A bidirectional ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter with direct single sideband separation was used to measure blood flow in the femoral and dorsalis pedis arteries of 18 normal volunteers. Changes in blood-flow velocity and volume during external counterpulsation (ECP) with various sustaining times (the time for maintaining pressure) for inflation were studied. The results showed that blood-flow velo...

Experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that human eosinophil granule-derived cationic proteins stimulate vagal C-fiber afferents in the lungs and elicit pulmonary chemoreflex responses in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Intratracheal instillation of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP; 1-2 mg/ml, 0.1 ml) consistently induced an irregular breathing pattern, characterized by tachypnea (...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the changes in serum Myeloid-Related Protein 8/14 (MRP8/14) and Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) levels in patients with different types of coronary artery diseases (CAD) and assess the value of MRP8/14 and ECP detection in predicting CAD. METHODS 178 patients were divided into CAD group including unstable angina pectoris (UAP), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and...

INTRODUCTION Eosinophils contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the intestine. Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) is one of the most important eosinophilic specific mediators released during activation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical value of serum ECP determination in children with active and inactive IBD and its correlation with disease activ...

Extracorporeal exposure of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to the photosensitizing agent 8-methoxypsoralen and UV-A radiation has been shown to be effective in the treatment of selected diseases mediated by T cells, rejection after solid organ transplantation, and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We present 21 patients with a median age of 38 years who developed steroid-refractory a...

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 CATARACT & REFRACTIVE SURGERY TODAY 35 E ndoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) involves laser ablation of the ciliary body epithelium under direct endoscopic visualization. The result is a lowering of IOP through a decrease in the production of aqueous humor. ECP can effectively treat most types of glaucoma. Often combined with phacoemulsification, ECP has been proven saf...

BACKGROUND Emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) are one of the 13 essential commodities addressed by the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children. Although ECP have been available for 20 years, a number of barriers still limit women's access ECP in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The workforce who prescribe or dispense ECP are diverse reflecting the varied contexts...

OBJECTIVE There are few studies on the diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) / eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) level relationship. This study aimed to detect ECP levels in a highly DE exposed group, named as toll collectors. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, levels of serum ECP, rates of respiratory symptoms, mean levels of respiratory functions, smoking status, and variations in peak expir...

In a Schistosoma haematobium-endemic village in western Madagascar we evaluated ultrasonography and Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) in urine as means to detect the associated urinary tract pathology. 192 individuals were matched according to age and sex, and grouped into infected persons with bladder and, if present, kidney pathology (n = 96); infected persons without pathology (n = 48) and n...

Exhaled nitric oxide and eosinophil sputum markers are considered noninvasive ways in which to evaluate airway inflammation in asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between these methods of evaluation in asthmatic children. In a cross-sectional study of 25 mild-moderate asthmatic children (aged 6-13 yrs, 10 patients on inhaled steroids) exhaled NO was measured along wi...