Image quality and radiation doses in abdominal CT: A multicenter study.

Purpose: To benchmark image quality and corresponding radiation doses for acute abdominal CT examination across different laboratories and CT manufacturers.

Method: An anthropomorphic phantom was scanned once with local abdominal CT protocols at 40 CT scanners, from four vendors, in thirty-three sites. Quantitative image quality was evaluated by CNR and SNR in the liver and kidney parenchyma.

A heparin-coated dialysis filter (AN69 ST) does not reduce clotting during hemodialysis when compared to a conventional polysulfone filter (F×8).

Background: We investigated whether the heparin-coated AN69 ST hemodialysis (HD) filter induced less hypercoagulability during HD than a conventional polysulfone filter (F×8).

Methods: In a crossover design, 11 patients were treated alternately with AN69 ST and F×8 filters (45 sessions). All filters were primed with unfractionated heparin (UFH) and unadsorbed UFH was removed by saline flushing.

Association between tobacco smoke exposure and levels of C-reactive protein in the Oslo II Study.

It is well known that tobacco smoke exposure is related to the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and events. One mechanism could be that tobacco smoke acts on the cardiovascular system by altering the autonomic function and/or inducing inflammatory responses. We used data from 3 744 men aged 67-77 years from the city of Oslo that participated in the health screening for the Oslo II Health Study in 2000, to explore associations between C-reactive protein and environmental exposures including exposure to tobacco smoke products.

Occult bleeding in three different antithrombotic regimes after myocardial infarction. A WARIS-II subgroup analysis.

Introduction: Warfarin, aspirin, and the combination of these, have all proven to be efficacious in preventing future events after myocardial infarction. The accompanying bleeding tendency is a concern. The aim of the present study was to compare the occurrence of occult bleeding and iron deficiency during these treatment modalities.

A daily glass of red wine: does it affect markers of inflammation?

Aims: Epidemiological studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but the causal mechanisms are only partly understood. As inflammation is an important process in the progression of atherosclerosis, we hypothesized that the protective effect of red wine is partly mediated through a reduction in inflammation.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled crossover trial to study the effect of red wine on the levels of the inflammatory markers serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasma fibrinogen in healthy, non-smoking individuals.

Diagnostic value of a rapid test for B-type natriuretic peptide in patients presenting with acute dyspnoe: effect of age and gender.

Background: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurements are useful for diagnosing congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute dyspnoe. Whether the diagnostic accuracy of BNP is affected by the age and gender of the patients remains unknown.

Aims: To evaluate the accuracy of BNP testing for diagnosing CHF in an unselected group of patients admitted to the emergency department of a Norwegian teaching hospital with a principal complaint of shortness of breath and to assess whether the diagnostic accuracy of the test differs according to age and gender.

Influence of aspirin on inflammatory markers in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of aspirin on selected inflammatory markers in patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Patients participating in the Warfarin Aspirin Re-Infarction Study-II were randomized to either aspirin 160 mg/day or aspirin 75 mg/day + warfarin, or warfarin alone after AMI. After AMI, aspirin 160 mg/day was associated with significantly lower levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor-alpha than warfarin alone over 4 years.

A twin study of C-Reactive Protein compared to other risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) tends to cluster in families, and several established risk factors for the disease are to some extent inherited. Inflammation plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and CHD. A low-grade inflammation may be detected by highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein (CRP) determination, which is strongly associated to CHD.

C-reactive protein predicts death in patients with previous premature myocardial infarction--a 10 year follow-up study.

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). We measured CRP in a cohort of 247 patients (193 males and 54 females) who had had their first myocardial infarction (MI) at age < or = 55 (males) or < or = 60 (females).