Association Between Hypercoagulability and Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Importance: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Although the pathogenesis of this association remains unclear, an alteration in coagulability is suspected as a link.

Objective: To investigate the association between the severity of OSA and blood coagulability.

Increased expression of acidic mammalian chitinase and chitotriosidase in the nasal mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis.

Objectives/hypothesis: Acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) has emerged as an important mediator of allergic asthma in both animal models and in humans. Recently, chitotriosidase has been suggested to play a role in innate immunity because of its phagocytic-specific expression. Thus, AMCase and chitotriosidase may play a role in the pathogenesis of allergic nasal mucosa.

Upregulation of elafin and cystatin C in the ethmoid sinus mucosa of patients with chronic sinusitis.

Objectives: To investigate the expression levels and distribution patterns of elafin and cystatin C in normal and inflammatory human sinus mucosa and to evaluate their roles in chronic sinusitis.

Design: A controlled, prospective study.

Setting: A tertiary academic institution.