Asymptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection increases asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in healthy subjects.

Background: Chronic infections have been demonstrated to be early factors of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, and their relevance increases when they are caused by agents with extremely broad spectrum of disease outcome such as Helicobacter pylori. The consequent endothelial impairment leads to a reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide. Increasing evidences have pointed out that the endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, asymmetric dimethylarginine, defined as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, may increase in infections and plays an important role impairing the vascular functions of the endothelium.

A novel succinate dehydrogenase subunit B gene mutation, H132P, causes familial malignant sympathetic extraadrenal paragangliomas.

We report a family with malignant sympathetic paragangliomas (PGL) exhibiting a new type of germline mutation in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) gene. Two affected brothers, presenting with symptoms at the ages of 25 and 52 yr, suffered from malignant abdominal extraadrenal sympathetic PGL. They died of their disease at ages 43 and 61 yr.

Great saphenous vein stripping with liberal use of subfascial endoscopic perforator vein surgery (SEPS).

This study is based on a unique registry of 632 patients who underwent great saphenous vein (GSV) stripping and liberal use of subfascial endoscopic perforator vein surgery (SEPS) for minimal to severe lower limb venous insufficiency. Clinical examinations and color-coded duplex scanning were performed on a randomly selected, manageable sample of 170 limbs to assess the affect of early SEPS on junctional (saphenofemoral [SFJ] and/or saphenopopliteal [SPJ]) and perforator vein (PV) insufficiencies and superficial varicosities at a median of 6.5 years.