bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics of patients with segmental renal infarction
Authors: CHU PEI‐LUN , WEI YU‐FENG , HUANG JENQ‐WEN , CHEN SHIH‐I , CHU TZONG‐SHINN , WU KWAN‐DUN 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARY:Background:  Renal infarction is usually an underestimated disease due to its rare and non‐specific presentations; the renal survival of these patients is not well studied. The aim of the present analysis is to study the clinical features and outcome in patients who had documented renal infarction.Methods:  Twenty‐two patients (12 men and 10 women, mean age of 57.7 ± 3.44 years (28.4–83.3 years)) with image‐confirmed segmental renal infarction in the past 15 years were enrolled. All patients were followed up at outpatient department with a median of 4 years (1–14 years). Initial and follow‐up clinical characteristics and laboratory results were recorded.Results:  The most common underlying disease was cardiovascular disease. Renal infarction often presented with non‐specific symptoms, including flank pain (55%), vague abdominal pain (50%), nausea/vomiting (46%) and fever (27%). The levels of leucocytes, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were all elevated at admission. The early diagnosis group (12/22) had more obvious flank pain, nausea/vomiting (P < 0.001) and higher alanine transaminase (P = 0.02). It also predisposed to undergo antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy (all P < 0.04). During follow up, there was no recurrence in the whole study group, and a trend of better recovery of renal function was noted in the early diagnosis group.Conclusion:  The serum creatinine level correlates with longer hospitalization length (P < 0.05). As regards long‐term prognosis, no definite factor or treatment was found to have significant effect in segmental renal infarction patients. However, early diagnosis and early initiation of treatment seems to have a positive effect on future renal outcome.
Nutcracker phenomenon: A new diagnostic method of multislice computed tomography angiography
Authors: FU WEI‐JUN , HONG BAO‐FA , GAO JIANG‐PING , XIAO YUE‐YONG , YANG YONG , CAI WEI , GUO GANG , WANG XIAO XIONG 
Published: July 2006

Objective:  We evaluated 3‐D computed tomography angiography (3‐D CTA) in the diagnosis of the nutcracker phenomenon, and its significance in postoperative follow up.Patients and Methods:  Three‐dimensional CTA was used to compare the anatomical relations of the left renal vein with the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery in patients with the nutcracker phenomenon and in a control group. Four patients with the nutcracker phenomenon received a surgical procedure of the transposition of the left renal vein. The 3‐D CTA was used for all patients during postoperation follow‐up testing.Results:  The 3‐D CTA showed a compression of the left renal vein between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the abnormal acute angle between them. The angles and distances between the SMA and the aorta were 39.3 ± 4.3° and 3.1 ± 0.2 mm in the patient groups and 90 ± 10° and 12 ± 1.8 mm in the control groups, respectively. Differences in angles and distances were statistically significant between the two groups (P < 0.05). Surgical transposition of the left renal vein was performed successfully. Postoperative 3‐D CTA revealed the distance between the SMA and the aorta was nearly normal.Conclusion:  The reconstruction imaging of the renal vein by means of 3‐D CTA revealed that unusual hematuria was due to compression of the left renal vein; therefore it may be a useful alternative imaging technique instead of conventional examinations. The non‐invasive 3‐D CTA may be a useful tool in the diagnosis of the nutcracker phenomenon and follow‐up testing.
Endometriosis of the urinary tract in women of reproductive age
Authors: SCHNEIDER ANDREAS , TOULOUPIDIS STAVROS , PAPATSORIS ATHANASIOS G , TRIANTAFYLLIDIS ARGYRIOS , KOLLIAS ANASTASIOS , SCHWEPPE KARL‐WERNER 
Published: July 2006

Aim:  We present our experience with diagnosing and treating 22 cases of urinary tract endometriosis in women of reproductive age.Patients and Methods:  From January 2001 to January 2003, 22 women of reproductive age (mean age 34.8 years) were diagnosed suffering from endometriosis of the urinary tract. We used the Endoscopic Endometriosis Classification (EEC) for assessing the stage of endometriosis.Results:  Endometriosis was present in the bladder, the lower third of the ureter, and in a postnephrectomy ureteral stump in 15 (68.1%), six (27.2%) and one (4.5%) cases, respectively. The EEC classification revealed stages I, II, III and IV in four (18.1%), one (4.5%), one (4.5%), and 16 (72.7%) patients, respectively. Urinary symptoms were present in 14 (63.6%) patients. For the treatment of bladder endometriosis, 10 patients underwent partial cystectomy, while the remaining five patients were treated with transurethral resection. In four patients ureterolysis was performed, by laparoscopy in two cases and by open surgery in the other two cases. Ureterectomy and re‐implantation with bladder psoas hitching took place in six patients. In the case of endometriosis of the ureteral stump, open surgical excision took place. During the mean follow‐up period of 20 months (range 16–40) no long‐term complication or relapse was diagnosed.Conclusions:  Bladder and ureteral endometriosis should be considered in women of reproductive age with non‐specific urinary tract or abdominal symptoms, and surgical treatment is recommended.
Baseline health‐related quality of life in the management of prostate cancer
Authors: ISHIHARA MASAHARU , SUZUKI HIROYOSHI , AKAKURA KOICHIRO , KOMIYA AKIRA , IMAMOTO TAKASHI , TOBE TOYOFUSA , ICHIKAWA TOMOHIKO 
Published: July 2006

Objectives:  The purpose of this study was to clarify characteristics of baseline health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) during the diagnostic process of prostate cancer.Methods:  A prospective study was conducted to measure HRQOL in a cohort of 141 patients in whom prostate cancer was suspected and prostate biopsy was scheduled, using both generic and disease‐specific HRQOL measures (SF‐36, UCLA‐Prostate Cancer Index) at two points: before prostate biopsy (prediagnosis) and after giving biopsy results (postdiagnosis). Seventy‐three patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 68 were not.Results:  Compared to age‐gender adjusted population norms, patients demonstrated better physical function (PF) and worse mental health (MH). Characteristic age‐related changes were found in PF and sexual function (SXF); however, disease stage exhibited no relevant effects in HRQOL. No significant difference was detected between pre‐ and postdiagnosis SF‐36 and UCLA‐PCI scores.Conclusion:  The present study discovered no relevant impact of the diagnostic process of prostate cancer on baseline HRQOL using SF‐36 and UCLA‐PCI. Combined with results of previous studies, it is supportive of regarding pretreatment levels of HRQOL as the baseline.
A proposal of subcategorization of bacterial prostatitis: NIH category I and II diseases can be further subcategorized on analysis by therapeutic and immunological procedures
Authors: NAIDE YORIO , ISHIKAWA KIYOHITO , TANAKA TOSHIYUKI , ANDO SHIN , SUZUKI KEIZO , HOSHINAGA KIYOTAKA 
Published: July 2006

Aim:  We propose preliminarily that acute (category I of the NIH consensus definition) and chronic prostatitis (category II) can be subcategorized into primary and recurrent diseases based on the precise analysis of the clinical course and the immunological parameters in prostatic secretions of our cases.Methods:  Five patients with stone‐free, acute febrile prostatitis and nine patients with acute episodes of afebrile urinary infection were included. The expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) were collected soon after the acute illnesses subsided after medication administration and they were examined microscopically, bacteriologically, and serologically. First‐line medications were cefem antibiotics with conventional doses for febrile cases and low doses for afebrile cases. They were administered for at least 2 weeks. Second‐line conventional medication with sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim or levofloxacin was given only to the patients in whom remaining prostatic infections were revealed.Results:  The first‐line medications were successful in all patients and they promptly became asymptomatic in 1 week. All the EPS were infected except for two afebrile cases. Prostatic infections were eradicated by second‐line conventional medications. In a patient with afebrile prostatitis whose EPS were free of macrophages and immunoglobulin (Ig)M, the eradication of prostatic pathogens was achieved without second‐line antibacterial medication.Conclusions:  Bacterial prostatitis could be classified into primary and recurrent chronic infections in each of the febrile (category I) and afebrile (category II) illnesses. A cefem regimen in varying doses was a clue for differential diagnosis as it did not affect the pathogens in the prostatic ducts or acini unless heavy urine reflux occurred in the ductal draining systems. Macrophages and immunoglobulins, especially IgM, in the EPS were useful immunological parameters to differentiate primary and recurrent infections of the prostate. Fluoroquinolones or sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim should not be employed in acute urinary infections in male patients until the confirmation of prostatic infection to avoid injudicious use of them, which might cause an increasing prevalence of resistant uropathogens in the community. The evacuation of the prostate by repetitive massage seemed to be effective to enhance the prompt eradication of pathogens from the prostatic tissue and to keep patients asymptomatic throughout the course of the disease by preventing tissue pressure elevation.
Effect of sildenafil on arterial stiffness, as assessed by pulse wave velocity, in patients with erectile dysfunction
Authors: SHIGEMURA KATSUMI , ARAKAWA SOICHI , KAMIDONO SADAO , NAKANO YUZO , FUJISAWA MASATO 
Published: July 2006

Background:  The problems of patients with erectile dysfunction have been recognized, leading to the emergence of sildenafil, which has led to successful treatment in many cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of sildenafil on the pulse wave velocity of patients with erectile dysfunction.Methods:  Fifteen patients with erectile dysfunction were enrolled for this study. The brachial/ankle pulse wave velocity was determined before dosing and at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min after dosing with 25 or 50 mg of sildenafil citrate. Concurrently, the changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and brachial/ankle pulse wave velocity were measured. For the consideration of revised brachial/ankle pulse wave velocity by blood pressure, the systolic blood pressure‐derived brachial/ankle pulse wave was also investigated, and we classified and examined those results with and without risk factors for arteriosclerosis.Results:  The systolic blood pressure decreased significantly at 60 min after dosing compared with the placebo control. The heart rate decreased at 120 min after dosing compared with the placebo control but that decrease was not significant. The brachial/ankle pulse wave velocity transiently decreased at 30 or 60 min after dosing compared with the placebo control, but the decrease was not significant; however, the systolic blood pressure‐derived brachial/ankle pulse wave velocity decreased significantly. In those patients with risk factors for arteriosclerosis, the pulse wave velocity decreased significantly.Conclusions:  In patients with erectile dysfunction who were administered sildenafil, the pulse wave velocity, along with blood pressure, tended to decrease transiently after dosing. There is a possibility that sildenafil affects the improvement of erectile dysfunction via the decrease of pulse wave velocity, especially in patients with risk factors for arteriosclerosis.
Foreskin development before adolescence in 2149 schoolboys
Authors: HSIEH TENG‐FU , CHANG CHAOG‐HSIAN , CHANG SHIH‐SAN 
Published: July 2006

Background:  We examined the external genitalia of 2149 elementary schoolboys in the suburban area of Taichung in Taiwan for an understanding of foreskin development before adolescence.Methods:  The study’s subjects comprised 692 first‐grade boys, 725 fourth‐grade boys, and 732 seventh‐grade boys. The foreskin’s condition was classified as: type I (normal prepuce), type II (adhesion of prepuce), type III (partial phimosis), type IV (phimosis) and type V (circumcised foreskin). Other abnormalities of the genitalia also were recorded. All of the examinations were performed by the same urologist.Results:  The incidence of type I foreskin was 8.2% in first‐grade boys, 21.0% in fourth‐grade boys, and 58.1% in seventh‐grade boys. The incidence of type IV foreskin was 17.1% in first‐grade boys, 9.7% in fourth‐grade boys, and 1.2% in seventh‐grade boys. Only one boy had balanoposthitis. Other abnormalities included inguinal hernia (n = 2), hydrocele (n = 12), cryptorchitism (n = 8), varicocele (n = 22), and subcoronal‐type hypospadia (n = 1).Conclusions:  Physiological phimosis declines with age. Most boys with phimosis in this study did not require treatment.
Possible correlation between polymorphism in the tumor necrosis factor‐beta gene and the clinicopathological features of bladder cancer in Japanese patients
Authors: NONOMURA NORIO , TOKIZANE TAKASHI , NAKAYAMA MASASHI , INOUE HITOSHI , NISHIMURA KAZUO , MURAMATSU MASAAKI , OKUYAMA AKIHIKO 
Published: July 2006

Objectives:  In a variety of cancers, several polymorphisms of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) genes have been reported to result in different clinical outcomes. We investigated whether a polymorphism of the TNF gene is associated with a susceptibility to bladder cancer and its disease status.Methods:  Polymorphisms in the TNF‐α gene promoter (−308 bp) and the NcoI site in the first intron of the TNF‐β gene were analyzed in 141 Japanese patients with bladder cancer and 173 Japanese controls by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. The correlations between the polymorphisms of the TNF genes and the clinicopathological features were analyzed.Results:  The number of cases and controls with TNF‐α2 was too small to be assessable. In contrast, the TNF‐β1/2 genotype at the NcoI site in the first intron conferred a 1.71‐fold increased risk of bladder cancer compared to the TNF‐β2/2 genotype. In the bladder cancer group, patients with the TNF‐β1 allele had a significantly higher risk for a high‐grade tumor (grade 3) or carcinoma in situ (CIS) than those without the TNF‐β1 allele. Moreover, in the superficial bladder cancers, patients with the TNF‐β1 allele showed a significantly higher intravesical recurrence rate than those without the TNF‐β1 allele.Conclusion:  This polymorphism in the TNF‐β gene appears to be associated with tumor occurrence and disease status, such as the tumor grade and the presence of CIS. Further study with an increased sample size is warranted.
Ovarian carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation: Review of five cases referring to immunohistochemical characterization
Authors: Yasuda Masanori , Kajiwara Hiroshi , Osamura Yoshiyuki R. , Hirasawa Takeshi , Muramatsu Toshinari , Murakami Masaru , Takagi Masayuki , Tadokoro Mamoru , Kobayashi Youichi , Inayama Yoshiaki , Miyagi Etsuko , Nakatani Yukio 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAim:  To review five ovarian carcinomas with varying degrees of neuroendocrine differentiation (ND) using an immunohistochemical study focused on the relationship with morphological features.Methods:  ND was immunohistochemically analyzed using 21 antibodies by an indirect immunoperoxidase method, and ploidy pattern was analyzed using paraffin sections.Results:  The tumors were divided according to tumor cell size into ‘small‐sized’ for case 1, ‘intermediate‐sized’ for cases 2 and 3, and ‘large‐sized’ for cases 4 and 5. Expressions of neuroendocrine markers and argyrophil reaction tended to be strengthened as tumor cell size increased. Cases 1, 2 and 3 showed diploid pattern and cases 4 and 5 showed aneuploid pattern.Conclusion:  ND of ovarian carcinomas is closely related to morphological features represented by the cell size. Therefore, ovarian carcinomas with ND should be defined because the disease entity is not successfully integrated irrespective of the highly malignant potential.
Evolution and management of a hepatocellular carcinoma during pregnancy
Authors: Alvarez de la Rosa Margarita , Nicolás‐Pérez David , Muñiz‐Montes José Ramón , Trujillo‐Carrillo José Luis 
Published: July 2006

AbstractCoexistence of a hepatocellular carcinoma with pregnancy is extremely rare. The authors present the case of an African woman positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and referred to our hospital for suspected cervical incompetence in which a surgically unapproachable hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. The patient refused termination of pregnancy or liver transplantation because of religious beliefs. In this case, the authors had the opportunity to follow the growth of the mass throughout the pregnancy and puerperium.
CA‐125 levels in ruptured and unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancies
Authors: Malatyalioglu Erdal , Ozer Sinan , Kokcu Arif , Cetinkaya Mehmet B. , Alper Tayfun , Tosun Migraci 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAim:  This prospective, single‐blind and controlled clinical study aimed to research if CA‐125 levels could be a useful test in the differential diagnosis of intact and ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy.Methods:  Sixty‐five women with tubal ectopic pregnancy of 5–10 weeks’ duration (27 women with ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy [REP] and 38 women with unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy [UREP]) and 65 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy (NIUP) of the same gestational age were studied prospectively. Serum CA‐125 levels were measured in all women and these levels were compared among the REP, UREP, and NIUP groups.Results:  The mean CA‐125 levels didn’t show any significant difference between the REP and NIUP groups (P > 0.05). The mean CA‐125 levels of these two groups were higher than that in the UREP group (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, respectively). The dispersion ratios of the CA‐125 levels had a statistically significant difference between the REP and UREP groups (χ2: 42.44, P < 0.0001). CA‐125 levels weren’t correlated with gestational weeks in the REP and UREP groups (r: 0.005, P > 0.05; r: 0.008, P > 0.05, respectively).Conclusion:  In intact tubal ectopic pregnancies, expectant or managed with medical treatment, the increase of CA‐125 levels in the serial measurements could be a supplementary test for an early diagnosis of tubal rupture.
Rapid detection of trisomy 21 by gene dosage analysis using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Tsujie Tomoko , Takemura Masahiko , Kimura Tadashi , Shimoya Koichiro , Tsutsui Tateki , Ogita Kazuhide , Ozaki Mamoru , Murata Yuji 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAim:  Rapid detection of fetal aneuploidy helps inform a mother’s choice about the course of her pregnancy. Obtaining results by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) requires more than 24 h, and thus a more rapid method is needed.Methods:  Conventional G‐banding and FISH for chromosome 21 were performed for cultured amniocytes. Genomic DNA was extracted from uncultured amniocytes obtained from 23 patients. TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed to amplify the potassium voltage gated channel gene on chromosome 21q22.12 and the ribosomal phosphoprotein gene on 18q21.1. Quantitative real‐time PCR was performed for these two gene fragments and the differences of the threshold cycle (Ct) of the two genes (Ct 18–Ct 21) were calculated for each sample.Results:  G‐banding revealed that 19 patients had a normal karyotype and four had trisomy 21. FISH resulted in one case of a false positive. The ΔCt values (Ct 18–Ct 21) of trisomy 21 patients were significantly higher than the values of individuals with normal karyotypes (P < 0.001) and there was no overlapping.Conclusions:  Fetal trisomy 21 is rapidly detectable by gene dosage analysis from amniocytes using quantitative real‐time PCR.
Microarray and genetic analysis of electron transfer to electrodes in Geobacter sulfurreducens
Authors: Holmes Dawn E. , Chaudhuri Swades K. , Nevin Kelly P. , Mehta Teena , Methé Barbara A. , Liu Anna , Ward Joy E. , Woodard Trevor L. , Webster Jennifer , Lovley Derek R. 
Published: July 2006

SummaryWhole‐genome analysis of gene expression in Geobacter sulfurreducens revealed 474 genes with transcript levels that were significantly different during growth with an electrode as the sole electron acceptor versus growth on Fe(III) citrate. The greatest response was a more than 19‐fold increase in transcript levels for omcS, which encodes an outer‐membrane cytochrome previously shown to be required for Fe(III) oxide reduction. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Northern analyses confirmed the higher levels of omcS transcripts, which increased as power production increased. Deletion of omcS inhibited current production that was restored when omcS was expressed in trans. Transcript expression and genetic analysis suggested that OmcE, another outer‐membrane cytochrome, is also involved in electron transfer to electrodes. Surprisingly, genes for other proteins known to be important in Fe(III) reduction such as the outer‐membrane c‐type cytochrome, OmcB, and the electrically conductive pilin ‘nanowires’ did not have higher transcript levels on electrodes, and deletion of the relevant genes did not inhibit power production. Changes in the transcriptome suggested that cells growing on electrodes were subjected to less oxidative stress than cells growing on Fe(III) citrate and that a number of genes annotated as encoding metal efflux proteins or proteins of unknown function may be important for growth on electrodes. These results demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to evaluate gene expression, and hence the metabolic state, of microorganisms growing on electrodes on a genome‐wide basis and suggest that OmcS, and to a lesser extent OmcE, are important in electron transfer to electrodes. This has important implications for the design of electrode materials and the genetic engineering of microorganisms to improve the function of microbial fuel cells.
Transcription and mass‐spectroscopic proteomic studies of electron transport oxidoreductases in Dehalococcoides ethenogenes
Authors: Morris R. M. , Sowell S. , Barofsky D. , Zinder S. , Richardson R. 
Published: July 2006

SummaryBesides 19 potential reductive dehalogenase genes, the genome of Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 contains over 60 genes annotated as encoding oxidoreductases, including five hydrogenase complexes and a formate dehydrogenase (Fdh). Using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we found that genes encoding a periplasmic Hup hydrogenase and the Fdh were the most highly expressed in batch‐grown pure cultures, in which the H2 partial pressure was > 0.1 atm, and in butyrate/tetrachloroethene‐mixed cultures, in which H2 partial pressures were 10−4−10−5 atm. Shotgun electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify multiple peptides in pure culture membrane‐enriched fractions matching several highly expressed respiratory enzymes, including three hydrogenases, two reductive dehalogenases, Fdh and DET1407, a 105.5‐kDa protein we propose to be part of an S‐layer cell wall. Both transcript and mass spectrometric approaches indicated that the putative Fdh was an important oxidoreductase in these cells; nevertheless, D. ethenogenes cultures could not use formate as an electron donor for reductive dechlorination. Analysis of the gene encoding the large subunit of Fdh indicated that while it was related to other Fdh proteins, its sequence encodes serine rather than cysteine or selenocysteine at a critical position, casting doubt on its function. Overall, genomic and proteomic approaches have provided novel insights into the metabolism of this difficult to culture organism.