Search results for "case-control"
showing 10 items of 1685 documents
CC chemokine receptor 5 polymorphism in Italian patients with Beḩet's disease
2012
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential role of CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)Δ32 polymorphism in the susceptibility to and clinical expression of Behcet's disease (BD) in a cohort of Italian patients. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-six consecutive Italian patients satisfying the ISG criteria for BD were followed up for 8 years, and 180 healthy age- and sex-matched blood donors were molecularly genotyped for the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism. A standard microlymphocytotoxicity technique was used to serotype HLA-B51. The patients were subgrouped on the basis of the presence or absence of clinical manifestations. RESULTS: The distribution of the CCR5Δ32 genotype differed between BD patients and controls…
State dependent posterior hippocampal volume increases in patients with major depressive disorder.
2011
Abstract Background The hippocampal formation has been implicated in etiology and therapy response in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, prospective longitudinal studies investigating volumes in hippocampal subregions and their association with clinical findings are still lacking. Methods Global and regional hippocampal volumes and neuropsychological performance were assessed longitudinally in 15 young patients with unipolar early onset MDD who responded to therapy and 13 matched healthy control subjects. Results Although volumes at baseline did not differ between groups, patients with MDD showed significant posterior hippocampal volume increases during the treatment course (mean obs…
Homocysteine levels and the metabolic syndrome in a Mediterranean population: A case-control study
2011
Hyperhomocysteinemia (HH) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. However, whether there is a link between MS or its components and homocysteine levels in a population without cardiovascular disease is not well established. We conducted a case-control study in 61 MS patients (41 males, 20 females, aged 51 ± 11 years) and in 98 controls without MS (59 males, 39 females, aged 50 ± 10 years) to ascertain the association between MS and HH, and with inflammatory markers. MS was classified according to the updated ATPIII criteria [17]. No differences in homocysteine levels were observed when comparing MS patients and controls (12.0 ± 3.18 μM vs. 11.9 ± 3.5 μ…
Drug-induced pertubation of the aminothiol redox-status in patients with epilepsy: improvement by B-vitamins.
2008
Summary Objectives Patients with epilepsy have excess morbidity and mortality due to ischemic cardiovascular disease. Many of these patients have elevated concentrations of plasma total homocysteine (Hcy), which is an acknowledged risk factor for cardiovascular disease, venous thromboembolic disease, foetal malformations and dementia. Hyperhomocysteinemia may have negative effects through mechanisms involving oxidative damage. In the present study, we have investigated the aminothiol redox-status in patients on antiepileptic drugs. Thereafter, in a subset of patients with elevated total Hcy, we evaluated the effect of B-vitamin therapy. Methods In the first part of the study, 101 patients o…
Methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) A66G polymorphism is not related to plasma homocysteine concentration and the risk for vascular disease.
2009
Epidemiological evidence has revealed that hyperhomocysteinemia increases the risk for vascular disease. Methionine Synthase Reductase (MTRR) is one of several key enzymes in the homocysteine metabolic pathway and its mutant forms have been implicated in abnormal homocysteine accumulation. In this study, we determined total plasma homocysteine levels and MTRR A66G polymorphism in 114 patients with vascular disease: 58 patients with deep-vein thrombosis, 56 patients with arterial thrombosis, and 95 healthy subjects from the Sicilian population. Our data confirmed that, as already reported, moderately elevated t-Hcy levels are correlated with an increased risk of vascular disease. In our stud…
Altered endocannabinoid-dynamics in craniopharyngioma patients and their association with HPA-axis disturbances.
2021
Objective Patients with craniopharyngioma (CP) frequently suffer from morbid obesity. Endocannabinoids (ECs) are involved in weight gain and rewarding behavior but have not been investigated in this context. Design Cross-sectional single-center study. Methods Eighteen patients with CP and 16 age- and sex-matched controls were included. Differences in endocannabinoids (2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA)) and endocannabinoid-like molecules (oleoyl ethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and arachidonic acid (AA) were measured at baseline and following endurance exercise. We further explored ECs-dynamics in relation to markers of HPA-axis activity (ACT…
Increased expression of markers of early atherosclerosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
2016
Recent studies documented an increased cardiovascular risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our study aimed at investigating the prevalence of intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries and the arterial stiffness indices as markers of early atherosclerosis in young IBD patients.We recruited 68 consecutive IBD patients, and 38 matched healthy controls less than 45years old (median age 31.6±8.1years). Clinical and demographic features, cardiovascular risk factors, history of cardiovascular events, concomitant therapies were registered on a dedicate database. Carotid IMT was evaluated by using high resolution B-mode ultrasonography. Arterial stiffness was assessed b…
Role of high-resolution ultrasonography without and with real-time spatial compound imaging in evaluating the injured posterior cruciate ligament: pr…
2009
This study sought to compare high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) without and with compound imaging in evaluating the injured posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Thirteen patients with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of PCL lesions (ten acute and three chronic) and 20 healthy controls underwent conventional and compound HRUS performed by the same radiologist who was blinded to the subjects' case-control status. The PCL was scanned in a longitudinal direction in all cases. HRUS images were assessed for PCL thickness by two other radiologists blinded to the number and type of PCL injury. PCLs were classified as normal or injured, and the latter as having acute or chronic injurie…
Association between platelet glycoprotein Ib-alpha and myocardial infarction: results of a pilot study performed in male and female patients from Sic…
2007
Myocardial infarction (AMI) is a complex multifactorial disorder. Platelet adhesion and thrombosis are pivotal events in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Occlusive thrombus is almost exclusively initiated by plaque rupture and adhesion of platelets to subendothelial von Willebrand factor (vWf) by its specific platelet receptor, the alpha-chain of glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX-V complex of the human platelet-specific antigens (HPA). Two polymorphisms have been reported in the sequence of GPIb-alpha. The first, a C/T transition at nucleotide 1018 results in an amino acid dimorphism (Thr/Met) at residue 145 of GPIb-alpha, which is located within the vWF-binding domain of the receptor. The…
Lack of genetic association of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
2010
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that is characterized by severe pain and exaggerated neurogenic inflammation, which may develop after injury or surgery. Neurogenic inflammation is mediated by neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) that are released from nociceptors. Genetic factors may play a role in CRPS as was suggested by the occurrence of familial cases and several genetic association studies investigating mainly the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system. Here we investigated the role of neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a key enzyme in neuropeptide catabolism. NEP dysfunction resulting in reduced inactivation of neuropeptides m…