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Retrospective Case (retrospective + case)
Terms modified by Retrospective Case Selected AbstractsMaternal serum activin, inhibin, human chorionic gonadotrophin and ,-fetoprotein as second trimester predictors of pre-eclampsiaBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Emma J. Davidson Objective To compare the serum levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), ,-fetoprotein, activin A, inhibin A and inhibin isoforms containing pro and ,C in the second trimester serum of women who subsequently developed hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with those who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy. Design Retrospective case,control study of 15,20 week serum samples matched for duration of storage at ,20°C. Setting Antenatal clinics at a teaching hospital in Scotland. Sample Second trimester serum samples of 39 women who subsequently developed pre-eclampsia, 31 who subsequently developed pregnancy-induced hypertension and 155 women who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy. Main outcome measures hCG, ,-fetoprotein, activin A, inhibin A and inhibin pro,,C serum levels. Results Activin A levels in serum were significantly elevated in women who later developed pregnancy-induced hypertension (26% increase compared with controls) and hCG levels were significantly elevated in women who later developed pre-eclampsia (24% increase compared with controls). ,-Fetoprotein, inhibin A and inhibin pro,,C levels were not significantly elevated in the patient groups compared with their controls. Conclusions A combination of analyses including second trimester serum activin A and hCG may yet prove to be helpful predictors of women at risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. While the results proved significant, the effects reported in this study are too modest compared with natural variability to be useful as screening tools on their own. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The bone-anchored hearing aid in the rehabilitation of single-sided deafness: experience with 58 patientsCLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY, Issue 4 2010T.P.C. Martin Clin. Otolaryngol. 2010, 35, 284,290 Objectives:, To assess the efficacy of the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) in the rehabilitation of single-sided deafness (SSD). Study design:, Retrospective case,control series review. Setting:, Tertiary referral unit. Patients:, Fifty-eight consecutive patients that had a bone-anchored hearing aid for single-sided deafness completed outcome questionnaires, building upon earlier audiological assessment of 19 patients. Single-sided deafness controls (n = 49) were mainly acoustic neuroma patients. Main outcome measurements: speech discrimination testing in directional noise, speech and spatial qualities of hearing questionnaire and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). Results:, The mean follow-up time was 28.4 months. Five (13%) of the bone-anchored hearing aid patients were non-users because of lack of benefit. The audiometric testing confirmed that when noise was on the bone-anchored hearing aid side speech perception was reduced but benefited when noise was on the side of the hearing ear. There was no difference between the Speech and Spatial Qualities of Hearing Scores in bone-anchored hearing aid users and controls. In particular there was no difference in the spatial subscores. In the bone-anchored hearing aid users the median Glasgow Benefit Inventory score was 11. If the non-users are included then 13 (22%) patients had no or detrimental (negative) Benefit scores. No or negative benefit scores were more frequent in those deaf for <10 years. In open-field questions, patients felt the bone-anchored hearing aid was most useful in small groups or in ,one-to-one' conversation. Conclusions:, Bone-anchored hearing aid rehabilitation for single-sided deafness is less successful than for other indications, reflected here by relatively low median Glasgow Benefit Inventory scores. There was also no significant difference between controls and bone-anchored hearing aid users in the Speech and Spatial Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire. Patients with a longer duration of deafness report greater subjective benefit than those more recently deafened, perhaps due to differing expectations. [source] Predictive factors for recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism after thyroid surgeryCLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Y. Erbil Objectives:, To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism following thyroidectomy. Design:, Retrospective case,control study. Setting:, Tertiary clinic. Participants:, From September 1990 to September 2005, 3250 consecutive patients who had a thyroidectomy for treatment of various thyroid diseases. Main outcome measures:, The rates of nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism were evaluated based on thyroid pathology, the choice of operative procedure, whether the nerve was identified, and the experience of the surgeon. Results:, Overall, the rate of nerve palsy was 1.8% and that of hypoparathyroidism was 6.6%. On univariate analysis the rates of complications were siginificantly higher in the patients who had an extended thyroidectomy, identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgery, repeat surgery and patients older than 50 years of age. Complications were no commoner in operations performed by trainees under supervision than experienced surgeons. On multivariate analysis extended thyroidectomy had a 12 fold (95% CI 1.7, 92) increased risk of nerve palsy. Repeat surgery had a 3 fold (95% CI 2.1, 4.7) increased risk of postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Conclusion:, Extentended thyroidectomy and repeat surgery had a significant effect on the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and postoperative hyperparathyroidism respectively following thyroid surgery. [source] Pharmacoepidemiology of anabolic androgenic steroids: a reviewFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Ingemar Thiblin Abstract Non-prescribed use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has been associated with a number of physical and psychiatric/behavioural complications, some of which are potentially lethal. Here, we review both observational and experimental studies on human subjects concerned with such side-effects. The only physical complication of AAS use that receives definitive support from such investigations is unfavourable changes in blood lipid profiles. Support for various psychiatric complications has also been provided by a number of cross-sectional studies, most involving comparisons between weight-training individuals who use or do not use AAS. Certain of these complications, in particular hypomania and increased aggressiveness, have been confirmed in some, but not all, randomized controlled studies. Epidemiological attempts to determine whether AAS use triggers violent behaviour have failed, primarily because of high rates of non-participation. Studies regarding the prevalence of AAS use in different populations typically report life-time prevalences of 1,5% among adolescents. However, the life-time prevalence (i.e. use on at least one occasion) is of doubtful relevance in attempting to estimate the number of individuals at risk for side-effects, as most of these complications appear to develop during prolonged use of AAS. Furthermore, it is reasonable to assume that the symptoms and signs of AAS use are often overlooked by healthcare professionals, so that the number of cases of possible AAS-related complications is virtually unknown. These limitations, together with an apparently low prevalence of prolonged AAS use among the general population, indicate that future epidemiological research in this area should focus on retrospective case,control studies and, perhaps, also on prospective cohort studies of populations selected for a high prevalence of AAS use, rather than attempting to perform large-scale population-based studies. [source] Utility of eosinophilia as a diagnostic clue in lower abdominal pain in northern Australia: a retrospective case,control studyINTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008P. J. Clark Abstract Acute eosinophilic enteritis is a difficult diagnosis to make. Insufficient consideration of eosinophilia may commit patients to surgical treatment when medical therapy may be appropriate. The aim of the study was to determine whether the eosinophil count was considered in the diagnostic evaluation of patients presenting with acute abdominal pain who subsequently underwent appendectomy and whether eosinophilia was related to subsequent histology. The method used in the study was retrospective case,control. None of three patients with increased eosinophil counts had histologically proven appendicitis (Fisher's exact test 0.025); worm segments were seen in two patients. None of 39 patients who had histologically proven appendicitis had increased eosinophil counts. Eosinophilia may be underutilized and helminth infection may not be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain. A normal eosinophil count in the setting of clinically suspected appendicitis may make the diagnosis of eosinophilic enteritis less likely, but does not exclude it. Patients with abdominal pain and peripheral eosinophilia appear less likely to have acute appendicitis on subsequent histology; however, further study is required to validate these findings. The decision to operate remains one of clinical judgement. [source] Extraintestinal manifestations of Edwardsiella tarda infectionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 8 2005I-K Wang Summary Edwardsiella tarda, a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae, is a rare human pathogen. Gastroenteritis is the most frequently reported manifestation of E. tarda infection. In contrast, extraintestinal infection with E. tarda has rarely been reported. This study made a retrospective case and microbiological data review of patients with extraintestinal E. tarda infections to further understand this disease. This study retrospectively reviewed the charts of all isolates of E. tarda cultures from clinical specimens other than faeces at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan from October 1998 through December 2001. Edwardsiella tarda was isolated from 22 clinical specimens from 22 hospitalised patients (13 females and nine males). The extraintestinal manifestations of E. tarda infection included biliary tract infection, bacteraemia, skin and soft tissue infection, liver abscess, peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess, and tubo-ovarian abscess. The major underlying diseases predisposing to E. tarda extraintestinal infection were hepatobiliary diseases, malignancy and diabetes mellitus. The overall mortality rate of E. tarda extraintestinal infection in the present series was 22.7% (5/22), and four (40%) of 10 patients with bacteraemia expired. Although rare, human E. tarda extraintestinal infections can have diverse clinical manifestations and moreover may cause severe and life-threatening infections. Consequently, E. tarda should be considered a potentially important pathogen. [source] Psoriasis: is the impairment to a patient's life cumulative?JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 9 2010AB Kimball Abstract Psoriasis is associated with significant physical and psychological burden affecting all facets of a patient's life , relationships, social activities, work and emotional wellbeing. The cumulative effect of this disability may be self-perpetuating social disconnection and failure to achieve a ,full life potential' in some patients. Health-related quality of life studies have quantified the burden of psoriasis providing predominantly cross-sectional data and point-in-time images of patients' lives rather than assessing the possible cumulative disability over a patient's lifetime. However, social and economic outcomes indicate there are likely negative impacts that accumulate over time. To capture the cumulative effect of psoriasis and its associated co-morbidities and stigma over a patient's life course, we propose the concept of ,Cumulative Life Course Impairment' (CLCI). CLCI results from an interaction between (A) the burden of stigmatization, and physical and psychological co-morbidities and (B) coping strategies and external factors. Several key aspects of the CLCI concept are supported by data similar to that used in health-related quality of life assessments. Future research should focus on (i) establishing key components of CLCI and determining the mechanisms of impairment through longitudinal or retrospective case,control studies, and (ii) assessing factors that put patients at increased risk of developing CLCI. In the future, this concept may lead to a better understanding of the overall impact of psoriasis, help identify more vulnerable patients, and facilitate more appropriate treatment decisions or earlier referrals. To our knowledge, this is a first attempt to apply and develop concepts from ,Life Course Epidemiology' to psoriasis research. [source] Ascites after liver transplantation,A mysteryLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 5 2004Charmaine A. Stewart Ascites after liver transplantation, although uncommon, presents a serious clinical dilemma. The hemodynamic changes that support the development of ascites before liver transplantation are resolved after transplant; therefore, persistent ascites (PA) after liver transplantation is unexpected and poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to define the clinical factors associated with PA after liver transplantation. This was a retrospective case,control analysis of patients who underwent liver transplantation at the University of Pennsylvania. PA occurring for more than 3 months after liver transplantation was confirmed by imaging studies. PA was correlated with multiple recipient and donor variables, including etiology of liver disease, preoperative ascites, prior portosystemic shunt (PS), donor age, and cold ischemic (CI) time. There were 2 groups: group 1, cases with PA transplanted from November 1990 to July 2001, and group 2, consecutive, control subjects who underwent liver transplantation between September 1999 and December 2001. Both groups were followed to censoring, May 2002, or death. Twenty-five from group 1 had ascites after liver transplantation after a median follow-up of 2.6 years. In group 1 vs group 2 (n = 106), there was a male predominance 80% vs 61% (P = .10) with similar age 52 years; chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) was diagnosed in 88% vs 44% (P < .0001); preoperative ascites and ascites refractory to treatment were more prevalent in group 1 (P = .0004 and P =.02, respectively), and CI was higher in group 1, (8.5 hours vs 6.3 hours, P = .002). Eight of the 25 (group 1) had portal hypertension with median portosystemic gradient 16.5 mm Hg (range, 16,24). PS was performed in 7 of 25 cases, which resulted in partial resolution of ascites. The development of PA after liver transplantation is multifactorial; HCV, refractory ascites before liver transplantation, and prolonged CI contribute to PA after liver transplantation. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:654,660.) [source] Cervical column morphology in patients with skeletal open biteORTHODONTICS & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008L Sonnesen Structured Abstract Authors,,, Sonnesen L, Kjær I Objectives,,, To examine and compare the cervical column morphology in adult patients with skeletal open bite with the cervical column morphology of an adult control group with neutral occlusion and normal craniofacial morphology. Design,,, A retrospective case,control study. Setting and Sample Population,,, Thirty-eight open bite patients, 27 women, aged 17,39 years, and 11 males, aged 18,40 years were compared with 21 controls, 15 females, aged 23,40 years, and six males aged 25,44 years from profile radiographs. Outcome measure,,, From each individual a visual assessment of the cervical column and angular measurements of the craniofacial dimensions were performed on profile radiographs. Results,,, In the open bite group 42.1% had cervical column body fusion, and 13.2% had posterior arch deficiency. The fusion always occurred between C2 and C3. Cervical column deviations occurred significantly more often in the open bite group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Associations were found between fusions of the cervical column and maxillary retrognathia (p < 0.05), large maxillary inclination (p < 0.05) and large cranial base angle (p < 0.05). Associations were also found between posterior arch deficiency and maxillary retrognathia (p < 0.05) and cranial base angle (p < 0.05). The craniofacial parameter most important for the fusions and posterior arch deficiency was the maxillary retrognathia (p < 0.01, R,2 = 0.20; p < 0.05, R,2 = 0.26, respectively). Conclusion,,, New associations between skeletal open bite and cervical column deviations are described. It is suggested that this knowledge is incorporated in future diagnostic and orthodontic treatment planning. [source] Craniofacial cephalometric morphology in children with CATCH 22 syndromeORTHODONTICS & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2006A Heliövaara Structured abstract Authors ,, Heliövaara A, Hurmerinta K Objectives ,, To evaluate cephalometrically the craniofacial, pharyngeal and cervical morphology in children with CATCH 22, and to compare and quantify the findings with age- and sex-matched controls. Design ,, A retrospective case,control study. Setting and Sample Population , Forty-one children (20 girls) with CATCH 22 were compared with age- and sex-matched controls from lateral cephalograms taken at the mean age of 8.5 years (range 5.8,12.9). The deletion of 22q11 was verified by fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques. Thirteen of the children with CATCH 22 had palatal clefts. Outcome measure ,, Linear and angular measurements were obtained from lateral cephalograms. A Student's t -test and a paired Student's t -test were used in the statistical analysis. Standard deviation scores (SDS) were calculated to quantify the variation. Results ,, Children with CATCH 22 had obtuse cranial base angles and long anterior cranial bases. Their faces were long with increased facial convexity. The maxillae were long but both jaws were retrognathic and the lower jaws posteriorly diverged. The pharynges were wide in the nasopharyngeal area and narrow in the hypopharyngeal area. The development of the hyoid bones was delayed, and hyoid bone and atlas lengths were reduced. The morphology of the children with CATCH 22 with and without a palatal cleft was similar. Despite several statistically significant differences between the children with CATCH 22 and the controls, the SDS did not exceed ±2 for any of the measurements. Conclusion ,, Children with CATCH 22 have several minor distinctive morphological features in the craniofacial, pharyngeal, and cervical areas. [source] Ascaris lumbricoides infection is associated with protection from cerebral malariaPARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2000Mathieu Nacher Following reports of increased IgE in severe malaria and hypothesizing that helminth coinfections could modify its outcome, we conducted a retrospective case,control study to establish whether helminths affect the evolution of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Some 182 severe cases, 315 mild controls and 40 controls with circulating schizonts were examined for intestinal helminths. Comparing cerebral malaria with mild controls, Ascaris lumbricoides was associated with a protective adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.58 (0.32,1.03) P = 0.06, for coinfection with Ascaris and Necator americanus, OR = 0.39 (0.17,0.88) P = 0.02. Protection followed a dose,effect trend (P = 0.008). When comparing cerebral malaria cases and controls with circulating schizonts the OR was 0.25 (0.009,0.67) P = 0.006. We hypothesized that Ascaris infected patients may have had decreased cyto-adherence, possibly through endothelial cell receptor downregulation and/or decreased splenic clearance leading to the absence of selection of virulent P. falciparum strains. IgE-anti-IgE immune complexes resulting from helminth preinfection may have an important role in influencing clinical presentation of severe malaria, and in establishing malaria tolerance, through the CD23/NO pathway. [source] SHORT COMMUNICATION: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Apolipoprotein E Gene Polymorphisms: A Case,Control Study from North IndiaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Meenal Agarwal Citation Agarwal M, Parveen F, Faridi RM, Phadke SR, Das V, Agrawal S. Recurrent pregnancy loss and apolipoprotein E gene polymorphisms: a case,control study from North India. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 64: 172,178 Problem, The role of apolipoprotein E gene polymorphisms in the etiology of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is not clearly understood. We evaluated this polymorphism in unexplained pregnancy losses among North Indian women. Method of study, In a retrospective case,control study, 200 well-characterized RPL cases were examined for their APO-E genotypes based on restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified fragments including amino acid positions 112 and 158. The observed genotypes were compared with those obtained from an equal number of ethnically matched negative controls. Results, We found similar APO-E genotypes and E2, E3, and E4 allele frequency distribution among RPL patients and controls. The allele frequencies obtained in patients and controls respectively were as follows: E2 = 7.5% and 9.0% (P = 0.52; OR = 0.81; 95%CI = 0.49,1.35), E3 = 89.7% and 90% (P = 1.00; OR = 0.97; 95%CI = 0.61,1.54), and E4 = 2.8% and 1% (P = 0.12; OR = 2.79; 95%CI = 0.88,8.86). Conclusions, Our data did not support the association of APO-E gene polymorphisms with recurrent pregnancy loss as reported by some of the previous studies. We endorse adequate characterization of RPL cases, inclusion of appropriate negative controls, and adequate sample size prior to addressing such studies. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Leptin Gene (TTTC)n Microsatellite Polymorphism as well as Leptin Receptor R223Q and PPAR,2 P12A Substitutions are not Associated with Hypertensive Disorders in PregnancyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Annette Wiedemann Citation Wiedemann A, Vocke F, Fitzgerald JS, Markert UR, Jeschke U, Lohse P, Toth B. Leptin gene (TTTC)n microsatellite polymorphism as well as Leptin receptor R223Q and PPAR,2 P12A substitutions are not associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 63: 310,317 Problem, Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) affects up to 15% of all pregnancies. Disturbed placentation is one factor associated with PIH. Leptin and peroxisome proliferator activator receptors (PPAR) seem to play an important role in placentation, fetal development, and blood pressure regulation. Therefore, we investigated polymorphisms in the genes encoding leptin, the leptin receptor, and PPAR,2 in patients with PIH. Method of study, In this retrospective case,control study, 103 patients with PIH [gestational hypertension (GH) n = 39; preeclampsia n = 27; eclampsia n = 5; HELLP n = 32] and 100 controls were analyzed for the LEP tetranucleotide repeat (TTTC)n and the leptin receptor (LEPR) R223Q and PPAR,2 P12A substitutions. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square, Mann,Whitney U -, and Kruskal,Wallis tests (P < 0.05 significant). Results, The frequency of the three possible genotypes did not differ significantly between patients and controls [LEP (TTTC)n: P = 0.43; LEPR R223Q: P = 0.94; PPAR,2 P12A: P = 0.94]. However, postpartal diastolic blood pressure of PIH patients was significantly higher in homozygous carriers of the LEPR Q223-encoding allele as compared with patients carrying the wild-type allele (P < 0.01). Conclusion, Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy were not associated with the LEP, LEPR, and PPAR,2 polymorphisms studied. The role of other variations in the LEP and PPAR genes in the pathophysiology of PIH and in exacerbations are the objective of ongoing research. [source] A Flexible Approach to Measurement Error Correction in Case,Control StudiesBIOMETRICS, Issue 4 2008A. Guolo Summary We investigate the use of prospective likelihood methods to analyze retrospective case,control data where some of the covariates are measured with error. We show that prospective methods can be applied and the case,control sampling scheme can be ignored if one adequately models the distribution of the error-prone covariates in the case,control sampling scheme. Indeed, subject to this, the prospective likelihood methods result in consistent estimates and information standard errors are asymptotically correct. However, the distribution of such covariates is not the same in the population and under case,control sampling, dictating the need to model the distribution flexibly. In this article, we illustrate the general principle by modeling the distribution of the continuous error-prone covariates using the skewnormal distribution. The performance of the method is evaluated through simulation studies, which show satisfactory results in terms of bias and coverage. Finally, the method is applied to the analysis of two data sets which refer, respectively, to a cholesterol study and a study on breast cancer. [source] Human papillomavirus infection and primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a seroepidemiological studyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 4 2007A Riska Objective, To evaluate the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 or 33 infection in primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). Design, A retrospective case,control study. Setting, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. Population, Seventy-eight consecutive women with PFTC diagnosed between 1985 and 2000 were studied. For each case, two healthy controls were selected. Methods, Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33 were measured from women with PFTC and their healthy controls. Main outcome measures, Analysis of HPV 6, 11, 18, 31 and 33 seropositivity among women with PFTC and controls. Results, Seropositivity rates of non-oncogenic or oncogenic HPV types did not differ between cases and controls, odds ratios being 1.04,1.30 for oncogenic HPVs and 1.08,1.19 for non-oncogenic HPVs, similarly. We did not find any multiplicative joint effect in PFTC by antibodies to more than one oncogenic HPV type; neither did we find any antagonistic effect among women with antibodies to non-oncogenic and oncogenic HPV types. Conclusions, Our results do not suggest any link between PFTC and serological evidence for HPV infection. [source] |