Search results for "api"
showing 10 items of 8586 documents
Early discontinuation of ribavirin in HCV-2 and HCV-3 patients responding to Peg-interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin
2008
Guidelines for the treatment of patients infected with hepatitis C virus of genotypes 2 and 3 (HCV-2 and HCV-3, respectively) recommend a 24-week course of Peg-interferon (Peg-IFN) alpha-2a combined with ribavirin, despite 50% of patients in registration trials attaining a sustained virologic response (SVR) following Peg-IFN alpha-2a monotherapy. The aim of this study was to delineate patient characteristics that might help to identify individuals likely to benefit from ribavirin discontinuation. One hundred and forty-four HCV-2- and HCV-3-infected patients initiated Peg-IFN alpha-2a (180 microg/week) and ribavirin (1000 or 1200 mg/day); those with viral clearance at week 4 were randomized …
Individualized treatment duration for hepatitis C genotype 1 patients: a randomized controlled trial
2008
It was hypothesized that in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 patients, variable treatment duration individualized by first undetectable HCV RNA is as effective as standard 48-week treatment. Patients (n_696) received peginterferon alfa-2a, 180 mg/week, or peginterferon alfa-2b, 1.5 mg/kg/week, plus ribavirin, 1000-1200 mg/day, for 48 weeks (standard, n _237) or for 24, 48, or 72 weeks if HCV-RNA–negative at weeks 4, 8, or 12, respectively (variable, n _ 459). Sustained virologic response (SVR) was achieved in 45.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 38.8-51.4] of the patients in the standard group and in 48.8% (CI 44.2-53.3) of the patients in the variable group (P _ 0.37). The percentages of …
Association between Hashimoto's thyroiditis and papillary thyroid carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of 305 patients
2019
Abstract Background The association between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a controversial question that is still under debate, its pathological significance and the eventual clinical implications of this association remaining unclear. Methods The data regarding 305 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided in two different groups. A first group made up of 142 patients undergoing surgery for differentiated thyroid carcinoma was compared to a control group of 142 analogous subjects operated for normofunctioning goiter. A second group was made up of 163 patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy (TT) with pre-operative diagnos…
Lacrimal gland herniation in Graves ophthalmopathy: a simple and useful MRI biomarker of disease activity
2019
Lacrimal gland (LG) involvement in patients with Graves ophthalmopathy (GO) has been considered as a potential cause of the associated GO symptoms and different studies demonstrated the LG involvement in patients with GO than healthy controls. The aim of this study was to evaluate LG involvement, through measurement of its herniation, using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) index, in patients with different GO activities. Thirty-two consecutive Caucasian patients affected by GO were enrolled and grouped in group A (16 with inactive GO, CAS < 3) and B (16 with active GO, CAS ≥ 3) according to their GO activity. All patients underwent clinical-endocrinological assessment, a complete ocular e…
Age-related dermal collagen changes during development, maturation and ageing - a morphometric and comparative study.
2014
The tissue organisation of dermal collagen is gaining importance as a contributing factor both in development and ageing, as well as in skin maturation processes. In this work we aim to study different representative parameters of this structural organisation in 45 human skin samples of assorted ages, by means of image analysis. The variation of these parameters on the basis of age was assessed using several regression models (linear, quadratic and cubic). The area occupied by collagen was significantly reduced as a function of age in the papillary dermis (R(2) = 0.437, P < 0.0001), as well as the thickness of the collagen bundles (R(2) = 0.461, P < 0.0001), following statistical models of …
Successful treatment of condylomata acuminata at the urethral meatus with high-dose ingenol mebutate gel: Report of two cases
2019
Condylomata acuminata (CA), or anogenital warts, is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Treatments for CA generally have suboptimal recurrence rates, which results in a need for repeated treatments and adds to the already negative impact on the patients’ quality of life. CA can present at the urethral meatus, which is a particularly challenging anatomic location from a therapeutic perspective. We report two cases of CA at the urethral meatus successfully treated with topical application of high-dose ingenol mebutate gel.
Neck semispinalis capitis muscle size in sitting and prone positions measured by real-time ultrasonography.
1998
Objective: To examine the reliability of measurements of semispinalis capitis muscle (SECM) cross-sectional area (CSA) in prone and sitting positions, and to compare the muscle size in these two positions. Design: Semispinalis capitis CSA was measured twice a day on two successive days with a real-time ultrasound apparatus. Subjects: Eighteen males (aged 19–34 years) and 28 females (aged 19–34 years) were studied for the reliability test. Seven males and 12 females were randomly selected to compare SECM size in sitting and prone positions. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for repeatability measurements was r = 0.98 for the two positions. The correlation of the CSA in s…
Heparin-induced priapism
2001
Heparin-induced priapism constitutes a special form of pharmaco-induced prolonged erection, but the pathophysiological principles are not yet definitely clear. Heparin-induced antiplatelet-antibodies may lead to the aggregation of thrombocytes and thus alter the penile blood flow leading to low-flow priapism. Alternatively, this condition may be explained by initial high-flow priapism that later turns into ischemic priapism. The question remains whether hemorrhage with subsequent organisation of the hematoma and late fibrosis constitutes a pathogenetic factor. Besides this pathogenetic discussion, this paper presents the differential diagnosis of priapism as well as diagnostic and therapeut…
The effect of acupuncture on oral microcirculation in healthy volunteers: an exploratory study.
2009
Background Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique currently used in the treatment of many pathologies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential effect of acupuncture on “in vivo” variations in oral microcirculation in healthy subjects. Methods An exploratory study was conducted on 40 healthy subjects: 20 cases (mean 55.90, SD 16.04) and 20 controls (mean 51, SD 11.91). Videocapillaroscopy was used to detect variations in oral microcirculation. This method permits an accurate and non-invasive in vivo study of the capillaries of the oral mucous. The site selected for this pilot study is the lower lip since it is the simplest to investigate and is more readily accessible. Assessments…
Coronary calcium score and computed tomography coronary angiography in high-risk asymptomatic subjects: assessment of diagnostic accuracy and prevale…
2010
The aim of the study was to compare the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for the assessment of non-obstructive/obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in high-risk asymptomatic subjects. Two hundred and thirteen consecutive asymptomatic subjects (113 male; mean age 53.6 +/- 12.4 years) with more than one risk factor and an inconclusive or unfeasible non-invasive stress test result underwent CACS and CTCA in an outpatient setting. All patients underwent conventional coronary angiography (CAG). Data from CACS (threshold for positive image: Agatston score 1/100/1,000) and CTCA were compared with CAG regarding the degree of CAD (non-obst…