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Two-tailed P (two-tailed + p)
Selected AbstractsAn increased proportion of inflammatory cells express tumor necrosis factor alpha in idiopathic achalasia of the esophagusDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 5 2009A. Kilic SUMMARY Achalasia is a motility disorder characterized by the absence of coordinated peristalsis and incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The etiology remains unclear although dense inflammatory infiltrates within the myenteric plexus have been described. The nature of these infiltrating cells is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines , namely, tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-2 , in the distal esophageal muscle in patients with achalasia. Lower esophageal sphincter muscle from eight patients undergoing myotomy or esophagectomy for achalasia of the esophagus were obtained at the time of surgery. Control specimens consisted of similar muscle taken from eight patients undergoing operation for cancer or Barrett's esophagus. The expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-2 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The total number of inflammatory cells within the myenteric plexus were counted in five high power fields. The percentage of infiltrating cells expressing tumor necrosis factor alpha or interleukin-2 was calculated. Clinical data including demographics, preoperative lower esophageal sphincter pressure, duration of symptoms, and dysphagia score (1 = no dysphagia to 5 = dysphagia to saliva) were obtained through electronic medical records. Statistical comparisons between the groups were made using the unpaired t -test, Fisher's exact test, or Mann,Whitney U test, with a two-tailed P -value less than 0.05 being considered significant. The total number of inflammatory cells was found to be similar between the groups. A significantly higher proportion of inflammatory cells expressed tumor necrosis factor alpha in achalasia as compared with controls (22 vs. 11%; P= 0.02). A similar percentage of infiltrating cells expressed interleukin-2 (40 vs. 41%; P= 0.87). Age, gender, preoperative lower esophageal sphincter pressure, or dysphagia score were not correlated to expression of these cytokines. There was, however, a significant inverse correlation between duration of symptoms and the proportion of inflammatory cells expressing tumor necrosis factor alpha in achalasia (P= 0.007). In conclusion, a higher proportion of infiltrating inflammatory cells expressed tumor necrosis factor alpha in achalasia. Furthermore, this proportion appears to be highest early in the disease process. Further studies are required to more clearly delineate the role of tumor necrosis factor alpha in the pathogenesis of this idiopathic disease. [source] Helicobacter pylori in patients can be killed by visible lightLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 4 2005Robert A. Ganz MD Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori colonizes the mucus layer of the human stomach and may cause peptic ulcer and adenocarcinoma. Novel antimicrobial approaches are sought due to the occurrence of antibiotic resistance and consequent treatment failure. We report here that H. pylori is susceptible to inactivation by blue light. Study Design/Materials and Methods A controlled, prospective, blinded, trial of endoscopically delivered blue light to eradicate H. pylori in regions of the gastric antrum, in 10 patients between the ages of 21 and 80 who tested positive for H. pylori. Light (405 nm) (40 J/cm2) was delivered to a 1-cm diameter spot in the gastric antrum via optical fiber passed through the endoscope and weighed biopsies were taken from treated and control spots and colonies quantitatively cultured. Results Blue light killed 5 logs of bacteria in vitro. The mean reduction in H. pylori colonies per gram tissue between treated and control spots was 91% (7.4±4.8×106 vs. 8.1±1.9×107, two-tailed P<0.0001). Some patients had reductions approaching 99%. No differences were observed on histological examination of light-treated and control gastric tissue. Conclusion Blue light phototherapy may represent a novel approach to eradication of H. pylori, particularly, in patients who have failed standard antibiotic treatment. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the child abuse potential inventory abuse scaleASIA-PACIFIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2009Yoshiya Kawamura BE MD Abstract Introduction: The present study examined the reliability, validity, and cutoff scores of the Japanese version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) abuse scale, which screens for parents at risk of child abuse. Methods: Samples consisted of 1,809 parents, 109 students, and 33 child abusers in Japan. The CAPI was administered to all participants, and twice to the student sample at a 2-week interval. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's ,, and construct validity by principal factor analysis with the parent sample. Test-retest reliability was assessed with Pearson's r with the student sample. With regard to predictive validity, the cutoff scores and classification rates were calculated through discriminant analysis between abusers and matched non-abusers. Results: Internal consistency (Cronbach's ,=0.88), test-retest reliability (Pearson's r=0.93; two-tailed P<0.001), and predictive validity (overall diagnostic power=90%) were all highly satisfactory. Regarding construct validity, the six-factor structure of the original version was not replicated; only three factors were obtained. The discriminant analysis showed the basic cutoff score as 159. The conservative cutoff score for the upper 5% of the parent sample was 218. Discussion: The Japanese version of the CAPI abuse scale showed highly satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and predictive validity. The construct correspondence with the original version was more compromised. This version of the CAPI identified parents with scores of 159 or greater as being at risk of abusing a child. [source] Prognostic significance of CD38 and CD20 expression as assessed by quantitative flow cytometry in chronic lymphocytic leukaemiaBRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Eric D. Hsi Summary. CD38 expression on chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells is a poor prognostic factor, however, methods for measuring this vary. The QuantiBRITETM flow cytometry (FC) system yields an absolute antigen expression value (antibodies bound/cell, ABC) and may be useful in standardizing CD38 expression analysis. We evaluated cryopreserved pretreatment CLL cells for CD20 ABC, CD38 ABC, and percentage of CD38+ B cells from 131 patients requiring therapy. The 92 patients (70%) with , 100 CD38 ABC had worse overall survival (OS; 34% at 5 years) compared with those with <,100 CD38 ABC (70% at 5 years, mortality hazard ratio 2·30, 95% confidence interval 1·28,4·12; two-tailed P = 0·003). Among the 64 patients with <,30% CD38+ cells, OS of the 25 with , 100 ABC was worse than that of the 39 with <,100 ABC (P = 0·018). OS of patients with <,30% CD38+ cells and , 100 ABC was actually similar to that of patients with , 30% CD38+ cells. BrightCD20 expression (, 20 000 ABC) was not associated with a worse OS (P = 0·10). The presence of , 100 CD38 ABC in CLL patients requiring therapy is an unfavourable prognostic factor for OS and quantitative FC may be superior to percentage CD38+ cell assessment. Prospective trials are required to determine more precisely the prognostic significance of absolute expression levels in fresh CLL cells. [source] | ||||||||||