Associations Between Systemic Inflammatory Markers Based on Blood Cells and Polysomnographic Factors in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objectives. Systemic inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, easy-to-use methods to evaluate the severity of systemic inflammation have yet to be developed. This study investigated the association between systemic inflammation markers that could be derived from the complete blood count (CBC) profile and sleep parameters in a large number of patients with OSA. Methods. Patients who visited our hospital’s Otorhinolaryngology Sleep Clinic between January 2017 and April 2022 underwent polysomnography and routine laboratory tests, including a CBC. Associations between three systemic inflammatory markers—the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)—and polysomnographic and demographic factors including age, sex, body mass index, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the hypopnea index (HI), lowest oxygen saturation (%), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and percentages of non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage 3, REM sleep, and snoring time were analyzed. The inflammation markers were compared among OSA subgroups, and associations were also analyzed in subgroups with different OSA severities. Results. In total, 1,102 patients (968 men and 134 women) were included, and their mean AHI was 33.0±24.3. PSQI was significantly associated with SII (P=0.027). No independent significant factors were identified for the NLR or PLR. Within the simple snoring and mild OSA subgroups, no significant association was found between sleep parameters and the SII. In the severe OSA subgroup, the AHI (P=0.004) and PSQI (P=0.012) were independently associated with the SII. Conclusion. Our study analyzed systemic inflammatory markers based on the CBC, a simple, relatively cost-effective test, and showed that the AHI and SII were significantly correlated only in the severe OSA subgroup

Efficacy evaluation of combination vaccine of recombinant C-terminal fragments of ApxIA, ApxIIA and ApxIIIA in piglets

The efficacy of the combination vaccine of the individual C-terminal fragments of ApxIA, ApxIIA and ApxIIIA of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) was evaluated in piglets. Twenty piglets were divided equally into 2 groups (n=10). All piglets were intramuscularly primed at 4 week-of-age (0 week post prime inoculation (WPPI)) and were intramuscularly boosted at 6 week-of-age (2 WPPI). Group A piglets were inoculated with sterile PBS and group B piglets were inoculated with the combination vaccine. Concentrations of each of the C-terminal fragment-specific IgG as determined by ELISA were significantly higher in group B than in group A from 2 WPPI until the end of this study. Clinical signs were observed from only 10% of group B piglets after the challenge with the mixture of APP serotypes 1, 2 and 5 at 4 WPPI, while 50% of group A piglets were protected against APP infections. Overall, intramuscular inoculation with the vaccine candidate can efficiently protect piglets against APP infection

Proximity-Directed Labeling Reveals a New Rapamycin-Induced Heterodimer of FKBP25 and FRB in Live Cells

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is a core pathway in cellular metabolism, and control of the mTOR pathway by rapamycin shows potential for the treatment of metabolic diseases. In this study, we employed a new proximity biotin-labeling method using promiscuous biotin ligase (pBirA) to identify unknown elements in the rapamycin-induced interactome on the FK506-rapamycin binding (FRB) domain in living cells. FKBP25 showed the strongest biotin labeling by FRB-pBirA in the presence of rapamycin. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence experiments confirmed that endogenous FKBP25 has a rapamycin-induced physical interaction with the FRB domain. Furthermore, the crystal structure of the ternary complex of FRB-rapamycin-FKBP25 was determined at 1.67-angstrom resolution. In this crystal structure we found that the conformational changes of FRB generate a hole where there is a methionine-rich space, and covalent metalloid coordination was observed at C2085 of FRB located at the bottom of the hole. Our results imply that FKBP25 might have a unique physiological role related to metallomics in mTOR signaling.ope

Pharmacokinetics and diuretic effect of furosemide after single intravenous, oral tablet, and newly developed oral disintegrating film administration in healthy beagle dogs

Background Furosemide, a diuretic that acts on the loop of Henle, is commonly used to treat congestive heart failure in veterinary medicine. Some owners have difficulty in administering oral tablet medication to animal patients, which leads to noncompliance, especially during long-term administration. Oral disintegrating film (ODF) has the advantages of easy administration via a non-invasive route, rapid dissolution, and low suffocating risk. The objective of this study was to research the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and diuretic effect of furosemide after intravenous (IV), orally uncoated tablet (OUT), and newly developed ODF administration in healthy beagle dogs. In this study, a furosemide-loaded ODF (FS-ODF) formulation was developed and five beagle dogs were administered a single dose (2 mg/kg) of furosemide via each route using a cross-over design. Results The most suitable film-forming agent was sodium alginate; thus, this was used to develop an ODF for easy drug administration. No significant differences were detected in the PK profiles between OUT and FS-ODF. In the blood profiles, the concentration of total protein was significantly increased compared to the baseline (0 h), whereas no significant difference was detected in the concentration of creatinine and hematocrit compared to the baseline. FS-ODF resulted in a similar hourly urinary output to OUT during the initial 2 h after administration. The urine specific gravity was significantly decreased compared to the baseline in each group. The peak times of urine electrolyte (sodium and chloride) excretion per hour were 1 h (IV), 2 h (OUT), and 2 h (FS-ODF). Conclusions These results suggest that the PK/PD of furosemide after administration of newly developed FS-ODF are similar to those of OUT in healthy dogs. Therefore, the ODF formulation has the benefits of ease and convenience, which would be helpful to owners of companion animals, such as small dogs (< 10 kg), for the management of congestive heart failure

Differential Expression of Glut1 in Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors: Correlation with Histological Grade

Background : Increased glucose uptake, a process that is mediated by glucose transporter (Glut1) proteins, is an important metabolic feature in a variety of cancer cells. The overexpression of Glut1 in human cancers is known to be related to a variety of histopathological parameters, including histological grade, proliferation rate, and lymphatic invasion. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate Glut1 expression in the spectrum of pulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors including typical carcinoid tumor (TC), atypical carcinoid tumor (AC), large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), and small cell carcinoma (SCC), and to characterize the relationship between Glut1 expression and the histologic grade of NE tumors. Methods : 19 TC, 7 AC, 13 LCNEC, and 6 SCC patients were included in this study. The percentages of Glut1-positive tumor cells in these patients were determined. For statistical analysis, Glut1 expression was subdivided into a Glut1-low expression group (0-30%) and a Glut1-high expression group (31-90%). Results : In our subgroup analyses, the histological grade of pulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors was significantly correlated with Glut1 expression; TC (n=19, 3.6 +/- 4.2%), AC (n=7, 20.0 +/- 4.9%), LCNEC (n=13, 60.0 +/- 21.1%), and SCC (n= 6, 74.2 +/- 16.9%). Glut1-high expression was significantly associated with high-grade NE tumors such as LCNEC and SCC (n=19, 62.6 +/- 21.0%) (p=0.000). Conclusions: The results of this study appear to indicate that Glut1 overexpression is a consistent feature of high-grade NE lung tumors.This work was supported by grant no 02-2008-029 from the SNUBH Research Fund and partly supported by the Korean Science & Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) through the Tumor Immunity Medical Research Center at Seoul National University College of Medicine.Song YS, 2008, LUNG CANCER, V61, P54, DOI 10.1016/j.lungcan.2007.11.012Nguyen XC, 2007, EUR J RADIOL, V62, P214, DOI 10.1016/j.ejrad.2006.12.008Khandani AH, 2007, NUCL MED COMMUN, V28, P173Chung JH, 2004, J NUCL MED, V45, P999TRAVIS WD, 2004, WHO INT HISTOLOGICALKalir T, 2002, CANCER, V94, P1078, DOI 10.1002/cncr.10280Wong CYO, 2001, EUR J NUCL MED, V28, P1702Wang BY, 2000, CANCER, V88, P2774Brown RS, 1999, J NUCL MED, V40, P556Ito T, 1998, MODERN PATHOL, V11, P437Travis WD, 1998, HUM PATHOL, V29, P272Baer SC, 1997, J AM ACAD DERMATOL, V37, P575Younes M, 1997, CANCER, V80, P1046Voldstedlund M, 1997, APMIS, V105, P537Haber RS, 1997, THYROID, V7, P363Younes M, 1997, CANCER EPIDEM BIOMAR, V6, P303Younes M, 1996, CLIN CANCER RES, V2, P1151Younes M, 1996, CANCER RES, V56, P1164Younes M, 1995, ANTICANCER RES, V15, P2895NAGASE Y, 1995, J UROLOGY, V153, P798MELLANEN P, 1994, INT J CANCER, V56, P622BROWN RS, 1993, CANCER, V72, P2979TAKATA K, 1992, CELL TISSUE RES, V267, P407PESSIN JE, 1992, ANNU REV PHYSIOL, V54, P911PARDRIDGE WM, 1990, J BIOL CHEM, V265, P18035ISSELBAC.KJ, 1972, NEW ENGL J MED, V286, P929

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Misdiagnosed as an Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Without significant coronary artery stenosis, ischemic electrocardiographic change including ST segment elevation, segmental wall motion abnormality and elevated serum cardiac-specific markers (creatine kinase-MB, Troponin-T) may develop after central nervous system injuries such as subarachnoid, intracranial or subdural hemorrhage. Misdiagnosing these patients as acute myocardial infarction may result in catastrophic outcomes. By reporting a case of a 55-year old female with subarachnoid hemorrhage mimicking acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, we hope to underline that careful attention of neurologic abnormality is critical in making better prognosis

Efficacy Evaluation of Combination Vaccine of Recombinant C-Terminal Fragments of ApxIA, ApxIIA and ApxIIIA in Piglets (Penilaian Kemujaraban Gabungan Vaksin Rekombinan Terminal-C Serpihan ApxIA, ApxIIA dan ApxIIIA pada Anak Babi)

ABSTRACT The efficacy of the combination vaccine of the individual C-terminal fragments o

Successful Hemostasis with Recombinant Activated Factor VII in a Patient with Massive Hepatic Subcapsular Hematoma

Recombinant activated coagulation factor VII (rFVIIa) is known to be effective in the management of acquired deficiencies of factor VII and platelet function defects. But recently, rFVIIa has been successfully used to treat ongoing bleeding in disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) condition. The patient reported here was suspected to be suffering from toxic hepatitis on admission. After percutaneous liver biopsy, bleeding occurred and did not stop even after right hepatic artery embolization. The patient developed a severe hemorrhage that resulted in hypovolemic shock, hemoperitoneum, and a massive subcapsular hematoma. The patient then developed DIC due to massive transfusion, as well as acute liver necrosis. The patient was given 400 μg/kg of rFVIIa. Recombinant factor VIIa was administered in an attempt to control the bleeding. This stabilized the hemoglobin levels of the patient. The patient gradually recovered in 4 months. In conclusion, this case suggests that rFVIIa can be successfully used for the hemostasis of uncontrolled bleeding in DIC

Causes and effects of 2008 financial crisis

Beginning in the mid 2007’s the US financial market started to slide into the “worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the early 1930’s” (Thakor, 2015: p.156). The domino effect of several events and occasions were leading first to a countrywide recession in the USA then later spreading globally. In the following this term paper will deal with the main causes and effects of 2008 financial crisis. Unlike other topics in literature there is no consensus about the question of guilt in this sense. Among economists there are different approaches to explain the main causes of the financial crisis