Health

Objectives To assess the role of ultrasensitive PSA values (usPSA) after radical prostatectomy in predicting the subsequent biochemical recurrence (BCR). Material and methods The study included 18...

AbstractThe diagnosis of appendicitis may be difficult to establish even for the experienced surgeon. Considerable variability in presenting symptoms and signs, resulting in part from the numerous locations in which the appendix may be found, contributes ...

Obesity is the accumulation of abnormal or excessive fat that may interfere with the maintenance of an optimal state of health. The excess of macronutrients in the adipose tissues stimulates them to release inflammatory mediators such as tumor ...

Human adipose tissue expresses and releases the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6, potentially inducing low-grade systemic inflammation in persons with excess body fat. Objective To test whether overweight and obesity are associated with low-grade systemic inflammation as measured by serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Design and Setting The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, representative of the US population from 1988 to 1994. Participants A total of 16,616 men and nonpregnant women aged 17 years or older. Main Outcome Measures Elevated CRP level of 0.22 mg/dL or more and a more stringent clinically raised CRP level of more than 1.00 mg/dL. Results Elevated CRP levels and clinically raised CRP levels were present in 27.6% and 6.7% of the population, respectively. Both overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25-29.9 kg/m2) and obese (BMI, ≥30 kg/m2) persons were more likely to have elevated CRP levels than their normal-weight counterparts (BMI, 25 kg/m2). After adjustment for potential confounders, including smoking and health status, the odds ratio (OR) for elevated CRP was 2.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56-2.91) for obese men and 6.21 (95% CI, 4.94-7.81) for obese women. In addition, BMI was associated with clinically raised CRP levels in women, with an OR of 4.76 (95% CI, 3.42-6.61) for obese women. Waist-to-hip ratio was positively associated with both elevated and clinically raised CRP levels, independent of BMI. Restricting the analyses to young adults (aged 17-39 years) and excluding smokers, persons with inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes mellitus and estrogen users did not change the main findings. Conclusion Higher BMI is associated with higher CRP concentrations, even among young adults aged 17 to 39 years. These findings suggest a state of low-grade systemic inflammation in overweight and obese persons.

The assignment of direction and causality within networks of observational associations is problematic outside randomized control trials and the presence of causal a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) is ...

The current review provides an up-to-date analysis of scientific data on astaxanthin (ASX) sources and experimental studies on its health benefits as a potent antioxidant in the aging process. ASX is a liposoluble carotenoid nutrient and ...

There is currently much interest in biological active compounds derived from natural resources, especially compounds that can efficiently act on molecular targets, which are involved in various diseases. Astaxanthin (3,3′-dihydroxy-β, ...

Astaxanthin is a unique carotenoid of predominantly marine origin providing the pink-red color to certain microalgae and accumulating in various animals higher in the food chain. It is an antioxidant without pro-oxidant properties or known side-effects following oral intake. Materials and Methods: We investigated astaxanthin kinetics in plasma and erythrocytes (red blood cells [RBC]) of four healthy adults after a single oral 40 mg dose. Plasma- and RBC-astaxanthin were measured during 72 h. Subsequently, an 8 mg/day dose was given during 17 days. Plasma- and RBC-astaxanthin were measured each morning. Results: Plasma-astaxanthin reached a peak (from 79 to 315 nmol/L) after 8 h and then declined (half-life, 18 h). Within 72 h, plasma-astaxanthin had returned to baseline. RBC-astaxanthin reached a peak (from 63 to 137 nmol/L packed cells) at 12 h and subsequently disappeared (half-life, 28 h). During the daily dose, plasma-astaxanthin increased until day 10 (187 nmol/L) and then decreased to a steady concentration similar to that reached after 2 days. RBC-astaxanthin appeared to be highly variable (group median concentration, 86 nmol/L packed cells). Conclusion: We found high intra- and inter-individual variations, especially in RBC, possibly due to non-standardized time difference between astaxanthin intake and sampling, fluctuating background intake from the diet, variable bioavailability, large distribution volume, degradation or others. Oral astaxanthin is rapidly absorbed and incorporated into RBC. The subsequent rapid decline suggests that, for a higher-than-baseline status, astaxanthin should be taken daily, at least in an early phase when total body equilibrium, if any, has not been reached yet. Key words: Absorption, antioxidant, carotenoid, half-life, humans, status

Appreciation of the importance of Akkermansia muciniphila is growing, and it is becoming increasingly relevant to identify preventive and/or therapeutic solutions targeting gut–liver–brain axes for multiple diseases via Akkermansia muciniphila. In ...

Welcome to the Probiotics Database, a hub for the leading research in probiotics.

Recent research has revealed the importance of the appendix in regulating the intestinal microbiota and mucosal immunity. However, the changes that occur in human gut microbial communities after appendectomy have never been analyzed. We assessed the ...

Higher-quality diets are associated with better sleep quality in observational studies. However, a better understanding of this association is needed given that dietary modifications could represent a novel and natural approach to achieve better sleep.

To define risk factors that predict adverse outcomes after the surgical treatment of appendicitis in Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Risk factors for adverse outcomes after the surgical treatment of appendicitis in adults are poorly ...

For many years, the appendix has been considered a vestigial organ, with no apparent function in the human body. However, recent studies have shed new light

Early diagnosis and treatment of complications after major abdominal surgery can decrease associated morbidity and mortality. Postoperative CRP levels have shown a strong correlation with complications. Aim of this systematic review and pooled-analysis was to assess postoperative values of CRP as a marker for major complications and construct a prediction model. Study design A systematic review was performed for CRP levels as a predictor for complications after major abdominal surgery (MAS). Raw data was obtained from seven studies, including 1427 patients. A logit regression model assessed the probability of major complications as a function of CRP levels on the third postoperative day. Two practical cut-offs are proposed: an optimal cut-off for safe discharge in a fast track protocol and another for early identification of patients with increased risk for major complications. Results A prediction model was calculated for major complications as a function of CRP levels on the third postoperative day. Based on the model several cut-offs for CRP are proposed. For instance, a two cut-off system may be applied, consisting of a safe discharge criterion with CRP levels below 75 mg/L, with a negative predictive value of 97.2%. A second cut-off is set at 215 mg/L (probability 20%) and serves as a predictor of complications, indicating additional CT-scan imaging. Conclusions The present study provides insight in the interpretation of CRP levels after major abdominal surgery, proposing a prediction model for major complications as a function of CRP on postoperative day 3. Cut-offs for CRP may be implemented for safe early-discharge in a fast-track protocol and, secondly as a threshold for additional examinations, such as CT-scan imaging, even in absence of clinical signs, to confirm or exclude major complications. The prediction model allows for setting a cut-off at the discretion of individual surgeons or surgical departments.

This study of immunological memory diversity in the human upper airway provides new understanding of immune memory at a major mucosal barrier tissue in humans.

Learn what CRP levels mean, causes of elevation, test procedures, and when to seek medical attention for inflammation-related issues.

Recognition of postoperative infection after cardiac surgery is challenging. Biomarkers may be very useful to recognize infection at early stage, but the literature is controversial. We conducted a retrospective study at two large University ...

The purpose of this article is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count to discriminate between urgent and nonurgent conditions in patients with acute abdominal pain at the emergency department, ...

Approximately 40% of patients with highly elevated C-reactive protein had a normal white blood cell count. The majority of them had a bacterial infection.

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The value of CRP in enhancing diagnosis of acute appendicitis

Background Appendectomy is the most frequently performed non-elective surgical procedure in general surgery. Despite the questionable benefit, inflammatory markers, such as leukocyte count and C-related protein (CRP) are often determined before and after the surgical procedure. Clinicians are not infrequently confronted with the question whether a patient can be discharged despite an increase in inflammatory laboratory parameters. Objectives The aim of the current study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical course of patients after appendectomy and the correlation with inflammatory laboratory findings. Material and methods A total of 969 patients underwent a surgical procedure due to clinically suspected acute appendicitis. All clinical, laboratory and histopathological data were obtained from the patient records and a quality control database. Laboratory results were correlated with clinical and histopathological data (e.g. t-test, χ 2-test, regression analysis and ROC curves). Results In patients without acute appendicitis operative trauma caused an increase in CRP up to a median of 31 mg/dl on the first postoperative day and up to 47 mg/dl on postoperative day 2. The overall morbidity was 6.2 %. The strongest predictive parameter for complications was a CRP of more than 108 mg/l on the first postoperative day with an odds ratio of 16.6 (96 % CI 6.4/42.8, p  0.001, specificity 88 % and sensitivity 69 %). Patients with CRP values below the threshold suffered from complications in 1.1 % of cases in contrast to patients above the threshold in 16.8 % of cases (p  0.001). Conclusion A moderate postoperative elevation of CRP values is not a general contraindication for discharge; however, postoperative determination of CRP serum values after appendectomy might be an effective predictor for complications and should therefore be measured in the clinical routine.

Every investigation that can contribute towards a diagnosis of appendicitis is valuable to the emergency general surgeon. Previous research has sugges…

Total serum bilirubin and other biochemical parameters have been associated with acute appendicitis, mainly in complicated cases. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of biochemical parameters in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, and to ...

The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the most appropriate duration of postoperative antibiotic treatment to minimize the incidence of intraabdominal abscesses and wound infections in patients with complicated appendicitis. In this ...