Elevated NT-proBNP predicts unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke after thrombolytic therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies correlated n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with early neurological deterioration (END) and prognosis of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients with rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis. Therefore this study aimed to investigate the relationship between NT-proBNP and END, and prognosis after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with AIS. METHODS: A total of 325 patients with AIS were enrolled. We performed the natural logarithm transformation on the NT-proBNP [ln(NT-proBNP)]. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between ln(NT-proBNP) and END, and prognosis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to show the sensitivity and specificity of NT-proBNP. RESULTS: After thrombolysis, among 325 patients with AIS, 43 patients (13.2%) developed END. In addition, three months follow-up showed a poor prognosis in 98 cases (30.2%) and a good prognosis in 227 cases (69.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ln(NT-proBNP) was an independent risk factor for END (OR = 1.450,95%CI:1.072 ~ 1.963, P = 0.016) and poor prognosis at three months follow-up (OR = 1.767, 95%CI: 1.347 ~ 2.317, P < 0.001) respectively. According to ROC curve analysis, ln(NT-proBNP) (AUC 0.735, 95%CI: 0.674 ~0.796, P < 0.001) had a good predictive value for poor prognosis, with a predictive value of 5.12 and sensitivity and specificity of 79.59% and 60.35% respectively. When combined with NIHSS to predict END(AUC 0.718, 95%CI: 0.631 ~ 0.805, P < 0.001) and poor prognosis(AUC 0.780, 95%CI: 0.724 ~ 0.836, P < 0.001), the predictive value of the model is further improved. CONCLUSION: NT-proBNP is independently associated with END and poor prognosis in patients with AIS following intravenous thrombolysis and has a particular predictive value for END and poor prognosis.

Complex effects of apoplexy secondary to pituitary adenoma.

Pituitary adenoma apoplexy is a well-known clinical syndrome induced by insulin infusion, cardiac surgery, trauma, and hypothalamic releasing factors. Pituitary apoplexy can cause secondary cerebral infarct and internal carotid artery occlusion. With blockade of tumor perfusion, apoplexy triggers a sudden onset of headache, visual impairment, cranial nerve palsy, disturbances of consciousness, eyelid ptosis, and hemiparesis. However, pituitary adenoma cells with high metabolic demand cannot survive with deficient blood supply and glucose concentrations. Moreover, a number of case reports have shown that spontaneous remission of syndromes, such as acromegaly, may be caused by pituitary adenoma after apoplexy. Therefore, understanding mechanism that underlies the balance between pituitary adenoma apoplexy and subsequent spontaneous remission of syndromes may suggest new approaches for treatment of pituitary adenoma apoplexy.

[Correlation Analysis Between Characteristics of VOCs and Ozone Formation Potential in Summer in Nanjing Urban District].

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an important precursor of photochemical ozone pollution (O3) in the atmosphere. Their concentration variation directly affects the characteristics of the ozone pollution. The concentration, speciation of VOCs, ozone and its precursors in Nanjing were analyzed and measured using online gas detection systems in August 2013. VOCs/NOx discriminant method was used to get the sensitive control factors of ozone. The results showed that the averaged volume fraction of VOCs was 52. 05 x 10(-9), and the largest one reached 200 x 10(-9) in Nanjing urban district. The order of volume fraction of each species VOCs was alkane > oxygen-containing VOCs > alkene > aromatics. The averaged concentration of ozone was 76.5 microg x m(-1) and the exceeding concentration of hourly standard was 5.9%. The change trends of ozone precursors VOCs and NOx were basically identical and Ozone showed the obvious negative correlation during the period of high concentrations of ozone. There were some differences in the concentrations of the same VOCs in different ozone concentration periods. The ozone generation in Nanjing urban district was sensitive to VOCs, and Nanjing belonged to VOCs control area in summer.

[Mutation detection of parkin gene by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography].

OBJECTIVE: To detect parkin gene mutation of early-onset parkinsonism (EOP) by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). METHODS: The blood cell genomic DNA of 82 EOP patients was isolated. Exons of parkin gene were amplified by PCR. The PCR products were detected by DHPLC. The sample with abnormal peak shape was sequenced. RESULTS: Three point mutations were identified in 82 EOP patients compared with 100 healthy controls. Mutations in intron include IVS1-39 G --> T and IVS9 +18 C --> T. The T1422C mutation was in coding region and resulted in 441 Cys --> Arg. CONCLUSION: Three heterozygous mutations are found in sporadic EOP patients and genetic diagnosis of parkin gene by DHPLC is applicable in EOP patients.