Radiological changes in the bone fusion site after posterior lumbar interbody fusion using carbon cages impacted with laminar bone chips: follow-up study over more than 4 years.

Study Design: A retrospective clinical study with a follow-up of more than 4 years was conducted.

Objectives: To know the radiologic changes in the interbody bone fusion site in patients who had received posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) using carbon fiber cages.

Summary Of Background Data: PLIF using cages is a popular surgical method for treating degenerative lumbar spinal diseases.

Influence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase T-786C single nucleotide polymorphism on aneurysm size.

Object: Among patients with aneurysms, those with heterozygous (T/C) endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) T-786C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), a mutation reducing endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, are reported to have larger ruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) than those with homozygous (C/C or T/T) genotype. The authors tested patients harboring aneurysms for eNOS T-786C SNP in two populations--Japanese and Korean.

Methods: The eNOS T-786C SNP was genotyped through direct sequencing in genomic DNA obtained from 336 Japanese and 191 Korean patients with lAs and 214 Japanese and 191 Korean control volunteers.

Absence of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency alleles (S and Z) in Japanese and Korean patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: A possible association has been proposed for the formation of intracranial aneurysm (IA) and deficiency alleles (S and Z) of the alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) gene. We extensively screened this gene in Japanese and Korean patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Methods: Seven allelic variants, including S and Z alleles, were genotyped by direct sequencing of genomic DNA obtained from 195 and 189 ruptured IA patients and 195 and 94 controls in Japanese and Koreans, respectively.