bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Double‐blind study to evaluate efficacy and safety of meloxicam 7.5 mg and 15 mg versus mefenamic acid 1500 mg in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea
Authors: De Mello Nilson Roberto , Baracat Edmund Chada , Tomaz Geraldez , Bedone Aloísio José , Camargos Aroldo , Barbosa Ione Cristina , De Souza Rosival Nassar , Rumi Demetrio Ortega , Martinez Alcala Felix Octavio , Velasco Jorge Antonio Aldrete , Cortes Roberto Jose Risco 
Published: December 2004

Objective.  Assessment of efficacy and safety of meloxicam 7.5 mg and 15 mg once a day (o.a.d.) compared with mefenamic acid 500 mg three times a day (t.i.d.), over a treatment period of 3–5 days, during three menstrual cycles, for primary dysmenorrhea.Study design.  Multicenter, multinational, double‐blind, double‐dummy, three parallel groups, randomized trial, phase IIb, 337 patients. Treatment group comparisons of continuous variables were carried out using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Efficacy was analyzed using Fisher and χ2‐tests.Results.  Meloxicam 7.5 mg and 15 mg showed a similar profile in pain reduction and dysmenorrhea symptoms when compared with mefenamic acid. Thirty‐five subjects presented with gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events (AEs). Two‐thirds of those 35 subjects were in the mefenamic acid group. There were no differences between the safety profiles of the two meloxicam dosages. Laboratory abnormalities did not differ in incidence among the treatment groups.Conclusion.  Both of the daily doses of meloxicam tested were comparable to 500 mg mefenamic acid t.i.d. in relieving dysmenorrhea symptoms, and meloxicam seems to have a better gastrointestinal tolerability profile.
The effect of physical activity on endothelial function in man
Authors: Moyna N. M. , Thompson P. D. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractEndothelial dysfunction occurs early in the atherosclerosis in response to elevated atherosclerotic risk factors, and endothelial dysfunction itself may exacerbate the atherosclerotic process. Treatments that reduce atherosclerotic risk factors also generally improve endothelial function. The present review seeks to summarize the effect of exercise training on endothelial function in human subjects. Cross‐sectional studies comparing healthy physically active and inactive subjects as well as longitudinal exercise training studies of healthy individuals show little effect of exercise training on endothelial function. In contrast, both cross‐section and longitudinal studies document improved endothelial function with exercise training in subjects with abnormal baseline endothelial function, including the elderly and patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease. Improvements in endothelial function with physical activity may explain some of the benefits of exercise in subjects with, or at risk for, vascular disease.
Effects of N‐nitro l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME), a potent nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, on visual evoked potentials of rats exposed to different experimental stress models
Authors: Yargiçoǧlu P. , Yaraş N. , Aǧar A. , Gümüşlü S. , Abidin İ. , Bilmen S. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractAim:  The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N‐nitro l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME, 10 mg kg−1 day−1 i.p.), on visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and lipid peroxidation expected to occur during chronic stress (15 days).Methods:  Eight experimental groups, each consisting of 10 rats, were formed: control group (C), the group injected with l‐NAME (L), groups exposed to cold stress (CS), immobilization stress (IS), and both cold and immobilization stress (CIS), groups exposed to stress and injected with l‐NAME (CSL, ISL, CISL).Results:  l‐NAME decreased brain and retina nitrite levels in all experimental groups compared with their corresponding control groups. l‐NAME decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activity in the brain and retina in the L group, but increased it in the CSL and CISL groups compared with the C group. Lipid peroxidation was increased in the brain and retina tissues of all stress groups with respect to the C group. l‐NAME markedly increased brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels in the L group, while significantly decreasing brain and retina TBARS levels in all stress groups in comparison with their respective control groups. l‐NAME caused a significant delay in all components of VEPs in the L group compared with the C group. However, l‐NAME significantly decreased latencies of P1, N1, P2 and P3 components in the CSL group and all components in the ISL and CISL groups with respect to their corresponding control groups.Conclusion:  This study clearly indicated that lipid peroxidation may be one possible factor affecting VEP components.
Psychiatric comorbidity in first episode psychosis: the Early Psychosis Intervention Program (EPIP) experience
Authors: Sim K. , Swapna V. , Mythily S. , Mahendran R. , Kua E. H. , McGorry P. , Chong S. A. 
Published: December 2004

Objective:To determine the prevalence rates of psychiatric comorbidity in a hospitalized Asian patient group with first episode psychosis and examine its clinical correlates.Method:Seventy‐nine consecutively admitted patients with first episode psychosis were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV‐axis I disorders (patient edition), Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorders (SUMD) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scales.Results:Psychiatric comorbidity was present in 36.7% (n = 29) of the patients. Patients with psychiatric comorbidity were younger (P < 0.05), had an earlier onset of illness (P < 0.05) and better insight on social consequences and flat affect items (P < 0.05) on the SUMD. No significant differences were found between the two groups with and without psychiatric comorbidity in gender, ethnicity, marital status, length of education, employment status, living arrangements, duration of hospitalization and untreated psychosis as well as total PANSS and GAF scores.Conclusion:Psychiatric comorbidity is common thus calling for a greater awareness in clinicians of these conditions, which are often under‐recognized, under‐diagnosed and untreated.
Amphetamine‐like stimulant cessation in an abusing patient treated with bupropion
Authors: Tardieu S. , Poirier Y. , Micallef J. , Blin O. 
Published: December 2004

Objective: Bupropion sustained release is considered to be a weak inhibitor of dopamine and serotonin reuptake.Method: We report the case of an amphetamine‐abusing patient who self‐administered bupropion.Results: Since 30 years, a 52‐year‐old women used amphetamine derivates. She explained her need for amphetamine use in order to perform daily activities. Recently, she decided to experiment with bupropion. She abruptly stopped taking clobenzorex and simultaneously started taking bupropion (150 mg/day). The seventh day she reported a concomitant intake of clobenzorex; this induced adverse effects. Whilst taking bupropion, she described experiencing an euthymic state without any compulsion to take amphetamine drugs and was able to perform daily activities. After stopping it, no symptoms of withdrawal were reported by the patient.Conclusion: This observation supports an another report suggesting that bupropion may be of help in weaning from amphetamine users and should be confirmed by clinical trials.
Going around in circles — circuitous medical management plans
Authors: Sonnenberg A. 
Published: December 2004

SummaryPhysicians occasionally embark on a work‐up that, after a lengthy path, leads them to a clinical situation similar to that from which they started their original pursuit. This article aims to describe the characteristics of circular medical management and means for its avoidance. The underlying medical problem often presents itself initially as a bewildering array of consecutive outcomes similar to a complex decision tree. On closer inspection, however, few of the outcomes are associated with a high probability, and only one path stands out as the most likely one to take. This path usually ends in such options as expectant management, supportive measures or doing nothing, which are already available at the onset of work‐up. If medical management is drawn out and takes a long time to complete, sight of its circular nature is easily lost. If many different specialists care for a patient, little appreciation for circular paths occurs. A prospective outline of the management plan and the elimination of paths with low a priori probability can help to prevent unnecessary medical interventions. The physician may then come to realize that standing still and waiting become as effective and less costly than a lengthy circular work‐up.
Harm minimization in school drug education: final results of the School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP)
Authors: McBride Nyanda , Farringdon Fiona , Midford Richard , Meuleners Lynn , Phillips Mike 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACTAims  The School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project (SHAHRP study) aimed to reduce alcohol‐related harm in secondary school students.Design  The study used a quasi‐experimental research design in which randomly selected and allocated intervention and comparison groups were assessed at eight, 20 and 32 months after baseline.Setting  Metropolitan, government secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia.Participants  The sample involved over 2300 students. The retention rate was 75.9% over 32 months.Intervention  The evidence‐based intervention, a curriculum programme with an explicit harm minimization goal, was conducted in two phases over a 2‐year period.Measures  Knowledge, attitude, total alcohol consumption, risky consumption, context of use, harm associated with own use and harm associated with other people's use of alcohol.Findings  There were significant knowledge, attitude and behavioural effects early in the study, some of which were maintained for the duration of the study. The intervention group had significantly greater knowledge during the programme phases, and significantly safer alcohol‐related attitudes to final follow‐up, but both scores were converging by 32 months. Intervention students were significantly more likely to be non‐drinkers or supervised drinkers than were comparison students. During the first and second programme phases, intervention students consumed 31.4% and 31.7% less alcohol. Differences were converging 17 months after programme delivery. Intervention students were 25.7%, 33.8% and 4.2% less likely to drink to risky levels from first follow‐up onwards. The intervention reduced the harm that young people reported associated with their own use of alcohol, with intervention students experiencing 32.7%, 16.7% and 22.9% less harm from first follow‐up onwards. There was no impact on the harm that students reported from other people's use of alcohol.Conclusions  The results of this study support the use of harm reduction goals and classroom approaches in school drug education.
How can we increase the involvement of primary health care in the treatment of tobacco dependence? A meta‐analysis
Authors: Anderson Peter , Jané‐Llopis Eva 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACTAims A systematic review of studies testing the effectiveness of educational and practice base strategies to increase the involvement of primary health‐care practitioners in the treatment of tobacco dependence.Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library (1966–2001). Selection criteria included studies that used randomized or controlled clinical designs, controlled before and after trials and interrupted time‐series designs and that presented objective and interpretable measures of practitioners’ behaviour and biochemically verified patient quit rates.Review methods A meta‐analysis, using a random effects model, of 24 programmes identified in 19 trials. Effect sizes were adjusted by inverse variance weights to control for studies’ sample sizes.Findings Analyses to explain the heterogeneity of effect sizes found that interventions were equally effective in changing practitioners’ screening and advice‐giving rates and their patients’ quit rates. Absolute increases for the intervention above the comparison groups were 15% (95% CI = 7–22) for screening rates, 13% (95% CI = 9–18) for advice‐giving rates and 4.7% (95% CI = 2.5–6.9) for biochemically verified patient quit rates. Practitioners in training programmes were effective in changing their patients’ quit rates but not their own screening rates; educational interventions were more effective than practice‐based interventions. For established practitioners, programmes were effective in changing their screening and advice‐giving rates, but not their patients’ quit rates; a combination of practice‐based and educational interventions were more effective.Conclusions Primary health‐care practitioners can be engaged in the treatment of tobacco dependence to increase equally their screening and advice‐giving rates and their patients’ quit rates with outcomes of considerable public health and clinical significance. The provision of educational interventions for practitioners in training in combination with systematic outreach practice‐based support for established practitioners is likely to be an effective strategy to increase smoking quit rates throughout primary health care.
Inflammatory bowel disease and hospital treatment in Italy: the RING multi‐centre study
Authors: Soncini M. , Triossi O. , Leo P. , Magni G. ,   (ON BEHALF OF THE RING STUDY GROUP)
Published: December 2004

SummaryAim : To explore the management of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, specifically Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, in Italian gastroenterology units.Methods : The RING (Ricerca Informatizzata in Gastroenterologia) project is an observational study collecting hospital discharge forms from 56 centres. Factors associated with the length of hospital stay were studied using multivariate logistic regression.Results : In 24 months starting from August 2000, out of 29 376 hospital discharge forms, 2131 (7.3%) were collected for inflammatory bowel disease (1163 for Crohn's disease and 968 for ulcerative colitis). The Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis groups were compared according to demographic characteristics, diagnoses, procedures and hospital stay. In Crohn's disease, computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, x‐rays/barium enema, number of procedures and number of diagnoses were significantly associated with a hospital stay longer than 10 days. In ulcerative colitis, this association was found for parenteral nutrition, malnutrition, computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and number of procedures.Conclusions : Crohn's disease was confirmed as a disabling disorder requiring more frequent hospital treatment than ulcerative colitis. For the latter, parenteral nutrition and malnutrition were related to a longer hospital stay. The number of procedures, especially abdominal computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, was a major item for both pathologies.
Successful oesophageal pH monitoring with a catheter‐free system
Authors: Ward E. M. , Devault K. R. , Bouras E. P. , Stark M. E. , Wolfsen H. C. , Davis D. M. , Nedrow S. I. , Achem S. R. 
Published: December 2004

SummaryBackground : Traditional catheter‐based oesophageal pH testing is limited by patient discomfort and the tendency for patients to alter their diet and activities during the study. A catheter‐free pH monitoring system (Bravo) designed to avoid these problems has recently become available, but the advantages and limitations of this device have not been fully explored.Aim : To report our initial experience with this new technology.Methods : The records of consecutive patients undergoing Bravo pH monitoring were reviewed. The squamo‐columnar junction was localized endoscopically and the pH capsule was placed 6 cm above this junction. All patients were re‐endoscoped immediately following placement to document mucosal attachment. Patients were monitored for 24–48 h and then returned the radiotelemetry recording device. Data were subsequently downloaded to a personal computer.Results : Sixty studies were performed over an 11‐month period. In seven of the 60 (12%), the probe did not attach properly, but in six of these a replacement probe was prepared and deployed without difficulty. In one case, the probe could not be attached after two attempts and the procedure was abandoned. During one procedure, the probe was attached to the mucosa at a point 9 cm from the squamo‐columnar junction, but a positive test result was obtained. In two cases, the data were not initially retrievable from the recorder, but in one case the manufacturer was able to retrieve the data overnight. Finally, two patients were away from the data recorder for extended periods, resulting in a loss of data, in two cases, but there was sufficient information for interpretation in both studies. Therefore, adequate diagnostic data were obtained in 58 of the 60 (97%) studies.Conclusions : Catheter‐free pH testing is a major advance in patient convenience and comfort. The technical difficulties associated with this new technology are minimal and appear to be no more frequent than those seen with catheter‐based systems.
Association between polymorphism in IgG Fc receptor IIIa coding gene and biological response to infliximab in Crohn's disease
Authors: Louis E. , El Ghoul Z. , Vermeire S. , Dall'Ozzo S. , Rutgeerts P. , Paintaud G. , Belaiche J. , De Vos M. , Van Gossum A. , Colombel J. ‐F. , Watier H. 
Published: December 2004

SummaryAim : To test the hypothesis of an association between polymorphism in FCGR3A (the gene coding for FcγRIIIa, which is expressed on macrophages and natural killer cells, is involved in antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity and has recently been associated with a positive response to rituximab, a recombinant immunoglobulin G1 antibody used in non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas) and response to infliximab in Crohn's disease.Methods : FCGR3A‐158 polymorphism was determined using an allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction assay in 200 Crohn's disease patients who had received infliximab for either refractory luminal (n = 142) or fistulizing (n = 58) Crohn's disease. Clinical and biological responses (according to C‐reactive protein levels) were assessed in 200 and 145 patients, respectively.Results : There were 82.9% clinical responders in V/V patients vs. 72.7% in V/F and F/F patients (N.S.). Globally, the decrease in C‐reactive protein was significantly higher in V/V patients than in F carriers (P = 0.0078). A biological response was observed in 100% of V/V patients, compared with 69.8% of F carriers (P = 0.0002; relative risk, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.27–1.61). In the sub‐group of patients with elevated C‐reactive protein before treatment, the multivariate analysis selected the use of immunosuppressive drugs and FCGR3A genotype as independent factors influencing the clinical response to infliximab (P = 0.003).Conclusion : Crohn's disease patients with FCGR3A‐158 V/V genotype have a better biological and, possibly, clinical response to infliximab.
Increased circulating and intrahepatic T‐cell‐specific chemokines in chronic hepatitis C: relationship with the type of virological response to peginterferon plus ribavirin combination therapy
Authors: Apolinario A. , Diago M. , Lo Iacono O. , Lorente R. , Pérez C. , Majano P. L. , Clemente G. , García‐Monzón C. 
Published: December 2004

SummaryAims : To determine the serum and intrahepatic levels of T‐helper‐1‐associated chemokines in patients with chronic hepatitis C before, during and after peginterferon plus ribavirin combination therapy and to search for correlations with baseline characteristics of hepatitis C virus‐related chronic liver disease and type of therapeutic response.Methods : Serum chemokine levels were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays and intrahepatic chemokine messenger RNA and protein levels were tested by ribonuclease protection assay and immunohistochemistry.Results : Serum and intrahepatic chemokine levels were elevated in all patients with chronic hepatitis C and showed a marked decrease in patients who obtained a virological response vs. non‐responders. Increased serum interferon‐γ‐inducible protein‐10 levels at baseline in genotype 1‐infected patients were significantly associated with greater degrees of intrahepatic inflammation and fibrosis (P = 0.0046 and P = 0.02, respectively) and with virological non‐response (P = 0.01). In patients with genotype 1, basal serum interferon‐γ‐inducible protein‐10 levels greater than 299 pg/mL identified 80% of non‐responders and lower than 299 pg/mL identified 63% of responders.Conclusions : Circulating and intrahepatic T‐helper‐1‐associated chemokines are abnormally elevated in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Increased baseline serum interferon‐γ‐inducible protein‐10 levels in genotype 1‐infected patients are associated with virological non‐response to peginterferon plus ribavirin combination therapy.
Helicobacter pylori eradication decreases blood neutrophil and monocyte counts
Authors: Kondo Y. , Joh T. , Sasaki M. , Oshima T. , Itoh K. , Tanida S. , Kataoka H. , Ohara H. , Nomura T. , Itoh M. 
Published: December 2004

SummaryBackground : The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on systemic disorders is not well understood.Aim : The purpose of this study was to elucidate the systemic effects of H. pylori infection by comparing differential counts of leukocytes and platelets in peripheral blood before and after eradication of H. pylori.Methods : A total of 164 H. pylori‐positive patients underwent eradication therapy, and populations of peripheral blood leukocytes and platelets before and 0 (just after therapy), 1, 3 and 12 months after eradication were retrospectively analysed.Results : In the eradicated group (n = 138), blood leukocytes, neutrophils and monocytes decreased significantly after eradication, but there was no significant change in eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes or platelets. In the non‐eradicated group (n = 26), there was no significant change in any studied parameter. With regard to smoking status, although leukocytes and neutrophils did not decrease after eradication in the smoking group, they significantly decreased after eradication in the nonsmoking group.Conclusions : These findings suggest that: (1) H. pylori infection increases neutrophil and monocyte counts in the peripheral blood, which indicates a significant role of H. pylori infection in systemic disorders; and (2) Smoking may mask the effect of H. pylori eradication on peripheral leukocytes, which would explain the controversy in previous reports concerning H. pylori infection and peripheral leukocytes.