Internal Medicine
Online ISSN : 1349-7235
Print ISSN : 0918-2918
ISSN-L : 0918-2918
54 巻, 15 号
選択された号の論文の27件中1~27を表示しています
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
  • Satoshi Yuda, Toshiaki Hayashi, Kenji Yasui, Atsuko Muranaka, Hirofumi ...
    2015 年 54 巻 15 号 p. 1833-1840
    発行日: 2015年
    公開日: 2015/08/01
    ジャーナル オープンアクセス
    Objective Left ventricular (LV) functions assessed by echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers are strong predictors of mortality in patients with systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis. However, most previous studies have been conducted in Western countries, and the predictors of mortality in Asian patients with AL amyloidosis have not been characterized. To address this issue, we aimed to determine the predictors of mortality in Asian patients with biopsy-confirmed AL amyloidosis.
    Methods We retrospectively enrolled 31 patients (59±11 years, 55% men) in whom AL amyloidosis was confirmed by biopsies from cardiac or non-cardiac tissues. Of these patients, 15 (48%) met the international echocardiographic criteria for cardiac amyloidosis (mean LV wall thickness >12 mm without other causes of LV hypertrophy).
    Results During a mean follow-up period of 21±20 months, 15 patients died. Non-survivors had a higher number of involved organs, lower e', and higher rates of E/e' >15, pericardial effusion (PE), low voltage on an electrocardiogram and a New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class ≥ III, compared with survivors. In multivariate analysis, a NYHA functional class ≥ III (p=0.024) and cardiac involvement (p=0.032) were independent predictors of PE in patients with AL amyloidosis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis indicated that PE (hazard ratio: 21.9, p=0.025) and the number of involved organs (hazard ratio: 2.8, p=0.015), but not LV diastolic parameters of tissue Doppler echocardiography, independently predict mortality in patients with AL amyloidosis.
    Conclusion PE and multiple organ involvement, compared with e' and E/e', are stronger predictors of mortality in patients with AL amyloidosis. The advanced disease stage of AL amyloidosis might underlie the strong association between PE and a poor outcome.
  • Satoshi Kurisu, Noriaki Watanabe, Hiroki Ikenaga, Tadanao Higaki, Taka ...
    2015 年 54 巻 15 号 p. 1841-1847
    発行日: 2015年
    公開日: 2015/08/01
    ジャーナル オープンアクセス
    Objective Analyses of arterial blood gas parameters, including pH, HCO3- and lactate, play an important role in assessing the clinical status of patients with heart failure. In the present study, we evaluated the degree of agreement in the pH, HCO3- and lactate levels between arterial and venous blood samples according to the subset of the Forrester classification.
    Methods The study population consisted of 128 patients with known or suspected heart failure. The subjects were divided into four groups based on the Forrester classification. Arterial blood samples were drawn from the radial or brachial artery, and venous blood samples were drawn from the pulmonary artery.
    Results There were 59 patients with a Forrester subset I status, 32 patients with a subset II status, 21 patients with a subset III status and 16 patients with a subset IV status. The pH and HCO3- levels were similar between the four subsets. In all subsets, the pH values were significantly higher and the HCO3- values were significantly lower in the arterial blood samples than in the venous blood samples. There was good correlation and agreement in the pH and HCO3- levels between the arterial and venous blood samples. In contrast, there was a significant difference in the lactate levels in both the arterial and venous blood samples between the four subsets, and the lactate levels were highest in subset IV. In all subsets, there was good correlation and agreement in the lactate levels between the arterial and venous blood samples.
    Conclusion These data suggest that the venous pH, HCO3- and lactate levels are acceptable substitutes for arterial parameters, regardless of the cardiac hemodynamics.
  • Didem Ozdemir, Selcuk Dagdelen, Aydan Usman
    2015 年 54 巻 15 号 p. 1849-1857
    発行日: 2015年
    公開日: 2015/08/01
    ジャーナル オープンアクセス
    Objective Adiponectin is an adipokine which is known to decrease in individuals associated with obesity and insulin resistance. In this study, we aimed to investigate the serum adiponectin levels and glucose metabolism in patients with thyroid dysfunction before and after treatment.
    Methods Newly diagnosed overt hypothyroid (n=20) and thyrotoxic (n=23) patients and healthy controls (n=20) with a body mass index of <30 kg/m2 were evaluated prospectively. Patients with a known state of insulin resistance, including prediabetes and overt diabetes, and individuals with chronic diseases were excluded. Thyroid function and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and HOMA-beta cell function (HOMA-beta), lipid and adiponectin levels were investigated in the basal state and after the restoration of euthyroidism.
    Results The basal fasting FPG levels were lower in the hypothyroid patients than the control subjects (p=0.02) and similar between the thyrotoxic patients and control subjects (p=0.127). The basal HOMA-beta levels were higher in the patients with hypothyroidism than in those with thyrotoxicosis (p=0.015). Following the restoration of euthyroidism, the FPG levels significantly increased in the hypothyroid patients (p=0.002) and decreased in the thyrotoxic (p=0.001) patients. The basal plasma adiponectin levels were 14.55±8.4 mcg/mL, 13.79±9.13 mcg/mL and 11.68±6.0 mcg/mL in the hypothyroid and thyrotoxic patients and healthy controls, respectively (p=0.503). The adiponectin levels decreased significantly in the patients with hypothyroidism (p=0.047), whereas they did not change in the patients with thyrotoxicosis (p=0.770) after achieving euthyroidism.
    Conclusion In this study, following the restoration of euthyroidism, the FPG levels increased in the hypothyroidism patients and decreased in the thyrotoxicosis patients, despite the lack of changes in the HOMA-IR and HOMA-beta levels. Meanwhile, the hypothyroid, thyrotoxic and euthyroid subjects had similar basal adiponectin levels, and a significant decrease in the adiponectin levels was observed after treatment for hypothyroidism, despite the absence of changes after treatment for thyrotoxicosis, indicating the need for further studies with a larger sample size.
  • Shuichi Hagiwara, Minoru Kaneko, Masato Murata, Makoto Aoki, Jun Nakaj ...
    2015 年 54 巻 15 号 p. 1859-1863
    発行日: 2015年
    公開日: 2015/08/01
    ジャーナル オープンアクセス
    Objective This study was conducted to determine whether a policy of not attempting to resuscitate patients who are 80 years of age and older with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival is justifiable.
    Methods The protocol of this study was approved without the need for informed consent by the research ethics board of Gunma University Hospital. We prospectively analyzed patients with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival that was due to an intrinsic reason who were taken to Gunma University Hospital between January 2013 and March 2014. The patients were divided into two groups: patients who were less than 80 years of age (L group) and those aged 80 years and older (H group). We compared the patients' characteristics, including the etiology of cardiac arrest, and the prognosis between the two groups.
    Results A total of 103 patients with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival were enrolled. There were no significant differences in the patients' characteristics, such as age, sex, witness and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and transportation time between the two groups. The return of spontaneous circulation was obtained in 14 patients (25.5%) in the L group and in 9 patients (18.8%) in the H group; however, no significant difference was seen between the two groups. Two patients in the L group were in good neurological condition when they were discharged; however, the other patients did not survive.
    Conclusion Even patients 80 years of age and older can be resuscitated to spontaneous circulation. We do not endorse a policy that recommends not performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation based solely on the age of the patient.
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