Clinical determination of serum nardilysin levels in predicting 30-day mortality among adults with malignant cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND: Nardilysin, a kind of metalloendopeptidase, plays an important role in numerous inflammatory diseases. Malignant cerebral infarction (Glasgow coma scale score of <9) is associated with a high mortality risk. Here, we intended to investigate the relationship between serum nardilysin levels and prognosis of patients with malignant cerebral infarction. METHODS: Serum nardilysin concentrations were quantified at malignant cerebral infarction diagnosis moment in 105 patients and at study entrance in 105 healthy controls. Association of nardilysin concentrations with 30-day mortality and overall survival was estimated using multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The patients exhibited substantially increased serum nardilysin concentrations, as compared to the controls. Nardilysin concentrations were in pronounced correlation with Glasgow coma scale scores and serum C-reactive protein concentrations. Serum nardilysin was independently predictive of 30-day mortality and overall survival. Under receiver operating characteristic curve, its high discriminatory ability was found. CONCLUSIONS: Rising serum nardilysin concentrations following malignant cerebral infarction are strongly related to stroke severity, inflammatory extent and a higher risk of mortality, substantializing serum nardilysin as a potential prognostic biomarker for malignant cerebral infarction.

Asymmetric cinnamylation of N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines with cinnamyl acetates: total syntheses of (+)-lycoricidine and (+)-7-deoxypancratistatin.

Highly diastereoselective palladium catalyzed cinnamylation of N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines with cinnamyl acetates has been established to provide enantioenriched ß-aryl homoallylic amines. The synthetic application of this stragety has been successfully demonstrated in the concise total syntheses of antitumor natural products (+)-lycoricidine and (+)-7-deoxypancratistatin.

Serum YKL-40 levels as a prognostic factor in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum YKL-40 concentrations and 3-month clinical outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. DESIGN AND METHODS: In 172 consecutive patients and 172 sex- and age-matched healthy controls, serum YKL-40 concentrations were measured with an enzyme-linked immunoassay. The prognostic value of YKL-40 concentrations for 3-month mortality and functional outcome was assessed. An unfavorable outcome was defined as a score above 2 on the modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of YKL-40 were markedly higher in all patients than in healthy controls, and were correlated positively with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores and plasma C-reactive protein levels. YKL-40 was identified as an independent predictor of 3-month mortality and unfavorable outcome and its area under receiver operating characteristic curve was similar to the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores. However, it did not improve the prognostic predictive performance of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score. CONCLUSIONS: YKL-40 is associated with inflammation and severity of intracerebral hemorrhage, and may independently predict long-term clinical outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage.