Effect of low-density lipoprotein apheresis on patients with peripheral arterial disease. Peripheral Arterial Disease LDL Apheresis Multicenter Study (P-LAS).

Aim: The effectiveness of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was investigated to confirm a hypothesis based on subjective evidence that the amelioration of blood rheology would be the most contributing factor for improvement in clinical symptoms. Evaluation of the severity of intermittent claudication is difficult because of the lack of an accurate parameter to assess muscle ischemia during exercise, thus we objectively evaluated by non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on a treadmill in this study.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with PAD were evaluated for hemostatic function and physiological parameters such as ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI), maximum tolerated walking distance (MTWD) and recovery time (RT) or recovery ability index (RAI) on NIRS.

Use of the protective antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and latex agglutination.

To establish a safe and convenient serodiagnostic method for swine erysipelas, a purified protective protein antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, which included a large amount of protective protein (64 kDa protein), was used for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the latex agglutination (LA) test. In the ELISA, the antisera to four different serovars (1a, 2, 5 and 20) of E. rhusiopathiae exhibit a positive reaction, while antisera to other species of bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Rhodococcus equi and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) exhibit a negative reaction.

A cylinder-shaped balloon catheter for the management of dissecting aneurysms in acute stage.

We developed a new procedure to close the entry of dissecting aneurysm in acute stage with a specially designed cylinder-shaped balloon catheter. The balloon catheter consists of 7F double lumen catheter and a silicone rubber balloon at the tip. The balloon has a central tube 14 mm caliber made of rigid silicone and it inflates into the shape of a cylinder with an injected solution.