Low Baseline Pneumococcal Antibody Titers Predict Specific Antibody Deficiency, Increased Upper Respiratory Infections, and Allergy Sensitization.

Background: Inadequate titers of pneumococcal antibody (PA) are commonly present among patients with recurrent respiratory infections.

Objective: We sought to determine the effect of the degree of inadequacy in baseline PA titers on the subsequent polysaccharide vaccine response, the incidence of sinusitis, and allergic conditions.

Methods: A total of 313 patients aged 6 to 70 years with symptoms of recurrent respiratory infections were classified by baseline-pPA (percentage of protective [≥1.

Garlic and Heart Disease.

Background: Thousands of studies have been published based on animal and human studies evaluating garlic's effects and safety.

Objective: We reviewed the available literature investigating the effects of garlic supplements on hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, C-reactive protein (CRP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and coronary artery calcium (CAC), as well as available data on side effects.

Methods: We searched PubMed for all human studies using medical subject heading words through 30 May 2013 and assessed relevant review articles and original studies.

Prospective randomized trial of venous cardiac computed tomographic angiography for facilitation of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Cardiovascular computed tomographic angiography (CTA) can visualize the coronary veins. We sought to assess the ability of CTA to facilitate resynchronization therapy (CRT) procedures using a prospective randomized single-center pilot study.

Methods: Patients underwent CTA for characterization of cardiomyopathy prior to biventricular implantable cardiac-defibrillator implant.

Comparison of three generations of electron beam tomography on image noise and reproducibility, a phantom study.

Unlabelled: The detection of coronary artery calcification (CAC) using the electron beam tomography (EBT) scanner provides a noninvasive indicator for coronary artery disease (CAD). Physicians interested in preventative medicine also are using this modality to track atherosclerosis over time. Two new iterations of the EBT scanner have been introduced.

Coronary calcium scanning.

While there is no doubt that high-risk patients (those with more than a 20% 10-year risk of a future cardiovascular event) need more aggressive preventive therapy, a majority of cardiovascular events occur in individuals at intermediate risk (10%-20% 10-year risk). Data suggest that it will be most cost-effective to concentrate screening efforts on this group of patients. Coronary artery calcium has been shown to be highly specific for atherosclerosis, occurring only in the intima of the coronary arteries.

Reproducibility of CT measurements of aortic valve calcification, mitral annulus calcification, and aortic wall calcification in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Rationale And Objectives: Extracoronary calcifications may have clinical significance. The error in extracoronary calcification measurements is still unknown. Accurate quantification of calcifications of the aortic valve (AVC), mitral annulus (MAC), and aortic wall (AWC) may be possible by using cardiac computed tomography (CT).

Cryopreservation of rat hippocampal slices by vitrification.

Although much interest has attended the cryopreservation of immature neurons for subsequent therapeutic intracerebral transplantation, there are no reports on the cryopreservation of organized adult cerebral tissue slices of potential interest for pharmaceutical drug development. We report here the first experiments on cryopreservation of mature rat transverse hippocampal slices. Freezing at 1.

Coronary venous imaging with electron beam computed tomographic angiography: three-dimensional mapping and relationship with coronary arteries.

Background: The coronary venous system can provide vascular access for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Visualization of the coronary veins and their relationship to other cardiac structures may play an important role in facilitating these procedures. We sought to assess the ability of electron beam computed tomographic angiography (EBCTA) to characterize 3-dimensional (3-D) coronary venous anatomy.

Detection of small vessels with electron beam computed tomographic angiography using 1.5 and 3 mm collimator protocols.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of scanner collimation on the ability to detect small cardiac vessels using electron beam CT coronary angiography (EBA).

Materials And Methods: EBA scans from 40 patients who underwent study on two separate occasions with 3 mm (initial scan) and 1.5 mm (follow-up scan) collimation protocols were analyzed.

Effects of hormone replacement on progression of coronary calcium as measured by electron beam tomography.

Purpose: The recent Women's Health Initiative (WHI) results have demonstrated that combined estrogen plus progestin imparts a small but significant increase in cardiovascular risk and breast cancer among asymptomatic women. However, the effect and potential benefit of unopposed estrogen is not as clear. We sought to evaluate the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women using no hormone replacement therapy (HRT), combined therapy, and estrogen alone in an observational study.

Comparison of coronary artery calcium screening image quality between C-150 and e-Speed electron beam scanners.

Rationale And Objective: The newest generation of electron beam tomographic scanner (e-Speed) has increased spatial and temporal resolution compared with the C-150 XP scanner. The aim of this study was to evaluate coronary artery calcium screening image quality between the e-Speed and C-150 scanners (GE Imatron, San Francisco, CA).

Materials And Methods: Studies from 41 patients (14 women and 27 men) who underwent serial coronary artery calcium screening with the C-150 (first study) and the e-Speed (second study) were analyzed.

Association between progression of aortic valve calcification and coronary calcification: assessment by electron beam tomography.

Rationale And Objectives: It has been demonstrated that aortic valve calcification (AVC) shares many similarities with coronary atherosclerosis, including risk factors and pathologic characteristics. We sought to examine the relationship of AVC to coronary artery calcification (CC), to assess whether similar risk factors affect the process in a similar way.

Materials And Methods: The study included 620 asymptomatic persons (513 men and 107 women, mean age 59 years range [30-82]) who underwent two consecutive electron beam tomography (EBT) scans at least 1 year apart (mean 3.

Combination therapy with amphotericin B lipid complex and caspofungin acetate of disseminated zygomycosis in diabetic ketoacidotic mice.

We studied the combination of amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) and caspofungin in mice with disseminated Rhizopus oryzae. Combination therapy improved survival compared to that of mice given monotherapy and that of untreated controls (P < 0.05) but did not improve organ clearance.

Role of veins in regulation of pulmonary circulation.

Pulmonary veins have been seen primarily as conduit vessels; however, over the past two decades, a large amount of evidence has accumulated to indicate that pulmonary veins can exhibit substantial vasoactivity. In this review, the role of veins in regulation of the pulmonary circulation, particularly during the perinatal period and under certain pathophysiological conditions, is discussed. In the fetus, pulmonary veins contribute a significant fraction to total pulmonary vascular resistance.

Real-time in vivo bioluminescent imaging for evaluating the efficacy of antibiotics in a rat Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis model.

Therapeutic options for invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections have become limited due to rising antimicrobial resistance, making relevant animal model testing of new candidate agents more crucial than ever. In the present studies, a rat model of aortic infective endocarditis (IE) caused by a bioluminescently engineered, biofilm-positive S. aureus strain was used to evaluate real-time antibiotic efficacy directly.

12/15-lipoxygenase inhibitors in diabetic nephropathy in the rat.

The 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) pathway is activated in diabetes mellitus (DM), increasing 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE). We showed that a 12-LO inhibitor, cinnamyl-3,4-dihydroxy-alpha-cyanocinnamate (CDC) inhibited 12/15-LO activity in vivo and assessed the efficacy of another 12/15-LO inhibitor, N-benzyl-N-hydroxy-5-phenylpentamidine (BHPP), to diminish urinary 12-HETE and ameliorate diabetic nephropathy (DN) over 4 months. Rats studied were control (C, n=8), DM (n=6), and rats injected with BHPP (C+BHPP, n=4) and (DM+BHPP, n=5).

Molecular pathophysiology and gene therapy of aging-related erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major public health problem that seriously affects the quality of life of patients and their partners. ED is mainly associated with vascular disease, diabetes, smoking, and radical prostatectomy, and its prevalence increases significantly with aging. Vasculogenic ED, specifically corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction (CVOD), is caused by the impairment of the relaxation of the smooth muscle in the penile corpora cavernosa and occurs in 2/3 of cases, whereas the less common neurogenic ED is due to a defective nitrergic neurotransmission triggered by the sexual stimulus, either at the central hypothalamic and spinal levels or at the penile nerves.

Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure and postnatal adaptation in premature newborn baboons ventilated for six days.

Objective: Renal and cardiovascular function is improved during the first 24 hours of life in preterm ventilated baboons exposed to prenatal betamethasone (BETA). We hypothesized BETA-induced effects would be sustained through day 6 of life. Study design Pregnant baboons received saline or BETA (6 mg) 48 and 24 hours before preterm delivery at 125 days' gestation.

Thebesian valve imaging with electron beam CT angiography: implications for resynchronization therapy.

We report visualization of a prominent coronary sinus os valve (Thebesian valve), by electron beam computed tomographic angiography, which impeded an endocardial approach to left ventricular pacing. Resynchronization therapy was therefore performed with an epicardial approach to left ventricular lead placement. Electron beam computed tomographic angiography can provide detailed information for coronary sinus instrumentation, including anomalies potentially affecting the approach to resynchronization therapy.

Intrathecal enzyme replacement therapy reduces lysosomal storage in the brain and meninges of the canine model of MPS I.

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been developed for several lysosomal storage disorders, including mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I), and is effective at reducing lysosomal storage in many tissues and in ameliorating clinical disease. However, intravenous ERT does not adequately treat storage disease in the central nervous system (CNS), presumably due to effects of the blood-brain barrier on enzyme distribution. To circumvent this barrier, we studied whether intrathecal (IT) recombinant human alpha-L-iduronidase (rhIDU) could penetrate and treat the brain and meninges.

Thebesian valve imaging with electron beam CT angiography: implications for resynchronization therapy.

We report visualization of a prominent coronary sinus os valve (Thebesian valve), by electron beam computed tomographic angiography, which impeded an endocardial approach to left ventricular pacing. Resynchronization therapy was therefore performed with an epicardial approach to left ventricular lead placement. Electron beam computed tomographic angiography can provide detailed information for coronary sinus instrumentation, including anomalies potentially affecting the approach to resynchronization therapy.

Reversal of linezolid-associated cytopenias, but not peripheral neuropathy, by administration of vitamin B6.

Objectives: We sought to determine if vitamin B6 therapy would reverse linezolid-associated cytopenias and/or peripheral neuropathy.

Patients And Methods: We have recently treated two patients with disseminated Mycobacterium abscessus infections with prolonged (> or =9 month) courses of linezolid. Both patients developed cytopenias related to linezolid, and one patient also developed peripheral neuropathy.

Comparison of gene expression profiles between Peyronie's disease and Dupuytren's contracture.

Objectives: To compare the gene expression alterations in human Peyronie's disease (PD) and Dupuytren's disease (DD) to determine whether they share a common pathophysiology. Multiple mRNA expression profiles of human PD have previously shown that genes that regulate fibroblast replication, myofibroblast differentiation, collagen metabolism, tissue repair, and ossification are involved. DD, a palmar fascia fibrosis, may be associated with PD.

ST-segment analysis of the fetal electrocardiogram improves fetal heart rate tracing interpretation and clinical decision making.

Introduction: Since its introduction into clinical use, the efficacy of electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring (EFM) has been questionable. This has been due partly to the marked variation in interpretation of the FHR pattern and subsequent decisions for obstetric intervention, (e.g.