The American journal of the medical sciences
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Multicenter Study
Gender differences in clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions with zotarolimus-eluting stents: insights from the Korean Endeavor Registry.
The impact of gender on outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with second-generation drug-eluting stents is not known in Asian patients. The authors studied outcomes after PCI with zotarolimus-eluting stent in unselected consecutive series of Asian patients according to gender. ⋯ Despite greater baseline clinical and angiographic risk, the use of the zotarolimus-eluting stent is associated with favorable outcomes among Asian women treated with PCI.
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Multicenter Study
Epidemiology of spondyloarthropathies in Central America.
The authors reviewed retrospectively a cohort of 233 spondyloarthropathy patients observed in 2 centers in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and in hospitals in San Salvador, El Salvador, and San José, Costa Rica. Guatemalan patients were either from the clinic of Guatemalan Association against Rheumatic Diseases (n = 105) or from the private clinic of AGK (n = 78). El Salvador patients (n = 17) were from Hospital Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social, and Costa Rican patients (n = 33) were from Hospital Calderón Guardia, San José, Costa Rica. ⋯ Prevalence of spondyloarthropathy was slightly higher in females than males (57% versus 43%, respectively). The median age was 47.5 years. Most of our patients were diagnosed with reactive arthritis or undifferentiated arthritis (47% and 33%, respectively); 10% of patients had ankylosing spondylitis and 9% psoriatic arthritis.
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During the period of 2006 to 2007, 28 university centers in Brazil used a standardized protocol of investigation to study the epidemiological, clinical and radiological variables of 1036 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Validated translated (Portuguese) versions of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) Disease Activity Index and the Bath AS Functional Index were applied. Patient diagnoses were predominantly AS (72.3%), followed by psoriatic arthritis (13.7%), undifferentiated SpA (6.3%), reactive arthritis (3.6%), juvenile SpA (3.1%) and arthritis related to inflammatory bowel disease (1.0%). ⋯ Pure axial disease was observed in 36.7% of the patients, whereas the mixed pattern (axial, peripheral and entheseal) was observed in 47.9%. The most common extra-articular involvement was anterior uveitis (20.2%). HLA-B27 was positive in 69.5% of the tested patients.
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National cholesterol treatment guidelines include a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (<40 mg/dL) as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) that should be considered when making decisions on treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. ⋯ These data suggest a graded association exists between lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and CHD across the full range of LDL-cholesterol levels. As interventions targeting HDL levels are developed, the combinatorial effects of lower HDL levels with various levels of LDL-cholesterol should be examined.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Tacrolimus combined with corticosteroids in treatment of nephrotic idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.
Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults, is usually treated with corticosteroids in combination with cyclophosphamide or cyclosporine. A recent placebo-controlled study suggested that tacrolimus monotherapy was effective in IMN. However, the effectiveness of tacrolimus versus classic regimen and its potential nephrotoxicity remain inconclusive. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus plus prednisone in patients with nephrotic IMN. ⋯ Tacrolimus plus corticosteroids is an alternative therapeutic regimen for nephrotic IMN. The short-term efficacy might be better than cyclophosphamide plus prednisone.