A questionnaire survey to assess lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with chronic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and the associated clinical features in patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: Patients with stroke who had been regularly followed up at general medical hospitals in Okinawa, Japan were enrolled in the study. The patients were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire regarding their physical activity, medical history, and the core lower urinary tract symptom score (CLSS) questionnaire, with anonymity. The association between each urinary disturbance category and the clinical characteristics of the patients such as age, gender, physical activity, and underlying disease was evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 51 patients (33 men and 18 women; mean age, 71.7 years) were eligible for analysis. The average time after the first stroke onset was 8.5 years. Nocturia and urgency incontinence had the greatest impact on the quality of life. Overactive bladder symptoms such as nocturia, urgency, urgency incontinence, and stress urinary incontinence were associated with age, female sex, and having a co-existing medical condition (such as ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and depression). Voiding symptoms such as slow stream and straining were associated with age and physical activity after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Storage symptom is associated with not only neurological deficits but also sex and the presence of general diseases, whereas voiding symptom is influenced by physical activity in patients with chronic stroke. Therefore, lower urinary tract symptoms should be carefully monitored and physical rehabilitation should also be considered in patients with stroke.

Effect of high fiber density ratio polysulfone dialyzer on protein removal.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A dialyzer (APS-EX) with a higher hollow fiber density ratio was manufactured using the highest performance polysulfone hollow fiber from Asahi-Kasei Medical. METHODS: We compared the performance of this device in comparison with hemodialysis (HD; APS-S) and hemodiafiltration (HDF) conditions (APS-S, 10 l post-HDF) to evaluate its merit as an internal filtration-enhanced dialyzer. RESULTS: With low molecular weight proteins, APS-EX had a reduction ratio of 74.3% for beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)-MG), and 31.0% for alpha(1)-MG. APS-EX had a significant higher removal amount of alpha(1)-MG compared to APS-S (HDF). Significant differences were seen in albumin loss, 4.0 g for APS-EX, 3.0 g for APS-S (HDF), and 0.9 g for APS-S (HD). Using HD mode, APS-EX demonstrated a performance which was more than equivalent to approximately 10 l post-HDF. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested the possibility that HD equivalent to HDF can be performed safely with the ultrapure dialysate when using APS-EX with internal filtration.

Activation of AP-1 and increased synthesis of MMP-9 in the rabbit retina induced by lipid hydroperoxide.

PURPOSE: We identified the temporal expression of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LHP) induction of retinal neovascularization. METHODS: After injection of LHP into the vitreous of rabbits, samples were collected for AP-1 binding activity and mRNA for MMP-9 and MMPs activity. AP-1 binding activity was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. MMP-9 activity was measured by zymography and mRNA by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: AP-1 binding activity was increased at 1-3 hr. MMP-9 mRNA levels were increased at 3 hr in the neural retina and by 12 hr in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer. MMP-9 proteolytic activity was elevated within the neural retina and within the vitreous and in the RPE-interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) at 12 hr and peaked at 24 hr or 4 days. CONCLUSIONS: LHP increases the transcription factor AP-1 which in turn may regulate retinal MMP-9 synthesis during neovascularization.

Effects of xanthine oxidase inhibitors on renal function and blood pressure in hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia.

Hyperuricemia may promote the progression of hypertension and renal dysfunction. However, the effects of hyperuricemia treatment on blood pressure and renal function in adult hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia remain unclear. A total of 137 hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia (96 men and 41 women; mean age of 67 years) who recently started taking xanthine oxidase inhibitors (allopurinol or febuxostat) as outpatients were recruited. Serum uric acid level, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, ml min(-1) per 1.73 m(2)) and blood pressure (mm Hg) were retrospectively compared immediately before and shortly after starting treatment with xanthine oxidase inhibitors. The mean blood pressure and the eGFR immediately before starting treatment were 128/71 mm Hg and 44.6 ml min(-1) per 1.73 m(2), respectively. Although the eGFR decreased from 46.6 to 44.6 ml min(-1) per 1.73 m(2) before starting treatment with xanthine oxidase inhibitors, it increased to 46.2 ml min(-1) per 1.73 m(2) (P=0.001, compared with immediately before treatment) without any significant changes in blood pressure after the administration of xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the increase in eGFR after starting xanthine oxidase inhibitor treatment positively correlated with the changes in systolic blood pressure and negatively correlated with the changes in uric acid levels and the use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. These results suggest that xanthine oxidase inhibitors may delay the progression of renal dysfunction in adult hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia.

Lipid hydroperoxide induced corneal neovascularization in hyperglycemic rabbits.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of hyperglycemia on corneal neovascularization (NV) induced by linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LHP) in a rabbit model. METHODS: Male New Zealand rabbits received 80 mg/kg alloxan i.v. and subsequently developed hyperglycemia. Four weeks later, 10 microl of LHP (40 mM) was injected into corneal stroma 5 mm from the superior limbus with a 30 gauge needle. Vessel growth area from the limbal vasculature was measured over a period of 2 weeks and was correlated with plasma levels of insulin, HbA(1c), and corneal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). RESULTS: Two days after alloxan, blood glucose was increased from 97 +/- 4 mg/dl in the untreated control group to 413 +/- 3 mg/dl. At 24 and 72 hours after LHP injection, VEGF in cornea of hyperglycemic rabbits was elevated 2 to 4 times above that of normoglycemic rabbits. At 14 days after LHP injection, the normoglycemic rabbits vessel growth area measured 2.42 +/- 0.31 mm(2), but in the hyperglycemic group, vessel growth area was significantly increased to 7.96 +/- 2.26 mm(2) (p < 0.05). At the end of the experimental period, HbA(1c) was elevated from 3.9 +/- 0.8 % to 8.4 +/- 0.6 % and insulin was decreased from 440 +/- 123.9 pg/ml to 24 +/- 11.0 pg/ml. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that hyperglycemia may sensitize corneal and vascular endothelial cells, perhaps by glucose derived radicals, which enhance production of additional LHP through endogenous propagation reactions, and raise in turn the concentration of VEGF levels to induce an enhanced, sustained NV response.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Nocturia in an Outpatient Clinic.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the prevalence of and risk factors in patients with nocturia at a general medical clinic in Naha, Japan. METHODS: We enrolled patients who had been regularly followed-up at a general medical clinic in Naha. Patients were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire regarding medical history and the frequency of nocturnal voids in the last month with anonymity. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests were used to evaluate the risk factors for clinically significant nocturia. RESULTS: In total, 357 patients (men, 192; women, 165; mean age, 60 years) were eligible for analysis. The prevalence rate of clinically significant nocturia in patients was 33.8%. Univariate, as well as multivariate, analysis revealed that age, gender, and hypertension were significant risk factors for nocturia. CONCLUSION: Clinically significant nocturia is common among patients seen at a general medical clinic. Age and gender are the most definitive risk factors for nocturia. Hypertension may also be related to nocturia. Thus, it is important to evaluate not only urological problems but other medical problems in patients with nocturia.

Olmesartan clinical trial in Okinawan patients under OKIDS (OCTOPUS) study: design and methods.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for treatment of hypertension are not available for chronic hemodialysis (HD) population, despite the high mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Survival is much better among hypertensive patients than normal to hypotensive patients. Target levels of blood pressure and the class of antihypertensive drugs have not been examined in prospective studies. METHODS: We designed a prospective randomized controlled study among hypertensive HD patients in Okinawa (Okinawa Dialysis Study, OKIDS). The outcomes will be compared between two treatment regimens, such as (1) renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitor Olmesartan and others, and (2) antihypertensive drugs without RAS inhibitors, in a parallel fashion. The title of the study is Olmesartan Clinical Trial in Okinawan Patients under OKIDS (OCTOPUS). Outcomes are any cause of death and CVD in 3 years in a total of 462 patients. Subjects are age 20-79 years and ambulatory on thrice weekly HD treatment. Eligible patients have resistant hypertension: pre-HD session blood pressure 140/90 mmHg and over for more than 1 month regardless with the use of antihypertensive drugs. Patients treated with RAS drugs are eligible if they continue to be hypertensive for more than 1 month after switching to non-RAS antihypertensive drugs. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence for the target levels of blood pressure at a pre-HD session and the impact of RAS inhibitors. We also evaluate the usefulness of home blood pressure monitoring in HD patients.