Signal intensity of the normal pontine tegmentum on T2-weighted MR imaging.

On T2-weighted MR images, the pontine tegmentum frequently shows a signal of high intensity in neurologically healthy individuals. We examined whether the signal intensity of the pontine tegmentum normally differs from that of the pontine base. We evaluated the signal intensity of the pontine tegmentum and pontine base on T2-weighted images from 38 neurologically healthy subjects.

Serum cytochrome c level as a prognostic indicator in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Background: Apoptosis may play an important role in the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and progression to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). To quantify the extent of apoptosis in these morbidities, we developed a sandwich ELISA system to measure serum cytochrome c (cyt-c) levels and we investigated the prognostic significance of cyt-c concentration in SIRS/MODS patients.

Methods: Cyt-c concentrations in patients with SIRS (n=53) with or at risk for MODS were measured and compared with those of control subjects (n=14).

Possible role of increased oxidant stress in multiple organ failure after systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Objective: Host response to infection and other forms of tissue injury have been termed systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). This inflammatory response can frequently be accompanied by oxidative injury in one or more organ systems in the body. The objective of this report was to clarify the possible role of oxidative stress in the development of multiple organ failure (MOF) in patients with SIRS.