to seek additional medical care. (14) The clinician or designee should document the outcome of intervention within 30 days or document transition of care in patients who had a nosebleed treated with nonresorbable packing, surgery, or arterial ligation/embolization. The policy level for the following recommendation about examination of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx using nasal endoscopy was an option: (7b) The clinician may perform, or may refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to examine the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in patients with epistaxis that is difficult to control or when there is concern for unrecognized pathology contributing to epistaxis.

#Stroke.

PURPOSE: To describe the stroke-related Twitter network through analysis of the #Stroke hashtag. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 621 653 tweets containing the #Stroke hashtag were analyzed from 20 March 2012 to 31 January 2018. Twitter activity metrics, engagement, user characteristics, content analysis, and network analysis were obtained using the healthcare social media analytics platform, Symplur Signals. RESULTS: The number of users, the number of impressions, and the number of tweets containing the #Stroke hashtag increased by an annual average of 64.9%, 87.7%, and 89.2% over the past 6 years from 20 March 2012 to 31January 2018. 69 371 tweets (11.2%) contained novel content and 48 568 tweets (7.8%) related to patient care. 181 120 (29.1%) tweets contained at least one image and 436 132 tweets (70.2%) contained links to outside resources. Stroke prevention, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation were commonly discussed topics. With regard to engagement, there were 259 438 retweets (41.7%), 366 561 mentions (59.0%), and 8549 replies (1.4%). Physicians and patients authored 52 197 (8.4%) and 41 822 (6.7%) tweets, respectively. Advocate organizations, patients, and non-healthcare individuals most frequently used the #Stroke hashtag on Twitter. CONCLUSION: The use of the #Stroke hashtag on Twitter has grown significantly over the 6-year study period. The majority of the discussions were held between stroke support groups and non-healthcare-related individuals, with discussion content centering around stroke prevention, stroke symptoms, associated medical conditions, and treatment options.

ABC/2 Method Does not Accurately Predict Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation Volume.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a treatment option for cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) to prevent intracranial hemorrhage. The decision to proceed with SRS is usually based on calculated nidal volume. Physicians commonly use the ABC/2 formula, based on digital subtraction angiography (DSA), when counseling patients for SRS. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether AVM volume calculated using the ABC/2 method on DSA is accurate when compared to the exact volume calculated from thin-cut axial sections used for SRS planning. METHODS: Retrospective search of neurovascular database to identify AVMs treated with SRS from 1995 to 2015. Maximum nidal diameters in orthogonal planes on DSA images were recorded to determine volume using ABC/2 formula. Nidal target volume was extracted from operative reports of SRS. Volumes were then compared using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests. RESULTS: Ninety intracranial AVMs were identified. Median volume was 4.96 cm3 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.79-8.85] with SRS planning methods and 6.07 cm3 (IQR 1.3-13.6) with ABC/2 methodology. Moderate correlation was seen between SRS and ABC/2 (r = 0.662; P < .001). Paired sample t-tests revealed significant differences between SRS volume and ABC/2 (t = -3.2; P = .002). When AVMs were dichotomized based on ABC/2 volume, significant differences remained (t = 3.1, P = .003 for ABC/2 volume < 7 cm3; t = -4.4, P < .001 for ABC/2 volume > 7 cm3). CONCLUSION: The ABC/2 method overestimates cerebral AVM volume when compared to volumetric analysis from SRS planning software. For AVMs > 7 cm3, the overestimation is even greater. SRS planning techniques were also significantly different than values derived from equations for cones and cylinders.

Acute Limb Ischemia Therapies: When and How to Treat Endovascularly.

Acute limb ischemia is an emergent limb and life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality. An understanding of the presentation, clinical evaluation, and initial workup, including noninvasive imaging evaluation, is critical to determine an appropriate management strategy. Modern series have shown endovascular revascularization for acute limb ischemia to be safe and effective with success rates approaching surgical series and with similar, or even decreased, perioperative morbidity and mortality. A thorough understanding of endovascular techniques, associated pharmacology, and perioperative care is paramount to the endovascular management of patients presenting with acute limb ischemia. This article discusses the diagnosis and strategies for endovascular treatment of acute limb ischemia.

Transvenous sclerotherapy of a large symptomatic orbital venous varix using a microcatheter balloon and bleomycin.

An orbital venous varix is rare and can present with diplopia, proptosis, or hemorrhage. Treatment can be challenging, especially if the varix is in a posterior location within the orbit, since surgical exposure becomes difficult. A few case reports have been published describing transcatheter embolization of an orbital varix with coils, direct percutaneous injection of n-butyl cyanoacrylate glue, and the percutaneous injection of bleomycin. We present a case of a symptomatic orbital venous varix of the left inferior ophthalmic vein successfully treated with transvenous endovascular sclerotherapy using a microcatheter balloon and bleomycin.

Comparative Analysis of Prostate Volume as a Predictor of Outcome in Prostate Artery Embolization.

PURPOSE: To determine the role of prostate volume as a predictor of outcome after prostatic artery embolization (PAE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2012 to September 2014, 78 consecutive patients undergoing PAE were evaluated at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months. Analysis was performed comparing prostate volume groups (group 1, < 50 cm3; group 2, 50-80 cm(3); group 3, > 80 cm3) at baseline and follow-up to assess for differences in outcomes of American Urological Association (AUA) symptom index, quality of life (QOL)-related symptoms, and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). RESULTS: Mean baseline prostate volumes were 37.5 cm(3) in group 1 (n = 16), 65.7 cm3 in group 2 (n = 26), and 139.4 cm3 in group 3 (n = 36). There were no significant differences in baseline age, AUA symptom index, QOL, or IIEF between groups. Bilateral embolization was successful in 75 of 78 patients (96%). Two patients underwent unilateral embolization, and treatment failed in one patient as a result of bilateral atherosclerotic occlusion. A significant reduction in AUA symptom index was achieved within groups from baseline to 1, 3, and 6 months (n = 77): in group 1, from 27.2 to 14.0, 12.9, and 15.9, respectively (P = .002); in group 2, from 25.6 to 17.1, 16.3, and 13.5, respectively (P < .0001); and in group 3, from 26.5 to 15.2, 12.5, and 13.6, respectively (P < .0001). There was also a significant improvement in QOL. Comparative analysis demonstrated no statistically significant differences in AUA symptom index, QOL, or IIEF between groups. Two minor complications occurred: groin hematoma and a urinary tract infection. CONCLUSIONS: PAE offers similar clinical benefits to patients with differing gland sizes and may offer a reasonable alternative for poor candidates for urologic surgery.

Transvenous sclerotherapy of a large symptomatic orbital venous varix using a microcatheter balloon and bleomycin.

An orbital venous varix is rare and can present with diplopia, proptosis, or hemorrhage. Treatment can be challenging, especially if the varix is in a posterior location within the orbit, since surgical exposure becomes difficult. A few case reports have been published describing transcatheter embolization of an orbital varix with coils, direct percutaneous injection of n-butyl cyanoacrylate glue, and the percutaneous injection of bleomycin. We present a case of a symptomatic orbital venous varix of the left inferior ophthalmic vein successfully treated with transvenous endovascular sclerotherapy using a microcatheter balloon and bleomycin.

Intercostal artery aneurysmosis.

True intercostal artery aneurysms have been reported to occur in conjunction with neurofibromatosis, coarctation of the aorta, and Kawasaki disease. However, there has not been a previous report of a patient with intercostal artery aneurysmosis and no known or diagnosed associated condition. We describe the first such patient and review the literature.

Loss of parasympathetic innervation leads to sustained expression of pro-inflammatory genes in the rat lacrimal gland.

It has been shown that removal of parasympathetic innervation to the lacrimal gland (LG) leads to rapid reduction in tear flow. Additionally, removal of the neural input resulted in disorganization of LG structure and changes in the expression of genes associated with the secretory pathway and inflammation. The goal of this study was to investigate the change in pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic gene expression in the rat LG following parasympathetic denervation. Male Long-Evans rats underwent unilateral sectioning of the greater superficial petrosal nerve and were sacrificed 7 days or 2.5 months later. cDNA was synthesized from LG RNA from the contralateral control (Ctla) and parasympathectomized (Px) glands and comparative real-time PCR was performed. Mean threshold cycles (MC(T)) for the Ctla and Px LG genes were normalized to 18S rRNA MC(T) values, and the relative fold change was calculated for each gene using the 2(-DeltaDeltaC)(T) method. The expression of nuclear factor kappa B1, caspase 1, eotaxin, leukocyte antigen MRC-OX44, allograft inflammatory factor-1, MHC class II molecules RT.1B and RT.1D, IgG receptor FcRn, and macrophage metalloelastase was increased and remained elevated in the Px LG, compared with the Ctla LG. Increased expression of the initiator of apoptosis gene, caspase 2, was confirmed, but expression of the executor gene, caspase 6, was not elevated in the Px LG. Reduced expression of genes associated with post-translational protein processing-furin convertase, protein disulfide isomerase, and UDP-gal transporter isozyme 1-was noted in the Px LG. No significant changes in the expression of genes associated with lysosomal and non-lysosomal-mediated protein degradation were found. Removal of parasympathetic input may lead to decreased capacity for protein synthesis and elevated immune responses in the Px LG. These changes occur without increases in expression of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 3, and may suggest the early changes in LG acinar cells and the pathophysiology of autoimmune responses.