Citations

Background: Serum uric acid is a marker of oxidative stress, and may serve as a marker of adverse cardiovascular events and outcomes including cardiovascular death, hospitalization and myocardial infarction. We aimed to determine whether uric acid predicts cardiovascular events and death in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: We enrolled 327 patients undergoing CEA between February 2002 and June 2017 who had complete laboratory work up at baseline. Patients were followed through the electronic chart as well as via regular nursing follow-up for a median of 10.9 years (IQR 7.3, 13.4). There were a total of 67 adverse cardiovascular events during follow-up. Results: Baseline serum uric acid levels were significantly higher in patients who developed cardiovascular events during the follow-up period vs. those that did not [6.87 + 2.29 vs. 6.39 + 1.61); p=0.047). Baseline serum uric was independently associated with cardiovascular events when adjusting for age, creatinine, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia (L-R 4.0, p=0.04)(Figure 1). Sex stratified analysis showed that serum uric acid was also an independent predictor of both cardiovascular events and death in men, not women undergoing after adjustment for confounders including age, cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and glucose (LR 4.97; p=0.03). Discussion: Higher uric acid levels are associated with cardiovascular events and death after CEA. Further investigation is necessary to determine the role of uric acid as a modifiable risk factor in these patients.

Introduction: Stiffening of the aorta is associated with increased pulse pressure and transmission of pulsatile energy into the cerebral circulation. An association between increased aortic stiffening with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) has not been widely studied. We tested the hypothesis that loss of aortic elasticity (i.e. higher aortic stiffness) is associated with a higher presence of ICAD. Methods: ARIC-NCS participants (n=1412; mean age: 76 years; 42% male; 30% Black) with measures of aortic stiffness and vascular brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the visit 5 (2011-2013) examination were included. Aortic stiffness was measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using the VP-1000 Plus device (Omron Co., Japan). cfPWV was discretized into high vs. low aortic stiffness based on the upper 25 th percentile, 13.4 m/s. Brain MRI was performed on 3.0 Tesla scanners using a standardized protocol that included an MR angiography (MRA) and high isotropic resolution vessel MRI. Presence of ICAD was defined as eccentric wall thickening with or without luminal stenosis on MRA. We first examined the functional form relationship between continuous measures of cfPWV and ICAD. Comparing those with high vs. low aortic stiffening, we estimated the prevalence odds of ICAD using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race-center, education, smoking, heart rate, blood-pressure lowering medication, diabetes, LDL-cholesterol, and minutes/week of physical activity. Sampling weights were used for generalizability to the full ARIC cohort at visit 5. We tested for effect modification by race, sex, diabetes, central systolic blood pressure, and use of blood pressure-lowering medication. Results: The mean cfPWV was higher among participants with ICAD (12.6 ± 3.2 m/s) compared to those without ICAD (11.2 ± 2.9 m/s). cfPWV was associated with ICAD in a monotonic, linear fashion (p<0.05). The presence of ICAD was 50.6% among participants with high aortic stiffness (cfPWV above the upper 25th percentile; n=354) compared to 30.2% among participants with low aortic stiffness (n=1058). Compared to participants with low aortic stiffness, those with high aortic stiffness had two-fold higher odds of ICAD (odds ratio (OR): 1.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.68, 2.33). No statistically significant modification of this association was observed. Results were robust to exclusions for prevalent stroke (n=43) and prevalent cardiovascular disease (n=153). Conclusions: Aortic stiffness, a highly prevalent trait among older men and women, is associated with ICAD presence quantified by magnetic resonance angiography. Aortic stiffness, its risk factors and the factors associated with the preservation of aortic elasticity, may play a role in modifying the risk of intracranial atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACTIntroductionOnion‐bulbs (OB) are concentrically layered Schwann‐cell processes, surrounding nerve fibers, occurring in both inherited and acquired demyelinating polyneuropathies. We investigated whether OB patterns (generalized, mixed, or focal) correlate with acquired or inherited neuropathies.MethodsOne hundred thirty‐one OB‐rich nerve biopsies were graded for OB pattern and inflammation without knowledge of clinical history. We classified inherited (n = 49) or acquired (n = 82) neuropathies based solely on clinical history.ResultsFifty‐one biopsies had generalized (34 inherited vs. 17 acquired, P < 0.001), 54 mixed (48 acquired vs. 6 inherited, P < 0.001), and 26 focal/multifocal (inherited [n = 9], acquired [n = 17]) OB. Inflammation occurred more frequently in acquired (n = 54) than inherited (n = 14) neuropathy (P = 0.004).DiscussionGeneralized OB correlates with inherited neuropathy; mixed OB with acquired. Inflammation occurs more in acquired neuropathy cases. OB patterns are best explained by ubiquitous Schwann‐cell involvement in inherited and multifocal Schwann‐cell involvement in acquired neuropathies and predict the electrophysiology of uniform demyelination in inherited and unequal demyelination in acquired neuropathies. Muscle Nerve 59:665–670, 2019

OBJECTIVEAlmost 30% of the patients with suspected temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have normal results on MRI. Success rates for resection of MRI-negative TLE are less favorable, ranging from 36% to 76%. Herein the authors describe the impact of intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) augmented by opioid activation and its effect on postoperative seizure outcome.METHODSAdult and pediatric patients with medically resistant MRI-negative TLE who underwent standardized ECoG at the time of their elective anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) with amygdalohippocampectomy between 1990 and 2016 were included in this study. Seizure recurrence comprised the primary outcome of interest and was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analysis plots based on distribution of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) recorded on scalp electroencephalography, baseline and opioid-induced IEDs on ECoG, and extent of resection.RESULTSOf the 1144 ATLs performed at the authors’ institution between 1990 and 2016, 127 (11.1%) patients (81 females) with MRI-negative TLE were eligible for this study. Patients with complete resection of tissue generating IED recorded on intraoperative ECoG were less likely to have seizure recurrence compared to those with incomplete resection on univariate analysis (p < 0.05). No difference was found in seizure recurrence between patients with bilateral independent IEDs and unilateral IEDs (p = 0.15), presence or absence of opioid-induced epileptiform activation (p = 0.61), or completeness of resection of tissue with opioid-induced IEDs on intraoperative ECoG (p = 0.41).CONCLUSIONSThe authors found that incomplete resection of IED-generating tissue on intraoperative ECoG was associated with an increased chance of seizure recurrence. However, they found that induction of epileptiform activity with intraoperative opioid activation did not provide useful intraoperative data predictive of improving operative results for temporal lobectomy in MRI-negative epilepsy.

OBJECTIVEConcomitant unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) are present in patients with carotid artery stenosis not infrequently and result in unique management challenges. Thus, we investigated the risk of rupture of an aneurysm after revascularization of a carotid artery in a contemporary consecutive series of patients seen at our institution.METHODSData from patients who underwent a carotid revascularization in the presence of at least one concomitant UIA at our institution from 1991 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were evaluated for the incidence of aneurysm rupture within 30 days (early period) and after 30 days (late period) of carotid revascularization, as well as for the incidence of periprocedural complications from the treatment of carotid stenosis and/or UIA.RESULTSOur study included 53 patients with 63 concomitant UIAs. There was no rupture within 30 days of carotid revascularization. The overall risk of rupture was 0.87% per patient-year. Treatment (coiling or clipping) of a concomitant UIA, if pursued, could be performed successfully after carotid revascularization.CONCLUSIONSCarotid artery revascularization in the setting of a concomitant UIA can be performed safely without an increased 30-day or late-term risk of rupture. If indicated, treatment of the UIA can take place after the patient recovers from the carotid procedure.