Soluble CD40 Ligand Levels in Otherwise Healthy Subjects With Impaired Fasting Glucose

Unlike diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance, it is not clear whether the subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) are at increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The CD40-CD40 ligand interaction is involved in the mechanism of atherosclerosis. We investigated whether soluble CD40L (sCD40L) as well as high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are increased in subjects with IFG having no confounding factors for inflammation or atherosclerosis. Twenty four IFG subjects with no additional disorders and 40 appropriate healthy controls were studied. sCD40L and hsCRP levels in the IFG and control groups were similar. Blood pressures, total and LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were also similar, whereas HDL-cholesterol was lower and HOMA-IR indexes were higher in the IFG group. Though the sample size was small, the present data show that sCD40L seems not to alter in subjects with IFG suggesting that it might not be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis

Association Between Morning Surge in Systolic Blood Pressure and SYNTAX Score I in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease

A high morning surge in systolic blood pressure poses a risk in people who have cardiovascular disease. We investigated the relationship between this phenomenon and the SYNTAX score I in patients who had stable coronary artery disease. Our single-center study included 125 consecutive patients (109 men and 16 women; mean age, 54.3 ± 9 yr) in whom coronary angiography revealed stable coronary artery disease. We calculated each patient\u27s sleep-trough morning surge in systolic blood pressure, then calculated the SYNTAX score I. The morning surge was significantly higher in patients whose score was \u3e22 (mean, 22.7 ± 13.2) than in those whose score was ≤22 (mean, 12.4 ± 7.5) (P \u3c0.001). Forward stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that morning surge in systolic blood pressure was the only independent predictor of an intermediate-to-high score (odds ratio=1.183; 95% CI, 1.025–1.364; P=0.021). To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between morning surge in systolic blood pressure and the SYNTAX score I in patients who have stable coronary artery disease

Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome following Phacoemulsification Secondary to Overdose of Intracameral Gentamicin

Objective. To report a case of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) that was caused by inadvertent anterior chamber and cornea stromal injection with high dose gentamicin following cataract surgery. Methods. Case report. Results. We report a 72-year-old female patient who developed TASS that was caused by high dose gentamicin (20 mg/0.5 mL), which was inadvertently used during the formation of the anterior chamber and hydration of the corneal incision. Unlike previous cases, hyphema and hemorrhagic fibrinous reaction were seen in the anterior chamber. Despite treatment, bullous keratopathy developed and penetrating keratoplasty was performed. The excised corneal button was sent for histopathological examination. Conclusions. Subconjunctival gentamicin is highly toxic to the corneal endothelium and anterior chamber structures. Including it on the surgical table carries a potentially serious risk for contamination of the anterior chamber

Interferon gamma and lipopolysaccharide upregulate TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand expression in murine microglia

In this study, it is reported that neonatal murine microglia and N9 murine microglial cell line express tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). TRAIL protein and mRNA expression in murine microglia greatly upregulate upon stimulation with interferon gamma (IFNgamma) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as revealed by immunoprecipitation-immunoblotting, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry techniques. IFNgamma and LPS act synergistically to induce TRAIL expression on both translational and transcriptional levels. The upregulated microglial TRAIL in inflammatory conditions may involve in the cytotoxic effect of these cells and play a role in neurodegenerative processes. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved