Morbidly obese patient with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-related cirrhosis who died from sepsis caused by dental infection of Porphyromonas gingivalis: A case report.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with increased risks of developing lifestyle-related diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cerebral vessel disease. While the two-hit hypothesis and, recently, multiple parallel hits hypothesis of NASH pathogenesis were proposed, further details have not emerged. Recently, dental infection of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.

Impacts of the diagnosis of leprosy and of visible impairments amongst people affected by leprosy in Cebu, the Philippines.

Purpose: To quantify the impact of the diagnosis of leprosy and of visible impairments in people affected by leprosy.

Subjects And Methods: Three interview-based questionnaires designed to measure activity limitation, participation restriction, and general self-efficacy were used to collect data from three Groups. Group 1: leprosy affected people with visible impairment, Group 2: newly diagnosed leprosy patients with no visible impairment, Group 3: patients with other skin diseases symptomatic for more than 1 month.

Three hundred and thirty-three experiences with the bidirectional Glenn procedure in a single institute.

Objectives: Introduction of the bidirectional Glenn procedure (BDG) in low-risk Fontan candidates would improve clinical outcomes. Over the last decade, not only high-risk Fontan candidates, but all candidates underwent BDG and staged Fontan operation (TCPC) in our hospital.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty-three consecutive patients (age range, 42 days to 16 years old) underwent BDG at Fukuoka Children's Hospital Medical Center from 1992 to 2004.

Risk evaluation and midterm outcome of cardiac surgery in patients on dialysis.

The medical charts of 54 patients on maintenance dialysis who underwent cardiovascular surgery (37 elective and 17 urgent/emergency) from 1994 to 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty patients had coronary artery bypass grafting (17 elective and 13 urgent/emergency), 18 had valve replacement (16 elective and 2 urgent/emergency), and 6 underwent aortic surgery (4 elective and 2 urgent/emergency). The overall early mortality rate was 11.

The UW solution has greater potential for longer preservation periods than the Celsior solution: comparative study for ventricular and coronary endothelial function after 24-h heart preservation.

Objective: Improvement of long-term heart preservation methods would potentially increase the donor pool and improve survival. We compared the efficacies of the University of Wisconsin (UW) and Celsior solutions on ventricular and endothelial functions after 24-h preservation.

Methods: We used an isolated heart preparation perfused with blood.

A comparative study of cardiac preservation with Celsior or University of Wisconsin solution with or without prior administration of cardioplegia.

Background: We have previously reported the cardiac functional and metabolic benefits of administration of extracellular-type cardioplegia before preservation with University of Wisconsin solution. Celsior solution was designed to be used both as an arresting solution and a storage solution for heart transplantation. The objective of the present study is to compare cardiac function of hearts arrested and preserved with Celsior solution to hearts arrested with cardioplegia followed by preservation with UW solution.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist protects ventricular and coronary endothelial function after 24-hour heart preservation.

Background: Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonists may enhance the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-nitric oxide system and thereby attenuate ventricular and coronary endothelial dysfunction after heart preservation.

Methods: We used an isolated rabbit heart preparation perfused with blood from a support rabbit. The rabbit heart was excised, stored for 24 hours, and then perfused with blood from a support rabbit that was treated with an AT1 receptor antagonist (telmisartan; 5 mg/kg) or solvent.

Three-layered synthetic pericardial substitutes reduce postoperative pericardial adhesions.

Background: The development of postoperative pericardial adhesions increases the risk of cardiac reoperations. The purpose of this study was to test a new pericardial substitute (UBE sheet; UBE Industries, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) that consists of 3 layers, namely, a middle layer of polyester inserted between 2 layers of silicone-urethane copolymer.

Methods: Before implantation into the animals, platelet adhesion to the UBE sheet was evaluated in vitro.

Impaired endothelial function of the umbilical artery after fetal cardiac bypass.

Background: Recently, endothelial dysfunction as a result of fetal cardiac bypass has been reported. Here, the effect of fetal cardiac bypass on the endothelial function of the umbilical artery was investigated by a tension study.

Methods: Fourteen fetal lambs were divided into a control group (n = 7) and a pump group (n = 7).