Influence of the chronic abdominal aortic occlusion on the femoral artery disease pattern.

We design a study to evaluate whether patients with chronic aortic occlusion have a different pattern of femoral artery atherosclerosis than patients with other forms of aortoiliac disease as well as to discuss potential causal mechanisms. From January 2008 to January 2010, 467 patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease were enrolled at Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in Belgrade, Serbia. Among them 60 patients were divided into two groups, patients with chronic aortic occlusion (COA) and diffuse aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD, Leriche type II). Each group consisted of 30 patients. Those two groups were compared according to symptomatology, ABI values, femoral artery pressure gradient, atherosclerosis level in the femoral region and predictors of atherosclerosis.Patients with AIOD had severe atherosclerosis unlike patients with COA. Also, high elevation of postoperative ABIs in patients with an early atherosclerosis (0, I, II and III) was noted suggesting patent distal arterial tree. FAP gradient was significantly higher in COA group comparing with AIOD group (left: t=-10.963, P<0.01;right: t=-8.962, P<0.01). In conclusion, our data demonstrate that older patients have had more time to develop multilevel disease (AOID) and those with CAO have more isolated aortic disease chronic aortic occlusion.

PFA-100 test in the detection of platelet dysfunction and monitoring DDAVP in a patient with liver cirrhosis undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

INTRODUCTION: Hemostatic abnormalities in liver cirrhosis are complex and multifactorial and may predispose to prolonged hemorrhage following invasive procedures. Due to increased perioperative bleeding risks, patients with cirrhosis should undergo elective surgery after making medical preparations. It has been shown that 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP), desmopressin, can be used as a safe and effective remedy in preventing and treating bleeding in cirrhotics. However, there is still scarce information of adequate test(s) for assessing effects of DDAVP in platelet dysfunction. The use of platelet function analyzer-100 (PFA-100) allows more reliable assessment of impaired primary hemostasis as well as follow-up of hemostatic changes induced by DDAVP effects. CASE OUTLINE: In a 49-year-old male with ethylic liver cirrhosis and prolonged bleeding time scheduled for elective left side inguinal hernia repair, we carried out PFA-100 testing to investigate the patients platelet functional status. Results were affirmative for the presence of platelet functional problems. By standard coagulation tests the patient was also identified as having secondary hemostasis. Preoperatively, PFA-100 was used to test the patient's response to a standard dose of DDAVP, which was favorable. The patient was operated after medical preparations with DDAVP and vitamin K. Neither bleeding complications nor side effects of DDAVP were recorded in the perioperative period. CONCLUSION: The PFA-100 is a simple and reliable test for the assessment of primary hemostasis as well as in monitoring of DDAVP therapy.

Biomarkers in Serbian patients with Gaucher disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of the biomarkers chitotriosidase (Chito), total acid phosphatase (TACP), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and ferritin in the diagnosis of Gaucher disease (GD) and to assess the utility of biomarkers for monitoring the effects of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty treatment-naive Gaucher patients were studied. 27/40 GP were put on ERT and monitored every 6 months. RESULTS: The baseline median values of Chito, TACP, ACE and ferritin were highly elevated in GP: 10216 nmol/mL/h, 26.1 U/L, 253 U/L, 515 µg/L, and 555 µg/L, respectively. The only significant difference between mild and moderate GP subgroups is observed for Chito activity (p=0.0116). During ERT, Chito showed the steepest decrease in regard to TACP and ACE, mainly within the first year (71.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Among these biomarkers, Chito proved to be the most useful biomarker for diagnosing GD and monitoring the ERT.