Nitric Oxide Synthetic Pathway in Patients with Microvascular Angina and Its Relations with Oxidative Stress

A decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and an increased oxidative stress play a pivotal role in different cardiovascular pathologies. As red blood cells (RBCs) participate in NO formation in the bloodstream, the aim of this study was to outline the metabolic profile of L-arginine (Arg)/NO pathway and of oxidative stress status in RBCs and in plasma of patients with microvascular angina (MVA), investigating similarities and differences with respect to coronary artery disease (CAD) patients or healthy controls (Ctrl). Analytes involved in Arg/NO pathway and the ratio of oxidized and reduced forms of glutathione were measured by LC-MS/MS. The arginase and the NO synthase (NOS) expression were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. RBCs from MVA patients show increased levels of NO synthesis inhibitors, parallel to that found in plasma, and a reduction of NO synthase expression. When summary scores were computed, both patient groups were associated with a positive oxidative score and a negative NO score, with the CAD group located in a more extreme position with respect to Ctrl. This finding points out to an impairment of the capacity of RBCs to produce NO in a pathological condition characterized mostly by alterations at the microvascular bed with no significant coronary stenosis

Endoscopic Endonasal Reconstruction of Anterior Skull Base Defects: What Factors Really Affect the Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic endonasal surgery has evolved in recent decades, requiring comparable advances in reconstructive techniques. This study aimed to retrospectively review outcomes of endoscopic anterior skull base reconstruction and to analyze factors associated with failures.METHODS: Data from patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal anterior skull base reconstruction in a single institution between 1998 and 2017 were collected. Patients were stratified according to selected risk factors: sex; age; previous surgery; disease treated (cerebrospinal fluid leaks, benign tumors, malignant tumors); single or multiple defects; defect dimension (<1 cm(2), 1-2 cm 2 , 2-6 cm(2), >6 cm(2)) and site (olfactory cleft, ethmoidal roof, planum sphenoidalis, posterior wall of frontal sinus); reconstruction technique (overlay graft, multilayer grafts, pedicled flap) and materials used; postoperative radiotherapy; and year of surgery. Statistical significance was assessed using Fisher exact test. Univariate logistic regression was implemented to analyze the association between risk factors and failures.RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 513 cases with median follow-up of 96 months (range, 12-257 months). Success rate for initial repair was 95% (487/513), with 100% success rate for secondary closure after revision surgery. Failures were not significantly related to sex (P = 0.54), reconstruction technique (P = 028), location of defect (P = 0.65), dimension (P = 0.69), disease (P 0.83), or postoperative radiotherapy (P = 0.83). Year of surgery, considered as a continuous variable, was associated with a statistically significant reduction of failures (odds ratio = 0.89, P = 0.005).CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic surgery is safe and effective for anterior skull base reconstruction. Refinements in surgical technique and increasing experience have contributed to improved success rates

Prognostic value of pretreatment peripheral blood markers in paranasal sinus cancer: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio

Background: Pretreatment hematological markers have emerged as prognostic factors for several cancers. The purpose of this study was to present our investigation of the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting recurrence and mortality for patients with primary sinonasal cancers (SNCs). Methods: We carried out a retrospective review of patients with SNC who had been treated using endoscopic approaches from 2002 to 2014 at a single institute. The endpoints analyzed were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: Of 365 patients treated, 215 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Analysis of epithelial tumors (adenocarcinoma and carcinoma) and advanced-stage cancers (pT3\u2013T4) showed shorter OS and DFS in those patients with higher NLR and PLR. Furthermore, the NLR and PLR were revealed as independent prognostic factors for DFS, with a reduced risk of recurrence in patients with NLR <2.6 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.39; p =.02) and PLR <156.9 (HR, 0.34; p =.001). Conclusion: High pretreatment NLR and PLR are associated with poor prognosis in patients affected by epithelial advanced-stage SNC. \ua9 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 730\u2013736, 2017

Multidisciplinary treatment algorithm for the management of sinonasal cancers with orbital invasion: A retrospective study

Sinonasal cancers frequently involve the orbit with resulting controversies on whether to remove or preserve the orbital contents

Pulmonary function, cardiopulmonary exercise (CPET), and laboratory data in the two study groups.

<p>Pulmonary function, cardiopulmonary exercise (CPET), and laboratory data in the two study groups.</p

The surfactant protein type B (SPB) gene, mRNA and protein.

<p>The human SPB is encoded by 11 exons on chromosome 2. The SPB RNA of approximately 2 kb encodes a preprotein of 381 amino acids. Processing of the precursor includes removal of a signal peptide of approximately 23 residues, and glycosilatyion at amino acids 129 to 131 and 311 to 313. These events occur within the endoplasmic reticulum. Sequential proteolytic cleavages by proteases ultimately yield the 8 kDa 79 amino acid active mature SPB, which is encoded in exons 6 and 7. These sequential cleavage occurs in the medial and trans/post Golgi, and finally in the multivescicular body. Mature SPB sequence contains 52% hydrophobic amino acids, 8 conserved positively-charges residues and 1 conserved negatively-charged residue. The primary structure also includes 7 cysteines, six of which are involved in the formation of the three intra-molecular disulphide bridges, while the seventh cysteine is involved in an intermolecular disulphide responsible for the dimerization of the protein.</p

Representative image for immature surfactant protein type B (SPB) immunoblotting of plasma samples derived from the control group and HF patients grouped according New York Heart Association (NYHA) class.

<p>Representative image for immature surfactant protein type B (SPB) immunoblotting of plasma samples derived from the control group and HF patients grouped according New York Heart Association (NYHA) class.</p

Relationship between surfactant proteins and RAGE levels and general, clinical, pulmonary function and cardiopulmonary exercise data in the heart failure population.

<p>SPs, RAGE, Peak VO₂, VE/VCO₂ slope and BNP levels are transformed into natural logarithm. BMI: body mass index. For all abbreviations see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0115030#pone-0115030-t001" target="_blank">table 1</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0115030#pone-0115030-t002" target="_blank">table 2</a>.</p><p>Relationship between surfactant proteins and RAGE levels and general, clinical, pulmonary function and cardiopulmonary exercise data in the heart failure population.</p

Relationship between surfactant proteins and RAGE levels in the heart failure population.

<p>SPs and RAGE levels are transformed into natural logarithm. For abbreviation see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0115030#pone-0115030-t001" target="_blank">table 1</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0115030#pone-0115030-t002" target="_blank">2</a>.</p><p>Relationship between surfactant proteins and RAGE levels in the heart failure population.</p