Serum ceramide concentrations are associated with depression in patients after ischemic stroke-A two-center case-controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study aims to correlate the severity of post-stroke depression (PSD) and serum ceramide concentration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this two-center case-control study, we prospectively collected clinical and demographical information from age and gender-matched 51 PSD patients, 56 non-post-stroke depression (Non-PSD) patients, and 39 patients with major depression (MD) to perform the suitable biochemical analysis to bring a correlation in causing depression in patients soon after the stroke. The ROC curve method was used to evaluate ceramide's diagnostic efficacy in all three groups of patients. A follow-up analysis was also conducted based on PSD severity to associate serum ceramide levels and neuropsychiatric symptoms. The severity of the patient's depressive symptoms was assessed by using the self-rating depression scale (SDS). RESULTS: In comparison between PSD and MD patients, three serum ceramide species were found to be significantly different. Compared with Non-PSD patients, PSD patients had significantly higher levels of all the four serum ceramides, and increasing levels ofC16:0, C18:0(VS MD) and C16: 0(VS Non-PSD) serve as a diagnostic tool and an independent risk factor in all three categories of patients. Moreover, the follow-up analysis results showed that, as the treatment progressed, the differences in the 3 serum ceramide species were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: There was a stage-specific association between serum ceramides and PSD, and the potential pathophysiological mechanism has to be investigated in future research.

Comparison of transperitoneal robot assisted and retroperitoneal laparascopic Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty for the treatment of areteropelvic junction obstruction / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To compare the clinical effectiveness and safety of transperitoneal robot assisted and retroperitoneal laparoscopic Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Methods From September 2008 to June 2009,six patients with primary UPJO underwent transperitoneal robot assisted dismembered pyeloplasty (TRADP) (5 males and 1 female;average age 25 yrs,range from 14-40 yrs),of whom 4 with severe hydronephrosis,2 with intermediate.According to the demographic and preoperative information,each patient in the TRADP group was matched to two corresponding patients with primary UPJO accepting retroperitoneal laparoscopic Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty (RLADP) in the same period.The operative time,the intracorporeal suturing time,intraoperative blood loss,the duration of the urethral catheter and the drainage time,the postoperative hospital stay and the postoperative result were compared between the 2 groups.The two groups were identical with regard to gender,side of UPJO,and surgical procedure.The mean age and BMI were comparable between the TRADP and RLADP. Results Between the two groups,the operative time was ( 157 ± 20) min vs ( 127 ± 18) min ( P ＞ 0.05 ),the intracorporeal suturing time was (44 ± 6) min vs (49 ± 6 ) min ( P ＞0.05).In TRADP and RLADP groups,the intraoperative blood loss was (23 ± 8) ml vs (21 ± 17) ml ( P ＞ 0.05 ),the duration of the drain was (47 ± 10) h vs ( 161 ± 41 ) h ( P ＜ 0.01 ),the duration of the urethral catheter was (92 ±46) h vs ( 175 ±26) h (P ＜0.05),the postoperative hospital stays were (6.0 ± 0.8 ) d vs (8.0 ± 0.5) d ( P ＜ 0.01 ).The operation was successful in all cases of two groups,with no conversion to open surgery.The follow-up of 6 -32 months,with average of 20 months,showed that the clinical symptoms in the two groups disappeared and the hydronephrosis relieved. Conclusion Compared with RLADP,the TRADP has the comparable operative time,but the postoperative management for TRADP is more simple and the healing is faster,the postoperative outcomes are comparable as well.