Soluble CD146, a novel endothelial marker, is related to the severity of liver disease.

Objectives: Angiogenesis and inflammation have been involved in the progression of fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Soluble CD146 (sCD146), a biomarker that was recently characterized as a novel component of the endothelial junction is implicated in endothelial proliferation. Our study evaluates the performance of sCD146 in assessing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and determines if its levels are related to the severity of liver disease in patients with cirrhosis.

Effect of titanium maxillofacial implants and osteosynthesis materials on platelet function.

The use of titanium implants and osteosynthesis materials in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and maxillofacial surgery has increased considerably, and they may be retained in patients for a long time. We could find no papers in English that provided data about the effect of titanium osteosynthesis materials on platelet function, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate those effects. Platelet function was tested in 33 patients with titanium maxillofacial implants using the PFA-100 (platelet function analyser) system and these results were compared with those of a control group of 34 healthy volunteer blood donors.

Pylephlebitis: an overview of non-cirrhotic cases and factors related to outcome.

Pylephlebitis is a condition with significant morbidity and mortality. We review herein 100 relevant case reports published since 1971. Eighty-one patients were reported with acute pylephlebitis, while the remaining patients had chronic pylephlebitis.

Administration of human protein C improves survival in an experimental model of sepsis.

Objective: Study the effect of human protein C (PC) concentrate administration on organ damage and survival in septic rats.

Design: Animal study.

Setting: University laboratory.

Thrombotic risk factors and liver histologic lesions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background/aims: The pathogenetic mechanisms of development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis are not clear, although thrombosis of small intrahepatic veins has been suggested to trigger liver tissue remodelling and thrombotic risk factors have been associated with more advanced fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis (CVH). We evaluated the prevalence of thrombotic risk factors (RFs) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and their possible association with fatty liver or NASH.

Methods: We included 60 patients with histologically documented NAFLD and a historical cohort of 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B (n=39) or C (n=51).

Pseudohyperkalemia in serum: a new insight into an old phenomenon.

Pseudohyperkalemia, a rise in serum potassium concentration with concurrently normal plasma potassium concentration, is an in vitro phenomenon that was first described 50 years ago. It was originally attributed to the release of potassium from platelets during platelet aggregation and degranulation, and a significant correlation between pseudohyperkalemia and platelet count was established. During the last decade, new data were added to this phenomenon.

Intracranial hemorrhage in a HIV patient. Case report and review of the literature.

The authors report on a case of a hemophilic male patient, aged 43, HIV positive, HCV positive, who had an episode of intracerebral hemorrhage after a car accident. Intracranial hemorrhage is the most feared complication of hemophilia, especially among HIV positive, who now are considered to be a group at high risk for bleeding. In this report, it is reviewed available data on clinical and imaging features of ICH and the association between ICH and HIV.

Pseudohyperkalemia in serum: the phenomenon and its clinical magnitude.

We investigated in detail the difference between serum and plasma potassium levels in patients with several conditions associated with pseudohyperkalemia. In total, 435 patients with either thrombocytoses, erythrocytoses, leucocytoses, or a mixed-type disorder and 30 healthy controls were included. In each case, the index Dk [serum potassium minus plasma potassium] and the index Dk100 (Dk x 100,000/platelets), which indicates the Dk value that corresponds to platelets of 100,000/mm(3), were estimated.

Pseudohyperkalemia in patients with increased cellular components of blood.

Objective: We performed a study to investigate the difference between serum and plasma potassium concentration in patients with increase in one or more of the cellular components of blood.

Design And Methods: This study was performed in two phases. During the first phase, we performed a cross-sectional comparison of the difference between serum and plasma potassium concentration (Dk) in 341 patients with the various clinical conditions where pseudohyperkalemia has been described, as well as with secondary or spurious erythrocytosis and in 30 normal controls.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with pulmonary embolism and disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with low-molecular-weight heparin.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a severe adverse effect of heparin therapy. Although most cases occur in patients receiving unfractionated heparin, HIT can arise in venous thrombosis prophylaxis with a low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). We report an uncommon case of HIT in a postoperative orthopedic patient associated with LMWH (nadroparin), complicated by deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, treated successfully with recombinant hirudin and immunoglobulin therapy.