TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: The expression of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), a marker of axonal growth, in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervating the lumbar intervertebral disc was assessed using the retrograde tracing method and immunohistochemistry.', 'To study whether disc inflammation affects GAP-43 expression in DRG neurons innervating the disc in rats.', 'Persistent inflammation and nerve ingrowth into the inner layer of degenerated discs can be a cause of discogenic pain. Although the presence of GAP-43-expressing nerve fibers in painful discs has been reported, the expression of GAP-43 in DRG neurons innervating the disc has not been studied.', "Seven days after the application of Fluoro-Gold to the L5-L6 disc, 50 microL of saline (n = 10, control group) or complete Freund's adjuvant (n = 10, inflammatory group) was applied to the disc in rats. Ten days after the Fluoro-Gold application, T13-L5 DRGs were double-stained with GAP-43 and either calcitonin gene-related peptide or isolectin B4 (IB4).", 'The percentage of Fluoro-Gold-labeled neurons that were positive for GAP-43 was significantly higher in the inflammatory group (44%) than in the control group (24%, P < 0.001). In both groups, the majority of GAP-43-positive neurons were small and positive for calcitonin gene-related peptide but not IB4.\Question: Does disc inflammation potentially promote axonal regeneration of dorsal root ganglion neurons innervating lumbar intervertebral disc in rats?

SOLUTION: The present results suggest that disc inflammation potentially promotes axonal growth of DRG neurons innervating the disc. In light of the strong correlation between the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide and nerve growth factor receptor, it is most likely that nerve growth factor-sensitive DRG neurons extend their axons following disc inflammation.

PROBLEM: Context: Although the echolucent plaque in carotid stenosis is associated with future ischemic stroke, the predictive value of echogenicity in small and medium size carotid plaques on vascular events has not been thoroughly examined. Thus, we prospectively tested the hypothesis that plaque echogenicity of carotid atheroma can predict the future total cardiovascular events in patients with vascular risk factors.', 'Ultrasound assessment of carotid intima-media complex thickness (IMT) and plaque echogenicity using integrated backscatter (IBS) analysis was performed in 596 patients aged 40 or more, with any history of vascular events or with at least 1 risk factor, who were enrolled between 2001 and 2006 in the Osaka Follow-up Study for Carotid Atherosclerosis, part 2 (OSACA2). We followed the incidence of total cardiovascular events including cerebrovascular events, coronary heart disease (CHD), and peripheral artery disease (PAD) for 6.4 years. We divided the patients into two groups according to the IBS index above (echorich plaques) and under (echolucent plaque) the median value, and calculated the hazard ratios (HR) of the echolucent group compared with the echogenic group in the risk of cardiovascular events.', 'Among 596 patients, carotid stenosis was found only in 87 patients. During the follow-up period, we observed 121 cardiovascular events including 63 cerebrovascular events, 45 CHD cases, and 13 PAD cases. The patients with incident cardiovascular events had larger plaque thickness and lower IBS index than those without incident vascular events. The relative risk of vascular events for echolucent versus echorich plaques was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-2.13, p = 0.058) after adjustment for risk factors and plaque thickness. In patients with plaque size above the median value (>2.1 mm), the relative risk of vascular events for echolucent plaques was 1.72 (95% CI 1.06-2.85, p = 0.029), but this association was not observed in patients with plaque size <2.0 mm.\Question: Does echogenicity of medium-to-large carotid plaques predict future vascular events?

SOLUTION: The association between echogenicity of carotid plaque and incident vascular events is dependent on the plaque size. Echolucent medium-to-large plaques, but not small plaques, are associated with the risk of future total cardiovascular events. This finding suggests that measurement of echolucency in medium-to-large carotid plaques may improve selection of patients at high risk for total vascular events.

PROBLEM: Context: Diabetes is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and low-degree inflammation may play a central role in both diseases. Glycosylated haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) is an established measure of long-term glycaemic control but data on its correlation with markers of inflammation are limited, especially in patients with atherosclerotic manifestations. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate the associations between HbA(1c) and a panel of inflammation-sensitive parameters in patients with and without diabetes.', 'This single centre cross-sectional study comprised 314 consecutive subjects who underwent coronary angioplasty for stable coronary artery disease. Sixty-six patients had diabetes mellitus. Haemoglobin A(1c) and markers of inflammation, i.e., plasma levels of CRP, fibrinogen, and albumin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and white blood cell count were measured. All inflammation markers were altered in a more inflammatory direction in diabetic patients. Furthermore, when non-diabetic patients with HbA(1c) levels within the normal range were studied separately, all inflammation-sensitive parameters except albumin correlated significantly with HbA(1c).\Question: Are markers of inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease also associated with glycosylated haemoglobin A1c within the normal range?

SOLUTION:
In subjects with known coronary atherosclerosis, low-degree inflammatory activity is not only increased in diabetic patients, but also increased with increasing HbA(1c) in non-diabetic individuals with HbA(1c) within the normal range, i.e., at a pre-diabetic level of glucose metabolism derangement.