Hypertension and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a novel predictive role of high sensitivity C-reactive protein in cardioversion and long-term recurrence.

The role of inflammation in maintenance of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in patients with hypertension and no other heart disease has not been fully elucidated yet. We investigated the association of various inflammatory markers with cardioversion and recurrence of PAF in patients with hypertension. We studied 75 patients (44 male, mean age 67.

Circulating oxidized LDL levels, current smoking and obesity in postmenopausal women.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to estimate circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels in postmenopausal women and evaluate their association with obesity and smoking status.

Design And Methods: The study included 135 postmenopausal women aged 52-75 years. Forty of them were overweight (BMI 32.

Primary non-refluxing megaureter: need for conservative treatment.

Purpose: In the last two decades, many reports have confirmed the efficacy and safety of the conservative treatment of non-refluxing megaureter in asymptomatic patients and many cases of ureteral dilatation tend to resolve spontaneously. We report our experience on 108 patients with primary non-refluxing megaureter detected prenatally or diagnosed after birth and we discuss our results with long-term non surgical treatment.

Material And Methods: All patients were evaluated by ultrasound (US), voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) and MAG3 renography.

Elevation of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide after exercise is an index of myocardial damage or a cytoprotective reflection?

Aim: Recent investigations have suggested the occurrence of transient cardiac dysfunction and reversible myocardial injury in healthy individuals after heavy exercise. Our purpose was to examine if the release of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) after intense exercise in obviously healthy participants may have cytoprotective and growth-regulating effects or may result from myocardial dysfunction/damage with changes in cTnT as a marker for myocardial cell necrosis during exercise.

Methods: In 43 highly-trained male athletes <35 years old, who were examined immediately after exercising as well as 2 days later, 21 age-matched male patients classified as stage-B according to ACC/AHA guidelines and 35 healthy age-matched males, we evaluated NT-proBNP and 3rd generation's cTnT by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

Cervical thymic cysts.

Thymic cysts are rare embryonic remnants along the course of thymic migration in the neck or the anterior mediastinum which may result in cervical masses in children, often misdiagnosed. We present the experience gained by three European tertiary care medical centers in the treatment of thymic cysts as well as the current data on the embryology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of thymic cysts. A retrospective study was carried out in nine patients with thymic cysts during the period 1986-2002 at the departments of Pediatric Surgery of Children's University Hospital "Federico II" and "Santobono" Pediatric Hospital of Naples in Italy and "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital of Athens in Greece.

Oxidized LDL, serum oxidizability and serum lipid levels in patients with breast or ovarian cancer.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of oxidative stress in patients with breast or ovarian cancer by analyzing the magnitude of serum oxidizability and the involvement of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) in the disease.

Design And Methods: The study was conducted on 32 patients diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer but who had not undergone any kind of treatment and 30 healthy individuals of similar age. The evaluation of oxidative stress was assessed by: (a) the ex-vivo susceptibility of serum lipids to oxidation and (b) the detection of oxLDL and anti-oxLDL autoantibodies.

Bisalbuminemia from a clinical chemist's viewpoint: a case report and review of the recent literature.

Bisalbuminemia is a rare inherent or acquired abnormality characterized by the occurrence of 2 distinct albumin bands or a single widened albumin band, after electrophoretic screening of blood proteins. Despite the fact that the presence of 2 albumin bands in electrophoresis, representing normal and variant protein, is observed with a frequency of 0.00030.

Pilomatricoma in childhood: a retrospective study from three European paediatric centres.

Unlabelled: Pilomatricoma is characterised as a common, slowly growing benign cutaneous tumour that appears generally within the first decades of life. The clinical diagnosis is frequently missed, especially by the paediatrician unfamiliar with these tumours. We present the experience gained in three European tertiary care paediatric centres with the treatment of pilomatricoma and also current data on the aetiology, clinical presentation and management.

Circulating oxidized low density lipoprotein, autoantibodies against them and homocysteine serum levels in diagnosis and estimation of severity of coronary artery disease.

The oxidative hypothesis of atherosclerosis proposes that oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) plays a critical role in atherogenesis. The evaluation of LDL oxidation in vivo is therefore very important. However, data concerning the evaluation of the above biochemical marker is very limited in clinical practice.