Effect of dialysate sodium reduction on body water volume, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers in hemodialysis patients - A prospective randomized controlled study

Accumulating evidence suggests an association between body volume overload and inflammation in chronic kidney diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of dialysate sodium concentration reduction on extracellular water volume, blood pressure (BP), and inflammatory state in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In this prospective controlled study, adult patients on HD for at least 90 days and those with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels ≥ 0.7 mg/dL were randomly allocated into two groups: group A, which included 29 patients treated with reduction of dialysate sodium concentration from 138 to 135 mEq/L; and group B, which included 23 HD patients not receiving dialysate sodium reduction (controls). Of these, 20 patients in group A and 18 in group B completed the protocol study. Inflammatory, biochemical, hematological, and nutritional markers were assessed at baseline and after 8 and 16 weeks. Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. Group A showed a significant reduction in serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 over the study period, while the BP and extracellular water (ECW) did not change. In Group B, there were no changes in serum concentrations of inflammatory markers, BP, and ECW. Dialysate sodium reduction is associated with attenuation of the inflammatory state, without changes in the BP and ECW, suggesting inhibition of a salt-induced inflammatory response. Copyright © 2013 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.

Does hyperglycemia in pregnancy change fetal kidney growth?: a longitudinal prospective study

PURPOSE: To measure fetal renal volume in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective study was conducted and included 92 hyperglycemic and 339 normoglycemic pregnant women attended at the prenatal service of a hospital from Rio de Janeiro State. Ultrasound examinations were performed to estimate gestational age at baseline and the kidney volume was estimated using the prolate ellipsoid volume equation. RESULTS: Fetal kidney volume growth between normoglycemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies are significantly different. The fetal kidney volume growth in pregnancy is positively correlated with gestational age explained by these predictor equations, by group: normal renal volume = exp (6.186+0.09×gestational week); hyperglycemic renal volume = exp (6.978+0.071×gestational week) and an excessive growth pattern for hyperglycemic pregnancies may be established according to gestational age. CONCLUSION: This is important for early detection of abnormalities in pregnancy, particularly in diabetic mothers.

Cardiovascular risk and mortality in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis: sleep study, pulmonary function, respiratory mechanics, upper airway collapsibility, autonomic nervous activity, depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life: a prospective, double blind, randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most serious public health problems. The increasing prevalence of CKD in developed and developing countries has led to a global epidemic. The hypothesis proposed is that patients undergoing dialysis would experience a marked negative influence on physiological variables of sleep and autonomic nervous system activity, compromising quality of life.Methods/Design: A prospective, consecutive, double blind, randomized controlled clinical trial is proposed to address the effect of dialysis on sleep, pulmonary function, respiratory mechanics, upper airway collapsibility, autonomic nervous activity, depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life in patients with CKD. The measurement protocol will include body weight (kg); height (cm); body mass index calculated as weight/height(2); circumferences (cm) of the neck, waist, and hip; heart and respiratory rates; blood pressures; Mallampati index; tonsil index; heart rate variability; maximum ventilatory pressures; negative expiratory pressure test, and polysomnography (sleep study), as well as the administration of specific questionnaires addressing sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life.Discussion: CKD is a major public health problem worldwide, and its incidence has increased in part by the increased life expectancy and increasing number of cases of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Sleep disorders are common in patients with renal insufficiency. Our hypothesis is that the weather weight gain due to volume overload observed during interdialytic period will influence the degree of collapsibility of the upper airway due to narrowing and predispose to upper airway occlusion during sleep, and to investigate the negative influences of haemodialysis in the physiological variables of sleep, and autonomic nervous system, and respiratory mechanics and thereby compromise the quality of life of patients.

Oncological Safety of Autologous Fat Grafting after Breast Conservative Treatment: A Prospective Evaluation

Autologous fat graft to the breast is a useful tool to correct defects after breast conservative treatment (BCT). Although this procedure gains popularity, little is known about the interaction between the fat graft and the prior oncological environment. Evidences of safety of this procedure in healthy breast and after post-mastectomy reconstruction exist. However, there is paucity of data among patients who underwent BCT which are hypothetically under a higher risk of local recurrence (LR). Fifty-nine patients, with prior BCT, underwent 75 autologous fat graft procedures using the Coleman's technique, between October 2005 and July 2008. Follow-up was made by clinical and radiologic examination at least once, after 6 months of the procedure. Mean age was 50 +/- 8.5 years, and mean follow-up was 34.4 +/- 15.3months. Mean time from oncological surgery to the first fat grafting procedure was 76.6 +/- 30.9months. Most of patients were at initial stage 0 (11.8%), I (33.8%), or IIA (23.7%). Immediate complication was observed in three cases (4%). Only three cases of true LR (4%) associated with the procedure were observed during the follow-up. Abnormal breast images were present in 20% of the postoperative mammograms, and in 8% of the cases, biopsy was warranted. Autologous fat graft is a safe procedure to correct breast defects after BCT, with low postoperative complications. Although it was not associated with increased risk of LR in the group of patients studied, prospective trials are needed to certify that it does not interfere in patient's oncological prognosis.

Inferior Alveolar Nerve Function After Sagittal Split Osteotomy by Reciprocating Saw or Piezosurgery Instrument: Prospective Double-Blinded Study

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to objectively evaluate inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) sensory disturbances in patients who underwent sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) by comparing 1 side treated with a reciprocating saw with the other side treated with a piezosurgery device.Materials and Methods: Clinical evaluation of IAN sensory disturbance was undertaken preoperatively and at 1 week, 4 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months postoperatively in 20 patients who underwent SSROat the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Araraquara Dental School, Sao Paulo State University. The 20 patients were examined at all periods for IAN functionality by Semmes-Weinstein testing; neither the patients nor the examiner knew which side was treated using piezosurgery or a reciprocating saw.Results: The mean age of the patients was 28.4 years (range, 20 to 48 yr). Before surgery, no patient had impaired function of the IAN in any of the 8 zones in the mental and inferior lip areas. All patients reported feeling the first monofilament at the time of the preoperative test. Seven days postoperatively, all patients reported some kind of altered sensitivity in at least 1 zone evaluated.Conclusions: The results of this study suggest there was no statistically significant difference in the sensitivity of the labiomental area regarding the instrument used to perform the osteotomy. Future studies will focus on enlarging the sample and evaluating the results. (C) 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Clinical aspects of envenomation caused by Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843) in two distinct regions of Para state, Brazilian Amazon basin: a prospective case series

Background: Scorpion envenomations are a major public health problem in Brazil, whose most dangerous cases are attributable to the genus Tityus. This study was designed to compare the clinical and demographic features of envenomations by Tityus obscurus in two areas of the state of Para located in the Amazon basin. Were compared demographic findings, local and systemic signs and symptoms of human envenomations caused by T. obscurus that occurred in western and eastern areas of the state.Results: Forty-eight patients with confirmed envenomation by T. obscurus were evaluated from January 2008 to July 2011. Most of them came from the eastern region, where male and female patients were present in similar numbers, while males predominated in the west. Median age groups were also similar in both areas. Most scorpion stings took place during the day and occurred significantly more frequently on the upper limbs. The time between the sting and admission to the health center was less than three hours in both areas. Most eastern patients had local manifestations while in the west, systemic manifestations predominated. Local symptoms were similar in both areas, but systemic signs and symptoms were more common in the west. Symptoms frequently observed at the sting site were local and radiating pain, paresthesia, edema, erythema, sweating, piloerection and burning. The systemic manifestations were significantly higher in patients from the west. Futhermore, neurological symptoms such as general paresthesia, ataxia, dysarthria, myoclonus, dysmetria, and electric shock-like sensations throughout the body were reported only by patients from the west.Conclusion: The present study shows that two regions of Para state differ in the clinical manifestations and severity of confirmed envenomation by T. obscurus which suggests a toxicity variation resulting from the diversity of T. obscurus venom in different areas of the Brazilian Amazon basin, and that T. serrulatus antivenom can be successfully used against T. obscurus.

Metabolic parameters of postmenopausal women after quinoa or corn flakes intake - a prospective and double-blind study

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Erythrocyte selenium concentration predicts intensive care unit and hospital mortality in patients with septic shock: a prospective observational study

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Minimally Invasive Selective Neck Dissection: A Prospective Study of Endoscopically Assisted Dissection via a Small Submandibular Approach in cT(1-2)N(0) Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Selective neck dissection (SND) in clinical N-0 (cN(0)) cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been performed by surgeons using a retroauricular or modified facelift approach with robotic or endoscopic assistance. However, these procedures provide cosmetic satisfaction at the cost of possible maximal invasiveness. In this prospective study, we introduced and evaluated the feasibility as well as surgical invasiveness and cosmetic outcome of endoscopically-assisted SND via a small submandibular approach.Forty-four patients with cT(1-2)N(0) oral SCC (OSCC) were randomly divided into two groups of endoscopically-assisted SND and conventional SND. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes of patients were evaluated, including the length of the incision, operating time for neck dissection, estimated blood loss during the operation, amount and duration of drainage, total hospitalization period, total number of lymph nodes retrieved, satisfaction scores based on the cosmetic results, perioperative local complications, shoulder syndrome, and follow-up information.The mean operation time in the endoscopically-assisted group (126.04 +/- A 12.67 min) was longer than that in the conventional group (75.67 +/- A 16.67 min). However, the mean length of the incision was 4.33 +/- A 0.76 cm in the endoscopically-assisted SND group, and the amount and duration of drainage, total hospital stay, postoperative shoulder pain score, and cosmetic outcomes were superior in the endoscopically-assisted SND group. Additionally, the retrieved lymph nodes and complications were comparable.Endoscopically-assisted SND via a small submandibular approach had a longer operation time than the conventional approach. However, endoscopically-assisted SND was feasible and reliable while providing minimal invasiveness and satisfactory appearance.