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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Congestive cardiac failure (CCF) as a cause of fatal stroke and all cause death.

BACKGROUND: Congestive cardiac failure (CCF) has been found to be a clinical risk factor for stroke in patients with non rheumatic atrial fibrillation. AIMS: To study CCF as a risk factor for stroke deaths and all cause deaths in coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Case control study from a single cardiologist's practice: 370 deaths, 32 (9%) from stroke; controls of 160 and 370 consecutive patients for stroke deaths and all cause deaths respectively. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression. RESULTS: A--Stroke deaths. Positive associations for CHD with CCF, hypertension; negative association for CHD without CCF. Patients with CHD and CCF were 7.4 times as likely to die from stroke as patients with CHD without CCF. B--All cause deaths. Positive associations for CHD or cardiomyopathy with CCF, atrial fibrillation, diabetes and hypertension; negative association for CHD without CCF. Patients with CHD and CCF were 6.1 times as likely to die from all causes as patients with CHD without CCF. CONCLUSIONS: Many stroke deaths in patients with CHD and CCF may be cardioembolic in origin. A randomised controlled trial in such patients is indicated to see if anticoagulants can reduce the incidence of stroke.

Adolescent↗

Body weight change, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relation between weight variability and death in high-risk, middle-aged men participating in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). DESIGN: Cohort study with 3.8 years of follow-up. SETTING: Multicenter, collaborative, primary prevention trial conducted at 22 clinical centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Men (n = 10,529) who were 35 to 57 years old at baseline and who were in the upper 10% to 15% of risk for coronary heart disease because of smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol level. Participants were seen at least annually for 6 to 7 years for medical evaluations in study clinical centers. MEASUREMENTS: Death from cardiovascular disease (228 deaths) and from all causes (380 deaths). RESULTS: The primary measure of weight variability was the intrapersonal standard deviation of weight (ISD), which was calculated from measured weights obtained at clinic visits during a 6- to 7-year period. All-cause death rates per 1000 person-years of follow-up across ISD quartiles were 8.28, 8.25, 10.57, and 11.07 from the first to fourth quartiles, respectively. After adjusting for baseline risk factors associated with weight change, the relative risk for all-cause mortality in the fourth compared with the first quartile was 1.64 (95% CI, 1.21 to 2.23). Cardiovascular death and ISD showed a similar pattern. The association between weight change and death was not observed in the heaviest men. CONCLUSION: Greater weight variability was associated with a greater risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in some types of high-risk men.

Adult↗

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus causes changes in primary sensory neuronal cytoskeletal mRNA levels that mimic those caused by axotomy.

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons are particularly vulnerable to diabetes mellitus. There is evidence that the disease decreases both circulating and retrogradely transported neurotrophic factors that are essential to the normal maintenance and function of these cells. A substantive loss of trophic support should cause DRG neurons to respond as though they were axotomized and, like an axotomy, cause significant changes in cytoskeletal gene expression within these cells. Such changes might contribute to the deficits in sensory neuronal function that characterize diabetic neuropathy. The current study used quantitative in situ hybridization to test the hypothesis that streptozotocin-induced diabetes, like an axotomy, increases class III beta-tubulin gene expression and decreases neurofilament 68-kDa gene expression in lumbar DRG neurons. In animals that had been diabetic for 8 weeks with mean blood glucose levels of 340 mg/dl, lumbar DRG class III beta-tubulin mRNA mean steady-state levels were twofold higher than those in age-matched nondiabetic controls. Moreover, in the same animals, diabetes decreased lumbar DRG 68-kDa neurofilament mRNA mean steady-state levels by more than half. These data show that diabetes causes changes in primary sensory neuronal cytoskeletal gene expression that mimic those caused by axotomy. Moreover, they support the idea that a loss of neurotrophic support contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.

Animals↗

Concurrent chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi and actinomycetoma caused by Nocardia brasiliensis.

Chromoblastomycosis and mycetoma are chronic infections caused by the repeated traumatic inoculation of organisms into the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Chromoblastomycosis is caused by several dematiaceous (pigmented) fungi, occurs in tropical regions, and usually affects the lower extremities. The lesions may be nodules, plaques, or tumorous masses. Mycetomas are caused by either true fungi (eumycetes) or filamentous bacteria (actinomycetes); they also occur predominantly in tropical areas and most frequently affect the foot or leg. Typically there is a firm swelling with multiple sinus tracts that drain small granules. The treatment of these infections is difficult. Surgery, cryotherapy, heat therapy, and antimicrobial agents are used to treat chromoblastomycosis. Surgery and antimicrobial agents are used for treatment of mycetomas. This is the first report of concurrent infections caused by these agents.

Back↗

The relationship between serum total cholesterol and all-cause or cause-specific mortality in a 17.3-year study of a Japanese cohort.

No study has shown a positive relationship between hypercholesterolemia and all-cause mortality in the Japanese population. Therefore, a cohort study of 17.3 years' duration was conducted on 9216 participants aged 30 years or older, selected randomly from throughout Japan. In both the lowest (<4.14mmol/L, 160mg/dl) and highest (>or=6.71mmol/L, 260mg/dl) total cholesterol (TC) groups, there was a positive association between TC and risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.37 and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.05-1.77), respectively). The lowest TC group had an increased risk of liver disease (HR 3.03; 95% CI, 1.70-5.43), whereas the highest TC group had an increased risk of coronary heart disease (HR 3.81; 95% CI, 1.70-5.43). After exclusion of deaths due to liver disease during the entire follow-up period and all-cause deaths within the first 5 years of follow-up, the increased HR in the lowest TC group disappeared (HR 1.05; 95% CI, 0.89-1.24). Although the cut-off point seemed to be higher than that for Western populations, hypercholesterolemia was shown to be positively associated with all-cause mortality in Japan.

Adult↗

Necrotizing fasciitis caused by Vibrio vulnificus differs from that caused by streptococcal infection.

We reviewed the clinical record of all patients admitted to Saga Medical School Hospital during the most recent 10 years and found that 17 (0.03%) were diagnosed as having necrotizing fasciitis. Bacteriological examination demonstrated that Vibrio vulnificus was the pathogen responsible in five patients (29%). The disease caused by V. vulnificus occurred in the warmer half of the year. All of the patients had underlying chronic liver dysfunction, and three of them had previously consumed raw seafood. In these patients, the predominant skin lesions were oedema and subcutaneous bleeding, such as ecchymosis and purpura, while superficial necrosis was not recognized. Three patients died of systemic complications. By contrast, all of the five patients with necrotizing fasciitis caused by Streptococcus pyogenes had the disorder in winter, and only one of them had chronic liver dysfunction. In skin lesions, subcutaneous bleeding was rare but necrosis was seen often. Despite the high incidence of systemic complications, no patients with streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis died. These findings suggest that the clinical features of necrotizing fasciitis caused by V. vulnificus are different from those of necrotizing fasciitis caused by classical pathogens, and that the two should be differentiated as early as possible to improve the prognosis.

Adolescent↗

v-abl causes hematopoietic disease distinct from that caused by bcr-abl.

v-abl, the oncogene transduced by Abelson murine leukemia virus, was first characterized by its ability to transform lymphoid cells. bcr-abl, the oncogene formed by a t(9;22) translocation thought to occur in human hematopoietic stem cells, is detectable in almost all cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a malignancy of granulocytic cells. bcr-abl also causes a CML-like syndrome in mice whose bone-marrow cells are infected with a retrovirus transducing the gene. More recent reports have suggested that v-abl can, however, cause a disease similar to CML. We demonstrate here that v-abl, when transduced in a helper virus-containing system, causes disease similar to, but distinct from, the CML-like syndrome induced by bcr-abl. Animals whose bone marrow has been infected by v-abl virus develop modest splenomegaly, marked granulocytosis, and malignant disease of several hematopoietic cell types. Unlike animals with CML-like disease resulting from bcr-abl, the polymorphonuclear leukocytes from animals infected with a v-abl construct do not contain the v-abl provirus at a significant frequency. Histopathologic analysis also shows significant differences between the diseases caused by v-abl and bcr-abl.

Abelson murine leukemia virus↗

Endoluminal pelvic perfusion with norepinephrine causes only minor systemic effects and diminishes the increase in pelvic pressure caused by perfusion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of endoluminal norepinephrine (NE) on transport pressures of the normal upper urinary tract of the pig and on plasma levels of NE in relation to possible systemic effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six anaesthetized pigs weighing approximately 39 kg were studied. Transparenchymally, two 6-F catheters were introduced into the renal pelvis bilaterally to measure pressure and perfusion. Ultrasonic flow probes recorded renal arterial blood flow, and a transurethral 10-F catheter drained the bladder and monitored diuresis. In all six animals, the bilateral pelvic pressure response was examined at increasing perfusion rates (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 15 ml/min) and with increasing doses of NE (0, 5, 50 and 100 microg/ml). Arterial blood samples were analysed for NE, epinephrine and blood glucose. The systemic blood pressure, heart rate and electrocardiogram were registered. RESULTS: At all the investigated concentrations, endoluminal NE significantly diminished the increase in pelvic pressure caused by pelvic perfusion at all flow rates. At the lowest concentration of NE, no significant increase in the plasma level of NE was observed and the blood pressure did not increase. During perfusion with 50 and 100 microg/ml NE, plasma levels of NE increased significantly from 487+/-398 to 1798+/-910 and 2961+/-2093 pg/ml, respectively. This was accompanied by significant rises in mean systolic blood pressure from a baseline value of 95+/-10 mmHg to 111+/-20 and 118+/-23 mmHg, respectively. Heart rate, renal arterial blood flow and plasma levels of epinephrine and glucose did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Endoluminal NE diminished the increase in pelvic pressure caused by pelvic perfusion even at concentrations too low to cause significant changes in NE plasma levels or systemic effects. Very high NE concentrations in the perfusion fluid caused increased plasma levels and a modest but significant increase in blood pressure. Administration of endoluminal NE may be useful in upper urinary tract stone treatment and endoscopy.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

Prolonged paralysis, caused by the local injection of botulinum toxin, fails to cause motor nerve terminal sprouting in skeletal muscle of the frog.

Injection of a sublethal dose of botulinum toxin (type D) into the cutaneous pectoris muscle of the frog caused paralysis for about three months, but in contrast to previous studies in the mammal, did not appear to cause axonal sprouting from motor nerve terminals. In frogs in which the cutaneous pectoris had been denervated by crushing its nerve, reinnervation occurred within 2--3 weeks and axonal sprouts beyond the original end-plates were often observed. When the hypoglossal nerve was implanted into the cutaneus pectoris, crushing the original nerve caused profuse axonal growth from the implanted nerve towards the denervated end-plates within one week, whereas injection of botulinum toxin had little effect. Stimulation of the implanted nerve caused contraction of those cutaneus pectoris muscles whose original nerves had been crushed, but no response to stimulation of the implanted nerve was seen in those muscles in which botulinum toxin had been injected. The failure of botulinum toxin to induce nerve sprouting and acceptance of foreign innervation in the frog may be due to the fact that activity may play a less important role in the neural control of the physiological properties of muscle in this species than in the mammal.

Animals↗

Investigating the causes of fever in critically ill patients. Are you overlooking noninfectious causes?

Fever is common in the ICU because of patients' underlying chronic and critical illnesses, their tendency to receive multiple medications, and their frequent need for invasive procedures. Precise data on the etiology of fever in the ICU are lacking. However, common noninfectious causes include postoperative fever, drug fever, intramuscular injections, hemorrhage, and pulmonary atelectasis. Urinary tract infection appears to be the most common infectious cause, followed by pneumonia and sepsis. Many noninfectious conditions are potentially life-threatening; nevertheless, it is crucial to first exclude an infectious cause, since an untreated infection may cause rapid deterioration.

Critical Care↗

[A case of chronic persistent cough (CPC) caused by gastroesophageal reflux (GER) (including a study of CPC caused by suspected GER)].

A patient, an 80-year-old female, had complained of a cough for 20 weeks, and was not cured by cough medicine. Gastroesophageal reflux was considered as the cause of the cough because of her symptoms and gastrointestinal fiberscopy (GIF) and barium meal studies. She made favorable progress on a histamine H2 blocker and cysapurid for 4 weeks. Therefore we diagnosed her cough as caused by gastroesophageal reflux. We also studied the incidence of chronic persistent cough in patients suspected of gastroesophageal reflux because of symptoms and GIF results. Among 676 cases examined by GIF at Niigata-kenritsu Myoko Hospital, we detected 7 cases who complained of heartburn and in whom we observed hiatal hernia and reflux esophagitis by GIF. Only one of them, the present case, complained of a cough. CPC caused by gastroesophageal reflux is not seen frequently, but the possibility of GER as the cause of CPC should be considered.

Aged↗

[Morbidity status, causes for work disability and social factors influencing work disability in pregnancy. 2. Causes for work disability].

The higher level of patients of pregnant woman in comparison with non-pregnant ones results from a higher unfitness for work which nearly corresponds to the increase of sicknesses depending on gestation. From all causes of unfitness for work more than 60% were depending on gestation. Causes for the half of the release from work depending on gestation were the three diagnoses threatening abortion, threatening premature birth and bleedings. On the total level of patients of 11.66% they had a share of 5.70% points. Infections of the ureter, the diagnosis' 'Other complications in pregnancy', hyperemesis and gestoses followed. Infections of the upper respiratory tract and influenza were the causes of all releases from work which were not depending on gestation. Their share on the level of patients amounted to 0.9% points. Releases from work because of sicknesses of circulation and of the digestive tract followed in their frequency. A number of further causes of unfitness for work had only a small share on the happenings of unfitness for work.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

All-cause and cause-specific mortality of immigrants and native born in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether US-born people and immigrants 25 years or older differ in their risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality and whether these differentials, if they exist, vary according to age, sex, and race/ethnicity. METHODS: Using data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study (1979-1989), we derived mortality risks of immigrants relative to those of US-born people by using a Cox regression model after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, urban/rural residence, education, occupation, and family income. RESULTS: Immigrant men and women had, respectively, an 18% and 13% lower risk of overall mortality than their US-born counterparts. Reduced mortality risks were especially pronounced for younger and for Black and Hispanic immigrants. Immigrants showed significantly lower risks of mortality from cardiovascular diseases, lung and prostate cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cirrhosis, pneumonia and influenza, unintentional injuries, and suicide but higher risks of mortality from stomach and brain cancer and infectious diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality patterns for immigrants and for US-born people vary considerably, with immigrants experiencing lower mortality from several major causes of death. Future research needs to examine the role of sociocultural and behavioral factors in explaining the mortality advantage of immigrants.

Adult↗

Evolution of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the age-class 75-84 years during the period 1970-1996. A worldwide overview.

The mean age of nearly all industrialised populations is increasing, due to a lower birth rate and increased expectation of life. The calendar age, however, does not equal biological age. At all ages below 85 years subjects now have higher life expectancies than e.g. 40 years ago. In the age class 75-84 years, during the period 1970-latest available year (around 1996), important decreases in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities occur both from ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, with the exception of Eastern Europe. Gompertz equations demonstrate that all-cause mortality in the age class 75-84 years cannot be isolated from groups age classes above age of 35 years since the R2 of the equations > 0.99 in all countries. In the age class 75-84 years cancer mortality increased in a majority of countries: as a result the decline in mortality is nearly exclusively due to a decrease in non-cancer mortality especially cardiovascular mortality. A passive attitude towards the possibility of influencing all-cause mortality in the age class 75-84 years is not warranted.

Aged↗

Neurogenic dysphagia: what is the cause when the cause is not obvious?

The potential causes of neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia in cases in which the underlying neurologic disorder is not readily apparent are discussed. The most common basis for unexplained neurogenic dysphagia may be cerebrovascular disease in the form of either confluent periventricular infarcts or small, discrete brainstem stroke, which may be invisible by magnetic resonance imaging. The diagnosis of occult stroke causing pharyngeal dysphagia should not be overlooked, because this diagnosis carries important treatment implications. Motor neuron disease producing bulbar palsy, pseudobulbar palsy, or a combination of the two can present as gradually progressive dysphagia and dysarthria with little if any limb involvement. Myopathies, especially polymyositis, and myasthenia gravis are potentially treatable disorders that must be considered. A variety of medications may cause or exacerbate neurogenic dysphagia. Psychiatric disorders can masquerade as swallowing apraxia. The basis for unexplained neurogenic dysphagia can best be elucidated by methodical evaluation including careful history, neurologic examination, videofluoroscopy of swallowing, blood studies (CBC, chemistry panel, creatine kinase, B12, thyroid screening, and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies), electromyography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, plus additional procedures such as lumbar puncture and muscle biopsy as indicated. Little is known about aging and neurogenic dysphagia, specifically the relative contributions of natural age-related changes in the oropharynx and of diseases of the elderly, including periventricular MRI abnormalities, in producing dysphagia symptoms and videofluoroscopic abnormalities in this population.

Age Factors↗

Comparison of the clinical and laboratory features of muscle infections caused by Salmonella and those caused by other pathogens.

Muscle infections caused by Salmonella constitute an uncommon complication of extraenteric salmonellosis. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical features of Salmonella muscle infections with those reported in several large series of typical, both tropical and non-tropical, pyomyositis, caused mostly by Staphylococcus aureus. A literature survey of Salmonella muscle infections was carried out by using MEDLINE files 1966 through 2000, and cross-references from the selected articles, as well as major reviews of Salmonella infections and of pyomyositis. The survey yielded 32 cases suitable for analysis. The sex distribution, duration of symptom at presentation, degree of fever, involvement of multiple muscle groups, and leukocyte counts were not significantly different between patients with muscle infections caused by Salmonella and typical pyomyositis patients. In contrast, the median age of the patients with Salmonella muscle infections, and the rate of underlying conditions, were significantly higher than those in typical pyomyositis. Psoas muscle was involved more commonly in Salmonella infections than in typical pyomyositis, and the yield of positive blood cultures and, particularly, the mortality rate, were substantially higher in Salmonella muscle infections than in typical pyomyositis. We conclude that patients with Salmonella muscle infections seem to have some different characteristics with respect to typical pyomyositis, such as older age, and higher rates of associated conditions, psoas muscle involvement, bacteremia, and mortality.

Female↗

Significant changes in nonspecific bronchial responsiveness after isolated immediate bronchospecific reactions caused by isocyanates but not after a late reaction caused by plicatic acid.

Although late bronchospastic reactions after exposure to antigenic and sensitizing agents usually significantly alter bronchial responsiveness to histamine or methacholine, presumably by causing bronchial inflammation, isolated immediate bronchospastic reactions do not induce such changes. We studied three subjects who demonstrated different patterns of reaction. The first individual was diagnosed as having occupational asthma to red cedar. This was confirmed by specific inhalation challenges that resulted in late bronchospastic reaction. No significant changes in the provocative concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) were found 1 day after this reaction. Two weeks later, serial assessments (five and six, respectively) of PC20 histamine were recorded on control days and up to 48 hours after exposure to plicatic acid, which caused a late bronchospastic reaction with a maximum fall of 37% in FEV1. No significant changes in PC20 were found; the maximum variations on control days were 0.36 to 0.74 mg/ml, and on active days, from 0.37 to 0.59 mg/ml. By contrast, two other subjects, who demonstrated isolated immediate reactions after exposure to diphenylmethane diisocyanate, had significant changes in PC20 histamine and methacholine, in one subject from 3.1 mg/ml to 0.6 mg/ml 8 hours after exposure, and in the other subject, from 61.0 to 7.4 mg/ml 7 hours after exposure, with recovery during the next few days. These examples demonstrate that the pattern of nonspecific bronchial responsiveness after immediate and late bronchospastic reactions can be different from what has previously been described. Immediate bronchospastic reactions may lead to bronchial hyperresponsiveness, whereas late asthmatic reactions do not always induce changes in bronchial responsiveness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Splicing mutations of 54-bp exons in the COL11A1 gene cause Marshall syndrome, but other mutations cause overlapping Marshall/Stickler phenotypes.

Stickler and Marshall syndromes are dominantly inherited chondrodysplasias characterized by midfacial hypoplasia, high myopia, and sensorineural-hearing deficit. Since the characteristics of these syndromes overlap, it has been argued whether they are distinct entities or different manifestations of a single syndrome. Several mutations causing Stickler syndrome have been found in the COL2A1 gene, and one mutation causing Stickler syndrome and one causing Marshall syndrome have been detected in the COL11A1 gene. We characterize here the genomic structure of the COL11A1 gene. Screening of patients with Stickler, Stickler-like, or Marshall syndrome pointed to 23 novel mutations. Genotypic-phenotypic comparison revealed an association between the Marshall syndrome phenotype and splicing mutations of 54-bp exons in the C-terminal region of the COL11A1 gene. Null-allele mutations in the COL2A1 gene led to a typical phenotype of Stickler syndrome. Some patients, however, presented with phenotypes of both Marshall and Stickler syndromes.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗