Intravescical prostatic protrusion is a predictor of alpha blockers response: results from an observational study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the efficacy of tamsulosin in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) with intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP). Ultrasound measurement of the IPP has been previously described as an effective instrument for the evaluation of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) and could help in clarifying the role of alpha-blockers in patients with (BPE). METHODS: Patients with BPE and LUTS were enrolled in this observational study. Intravesical prostatic protrusion was graded as grade 1 (< 5 ml), 2 (5 < IPP < 10 ml) and 3 (> 10 ml). Patients were treated with tamsulosin for twelve weeks. Evaluation was performed before and at the end of treatment by means of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and uroflowmetry. Patients were considered responders if a reduction of IPSS > 3 points was reported. RESULTS: One hundred forty-two patients were enrolled. Twelve patients were excluded because of incomplete data. Fifty patients showed an IPP grade 1 (group A), 52 a grade 2 (group B) and 28 a grade 3 (group C). Treatment success was obtained in 82%, 38,5% and 7,1% of patients respectively; these differences (group A vs B-C and group B vs C) were highly significant. The odd ratio to obtain a treatment success was of 59 and 8.1 in group A and group B respectively, in comparison to group C. After a multivariate regression, the relationship between IPP grade and treatment success remained significant. Improvement of uroflowmetry parameters has been reported in all the groups especially in patients with a low grade IPP (p value = 0,016 group A vs group B; p value = 0,005 group A vs group C). Prostate volume seems not to influence this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Intravesical prostatic protrusion has found to be significantly and inversely correlated with treatment success in patients with LUTS and BPE under alpha-blockers therapy. Alpha blockers odd ratio of success is 59 times higher in patients with a low grade IPP in comparison to patients with a high grade.

Intravesical glycosaminoglycans in the management of chronic cystitis.

In this article we review the current status of evidence on the clinic applications of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in urology, with particular emphasis on the therapeutic use in all the chronic forms of cystitis. The so called "bladder layer" is mainly composed by chondroitin sulphate, dermatan sulphate and heparan sulphate. Demages of this mucus film seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of several bladder diseases. Hence, GAG replenishment therapy is widely accepted as a therapy for interstitial cystitis/ bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), radiation and chemo-immunotherapy cystis and overactive bladder (OAB). A MEDLINE search from the first clinical application in 1996 allowed us to find a total of 33 works regarding the use of intravesical GAGs. Although the evidences regarding GAG replenishment therapy are very encouraging in all the forms of chronic cystitis, well-powered randomized clinical trials are needed to better comprehend the exact role of this treatment.

[Chromatographic mass-spectrometric determination of the air content of styrene, phenol, and naphthalene].

A selective chromatographic mass-spectrometric procedure was developed to determine of air styrene, phenol, and naphthalene in the concentration range of 0.001-0.05 mg/m3, Analysis used preconcentration of the compounds on a solid sorbent, followed by thermal desorption into the capillary column of a chromatograph. Qualitative and quantitative measurements of concentrations were carried out by the characteristics chosen for each compound. The maximum relative measurement error in 1-2-liter air sampling was +/- 23% at a 0.95 significant confidence. The analytic procedure was tested on real objects.

[Characteristics of Klebsiella strains isolated from patients with acute intestinal diseases]. / Kharakteristika shtammov klebsiell, vydelennykh ot bol'nykh ostrymi kishechnymi zabolevaniiami.

A total of 203 Klebsiella strains isolated from patients with acute intestinal diseases were studied. The biochemical variants were determined by taking into account the complex of such signs as the capacity for producing indole, hydrolyzing urea, utilizing sodium malonate, fermenting inositol, dulcitol, sorbose, adonitol, synthesizing acetylmethylcarbinol, reacting with methyl red. The strains under study were found to belong to 36 K-types. Klebsiella strains with K-antigens 20, 2, 62, 60, 21, 40 showed the highest isolation rate.

[Combined effect of hyperoxia, hypobarism and physical work on the rate of methyl ketone excretion from the human body]. / Kombinirovannoe vliianie giperoksii, gipobarii i fizicheskoi raboty na skorost' vydeleniia metilketonov iz organizma cheloveka.

When working under the conditions of lowered atmospheric pressure (energy expenditures 400 kCal/hour, barometric pressure 308 mm Hg, oxygen breathing, comfortable environmental parameters), the test subjects showed an increased rate of methyl ketone excretion in the exhaled air. The content of acetone in the excreted methyl ketones was 70%. The methyl ketone excretion with perspired water developed uniformly.