METHODS: The scoliosis curves were divided into eight zones. CT scans were used to assess perforations: Grade 0, Grade 1( 4 mm). Anterior perforations were classified into Grade 0, Grade 1( 6 mm). Grade 2 and 3 (except lateral grade 2 and 3 perforation over thoracic vertebrae) were considered as 'critical perforations'.
RESULTS: 1986 screws in 137 patients were analyzed. The overall perforation rate was 8.4% after exclusion of the lateral perforation. The highest medial perforation rate was at the transitional proximal thoracic (PT)/main thoracic (MT) zone (6.9%), followed by concave lumbar (6.7%) and convex main thoracic (MT) zone (6.1%). The overall critical medial perforation rate was 0.9%. 33.3% occurred at convex MT and 22.2% occurred at transitional PT/MT zone. There were 39 anterior perforations (overall perforation rate of 2.0%). 43.6% occurred at transitional PT/MT zone, whereas 23.1% occurred at concave PT zone. The overall critical anterior perforation rate was 0.6%. 5/12 (41.7%) critical perforations occurred at concave PT zone, whereas four perforations occurred at the transitional PT/MT zone. There were only two symptomatic left medial grade 2 perforations (0.1%) resulting radiculopathy, occurring at the transitional main thoracic (MT)/Lumbar (L) zone.
CONCLUSION: Overall pedicle perforation rate was 8.4%. Highest rate of critical medial perforation was at the convex MT zone and the transitional PT/MT zone, whereas highest rate of critical anterior perforation was at the concave PT zone and the transitional PT/MT zone. The rate of symptomatic perforations was 0.1%.
METHODS: Diabetic rats were treated orally with the vehicle or the ginger extract (75 mg/kg/day) over a period of 24 weeks along with regular monitoring of bodyweight and blood glucose and weekly fundus photography. At the end of the 24-week treatment, the retinas were isolated for histopathological examination under a light microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and determination of the retinal tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels.
RESULTS: Oral administration of the ginger extract resulted in significant reduction of hyperglycemia, the diameter of the retinal vessels, and vascular basement membrane thickness. Improvement in the architecture of the retinal vasculature was associated with significantly reduced expression of NF-κB and reduced activity of TNF-α and VEGF in the retinal tissue in the ginger extract-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group.
CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that ginger extract containing 5% of 6-gingerol attenuates the retinal microvascular changes in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes through anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic actions. Although precise molecular targets remain to be determined, 6-gingerol seems to be a potential candidate for further investigation.
Methods: A total of 63 unilateral nephrectomised male and female Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Group 1 (ShOPR): Rats as sham-operated group were subjected to surgical procedure without RIR. Group 2 (Isch): Rats underwent RIR (left kidney ischemia for 30 min followed by 48 h reperfusion). Group 3 (Zn+Isch): Rats were treated as group 2 but they received Zn sulphate (30 mg/kg) 1 h before induction of RIR. Group 4 (IPC+Isch): Rats were treated as group 2 but they underwent 1 min of ischemia followed by 3 min reperfusion as IPC, which was repeated for three times before induction of RIR. Group 5 (Zn+IPC+Isch): Rats were subjected to receive both Zn sulphate and IPC before induction of RIR. Urine samples were collected in the last 6 h of reperfusion, and finally biochemical and histological measurements were performed.
Results: The serum level of creatinine (Cr), normalised kidney weight (KW) and kidney tissue damage score (KTDS) increased by RIR alone significantly (P < 0.05). These parameters were attenuated statistically by Zn supplementation (P < 0.05). However, IPC alone or co-treatment of Zn and IPC did not improve the biochemical and histological markers altered by RIR injury.
Conclusion: Zn supplementation had a protective role against RIR while such protective effect was not observed by IPC alone or by co-treatment of Zn and IPC.
METHODS: This was an observational study reviewing all confirmed ZIKV cases detected in Malaysia through the ZIKV clinical surveillance and Flavivirus laboratory surveillance between June 2015 and December 2017. All basic demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, clinical, laboratory and outcome data of the confirmed ZIKV cases were collected from the source documents.
RESULTS: Only eight out of 4043 cases tested positive for ZIKV infection during that period. The median age of infected patients was 48.6 years and majority was Chinese. Two of the subjects were pregnant. The median interval between the onset of disease and the first detection of ZIKV Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) in body fluid was 3 days. Six cases had ZIKV RNA detected in both serum and urine samples. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that isolates from the 7 cases of ZIKV infection came from two clusters, both of which were local circulating strains.
CONCLUSION: Despite similar ecological background characteristics, Malaysia was not as affected by the recent ZIKV outbreak compared to Brazil and Singapore. This could be related to pre-existing immunity against ZIKV in this population, which developed after the first introduction of the ZIKV in Malaysia decades ago. A serosurvey to determine the seroprevalence of ZIKV in Malaysia was carried out in 2017. The differences in circulating ZIKV strains could be another reason as to why Malaysia seemed to be protected from an outbreak.
DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This is a retrospective study of all patients who had undergone coronary angioplasty from 2007 to 2009 in 11 hospitals across Malaysia.
METHODS: Data were obtained from the NCVD-PCI Registry, 2007 to 2009. Patients were categorized into 2 groups-young and old, where young was defined as less than 45 years for men and less than 55 years for women and old was defined as more than or equals to 45 years for men and more than or equals to 55 years for women. Patients' baseline characteristics, risk factor profile, extent of coronary disease and outcome on dis.charge, and 30-day and 1-year follow-up were compared between the 2 groups.
RESULTS: We analyzed 10268 patients, and the prevalence of young CAD was 16% (1595 patients). There was a significantly low prevalence of Chinese patients compared to other major ethnic groups. Active smoking (30.2% vs 17.7%) and obesity (20.9% vs 17.3%) were the 2 risk factors more associated with young CAD. There is a preponderance toward single vessel disease in the young CAD group, and they had a favorable clinical outcome in terms of all-cause mortality at discharge (RR 0.49 [CI 0.26-0.94]) and 1-year follow-up (RR 0.47 [CI 0.19-1.15]).
CONCLUSION: We observed distinctive features of young CAD that would serve as a framework in the primary and secondary prevention of the early onset CAD.
METHODS: Plasma inflammatory cytokines were measured using a cytometric bead array in 87 asymptomatic young adult survivors of childhood ALL (median age, 25 years; age range, 18-35 years) who attended annual follow-up clinic and compared with healthy, age-matched and sex-matched controls. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was measured using Southern blot analysis.
RESULTS: Survivors had significant elevation of plasma interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-10, IL-17a, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (all P 0.8 mg/dL) was related to increased odds of having metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 7.256; 95% confidence interval, 1.501-35.074). Survivors also had significantly shorter LTL compared with controls (median, 9866 vs 10,392 base pairs; P = .021). Compared with published data, LTL in survivors was similar to that in healthy individuals aged 20 years older. Survivors who received cranial irradiation had shorter LTL compared with those who had not (P = .013).
CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic young adult survivors of childhood ALL demonstrate a biologic profile of chronic inflammation and telomere attrition, consistent with an early onset of cellular processes that drive accelerated aging. These processes may explain the premature development of age-related chronic conditions in childhood cancer survivors. Understanding their molecular basis may facilitate targeted interventions to disrupt the accelerated aging process and its long-term impact on overall health. Cancer 2017;123:4207-4214. © 2017 American Cancer Society.