Prognostic values of optic nerve sheath diameter for comatose patients with acute stroke: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measurement is one of the non-invasive methods recommended for increased intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the roles of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and ONSD/eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) ratio in predicting prognosis of death in comatose patients with acute stroke during their hospitalization. METHODS: A total of 67 comatose patients with acute stroke were retrospectively recruited. The ONSD and ETD were measured by cranial computed tomography (CT) scan. All patients underwent cranial CT scan within 24 h after coma onset. Patients were divided into death group and survival group according to their survival status at discharge. The differences of the ONSD and ONSD/ETD ratio between the two groups and their prognostic values were compared. RESULTS: The ONSD and ONSD/ETD ratio were 6.07 ± 0.72 mm and 0.27 ± 0.03 in the comatose patients, respectively. The ONSD was significantly greater in the death group than that in the survival group (6.32 ± 0.67 mm vs 5.65 ± 0.62 mm, t = 4.078, P < 0.0001). The ONSD/ETD ratio was significantly higher in the death group than that in the survival group (0.28 ± 0.03 vs 0.25 ± 0.02, t = 4.625, P < 0.0001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.760 (95%CI: 0.637-0.882, P < 0.0001) for the ONSD and 0.808 (95%CI: 0.696-0.920, P < 0.0001) for the ONSD/ETD ratio. CONCLUSION: The mortality increased in comatose patients with acute stroke when the ONSD was > 5.7 mm or the ONSD/ETD ratio was > 0.25. Both indexes could be used as prognostic tools for comatose patients with acute stroke. The ONSD/ETD ratio was more stable than the ONSD alone, which would be preferred in clinical practice.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel isothiazoloquinoline quinone analogues.

Natural quinones and their analogues have attracted growing attention because of their novel anticancer activities. A series of novel isothiazoloquinoline quinone analogues were synthesized and evaluated for antitumor activities against four different kind of cancer cells. Among them, isothiazoloquinolinoquinones inhibited cancer cells proliferation effectively with IC50 values in the nanomolar range, and isothiazoloquinolinoquinone 13a induced the cell apoptosis. Further exploration of possible mechanism of action indicates that 13a not only activates ROS production through NQO1-directed redox cycling but also inhibits the phosphorylation of STAT3. These findings indicate that 13a has potential use for the development of new skeleton drug candidate as an efficient substrate of NQO1 and STAT3 inhibitor.

[Associations of genetic polymorphisms in the EPHX1 gene and the GSTT1 gene with low birth weight in neonates].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether genetic polymorphisms in the microsomal epoxide hydrolase gene (EPHX1) and the glutathione S-transferase theta1 gene (GSTT1) are associated with low birth weight in neonates. METHODS: Using standard questionnaires, 246 singleton live born mother-neonates pairs (73 cases were mother-low birth weight neonate pairs and 173 controls were mother-non low birth weight neonate pairs) were investigated by the trained field workers with case-control study at the hospital in Anqing, Anhui Province, China between 1998 and 1999. A total of 246 neonates were genotyped for genetic polymorphisms in the EPHX1 gene and the GSTT1 gene by a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate the association of the genetic polymorphisms in the EPHX1 gene and the GSTT1 gene with neonatal low birth weight, adjusting for maternal age, education, parity, neonatal sex and gestational age. RESULTS: EPHX1 His139His homozygote was not associated with low birth weight among neonates, compared with EPHX1 His139Arg heterozygote/Arg139Arg homozygote before and after adjustment confounders. GSTT1 absent genotype group also was not associated with low birth weight among neonates, compared with GSTT1 present genotype group before and after adjustment confounders. When both EPHX1 139 polymorphism and GSTT1 polymorphism were considered, a significant reduction in birth weight was found among neonates with EPHX1 His139His homozygote and GSTT1 absent genotype (OR=3.46, P=0.035). CONCLUSION: The combination between genetic polymorphisms in the EPHX1 gene and the GSTT1 gene in neonates is significantly associated with neonatal low birth weight.