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Microalbuminuria in nondiabetic adults: relation of blood pressure, body mass index, plasma cholesterol levels, and smoking: The Gubbio Population Study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence exists that cardiovascular risk factors influence progression toward end-stage renal failure. We tested the hypothesis that in nondiabetic middle-aged adults without macroalbuminuria, cardiovascular risk factors are related to urinary albumin excretion and prevalence of microalbuminuria, a sign of early nephropathy. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data for 1567 participants in The Gubbio Population Study (677 men and 890 women), aged 45 to 64 years, without macroalbuminuria, without diabetes mellitus, and with fasting plasma glucose levels of less than 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/ dL). Data collection included albumin and creatinine excretion in timed overnight urine collection; levels of fasting plasma cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, creatinine, and uric acid; creatinine clearance; red blood cell sodium-lithium countertransport; blood pressure; weight; height; medical history; smoking status; and alcohol intake. Urinary albumin excretion and prevalence of microalbuminuria were the dependent variables. RESULTS: Blood pressure, plasma cholesterol levels, smoking, and body mass index significantly related to urinary albumin excretion and prevalence of microalbuminuria. In analyses with control for multiple variables, relative risk for microalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion, 20-199 microg/min) in men and women was 2.51 and 1.62, respectively, with 18 mm Hg higher (1 SD) systolic blood pressure; 2.25 and 2.10, respectively, with 1.0-mmol/L (40 mg/dL) higher plasma cholesterol level; 1.99 and 1.91, respectively, for smokers vs nonsmokers; and 1.83 and 1.33, respectively, with 4 kg/m2 higher body mass index. Findings were similar for microalbuminuria defined as urinary albumin excretion of at least 25 microg/dL glomerular filtration rate. CONCLUSION: Major cardiovascular risk factors are independent correlates of microalbuminuria in nondiabetic middle-aged adults.

Albuminuria↗

Timeliness and quality of care for elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction under health maintenance organization vs fee-for-service insurance.

BACKGROUND: A commonly voiced concern is that health maintenance organizations (HMOs) may withhold or delay the provision of urgent, essential care, especially for vulnerable patients like the elderly. OBJECTIVE: To compare the quality of emergency care provided in Minnesota to elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who are covered by HMO vs fee-for-service (FFS) insurance. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 2304 elderly Medicare patients who were admitted with AMI to 20 urban community hospitals in Minnesota (representing 91% of beds in areas served by HMOs) from October 1992 through July 1993 and from July 1995 through April 1996. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Use of emergency transportation and treatment delay (>6 hours from symptom onset); time to electrocardiogram; use of aspirin, thrombolytics, and beta-blockers among eligible patients; and time from hospital arrival to thrombolytic administration (door-to-needle time). RESULTS: Demographic characteristics, severity of symptoms, and comorbidity characteristics were almost identical among HMO (n = 612) and FFS (n = 1692) patients. A cardiologist was involved as a consultant or the attending physician in the care of 80% of HMO patients and 82% of FFS patients (P = .12). The treatment delay, time to electrocardiogram, use of thrombolytic agents, and door-to-needle times were almost identical. However, 56% of HMO patients and 51% of FFS patients used emergency transportation (P = .02); most of this difference was observed for patients with AMIs that occurred at night (60% vs 52%; P = .02). Health maintenance organization patients were somewhat more likely than FFS patients to receive aspirin therapy (88% vs 83%; P = .03) and beta-blocker therapy (73% vs 62%; P = .04); these differences were partly explained by a significantly larger proportion of younger physicians in HMOs who were more likely to order these drug therapies. All differences were consistent across the 3 largest HMOs (1 staff-group model and 2 network model HMOs). Logistic regression analyses controlling for demographic and clinical variables produced similar results, except that the differences in the use of beta-blockers became insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: No indicators of timeliness and quality of care for elderly patients with AMIs were lower under HMO vs FFS insurance coverage in Minnesota. However, two indicators of quality care were slightly but significantly higher in the HMO setting (use of emergency transportation and aspirin therapy). Further research is needed in other states, in different populations, and for different medical conditions.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Do depression symptoms predict early hypertension incidence in young adults in the CARDIA study? Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension has been linked to several psychological factors, including depression, but the relation between hypertension incidence and depressive symptoms has not been adequately examined. OBJECTIVE: To determine if depressive symptoms independently predict hypertension incidence. DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective, multicenter, epidemiological cohort of young adults (aged 23-35 years at study entry) from the general community without hypertension followed up for 5 years. SUBJECTS: A sample of 3343 adults from 4 urban areas stratified for race (black and white) from the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Hypertension incidence, which was defined as blood pressure higher than 160/95 mm Hg (assessed on a single occasion) or the use of prescribed antihypertensive medication. RESULTS: Participants with high scores (> or = 16) on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale were at significant risk for hypertension incidence compared with those with low CES-D scores (< or =7; odds ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-3.61) after adjustment for other hypertension risk factors (eg, age, resting systolic blood pressure at the 5-year examination, physical activity, daily alcohol use, parental history of hypertension, education, presence of diabetes mellitus or heart disease, sex, and race) in fixed logistic models. Those with intermediate depressive symptoms (CES-D scores 8-15) were also at significant risk (adjusted odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.98). These associations were significant in blacks alone but were not found in whites, who had a lower hypertension incidence (29 [2%] of 1806) than blacks (89 [6%] of 1537). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms were predictive of later hypertension incidence in young adults, and young blacks with depressive symptoms were at high risk of developing hypertension.

Adult↗

Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition and cardiovascular effects: an observational study of a Medicaid population.

BACKGROUND: The differential effects of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors compared with nonspecific nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) on platelet aggregation and prostacyclin/thromboxane balance have led to concerns that COX-2 inhibitors may increase the risk for cardiovascular thrombotic events. Empirical studies have generally been limited to analyses of secondary end points with low event rates in clinical trials and single event rates in observational studies, all of which have come to conflicting conclusions. This observational cohort study examines the cardiovascular risk of COX-2 inhibitors compared with nonspecific NSAIDs in Maryland Medicaid enrollees, a high-risk population. METHODS: Medical and prescription claims were analyzed for noninstitutionalized Medicaid enrollees who received at least a 60-day supply of a COX-2 inhibitor or other prescription NSAID between June 2000 and June 2002 and who did not use these drugs for at least 6 months prior. Naproxen users were excluded. We developed a logistic model of propensity for treatment with COX-2 inhibitors and stratified patients by quintiles of their propensity score. The model adjusted for demographics, indications for COX-2 inhibitors, and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: The study population comprised 1005 patients using COX-2 inhibitors and 5245 patients using a nonnaproxen NSAID. Of the 6250 patients, 70% were female, 50% were African American, and 30% were older than 50 years. Overall, 12% of the patients had at least 1 cardiovascular thrombotic event after treatment within the follow-up period. The propensity-adjusted odds ratio showed no significant effect of COX-2 inhibitor use on this percentage of patients (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.33). CONCLUSION: We did not find that COX-2 inhibitors increased cardiovascular risk over nonnaproxen NSAIDs in a high-risk Medicaid population.

Adolescent↗

Depressive symptoms after acute myocardial infarction: evidence for highest rates in younger women.

BACKGROUND: Depression is common in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the community, younger women are uniquely prone to depression. Whether younger women are also more likely to have depression during hospitalization with AMI is unknown. METHODS: A total of 2498 AMI patients (1284 patients <or=60 years; 814 women and 1684 men) were enrolled from 19 US centers in the Prospective Registry Evaluating Outcomes After Myocardial Infarction: Events and Recovery (PREMIER) study between January 2003 and June 2004. Depression was assessed at the time of hospitalization and was defined as a Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) score of 10 or higher. RESULTS: Younger (<or=60 years) patients had higher mean PHQ scores than older patients (6.4 vs 5.0; P<.001) and women had higher mean PHQ scores than men (6.8 vs 5.2; P<.001). When stratified by both age and sex, younger women had the highest PHQ scores (8.2; P<.001 for the sex-age interaction). The prevalence of depression was 40% in women 60 years or younger, 21% in women older than 60, 22% in men 60 or younger, and 15% in men older than 60. In a logistic model adjusted for study center, race, medical history, and coronary heart disease risk factors, the odds of depression for women 60 years or younger were significantly higher than for the other sex-age groups and were 3.1 times higher than the reference group of men older than 60 years. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression is high in younger women with AMI. Because depression after AMI has been associated with adverse outcomes, younger women, a high-risk group compared with men, may particularly benefit from aggressive screening and treatment of post-AMI depression.

Age Factors↗

Risk factors for cerebrovascular disease as correlates of cognitive function in a stroke-free cohort.

We investigated the relationship between risk factors for cerebrovascular disease and cognitive function in 249 stroke-free community volunteers (age, 70.8 +/- 6.7 years; education, 12.3 +/- 4.6 years) who were given tests of memory, language, visuospatial, abstract reasoning, and attentional skills. Using logistic regression analyses, we examined hypertension, diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, angina, hypercholesterolemia, and cigarette smoking as potential correlates of performance within these cognitive domains. Controlling for demographic factors within the logistic models, diabetes mellitus was a significant independent correlate of abstract reasoning deficits (odds ratio, 10.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.2 to 54.9) and visuospatial dysfunction (odds ratio, 3.5; confidence interval, 1.2 to 10.7), while hypercholesterolemia was a significant independent correlate of memory dysfunction (odds ratio, 3.0; confidence interval, 1.4 to 6.6). Prolonged exposure to vascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia may lead to atherosclerotic disease, possibly resulting in "silent" infarctions or impaired cerebral blood flow and a decline in cognitive functioning.

Aged↗

The effect of patient attrition on estimates of the frequency of dementia following stroke.

BACKGROUND: Given that prevalence surveys may underestimate the magnitude of the association between an exposure and a disease with high morbidity or mortality, we investigated the effects of patient attrition on estimates of the frequency of dementia following ischemic stroke. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined 251 patients 3 months after stroke and diagnosed dementia in 66 (26.3%) based on the results of neuropsychological and functional assessments and modified criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised. Those 251 patients were drawn from a larger cohort of 297 patients, with the majority of the remaining 46 patients being unavailable for assessment due to death, severe stroke, or comorbid medical disorders. Using the coefficients in a logistic model of the clinical determinants of dementia based on the 251 patients who were examined, we calculated the probability of dementia for each of the 46 patients who were not examined. We considered a patient to have dementia when that probability was higher than the mean of the median probabilities of dementia in the groups of patients with and without dementia who completed the examinations. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of our diagnostic method were 75.8% and 72.4%, respectively. We recognized dementia in 21 (45.7%) of the 46 unavailable patients, a significantly higher frequency than among examined patients. Additional analyses determined that the factors that increased the risk of becoming unavailable for follow-up, which included more severe stroke, left and right hemisphere infarct locations, and a history of prior stroke, are similar to the factors that increase the risk of dementia after stroke. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that dementia is differentially associated with early patient attrition, potentially resulting in the underestimation of its frequency and underrecognition of its importance as an outcome of ischemic stroke.

Aged↗

Prevalence of and risk factors for dry eye syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To examine risk factors for the prevalence of dry eye syndrome in a population-based cohort. METHODS: The prevalence of dry eye was determined by history at the second examination (1993-1995) of the Beaver Dam Eye Study cohort (N = 3722). RESULTS: The cohort was aged 48 to 91 years (mean +/- SD, 65 +/- 10 years) and 43% male. The overall prevalence of dry eye was 14.4%. Prevalence varied from 8.4% in subjects younger than 60 years to 19. 0% in those older than 80 years (P<.001 for test of trend). Age-adjusted prevalence in men was 11.4% compared with 16.7% in women (P<.001). After controlling for age and sex, the following factors were independently and significantly associated with dry eye in a logistic model: history of arthritis (odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56-2.33), smoking status (past, OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.97-1.52; current, OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.36-2.46), caffeine use (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91), history of thyroid disease (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.09-1.84), history of gout (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.02-1.96), total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (OR, for 1 unit, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99), diabetes (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.03-1.86), and multivitamin use (past, OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1. 01-1.81; current, OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.09-1.82). Nonsignificant variables included body mass; blood pressure; white blood cell count; hematocrit; history of osteoporosis, stroke, or cardiovascular disease; history of allergies; use of antihistamines, parasympathetics, antidepressants, diuretics, antiemetics, or other drying drugs; alcohol consumption; time spent outdoors; maculopathy; central cataract; and lens surgery. CONCLUSION: The results suggest several factors, such as smoking, caffeine use, and multivitamin use, could be studied for preventive or therapeutic efficacy. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118:1264-1268

Adult↗

Ocular hemodynamics and glaucoma prognosis: a color Doppler imaging study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of optic nerve circulation, using color Doppler imaging (CDI), on the progression of visual field damage in primary open-angle glaucoma. METHODS: The relationship between the results of retrobulbar CDI, performed shortly after the diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma, and the progression of visual field loss for 7 years was evaluated in 44 glaucoma patients. Color Doppler imaging variables in patients with a stable and deteriorating clinical course were compared, and the pattern of increasing risk for different CDI values was analyzed using an additive logistic model. Based on this nonparametric analysis, we arrived at a discriminant CDI value identifying glaucoma patients with a poor prognosis. On the basis of the discriminant value, patients were divided into 2 groups, and the odds ratio of visual field loss for each group was then estimated. RESULTS: Patients with a stable visual field had a higher diastolic velocity and a lower resistivity index in the ophthalmic artery (P<.001 for both) compared with those with a deteriorating visual field during the study. The odds of visual field deterioration in patients with an ophthalmic artery resistivity index of 0.78 or higher was about 6 times that of patients with an ophthalmic artery resistivity index lower than 0.78. CONCLUSION: Color Doppler imaging variables of the ophthalmic artery correlate with the risk of visual field deterioration in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Aged↗

Anterior chamber depth and the risk of primary angle closure in 2 East Asian populations.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) and glaucomatous optic neuropathy attributable to primary angle closure at varying anterior chamber depths (ACDs) in two East Asian populations. METHODS: Participants 40 years and older were from 2 population-based glaucoma surveys in Mongolia and Singapore. Central ACD was measured by optical pachymetry. Presence of PAS was determined by dynamic gonioscopy. Cases with secondary PAS were excluded. Glaucomatous optic neuropathy was diagnosed in subjects with structural and functional evidence of glaucoma. RESULTS: A total of 2032 subjects, consisting of 942 Mongolians and 1090 Chinese Singaporeans, were included in this study. A logistic model of the relationship between ACD and PAS among Singaporeans showed a consistent, incremental increase in PAS across the entire range of ACD. In deeper anterior chambers the rate of PAS exceeded that seen in Mongolians. In Mongolians, there was a clear threshold for ACD (2.4 mm) at or above which PAS were very uncommon. With ACD less than 2.4 mm, the rate of PAS rose rapidly to overtake that seen in Singaporeans. CONCLUSIONS: Shallow anterior chambers are a significant risk factor for angle closure in East Asians, although the nature of the association is specific to the individual population. There was a trend toward higher rates of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in people with the shallowest anterior chambers.

Adult↗

Acoustic neuromas. Diagnostic efficiency of various test combinations.

In the majority of diagnostic tests usually used in the search for acoustic tumors, there is a large difference in the outcome between patients with and without tumors. Because of a possible coherence between the tests applied, a statistical analysis of this connection was performed with the aid of a logistic model. The best single investigation used to differentiate between patients with and without tumors was tomography of the internal acoustic meatus. This examination was used in combination with the differential caloric test and the alternate binaural loudness balance recruitment test to differentiate completely between patients with and without tumors. Results of other examinations did not contribute significantly to the differentiation between patients with and without tumors. This factor did not render the other examinations superfluous because the analysis was valuable only in patients with a hearing level better or equal to 80 dB. By applying the other tests, information was obtained on pressure conditions in the internal acoustic meatus and possible difficulties at surgery, as well as information about the size of the tumor.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗

Intrauterine exposure to infection and risk of cerebral palsy in very preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate exposure to intrauterine infection as an independent risk factor for spastic cerebral palsy (CP) among very prematurely born infants. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: Singleton children with gestational ages less than 32 weeks and birth weights less than 1999 g who survived to age 2 years and were born from 1988 to 1994 in a level 2 or 3 hospital in California were included in the study. Cases were children with congenital spastic CP (n = 170). Controls were children randomly sampled within 250-g birth weight intervals (n = 270). Gestational age was controlled through multiple logistic models. Major analyses were controlled for preeclampsia and short time between admission and delivery. RESULTS: Neither clinical nor histologic indicators of intrauterine infection were associated with total spastic CP or spastic diplegia in these infants. Although not predicted by prior hypothesis, we observed an approximate doubling of risk for infants of infected mothers among children born to white women, whereas no association was noted among children born to women of other races/ethnicities. White controls had lower frequency of all measured infection indicators compared with white cases and cases and controls of other races/ethnicities. CONCLUSION: Exposure to intrauterine infection was not an independent risk factor for CP in very premature infants when gestational age and other confounders were tightly controlled.

Birth Weight↗

Risk factors for developing mild nutritional blindness in urban Bangladesh.

Mild vitamin A deficiency may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. A community-based case-control study was performed to determine risk factors for mild ophthalmologic manifestations of vitamin A deficiency in urban Bangladeshi children. Cases were identified in children less than 14 years of age with night blindness with or without other signs of mild xerophthalmia detected in a house-to-house survey. Controls were randomly selected neighbors who lacked subjective and objective ophthalmologic evidence of vitamin A deficiency. Demographic characteristics that were independently associated with vitamin A deficiency in a logistic model included male gender, greater age (mean, 6.1 years in children with cases and 2.8 years in controls), and a greater number of children living with the family. After controlling for these demographic characteristics, poor intake of locally available vitamin A-rich foods, cessation of breast-feeding, and a recent history of protracted diarrhea remained associated with vitamin A deficiency. Maternal ignorance of prevention and control of vitamin A deficiency was also associated with increased risk. The results support programs that educate mothers to breast-feed and to provide appropriate food supplements and suggest that clinicians caring for children with chronic diarrhea should initiate vitamin A supplementation.

Adolescent↗

Breast-feeding initiation in a triethnic population.

The influence of sociodemographic factors on the initiation of breast-feeding was evaluated in a triethnic population from Galveston, Tex. Breast-feeding rates were 44.3% among Anglo-Americans, 13.5% among blacks, and 26.6% among Mexican-Americans. Mexican ethnicity, education levels among Anglo-Americans, and marital status were associated with the initiation of breast-feeding. Odds ratios for breast-feeding were 1.94 (95% confidence interval, 1.10 to 3.43) times higher in Mexican-American compared with black women, and 1.94 (95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 2.83) times higher in married than unmarried women. Anglo-American ethnicity and education, as main effects, were not significantly associated with breast-feeding, but their interaction was. Among Anglo-American women (in comparison with black women), the odds ratios of breast-feeding increased with education level, ranging from 1.84 for those with less than an eighth grade education to 7.46 for those with some college. In contrast to recent findings suggesting that education was more important than ethnicity in predicting breast-feeding, the odds of breast-feeding among Anglo-American compared with black women depended on the level of maternal education, but the odds of breast-feeding for Mexican-American vs black women did not depend on education.

Adult↗

Are children born small for gestational age at increased risk of short stature?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the height outcome of newborns born small for gestational age. DESIGN: A historical prospective study. SETTING: A cohort of 1758 newborns born at a single university hospital maternity ward and subsequently examined at the military draft medical board at age 17 years. PARTICIPANTS: Newborns whose weight at birth was below the third percentile were defined as small for gestational age. Their body measurements at age 17 years were compared with those of their peers who were appropriate for gestational age. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS: The adjusted mean +/- SEM height for boys born small for gestational age vs peers born appropriate for gestational age was 169.9 +/- 1.5 vs 175.4 +/- 0.8 cm (P < .0001); and for girls, 159.4 +/- 1.3 vs 163.1 +/- 0.8 cm (P < .0005). In addition, the risk for height attainment below the 10th percentile was significantly increased for newborns born small for gestational age. The adjusted odds ratio was 4.13 for boys (95% confidence interval, 1.66 to 10.25; P < .0006) and 3.32 for girls (95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 8.05; P < .0005). CONCLUSION: Infants born small for gestational age may be at increased risk for short stature in late adolescence.

Adolescent↗

Tardive dyskinesia in the aged. Duration of treatment relationships.

Although tardive dyskinesia (TD) is recognized to result from neuroleptic drug exposure, data conflict about the importance of the quantity of that exposure in producing TD. The relationship between duration of neuroleptic treatment (one to 301 months) and TD was studied in 57 elderly psychiatric inpatients. Examinations for TD and parkinsonism were quantified on the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) and on a parkinsonism severity scale. Prevalence of presumed TD was 49% and of parkinsonism 51%. Prevalence of TD increased with longer treatment, but parkinsonism was independent of treatment duration. Linear multiple regression analysis showed that the AIMS score was correlated positively with treatment duration and negatively with parkinsonism. Logistic multiple regression analysis verified these relationships and was more successful at predicting TD. The length of neuroleptic treatment necessary to produce TD was calculated from the logistic model at 10.8 months (95% confidence interval, zero to 25.6 months). These analyses showed the greatest rise in risk of TD occurred within the first two years of drug therapy.

Age Factors↗

Risk factors for hyperamylasemia after hepatectomy using the Pringle maneuver: randomized analysis of surgical parameters.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the increased portal venous pressure caused by use of the Pringle maneuver contributes to inducing posthepatectomy hyperamylasemia and, subsequently, to evaluate risk factors for its development. DESIGN: Randomized study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Forty patients who were going to undergo hepatectomy were assigned prospectively to either a superior mesenteric artery clamp (n=20) or a nonclamp (n=20) group by the random-block method. INTERVENTIONS: The Pringle maneuver was used during hepatectomy, and in the superior mesenteric artery clamp group the superior mesenteric arteries were clamped simultaneously. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Amylase activity, isozyme, and creatinine levels in the blood and urine samples were measured before and after surgery, and the amylase creatinine clearance ratio was estimated. RESULTS: The serum amylase activity levels of the superior mesenteric artery clamp and nonclamp groups did not differ significantly during the 7 postoperative days. The serum amylase activity levels exceeded 250 U/L in 14 patients (group 1) and remained below this level in 26 (group 2). The salivary-type isozyme levels of group 1 increased significantly compared with those of group 2, and the levels of group 2 remained normal. The total amount of amylase excreted in the urine samples of group 1 patients also increased significantly, with the salivary-type isozyme predominating. All the mean amylase creatinine clearance ratios before and after surgery remained normal. The mode chi2 of the logistic model including the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes and the ratio of the resected liver weight to the whole liver volume showed a significantly increased risk (P=.01). CONCLUSION: It is not the increased portal venous pressure caused by use of the Pringle maneuver but the liver function and the extent of liver resection that are considered risk factors for inducing posthepatectomy salivary-type hyperamylasemia.

Aged↗

Microvessels that predict axillary lymph node metastases in patients with breast cancer.

HYPOTHESIS: The density of vasoactive endothelial growth factor receptor 3-immunostained microvessels in primary breast cancers correlates with the incidence of axillary lymph node metastasis. DESIGN: Breast cancer microvessel clusters ("hot spots") were sequentially immunostained for factor VIII, type IV collagen, and vasoactive endothelial growth factor receptor 3. Microvessels were counted under light microscopy at a magnification of x 200. Axillary lymph nodes were evaluated for metastases by light microscopy. SETTING: A multidisciplinary breast cancer clinic and laboratory. PATIENTS: Sixty patients with T2 breast cancers treated by lumpectomy (or mastectomy) and axillary lymphadenectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Putative lymphatic microvessel density compared with axillary metastases. RESULTS: There were 16% (SE, 1.4%) vs 4% (SE, 0.8%) vasoactive endothelial growth factor receptor 3-immunostained microvessels (P<.001), 38% (SE, 3.9%) vs 65% (SE, 3.1%) type IV collagen-immunostained microvessels (P<.001), and 46% (SE, 4.1%) vs 31% (SE, 3.2%) unstained microvessels (P = .004) in node-positive vs node-negative patients, respectively. A fitted logistic model based on the relative percentage of putative lymphatic microvessels to blood microvessels correctly predicted that 23 (96%) of 24 patients would have a low risk and that 26 (96%) of 27 patients would have a high risk of lymph node metastases. Six (67%) of 9 patients predicted to have an intermediate risk had lymph node metastases. CONCLUSION: The odds of a patient with breast cancer having axillary lymph node metastasis increased substantially as the proportion of putative lymphatic microvessels increased and the relative proportion of blood microvessels in angiogenic hot spots decreased (log likelihood = 14.6; chi2 = 53.4; P<.001; area under the receiver operation characteristic curve = 0.97).

Breast Neoplasms↗