Effect of non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants on stroke severity compared to warfarin: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In addition to lowering stroke risk, warfarin use is also associated with reduced stroke severity in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute ischaemic stroke. It was sought to determine whether the effect of non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs), compared to warfarin, differed by stroke severity. METHODS: Phase III randomized controlled trials with participants who were randomized to receive NOACs or warfarin for stroke prevention in the setting of non-valvular atrial fibrillation were identified. Stroke was classified into two categories, fatal or disabling stroke and non-disabling stroke, and meta-analyses were completed for both outcomes and for comparative case fatality of stroke amongst trials. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials met our inclusion criteria. In clinical trials evaluating the NOACs usually prescribed in clinical practice (four trials), acute stroke was reported in 1403 (1.86%) participants, 787 (1.04%) in the NOAC group [386 (0.51%) fatal or disabling, 401 (0.53%) non-disabling] and 616 (0.82%) in the warfarin group [367 (0.49%) fatal or disabling, 249 (0.33%) non-disabling]. On meta-analysis NOACs were significantly superior to warfarin for fatal or disabling stroke (odds ratio [OR] 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-0.89, I2  = 21%) and non-disabling stroke (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.73-0.98, I2  = 2%). The case fatality of stroke was no different between groups (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.75-1.13, I2  = 0%), but the point estimate favoured NOACs. CONCLUSION: In phase III trials of NOACs, for prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation, NOACs are associated with a lower risk of both fatal/disabling and non-disabling stroke compared to warfarin.

Implication of Major Adverse Postoperative Events and Myocardial Injury on Disability and Survival: A Planned Subanalysis of the ENIGMA-II Trial.

BACKGROUND: Globally, >300 million patients have surgery annually, and ≤20% experience adverse postoperative events. We studied the impact of both cardiac and noncardiac adverse events on 1-year disability-free survival after noncardiac surgery. METHODS: We used the study cohort from the Evaluation of Nitrous oxide in Gas Mixture of Anesthesia (ENIGMA-II) trial, an international randomized trial of 6992 noncardiac surgical patients. All were ≥45 years of age and had moderate to high cardiac risk. The primary outcome was mortality within 1 postoperative year. We defined 4 separate types of postoperative adverse events. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) included myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac arrest, and myocardial revascularization with or without troponin elevation. MI was defined using the third Universal Definition and was blindly adjudicated. A second cohort consisted of patients with isolated troponin increases who did not meet the definition for MI. We also considered a cohort of patients who experienced major adverse postoperative events (MAPEs), including unplanned admission to intensive care, prolonged mechanical ventilation, wound infection, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. From this cohort, we identified a group without troponin elevation and another with troponin elevation that was not judged to be an MI. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models for death at 1 year and assessments of proportionality of hazard functions were performed and expressed as an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: MACEs were observed in 469 patients, and another 754 patients had isolated troponin increases. MAPEs were observed in 631 patients. Compared with control patients, patients with a MACE were at increased risk of mortality (aHR, 3.36 [95% CI, 2.55-4.46]), similar to patients who suffered a MAPE without troponin elevation (n = 501) (aHR, 2.98 [95% CI, 2.26-3.92]). Patients who suffered a MAPE with troponin elevation but without MI had the highest risk of death (n = 116) (aHR, 4.29 [95% CI, 2.89-6.36]). These 4 types of adverse events similarly affected 1-year disability-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: MACEs and MAPEs occur at similar frequencies and affect survival to a similar degree. All 3 types of postoperative troponin elevation in this analysis were associated, to varying degrees, with increased risk of death and disability.

Intraoperative dexamethasone does not increase the risk of postoperative wound infection: a propensity score-matched post hoc analysis of the ENIGMA-II trial (EnDEX).

BACKGROUND: In a post hoc analysis of the ENIGMA-II trial, we sought to determine whether intraoperative dexamethasone was associated with adverse safety outcomes. METHODS: Inverse probability weighting with estimated propensity scores was used to determine the association of dexamethasone administration with postoperative infection, quality of recovery, and adverse safety outcomes for 5499 of the 7112 non-cardiac surgery subjects enrolled in ENIGMA-II. RESULTS: Dexamethasone was administered to 2178 (40%) of the 5499 subjects included in this analysis and was not associated with wound infection [189 (8.7%) vs 275 (8.3%); propensity score-adjusted relative risk (RR) 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-1.34; P=0.38], severe postoperative nausea and vomiting on day 1 [242 (7.3%) vs 189 (8.7%); propensity score-adjusted RR 1.06; 95% CI 0.86-1.30; P=0.59], quality of recovery score [median 14, interquartile range (IQR) 12-15, vs median 14, IQR 12-16, P=0.10), length of stay in the postanaesthesia care unit [propensity score-adjusted median (IQR) 2.0 (1.3, 2.9) vs 1.9 (1.3, 3.1), P=0.60], or the primary outcome of the main trial. Dexamethasone administration was associated with a decrease in fever on days 1-3 [182 (8.4%) vs 488 (14.7%); RR 0.61; 95% CI 0.5-0.74; P<0.001] and shorter lengths of stay in hospital [propensity score-adjusted median (IQR) 5.0 (2.9, 8.2) vs 5.3 (3.1, 9.1), P<0.001]. Neither diabetes mellitus nor surgical wound contamination status altered these outcomes. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone administration to high-risk non-cardiac surgical patients did not increase the risk of postoperative wound infection or other adverse events up to day 30, and appears to be safe in patients either with or without diabetes mellitus. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00430989.

Accuracy, intra- and inter-rater reliability of three scoring systems for the glottic view at videolaryngoscopy.

An accurate and reproducible recording of laryngoscopic view at tracheal intubation is an important aspect of anaesthetic practice. Unlike direct laryngoscopy, in which the view achieved by the line of sight directly relates to the ease of intubating the trachea, videolaryngoscopy can create a situation in which the view is good, but intubation difficult or impossible. Communicating this to a subsequent anaesthetist is important. We compared three scoring systems: Cormack and Lehane; POGO (percentage of glottic opening); and the Fremantle score, as used by 74 critical care doctors rating 30 anonymised videos of videolaryngoscopic intubations. Accuracy (degree of agreement of score with an expert panel assessment) was higher for POGO (75.5%) and the Fremantle score (73.9%) than for Cormack and Lehane (65.4%; p < 0.001). Intra-rater reliability (mean free marginal Kappa for ordinal scores and mean Cronbach's Alpha for continuous score) was higher for Fremantle score (0.796) and Cormack and Lehane (0.773) than POGO (0.693). Inter-rater reliability for Fremantle score (0.618) and POGO (0.614) were similar and higher than the inter-rater reliability of Cormack and Lehane 0.464 (p < 0.001). The higher accuracy and inter-rater reliability of POGO and the Fremantle score suggest they are preferable to Cormack and Lehane for use when documenting videolaryngoscopy. The additional information about ease of intubation conveyed by the Fremantle score may support its routine use in recording videolaryngoscopic intubation.

Evaluation of the utility of the Vigileo FloTrac(™) , LiDCO(™) , USCOM and CardioQ(™) to detect hypovolaemia in conscious volunteers: a proof of concept study.

It is important to detect and treat hypovolaemia; however, detection is particularly challenging in the conscious, spontaneously breathing patient. Eight healthy male volunteers were monitored using four minimally invasive monitors: Vigileo FloTrac(™) ; LiDCOrapid(™) ; USCOM 1A; and CardioQ(™) oesophageal Doppler. Monitor output and clinical signs were recorded during incremental venesection of 2.5% estimated blood volume aliquots to a total of 20% blood volume removed. A statistically significant difference from baseline stroke volume was detected after 2.5% blood loss using the LiDCO (p = 0.007), 7.5% blood loss using the USCOM (p = 0.019), and 12.5% blood loss using the CardioQ (p = 0.046) and the FloTrac (p = 0.028). Receiver operator characteristic curves for predicting > 10% blood loss had areas under the curve of 0.68-0.82. The minimally invasive cardiac output devices tested can detect blood loss by a reduction in stroke volume in awake volunteers, and may have a role in guiding fluid replacement in conscious patients with suspected hypovolaemia.

A double-blinded randomized evaluation of alfentanil and morphine vs fentanyl: analgesia and sleep trial (DREAMFAST).

BACKGROUND: Patients using fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), the standard first-line choice in our hospitals, commonly complain of postoperative sleep disruption due to pain. The aim of this study was to determine whether the PCA combination of alfentanil and morphine, which provides longer analgesia without compromising onset speed, would improve postoperative pain-related sleep interference. METHODS: Two hundred and twelve adults undergoing major surgery where PCA was the planned principal postoperative analgesic modality were randomized to either the combination of alfentanil and morphine (Group AM) or fentanyl (Group F). The primary outcome was pain-related awakenings during the second postoperative night as measured by the study questionnaire, based on the St Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire. Analgesic efficacy, other sleep measures, and opioid-related side-effects were also assessed. RESULTS: There was no difference in pain-related sleep disturbance between the groups, with 41% of Group AM and 53% of Group F waking due to pain (P=0.10). Group AM had better rest and dynamic analgesia in the first 24 h with fewer requiring rescue ketamine infusion during the 2 day study period (2 vs 14%, P=0.001). Those in Group AM experienced less nausea and vomiting in the second 24 h (18 vs 35%, P=0.028) but more pruritus (40 vs 23%, P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Despite better early postoperative analgesia, pain-related sleep interference was not improved by the PCA combination of alfentanil and morphine. AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY: Ref: ACTRN12608000118303.

Mediating role of body-related shame and guilt in the relationship between weight perceptions and lifestyle behaviours.

INTRODUCTION: A substantial proportion of individuals with overweight or obesity perceive themselves as 'too heavy' relative to 'about right'. Perceiving one's weight as 'too heavy' is associated with lower levels of physical activity and higher levels of sedentary behaviour. However, the mechanisms underpinning the associations between weight perception and lifestyle behaviours have not been identified. Based on theoretical tenets and empirical evidence, the self-conscious emotions of shame and guilt may mediate these associations. METHODS: Participants were young adults (n = 618, Mage = 24.0 ± .6 years) who provided data on weight, weight perception, body-related shame and guilt, physical activity and screen time. RESULTS: Mediation analyses using the PROCESS macro indicated that shame and guilt significantly mediated the relationships between weight perception and physical activity and shame significantly mediated the relationship between weight perception and screen time. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide preliminary evidence that self-conscious emotions may be mechanisms by which weight perception influences physical activity and sedentary behaviour in young adults. However, longitudinal investigations of this mechanism are needed.

Emergency intubation: a prospective multicentre descriptive audit in an Australian helicopter emergency medical service.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the safety profile of emergency airway management when performed by a prehospital team consisting of a doctor and a paramedic. Success rates, the incidence of difficult airways and the ability of prehospital doctors to determine a difficult airway are reported. METHODS: A prospective audit and descriptive study of three Australian helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) bases, over a 9-month period. Doctors completed questionnaires regarding the number of endotracheal intubation (ETI) attempts on patients transported intubated and ventilated, Cormack and Lehane view of the cords during laryngoscopy and the anticipated and actual ease of ETI. RESULTS: A total of 114 (11.4%) patients transported by the HEMS was intubated and ventilated. Study questionnaires were completed on 89 of the 114 cases (78.1%), of which 32 (36%) were trauma related. HEMS were involved with 43 (48.3%) of the 89 intubations and performed 12.4% (n = 11) out of hospital. The HEMS ETI success rate was 97.6%. No surgical airways were performed. The actual incidence of difficult airways was higher (n = 4, 9.3%) than the anticipated incidence (n = 1, 2.3%). Six patients (14.0%) were successfully intubated by the doctor after the paramedic failed. CONCLUSIONS: Well-trained doctor paramedic teams, utilising standardised operating procedures, can safely perform rapid sequence induction and ETI in the prehospital and emergency environment. However, prehospital doctors are not always able to anticipate a difficult airway. The complication rate was similar to that in hospital emergency departments and to that of other physician-led HEMS.

Novel mutations in abetalipoproteinaemia and homozygous familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia.

Abetalipoproteinaemia (ABL) and homozygous familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia (FHBL) are rare inherited disorders associated with low or undetectable levels of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins. Patients present with the symptoms and sequelae of fat malabsorption, including fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies. We describe two novel mutations: one an APOB gene mutation causing FHBL and the other a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) gene mutation causing ABL. Two siblings of consanguineous parents were homozygous for an apoB mutation 4339delT causing an apoB-30.9 truncation. In another family, a boy born to consanguineous parents was homozygous for a 319 bp in-frame deletion of MTP exon 15 (c.2076-39_2303 + 52del319). All three children presented with malabsorption and liver dysfunction and had similar very low serum lipid, apoB, and fat-soluble vitamin levels. The FHBL parents had low serum lipid and apoB profiles distinguishing the disorder from the normal levels in ABL parents. Future patients presenting with FHBL or ABL should be genotyped to provide further insight into the varying clinical severity related to molecular heterogenicity in these two conditions.

Efficacy and safety of ultra rapid iron polymaltose infusion during general anaesthesia.

To assess the efficacy and safety of ultra rapid (15 minute) infusion of iron polymaltose to iron deficient patients during general anaesthesia, we performed a prospective, interventional non-randomised study on 99 adult patients with iron deficiency with or without anaemia presenting for surgery under general anaesthesia. Over 15 minutes during the maintenance phase of anaesthesia, patients were given iron polymaltose, 500 mg if not anaemic, or 1,000 mg if anaemic. Haemodynamic stability, immediate or delayed iron-related side-effects and efficacy at six weeks were assessed. The incidence of significant hypotension or the requirement for vasopressor was not different before, during or after the iron infusion. There were no serious intraoperative events (allergic reactions or skin staining). Mean (standard deviation, SD) haemoglobin rose from 121 (14) g/l preoperatively to 131 (12) g/l at six weeks (P <0.001). Mean (SD) ferritin rose from 17 (12) µg/l to 110 (83) µg/l by six weeks (P <0.001). At six weeks only four out of 64 contactable patients (6.25%) had a ferritin of <30 µg/l. The incidence of immediate or delayed side-effects was similar to patients undergoing outpatient iron polymaltose infusions and reflective of a post-surgical population. We conclude that up to 1,000 mg of iron polymaltose can be given over 15 minutes without significant haemodynamic compromise to selected patients undergoing general anaesthesia. Iron polymaltose administered in this way appears efficacious in treating iron deficiency.

Nicotine dependence and sleep quality in young adults.

INTRODUCTION: More cigarette smokers report poor sleep quality than non-smokers, but the association between nicotine dependence (ND) and sleep quality has not been well-characterized. The objective of this study was to describe the associations among frequency and intensity of cigarette smoking, ND symptoms, and sleep quality in young adults. METHODS: Data on past-year smoking frequency, number of cigarettes smoked in the past month, five ND indicators (i.e., withdrawal, craving, self-medication symptoms, mFTQ, ICD-10 criteria for tobacco dependence), and sleep quality (measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) were collected in 2011-12 in self-report questionnaires completed by 405 young adult smokers (mean age 24 (0.6) years; 45% male; 45% daily smokers) participating in a longitudinal investigation of the natural course of ND. Associations between indicators of cigarette smoking, ND symptoms, and sleep quality were examined in multivariable logistic regression analyses controlling for age, sex, mother's education, and alcohol use. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of participants reported poor sleep quality (PSQI>5). Higher cigarette consumption (OR(95% CI), 1.03(1.001-1.05)) but not frequency of past-year smoking, more frequent withdrawal symptoms (1.05(1.004-1.10)), more frequent cravings (1.05(1.004-1.10)), higher mFTQ scores (1.14(1.02-1.27)), and endorsing more ICD-10 criteria for tobacco dependence (1.19(1.04-1.36)) were also associated with poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking and ND symptoms are associated with poor sleep quality in young adult smokers. Advice from practitioners to cut back on number of cigarettes smoked per day and treatment of ND symptoms may improve sleep quality in young adult smokers.

Effect of Shiga toxin and Shiga-like toxins on eukaryotic cells.

Shigella dysenteriae and Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) elaborate the AB holotoxins, Shiga or Shiga-like toxins (Stx). Stx play a major role in the pathogenesis of haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uremic syndrome. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms of action of Stx and a model of the pathogenesis of Stx-induced disease.

Nutritional rehabilitation of malnourished patients with cystic fibrosis.

We examined the effect of nutritional rehabilitation in cystic fibrosis patients with severe disease. Thirteen malnourished patients (seven males, six females, age 7-27 yr) were studied over 7-16 mo. Oral supplementation was attempted initially in 12 patients (mean duration 6.7 mo); only 2 patients gained weight, 2 withdrew, and 1 died. The remaining 7 patients failed to achieve adequate weight gain and were commenced on nasogastric supplementation with a semisynthetic formula. An additional patient was entered without a prior period of oral supplementation because of the severity of malnutrition. Weight gain was achieved in 7 of 8 patients with nasogastric supplementation (mean duration 6.4 mo). Weight gain was associated with an increase in lean body mass, total body fat, and height velocity. While pulmonary function and biochemical parameters were unchanged, patient well-being improved and episodes of pneumonia decreased.

Esophageal dysmotility in brothers with an FG-like syndrome.

We present 4 brothers with developmental delay, minor anomalies, and symptoms due to gastrointestinal dysmotility. There was some resemblance with FG syndrome, although none of the brothers had sufficient findings to make this diagnosis. The index case presented with at age 1 month with screaming episodes, mild gastro-esophageal reflux (GER), and severe constipation. Esophageal manometry studies were consistent with the diagnosis of "nutcracker esophagus." Symptomatic and manometric improvement followed treatment with oral calcium channel blockers. Two older and less severely affected brothers had similar manometric findings but did not require treatment. A fourth brother with symptoms in infancy now has normal esophageal manometry findings. These boys in all likelihood have an X-linked syndrome with manifestations of FG syndrome, in which treatment with calcium channel blockers, produces clinical and manometric improvement. The FG syndrome is an X-linked syndrome of multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation with facultative manifestations of gastrointestinal dysmotility, including gastro-esophageal reflux, severe feeding difficulties, and constipation. Esophageal dysmotility, in particular "nutcracker esophagus," should be suspected in infants with the FG syndrome and screaming attacks.

The effect of atrial natriuretic peptide on intestinal electrolyte transport.

The effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on rat small intestinal electrolyte transport was examined. In vivo, intravenous administration of rat ANP(99-126) induced diuresis and natriuresis in conjunction with a significant decrease in intestinal water (basal, 37.1 +/- 5.7 versus ANP 28.5 +/- 6.0 microliters/cm per 20 min, P less than 0.05) and Na+ (4.0 +/- 0.7 versus 2.8 +/- 0.9 mumol/cm per 20 min, P less than 0.05) absorption (n = 9). In vitro, in Ussing chambers, in both jejunum and ileum, addition of 1.0 microM ANP to short circuited, stripped tissue produced a maximal increase in short circuit current and stimulated net Cl- secretion due to a significant increase in the unidirectional serosal to mucosal flux (JCl-sm: jejunum 17.4 +/- 1.3 versus 19.8 +/- 1.3 microEq/cm2 per h, P less than 0.01, n = 6; ileum 13.4 +/- 0.5 versus 17.2 +/- 0.6, P less than 0.01, n = 6) which was inhibited by the calcium channel antagonist verapamil (82 +/- 26%, P less than 0.05) and by the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist cinanserin (72 +/- 44%, P less than 0.05). Guanylate cyclase activity was stimulated by ANP in intact epithelium, but not in isolated crypt and villus enterocytes.

Synovectomy or total replacement of the knee in hemophilia.

Eighteen major operations on the knee joint were performed in sixteen patients with hemophilia, eight operations being synovectomy and ten being total knee replacement. Synovectomy was performed for recurrent bleeding associated with synovitis. The average age at operation for patients who underwent synovectomy was 16.4 years, and the average follow-up was thirty-one months. No patient had a recurrent hemorrhage following synovectomy. The patients who had total knee arthroplasty for disabling pain had an average age at surgery of 35.7 years and an average follow-up of twenty-three months. The pain was markedly reduced in all eight patients and all achieved full unprotected weight-bearing. Loss of some motion was observed in twelve patients, but the functional gain outweighed the loss of knee mobility. Seven major complications occurred in the sixteen patients, but none of them affected the outcome.

Non-surgical interventions for eosinophilic oesophagitis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EO) present with difficulty swallowing, vomiting, regurgitation, chest and/or abdominal pain. People with EO frequently fail to respond to treatment with gastric acid suppressants or anti-reflux surgery. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of medical interventions for eosinophilic oesophagitis. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Upper Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Diseases Group trials register (The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2004), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2004), MEDLINE (1966 to February 2004) and EMBASE (1980 to February 2004). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials were included if they compared a medical or dietary intervention for eosinophilic oesophagitis with a placebo or one medical intervention with another medical intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently screened the title of abstracts. MAIN RESULTS: No completed RCTs were found in the published literature. We found one abstract reporting preliminary data from an RCT (not completed) comparing oral prednisolone with topical (swallowed metered dose) fluticasone in children. In this study (50 children enrolled to date) healing rates of oesophagitis and symptom resolution with fluticasone were similar to those with prednisolone. For another ongoing RCT, comparing the efficacy of swallowed fluticasone with placebo for eosinophilic oesophagitis in males and females aged 3 to 21 years no results are available. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: The lack of completed RCT's makes it impossible to compare the relative benefits and harms of the wide range of medical interventions currently used for treating EO. Published case series suggest that an elemental diet, oral steroids and topical steroids all offer some benefits. However, lack of a comparison group in these studies makes it impossible to evaluate the effect of these interventions.

Effect of detector wavelength on the determination of the molecular weight of humic substances by high-pressure size exclusion chromatography.

High-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) has proven to be an effective method for determining the molecular weights (MW) of humic substances (HS) from a variety of aquatic and terrestrial environments. HPSEC systems often use a variable wavelength UV-vis detector, which detects the analytes based upon their chromophoric composition. HS contain a range of moieties with chromophores having unique molar absorptivities (for a given wavelength), and the calculated MW may be dependent upon the wavelength chosen for the analysis. As a consequence, the choice of wavelength becomes an important parameter for the reliable determination of MW by HPSEC. The effect of UV-vis detector wavelength on the determination of the MW distribution of selected humic and fulvic acids by HPSEC is examined in this paper. For the HS examined, both the number (Mn) and weight average (Mw) MW increased with increasing wavelength. The relative increase in MW was most pronounced for Lake Fryxell fulvic acid, with a 63 and 21% increase in Mn and Mw, respectively, between 220 and 380 nm. The increases observed for Suwannee River humic and fulvic acids were less pronounced. Mn was more sensitive to changes in detector wavelength than Mw, and as a result the target HS appeared to be less polydisperse at higher wavelengths. Within the range of wavelengths commonly used for the determination of MW of HS by HPSEC (i.e., 220-280 nm), the magnitude of the increases in MW was not significant compared to variability in MW that results from changes to other operational parameters in HPSEC.

Elevated plasma levels of F2 alpha isoprostane in cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with chronic lung infection, inflammation, and elevated indices of oxidative stress. Recently, isoprostanes were shown to be a reliable in vivo marker of oxidant injury with 8-iso-PGF2 alpha, shown to cause airflow obstruction and plasma exudation in guinea pig lung. The present study was designed to examine the relationship between 8-iso-PGF2 alpha levels, plasma antioxidants, and clinical status in CF. We hypothesized that plasma 8-iso-PGF2 alpha levels would be higher in subjects with CF compared to healthy controls. Plasma 8-iso-PGF2 alpha levels were prospectively measured in 22 subjects with CF and nine healthy controls using an 8-isoprostane enzyme immunoassay kit along with plasma vitamins A, E, and beta-carotene. Plasma 8-iso-PGF2 alpha levels were shown to be significantly elevated in the CF subjects compared to controls (319.6 +/- 52.6 vs. 145.0 +/- 21.0 pg/mL, P = 0.005). Plasma levels of antioxidants were significantly lower for the CF subjects compared to the controls (vitamin A, P < 0.003; vitamin E, P < 0.001; and beta-carotene, P < 0.01). This study confirms significantly elevated lipid peroxidation in CF using 8-iso-PGF2 alpha levels.

Neurofibromatosis of the small intestine mesentery in a child with neurofibromatosis type 1.

The authors present a case of mesenteric neurofibromatosis in a child, which is a rare complication of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This case is presented to illustrate the clinical features and the radiological appearance of mesenteric neurofibromatosis, which, in the appropriate clinical setting of NF1, are diagnostic. The authors also discuss the long-term complications of this condition, which includes the potential risk of malignant degeneration.