Rinsho byori. The Japanese journal of clinical pathology
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Case Reports
[Measurement of levels of plasma endothelin-1 and serum nitrate anion in patients with sepsis].
Recently much attention has been paid to the circulatory disturbance and peripheral vascular damage in patients with sepsis and septic shock. We intended to elucidate the interaction between nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET)-1 under various pathological conditions by measuring the concentrations of NO3-, the principal metabolite of NO and immunoreactive ET-1. In cases with good prognosis after the septic shock, ET-1 was significantly higher as compared with these in sepsis without shock. ⋯ These results may mean that the level of the concentration of ET-1 plays a key role for prevention of the multiple organ failure even after the recovery from septic shock. The elevated level of NO3- during the initial several days in septic shock will mean that NO is acting to prevent platelet aggregation and to keep blood flow by dilating the arteries during septic shock. On the contrary, it may also be suggested that the elevated level of NO3- and ET-1 leads to the dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells and the apoptosis.
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Blood coagulation tests are useful to diagnose some thrombotic diseases. Particularly, these tests are valuable for the diagnosis of familiar thrombophilia, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). For the diagnosis of thrombophilia, determinations of both biological activity and antigen level of antithrombin III, protein C and protein S are important for initial screening. ⋯ Platelet count and FDP (or FDP D dimer) assay are two essential tests for the diagnosis of DIC. Criteria of diagnosis for DIC recommended by Blood Coagulation Research Group of Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare is not unnecessarily appropriate for practical use. TAT and PIC can be a good laboratory tests for early detection of hypercoagulable state in patients with DIC.
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We demonstrated the quantitative approach to evaluating laboratory test in a patient with hypercalcemia. ⋯ In daily practice, we, internists have to make clinical decisions quantitatively based on test results. To make a rational and quantitative approach to diagnostic tests clinical routine, it is mandatory to determine sensitivity and specificity of all laboratory tests used in our country.
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Autologous blood transfusion is advantageous in that it eliminates the risk of transfusion-transmitted infection or complications caused by the immune reaction. Increased platelet counts after repeated phlebotomy are commonly observed. This study was carried out to clarify the mechanism of increased platelets during preoperative autologous blood donation. ⋯ A transient increase in platelet was seen in almost patients during preoperative autologous blood donation. No marked changes in platelet size distribution and serum concentration of EPO, IL-3 and IL-6. These results suggest that increased platelet counts during preoperative autologous blood donation might be caused by some specific cytokines related to megakaryocyte differentiation such as c-MPL ligand.
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Routine urinalysis is performed as a screening test for urinary tract infection (UTI) in out-patients or in-patients. We assessed the usefulness of microscopic examination of unspun and unstained urine using a disposable slide with counting chambers (Kova Slide 10 grid, Miles-Sankyo) for diagnosis of significant bacteriuria. 173 fresh urine samples were obtained from 173 subjects (89 male and 84 (female), including 117 inpatients, aged from 0 to 96 years. Urine samples were examined for bacteriuria by the standard culture method and counting chamber method. ⋯ Dipstick test had a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 86.6 and 89.9%, respectively, when either leukocyte esterase activity of + or more, or nitrite of + was found. In out-patients, both sensitivity and negative predictive value were as high as 100% in counting chamber method. Thus, we can conclude that urine microscopy on disposable counting chambers is a very sensitive, simple, time-saving and lost-effective method for diagnosis of UTI.