Darapladib for preventing ischemic events in stable coronary heart disease.

Background: Elevated lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity promotes the development of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, and elevated plasma levels of this enzyme are associated with an increased risk of coronary events. Darapladib is a selective oral inhibitor of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2.

Methods: In a double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 15,828 patients with stable coronary heart disease to receive either once-daily darapladib (at a dose of 160 mg) or placebo.

Pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation--a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentre, dose-escalation study of AZD1305 given intravenously.

Aim: AZD1305 is a combined ion channel blocker developed for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to determine whether AZD1305 was effective in converting AF to sinus rhythm (SR).

Methods And Results: Patients with AF episodes of duration 3 h to 3 months were randomized in a 3:1 ratio to receive a maximum 30 min intravenous infusion of AZD1305 or matching placebo.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor presenting as a hormonally inactive adrenal mass.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Rarely, tumors with the same histological and immunohistochemical features arise in organs having no connection to the tubular gastrointestinal tract designated as extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs). In this article, we report the first case of an EGIST presenting as a hormonally inactive adrenal mass.

Diagnostic performance of salivary cortisol and serum osteocalcin measurements in patients with overt and subclinical Cushing's syndrome.

Objective: The cut-off value for salivary cortisol measurement for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome (CS) may depend both on the severity of the disease and the composition of control group. Therefore, we examined the utility of midnight salivary cortisol measurements in patients who were evaluated for signs and symptoms of CS or because they had adrenal incidentalomas. Because serum osteocalcin (OC) is considered as a sensitive marker of hypercortisolism, we also investigated whether OC could have a role in the diagnosis of CS.

Cutoff values of midnight salivary cortisol for the diagnosis of overt hypercortisolism are highly influenced by methods.

Background: Midnight salivary cortisol (MSC) concentration has been considered as a sensitive marker of overt hypercortisolism. Because no studies on commercially available automated, non-isotopic MSC assays have been reported, we determined and compared the diagnostic performance of an automated electrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA, Elecsys E170) and an in-house radioimmunoassay (RIA) for MSC measurement.

Methods: The study involved 126 consecutive patients referred for evaluation because of symptoms of Cushing's syndrome, obesity, or the presence of incidentally discovered adrenal adenoma.