Blood sampling

Objective: To measure the frequency of depression and its risk factors in patients under going hemodialysis. Methodology: It is a cross-sectional prospective study conducted at Hemodialysis unit of Shalamar Hospital and Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore from 1 st January 2006 to 30 th April 2006. All patients getting regular hemodialysis for more than three months were included. Beck’s Depression Inventory- II (BDI-II; adapted in Urdu) was administered on all the patients who were able to read or understand it. Blood sample were drawn at the same time for routine hematological, biochemical parameters and viral markers (Anti HCV and HbsAg). Diagnosis was made as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM IV) for correlation of psychological variables with clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters. Results: Eighty nine patients were enrolled which included fifty two (58.4%) were male and seventy seven (86.5%) were married. Major causes of renal...

O objetivo do estudo foi examinar a influência de dois diferentes protocolos de treinamento de força sobre parâmetros antropométricos (peso, IMC, massa gorda), funcionais (teste de 1-RM e teste de repetições máximas) e relacionados ao sistema endócrino (concentração de testosterona e de cortisol) e ao sistema imunológico (concentração de glutamina e de IgG). Participaram do estudo 12 homens treinados (27,4 ± 4,8 anos). Esses indivíduos foram aleatoriamente divididos em dois grupos, que posteriormente foram submetidos a dois protocolos de treinamento distintos: Múltiplas séries (MS) e Tri-set (TS). Amostras de sangue foram coletadas antes e depois de uma sessão de exercício de força, no início e no final do período de oito semanas de treinamento. Não foram observadas alterações nos parâmetros morfo-funcionais (com exceção do teste de repetições máximas para o agachamento). Com relação aos parâmetros endócrinos, foi observado que o TS provocou aumento significativo do cortisol, imedia...

Aim. To verify the rationale of a pelvic stop-flow technique for the perfusion of high-doses of mitomycin C and anthacyclines in patients with inoperable, recurrent pelvic cancer.Methods. The stop-flow technique was realized by using percutaneous double-balloon arterial–venous catheters that selectively isolate the pelvic vascular section and a perfusion provided by an extracorporeal pump for 20 min. Ten patients (pts) with unresectable pelvic recurrence from colon-rectal cancer were treated with a combination of Mitomycin C (MMC, 20 mg/sqm) plus doxorubicin (DOXO, 75 mg/sqm; 8 pts) or epirubicin (EPI, 75 mg/sqm; 2 pts) infused into the isolated pelvic compartment. Blood samples were collected from the extracorporeal vascular flow and from peripheral plasma, and analysed for drug quantitation.Results. During the procedure, there were no technical or hemodynamic complications, and no deaths occurred during surgery or in the postoperative period. MMC and DOXO peak levels measured in the extracorporeal system which irrotates the tumor area, were on average 21.6 (range: 4.3–44.3, MMC) and 17.2 (range: 1.8–48.4, DOXO) times higher than those observed in the peripheral blood. Similarly; the area under concentration (AUC) versus time curves measured in the pelvic compartment during stop-flow perfusion were 19.9 (range: 3.8–45.0, MMC) and 13.4 (range: 1.2–26.6, DOXO) times higher than the corresponding value in peripheral circulation. The drug percentage eliminated in the ultra filtrate was only 7.7% (MMC) and 0.9% (DOXO), and the plasmatic AUC0–24 were similar to those observed with iv bolus of equivalent drug doses. Minimal systemic and local toxicities were observed. One complete pathological and 2 partial responses were observed; pain remission in 8/10 patients. Median survival was 12 months (8–31).Conclusion. The endo-arterial administration into the local vasculature produces high pelvic-systemic concentration gradients during the stop-flow perfusion with limited local and systemic toxicity. The encouraging clinical results suggest further evaluation.

The mutual influences of wheat selenium (Se) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) on plasma Se and indicators of increased oxidative stress were investigated in a randomized, double-blind study with 31 women (23.5 +/- 3.4 yr). Groups 1 and 2 ingested 5.4 g n-3 PUFA daily (as ethyl esters), whereas groups 3 and 4 received placebo capsules. Groups 2 and 3 received 3 slices of high-Se bread daily, providing 115 micrograms Se, in addition to the 77 +/- 26 micrograms Se in the diet. Groups 1 and 4 received placebo slices. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and at 3 and 6 wk. Serum Se concentrations increased in both groups given Se-enriched bread, but significantly less in subjects given n-3 PUFA (group 2). There were no changes in the plasma ratio alpha-tocopherol:mg cholesterol or plasma ascorbic acid levels. In group 1, plasma-conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) rose by 130% (p < 0.005) and 126% (p < 0.005), respectively. Two-way ANO...

There is accumulating evidence that the metabolism of several trace elements is altered in diabetes mellitus and that these nutrients might have specific roles in the pathogenesis and progress of this disease. The aim of present study was to compare the level of essential ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the negative effects of the Pringle maneuver on pancreatic tissue with respect to the time of performing the maneuver. Moreover, the efficacy of octreotide therapy on pancreatic changes at the time of the Pringle maneuver was assessed. Fifty male Wistar Albino rats were randomized into 5 groups. The groups were formed as follows: Group A: sham operation, Group B: Pringle maneuver for 30 min plus octreotide (PM30-OCT), Group C: Pringle maneuver for 60 min plus octreotide (PM60-OCT) and Group D: Pringle maneuver for 30 min plus 0.9 % saline solution (PM30-SS), Pringle maneuver for 60 min plus 0.9 % saline solution (PM60-SS, Group E). Blood samples for the evaluation of both amylase and lipase levels were taken via the portal vein. Levels of glutathione, glutathione reductase, catalase, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, xanthine oxidase, malondialdehyde, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) were assessed in the ...

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia canis is of veterinary importance worldwide. In Thailand, there has been little information available on E. canis and its phylogeny. The objective of this study was to characterize and establish molecular structure and phylogeny of Thai Ehrlichia and Anaplasma strains. Genus-specific primers for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma were used to amplify the 16S rRNA gene from naturally infected canine blood samples, and these amplicon sequences were compared with other sequences from GenBank. Both homology and secondary structure analysis of 16S rRNA sequences indicated that they were novel E. canis and A. platys strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Thai E. canis strain was closely related and formed a single cluster with E. canis from different countries. A. platys found in this study showed close relationship with earlier report of A. platys from Thailand. To our knowledge this report represents the first molecular characterization of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene from E. canis in dogs from Thailand.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to provide a model-based analysis of the pharmacokinetics of remifentanil in infants and children undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: We studied nine patients aged 0.5 to 4 years who received a continuous remifentanil infusion via a computer-controlled infusion pump during cardiac surgery with mildly hypothermic CPB were studied. Arterial blood

OBJECTIVE The role of leptin in the acute stress response to extracorporeal circulation has been well documented, however, the relationship between leptin and zinc has not been investigated previously. We aimed to research the circulating leptin, zinc, and copper levels before, during, and after the extracorporeal circulation, and effect of preoperative zinc administration to these. METHODS Twenty patients who were taken to elective coronary artery bypass grafting operations using extracorporeal circulation were taken to this research and divided into two equal groups (n1, n2). In both groups blood samples were taken just before the operation (T0), at the end of operation (T1), and at the first postoperative day (T2). In the second group (n2) oral zinc (50 mg, once a day) was administered to patients for 5 days, preoperatively. The serum leptin, zinc, and copper levels were studied. RESULTS In group n1 circulating leptin levels were significantly increased at T2 when compared to T0 ...

In the early 1970s an increased prevalence of gallstones was reported in adults and children with immunoglobulin deficiency. As the advent of ultrasonography has largely changed the diagnostic approach to gallstones, we have reevaluated the prevalence of cholelithiasis in a group including 37 patients with common variable immunodeficiency and seven patients with other forms of primary immunodeficiency. All patients were receiving intravenous gammaglobulin replacement since 1983 or, in more recent cases, soon after the diagnosis was made, and therefore had relatively few infections. All patients underwent a hepatobiliary ultrasonogram and blood sampling. Data were compared, after age and sex standardization, with those obtained by the GREPCO in a free-living population of 1239 men and 1081 women. Only two women with immunoglobulin deficiency had gallstones. One of these was obese and had had one pregnancy. Both were asymptomatic. None of the patients studied had a history of cholecystectomy or evidence of biliary sludge. Thus, the observed prevalence rates of gallstone disease were 8.7% in women and 0% in males, respectively, against expected values of 9.5% and 3.2%. Immunodeficient patients expressed several putative risk factors for gallstones in the low range (body mass index, total and HDL cholesterol, and blood glucose in both sexes, and triglycerides in men). We conclude that gallstone disease is not more frequent in patients with immunodeficiency syndromes undergoing immunoglobulin therapy than in the general population.

Received: 27 February 2009 / Accepted: 31July 2009 / Published (online): 01 November 2009 ... Association between neuromuscular tests and kumite performance on the Brazilian Karate National Team ... Hamilton Roschel ✉1, Mauro Batista 1, Rodrigo Monteiro 1, Romulo C. ...