bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health‐related quality of life among Danish patients 3 and 12 months after TIA or mild stroke
Authors: Muus Ingrid , Petzold Max , Ringsberg Karin C. 
Published: March 2010

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 211–218

Health‐related quality of life among Danish patients 3 and 12 months after TIA or mild stroke Aim:  This paper aimed to describe health related quality of life three and 12 months after mild stroke or transient ischemic attack, TIA, to describe the perceived changes from pre to post stroke status and to examine sociodemographic determinants for health related quality of life.Methods:  105 patients with mild stroke or TIA delivered self reported data on health related quality of life using the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale Danish Version, SSQOL‐DK. The main outcome was perceived change in over all quality of life from pre to post stroke status. Non‐parametric tests were used to examine change over time and differences between groupings of gender, age and life conditions. Logistic regression was used to model the change of all over quality of life changed at 12 months compared to pre stroke status.Results:  Fifty seven percent (57%) of the patients felt that their pre stroke status concerning quality of life was regained. Those that rated all over quality of life deteriorated 12 months post stroke were more often working (48.9% vs. 31.7%), fewer had a diagnosis of TIA (13.3% vs. 30%), functional level was lower and the consumption of antidepressive medication was more frequent. In the regression model male sex (OR 3.77), working outside home (OR 2.84) and less than 5.00 (maximum score) on the domains Mood and Work/productivity at three months were significant predictors for rating health related quality of life deteriorated after stroke.Conclusion:  Rehabilitation efforts should include employment alternatives of a less demanding nature for male patients.
Rho kinase and protein kinase C involvement in vascular smooth muscle myofilament calcium sensitization in arteries from diabetic rats
Authors: Kizub IV , Pavlova OO , Johnson CD , Soloviev AI , Zholos AV 
Published: March 2010

Background and purpose:  Diabetes mellitus (DM) causes multiple dysfunctions including circulatory disorders such as cardiomyopathy, angiopathy, atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension. Rho kinase (ROCK) and protein kinase C (PKC) regulate vascular smooth muscle (VSM) Ca2+ sensitivity, thus enhancing VSM contraction, and up‐regulation of both enzymes in DM is well known. We postulated that in DM, Ca2+ sensitization occurs in diabetic arteries due to increased ROCK and/or PKC activity.Experimental approach:  Rats were rendered hyperglycaemic by i.p. injection of streptozotocin. Age‐matched control tissues were used for comparison. Contractile responses to phenylephrine (Phe) and different Ca2+ concentrations were recorded, respectively, from intact and chemically permeabilized vascular rings from aorta, tail and mesenteric arteries.Key results:  Diabetic tail and mesenteric arteries demonstrated markedly enhanced sensitivity to Phe while these changes were not observed in aorta. The ROCK inhibitor HA1077, but not the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine, caused significant reduction in sensitivity to agonist in diabetic vessels. Similar changes were observed for myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, which was again enhanced in DM in tail and mesenteric arteries, but not in aorta, and could be reduced by both the ROCK and PKC blockers.Conclusions and implications:  We conclude that in DM enhanced myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity is mainly manifested in muscular‐type blood vessels and thus likely to contribute to the development of hypertension. Both PKC and, in particular, ROCK are involved in this phenomenon. This highlights their potential usefulness as drug targets in the pharmacological management of DM‐associated vascular dysfunction.
Soluble βamyloid1‐42: a critical player in producing behavioural and biochemical changes evoking depressive‐related state?
Authors: Colaianna M , Tucci P , Zotti M , Morgese MG , Schiavone S , Govoni S , Cuomo V , Trabace L 
Published: March 2010

Background and purpose:  Depression is common in early phases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may represent prodromal symptoms of dementia. Recent reports suggest that early memory deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms are caused by soluble rather than aggregated βamyloid (Aβ). Thus, we investigated the effects of soluble Aβ1‐42 on working memory and depressive/anxiety‐related behaviour in rats and on 5‐hydroxytryptaminergic neurotransmission and neurotrophin content in various brain regions.Experimental approach:  Behavioural reactivity to novel object recognition, open field, elevated plus maze and forced swimming test were assessed 7 days after i.c.v. injection of Aβ1‐42 or its vehicle. BDNF (brain‐derived neurotrophic factor) and NGF (nerve growth factor) mRNA and protein levels and 5‐hydroxytriptamine (5‐HT) content were measured in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), striatum (STR) and nucleus accumbens (NAc).Key results:  Aβ1‐42 did not affect the ability to distinguish between familiar and novel objects, but Aβ‐treated rats exhibited an increase in forced swimming immobility. No differences were revealed between experimental groups in the elevated plus maze test or in self‐grooming (evaluated in the open field). In the PFC, but not STR or NAc, Aβ‐injected rats exhibited a selective reduction in 5‐HT content, BDNF and NGF expression.Conclusions and implications:  Our data suggest that soluble Aβ‐treated rats have a depressive, but not anxiogenic‐like, profile, accompanied by brain region‐dependent alterations in the expression of neurotrophins and 5‐hydroxytryptaminergic neurotransmission. Hence, these alterations induced by soluble Aβ might be sensitive indicators of early phases of AD and possible risk factors for the expression of neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD.
Serum amyloid β protein in young and elderly depression: a pilot study
Authors: KITA Yohei , BABA Hajime , MAESHIMA Hitoshi , NAKANO Yoshiyuki , SUZUKI Toshihito , ARAI Heii 
Published: March 2010

AbstractBackground:  Depression may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent large cohort studies have also shown that a low plasma amyloid β (Aβ)‐42 level combined with a high Aβ40 level increases the risk of developing AD, suggesting plasma Aβ42/40 ratio as useful for identifying risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and AD. Although several studies have examined Aβ levels in the peripheral blood of elderly individuals with depression, results have been inconsistent. Furthermore, no results have been described for younger depression.Methods:  Serum Aβ40, Aβ42 level and Aβ40/42 ratio were evaluated using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 60 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 60 healthy controls. The results were analyzed in two age groups (young, <60 years; elderly, ≥60 years).Results:  Serum Aβ40 level was significantly higher in young MDD patients compared to young controls (P < 0.001), but it was not significantly deferent in the elderly group. Serum Aβ42 level did not differ significantly in both young and elderly groups. Aβ40/42 ratio was significantly higher in both young (P < 0.001) and elderly (P < 0.001) patients with MDD compared to controls.Conclusions:  Serum Aβ40/42 ratio was significantly higher in MDD patients than in controls, and this difference was seen for both elderly and young subjects. This may suggest that even young subjects with MDD undergo pathological changes in the very early stage of amyloid deposition.
Involvement of puromycin‐sensitive aminopeptidase in proteolysis of tau protein in cultured cells, and attenuated proteolysis of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP‐17) mutant tau
Authors: YANAGI Kentaro , TANAKA Toshihisa , KATO Kiyoko , SADIK Golam , MORIHARA Takashi , KUDO Takashi , TAKEDA Masatoshi 
Published: March 2010

AbstractIn tauopathies, tau protein is hyperphosphorylated, ubiquitinated, and accumulated in the brain; however, the mechanisms underlying this accumulation remain unclear. To gain an understanding of the role of proteases in the metabolism of tau protein, in the present study we evaluated the effects of protease inhibitors in SH‐SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells and COS‐7 cells transfected with the tau gene. When cells were treated with 0.1–10 µmol/L of lactacystin and 1.0–20 µmol/L of MG‐132 (inhibitors of proteasome), 0.1–10 µmol/L of CA‐074Me (a cathepsin inhibitor), and 0.1–2 µmol/L of puromycin (a puromycin‐sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA) inhibitor) for up to 24 h, there were no significant changes in tau protein levels. However, pulse‐chase experiments demonstrated that the proteolysis of tau protein in SH‐SY5Y cells was attenuated following treatment of cells with 200 nmol/L puromycin. Increased tau protein levels were also observed in SH‐SY5Y cells treated with short interference (si) RNA to PSA to inhibit the expression of PSA. These data suggest that PSA is a protease that catalyses tau protein predominantly in SH‐SY5Y cells. The protein metabolism of tau‐containing mutations of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP‐17) was also investigated using pulse‐chase experiments. The results indicate attenuated proteolysis of tau in cells transfected with mutant tau genes after 48 h. Further immunocytochemical analysis and subcellular fractionation experiments revealed that the mutations did not alter the intracellular distribution of tau and suggested that impaired accessibility of tau to PSA is unlikely to account for the attenuated proteolysis of tau protein. Western blotting with phosphorylation‐dependent antibodies revealed that phosphorylation levels of tau at Thr231, Ser396, and Ser409 were increased in cells transfected with V337M, R406W, and R406W mutant tau genes, respectively. Together, the data suggest that attenuated proteolysis of FTDP‐17 mutant tau may be explained by increased phosphorylation levels, resulting in resistance to proteolysis.
Changes in gingival crevicular fluid inflammatory mediator levels during the induction and resolution of experimental gingivitis in humans
Authors: Offenbacher Steven , Barros Silvana , Mendoza L. , Mauriello S. , Preisser J. , Moss K. , De Jager Marko , Aspiras Marcelo 
Published: March 2010

Offenbacher S, Barros S, Mendoza L, Mauriello S, Preisser J, Moss K, de Jager M, Aspiras M. Changes in gingival crevicular fluid inflammatory mediator levels during the induction and resolution of experimental gingivitis in humans. J Clin Periodontol 2010; 37: 324–333. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐051X.2010.01543.x AbstractAim: The goal of this study is to characterize the changes in 33 biomarkers within the gingival crevicular fluid during the 3‐week induction and 4‐week resolution of stent‐induced, biofilm overgrowth mediated, experimental gingivitis in humans.Methods: Experimental gingivitis was induced in 25 subjects for 21 days followed by treatment with a sonic powered toothbrush for 28 days. Clinical indices and gingival crevicular fluids were collected weekly during induction and biweekly during resolution. Samples were analysed using a bead‐based multiplexing analysis for the simultaneous measurements of 33 biomarkers within each sample including cytokines, matrix‐metalloproteinases (MMPs) and adipokines. Prostaglandin‐E2 was measured by enzyme‐linked immunoadsorbant assay. Statistical testing using general linear models with structured covariance matrices were performed to compare stent to contralateral (non‐stent) changes in clinical signs and in biomarker levels over time.Results: Gingivitis induction was associated with a significant 2.6‐fold increase in interleukin 1‐β (IL‐β), a 3.1‐fold increase in IL‐1α and a significant decrease in multiple chemokines as well as MMPs‐1, ‐3 and 13. All changes in clinical signs and mediators rebounded to baseline in response to treatment in the resolution phase.Conclusions: Stent‐induced gingivitis is associated with marked, but reversible increases in IL‐αa and IL‐1β with suppression of multiple chemokines as well as selected MMPs.
SMS pain diary: a method for real‐time data capture of recurrent pain in childhood
Authors: Alfvén Gösta 
Published: March 2010

AbstractObjectives:  To capture recurrent pain in children aged 9–15 years reported by short message service (SMS) and to test the compliance of such reporting in a pilot study.Methods:  After instructions, 15 children reported their pain six times a day on SMS for a week and the compatibility of the reporting was evaluated. The pain was expressed and reported on three variables: intensity captured using a numeric rating scale (NRS‐11), duration in minutes and a verbal pain‐related disability scale with six alternatives (0–5). The validity of this scale was tested in 37 children, and the reliability in a test–retest procedure in 20 children.Results:  Good compliance reporting the three variables intensity and duration of pain as well as pain‐related disability on SMS was indicated. Support for construct validity and reliability of the verbal instrument for pain‐related disability was achieved.Conclusion:  The study supports the hypothesis that pain experience expressed as intensity, duration and pain‐related disability can be captured in real time by SMS in an inexpensive and compliant way in children aged 9–15 years. Validity and reliability was indicated for the constructed verbal pain‐related disability scale. Further studies are needed to further confirm these findings.
Psoriasiform skin lesion and supprative acrodermatitis associated with Kawasaki disease followed by the treatment with infliximab: a case report
Authors: Kishimoto S , Muneuchi J , Takahashi Y , Izu K , Nakano R , Joo K 
Published: March 2010

AbstractA 4‐month‐old boy was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. The ordinary treatments with intravenous gammaglobulin and metylpredonisolone were not effective. Infliximab (5 mg/kg) was administrated on 13th day of illness which led to defeverscence and improvement of clinical manifestations. On 23 days of illness, however, desquamative papules and plaques developed on both the extensor surfaces of the forearms and legs. In addition, typical subungual desquamations of fingers and toes followed crusted hyperkeratosis which resembled supprative acrodermatitis. Skin biopsy from the forearm showed inflammatory dyskeratosis with marked hyperkeratosis, epithelial parakeratotsis, loss of granular layer and dominant infiltration of CD8 + T‐cells. Local treatment of steroid followed improvement of skin lesions within a few weeks.Conclusion:  Although previous reports described the beneficial effects of infliximab in patients with Kawasaki disease, it is possible that the administration of infliximab modify psoriasiform skin lesion associated with Kawasaki disease.
Incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in very‐low‐birth‐weight infants related to the use of Lactobacillus GG
Authors: Luoto R , Matomäki J , Isolauri E , Lehtonen L 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACTBackground:  One of the five level III neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Finland has used prophylactic Lactobacillus GG (LGG) for very‐low‐birth‐weight (VLBW) infants since 1997.Aim:  To examine retrospectively the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in all five university hospital NICUs in Finland in relation to the use of LGG during the years each unit has belonged to the Vermont Oxford Network (VON).Methods:  The incidence of NEC was analysed from the national database and from the VON databases separately in all five level III NICUs and additionally in three groups according to the probiotic practice in the hospitals: prophylactic LGG group, probiotics ‘on demand’ group and no probiotics group.Results:  The incidence of NEC was 4.6% vs. 3.3% vs. 1.8% in the prophylactic LGG group, the probiotics ‘on demand’ group and the no probiotics group, respectively; p = 0.0090, chi‐square. LGG had no influence on the clinical course of NEC.Conclusions:  The results of this retrospective report failed to show that LGG prophylaxis protects VLBW infants from the occurrence of NEC, in contrast to previously published results. Our results call for more research regarding effective ways to administer probiotics, including data on appropriate bacteria, strain, dose and timing of administration to achieve clinically robust effects.
Clinical and pathological evaluation of patients with early and late recurrence of colorectal cancer
Authors: AGHILI Mahdi , IZADI Shahrzad , MADANI Hossein , MORTAZAVI Hossein 
Published: March 2010

AbstractAim:  To compare the characteristics of primary cancer between patients with early recurrence and those with late recurrence of colorectal cancer.Methods:  Overall 535 patients with primary colorectal cancer were reviewed and of these 130 patients with demonstrated recurrence were evaluated. Of the 130 patients, 91 had early recurrence (less than 2 years after surgery) and 39 had late recurrence (2 years or more after surgery). The clinical and pathological characteristics of primary cancer in these two groups were compared.Results:  The rate of late recurrence was 30% of total recurrences (39/130). On average, patients with early recurrence were younger than patients with late recurrence (mean age 48 vs 54 years, p = 0.027). Adjacent organ involvement and Dukes stage C was more prevalent in the early recurrence group than in the late group. The liver was the main site of distant recurrence in the early recurrence group (64% of distant recurrences), whereas bone and peritoneum were the most frequent sites of metastases in the late recurrence group (58%). In Dukes C colon cancer patients the disease‐free interval was significantly longer in those who received both adjuvant therapies than in those who received either radiotherapy or chemotherapy or neither of them.Conclusion:  This study showed that factors such as primary clinical signs, stage of primary tumor, and adjacent organ involvement are significant with respect to the time for recurrence of colorectal cancer. It is important to take these characteristics into account in patient care management after curative resection for colorectal cancer.
Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors for primary appendiceal carcinoma
Authors: KO Yoon Ho , PARK Se Hoon , JUNG Chan‐Kwon , WON Hye Sung , HONG Sook Hee , PARK Ji Chan , ROH Sang Young , WOO In Sook , KANG Jin Hyoung , HONG Young Seon , BYUN Jae Ho 
Published: March 2010

AbstractAim:  Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix is a rare malignancy. This study assessed prognostic factors affecting the clinical outcome in patients with appendiceal neoplasms.Methods:  We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who had appendectomies between 1991 and 2007 at five centers in South Korea.Results:  Overall 55 patients (19 men, 36 women, median age 61 years) were identified. Of these, 37 (67.3%) were mucinous adenocarcinomas, 14 (25.5%) were intestinal‐type adenocarcinomas, and four (7.3%) were signet ring cell carcinomas. The distribution of stages was: 26 (47.3%) with localized disease, five (9.1%) with regional disease, and 24 (43.6%) with distant metastatic disease. The overall 3‐ and 5‐year survival rates among all patients were 72.2% and 64.0%, respectively, with 20 deaths during the follow‐up period. In a multivariate analysis, high histological grade (hazard ratio [HR]vs low grade 15.7; P = 0.001) and pathological stage (distant vs loco‐regional, HR 6.2; P = 0.021) were independent predictors of overall survival. Of the 34 patients who underwent curative resections of primary appendiceal carcinomas, the 3‐ and 5‐year disease‐free survival rates were 66.4% and 53.3%, respectively. The recurrence rate was higher in patients with regional lymph node metastasis (HR vs node negative disease 23.4; P = 0.005) and high‐grade tumors (HR vs low grade 6.3; P = 0.029). Additionally, a right hemicolectomy reduced the risk of recurrence (HR vs lesser procedures 0.05; P = 0.005).Conclusion:  High tumor grade and advanced stage were significantly predictive of poor survival outcome in patients with primary appendiceal carcinomas.
New systemic treatment options for metastatic renal‐cell carcinoma in the era of targeted therapies
Authors: TAN Thean Hsiang , PRANAVAN Ganesalingam , HAXHIMOLLA Hodo Z , YIP Desmond 
Published: March 2010

AbstractAdvances in understanding the biology and genetics of renal‐cell carcinomas have led to the development of novel targeted therapies for the treatment of metastatic renal‐cell cancer. Previously the systemic approaches were limited to cytokine therapies that were modest in their clinical benefits and at the expense of significant toxicities. Investigational treatments with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation were equally toxic and resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. The development of targeted therapy has revolutionized the treatment of metastatic renal‐cell cancer with more meaningful outcomes. This review aims to provide a detailed discussion of the clinical benefits of targeted therapies such as sunitinib, sorafenib, temsirolimus, everolimus, bevacizumab, and some of the newer agents in clinical trial development. The efficacy of these compounds in terms of response, survival and clinical benefit are explored as well as their toxicities. The role of surgery in metastatic renal‐cell carcinoma is reviewed in the context of cytoreductive therapy and resection of solitary and oligometastatic disease. Ongoing studies in the adjuvant setting following curative resection are also reviewed. The availability of targeted therapies has led to their rapid adoption as frontline therapy over traditional cytokine therapy, thus bringing more optimistic and hopeful therapeutic options in a condition where historically, systemic treatments have been relatively unsatisfactory and disappointing.
Clinicopathological pattern and HER 2/neu status in patients presenting with different histological grades of colorectal carcinomas
Authors: Anwar Sadia , Nagi A H , Naseem Nadia , Saqib Muhammad , Sami Waqas 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT Background and aims: Colorectal carcinoma is among the most frequently observed malignancies in Pakistan. The HER 2/neu protein is intimately involved in tumorigenesis and its receptor has been demonstrated as a therapeutic target in several carcinomas. This study was designed to assess the clinico‐pathological pattern and the HER 2/neu immunohistochemical score with respect to the histological grades of colorectal carcinoma in our population. Methods: Tissue biopsies from 100 patients, with detailed documentation of their clinical account, were subjected to immunohistochemistry utilizing monoclonal anti‐HER 2/neu antibody. Positive expression was assigned a score from 0–3+. Results: A distinct positive HER 2/neu scoring pattern was observed in n= 42 cases of non‐mucinous, mucinous and signet ring cell adenocarcinomas, all with a specific histological grade. An inverse correlation (P= 0.001) was observed between the two parameters. Conclusion: Colorectal carcinoma is a growing malignancy, even in the younger population and HER 2/neu protein is credibly expressed in colonic cancer cells in our patients especially where the histological grade is low or moderate. Therefore, it may be applied as a reasonably reliable immunohistochemical marker and a target for a new adjuvant monoclonal antibody‐based immunotherapy.