A Giant Dissecting Aneurysm of Ascending Aorta Following Aortic Valve Replacement

Ascending aortic dissection and aneurysm are rare but life-threatening complications after aortic valve replacement. Preoperative evaluation of risk factors such as aortic diameter, structural features of aortic wall, and associated diseases may decrease complication rate. We herein present analysis of risk factors of proximal aortic events following aortic valve replacement based on patient with giant dissecting aneurysm who underwent modified Bentall procedure

Ischemia-modified albumin and advanced oxidation protein products as potential biomarkers of protein oxidation in Alzheimer's disease

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the systemic levels of oxidative stress markers, such as ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), to clarify protein redox homeostasis in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and to compare them with mentally healthy persons of the same age. Methods: A total of 38 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 34 sex- and age-matched mentally healthy control subjects were included in this study. Results: The patients had significantly higher AOPP, IMA and PAB in the patient group than in the control group (P=0.004, P=0.001, P=0.007, respectively). The FRAP was significantly lower in the patients with AD than in the control subjects (P=0.002), and according to the receiver operating characteristic curves, the IMA and AOPP areas are below the 0.700 receiver operating characteristic curve line (area under the curve 0.817 and 0.730, respectively; 95% CI 0.709-0.898 and 0.612-0.828, respectively). Conclusions: Increased IMA, AOPP and PAB, and decreased FRAP are likely to be results of oxidative stress, a condition in which an imbalance occurs between the production and inactivation of reactive oxygen species in AD. The IMA could be used for the better evaluation of clinical status, as well as the independent characteristic symptoms of AD, for the purposes of routine clinical laboratory analysis. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.2-s2.0-84933677738PubMed: 2534548

The association of oxidative stress markers with conventional risk factors in the metabolic syndrome

Background and Aims. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common and complex disorder that consists of various abnormalities, including dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension and hyperglycemia. We investigated the relationships between the levels of advanced protein oxidation products (AOPPs), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in MetS patients. Methods. A total of 55 patients (37 women, 18 men) with MetS and 20 healthy controls (14 women, 6 men) with a body mass index (BMI) less than 25 kg/m(2) were enrolled in the study. Colorimetric methods were used to determine the levels of AOPPs, the TAC, and the PAB. Results. AOPP, TAC, and PAB values were significantly higher in patients with MetS than in control subjects (p<0.001, p = 0.050, and p<0.001, respectively). A positive correlation was observed between the AOPP levels and the glucose, triglyceride, insulin and HOMA-IR levels. PAB values also exhibited significant positive correlations with diastolic blood pressure and fibrinogen levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher serum PAB values were positively and independently associated with the MetS (odds ratio: 1.110; 95% confidence interval: 1.006-1.224; P<0.37). Conclusions. Increased AOPP levels and higher PAB values are likely to be a result of oxidative stress, a condition in which an imbalance occurs between the production and inactivation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, it appears that serum PAB values may accurately reflect the levels of oxidative stress in MetS patients. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.WOS:0003197854000102-s2.0-84878018167PubMed: 2341074