Background and objectives: Atherosclerosis causes reduction of the oxygen supply to structures in the far arterial wall, provoking the release of factors that drive angiogenesis of vasa vasorum, including VEGF. Other studies have revealed the inflammatory response in atherosclerosis and the role of platelet factor 4 (PF4) as an anti-angiogenic chemokine through the inhibition of VEGF. This cross-sectional study aims at measuring the effect of atherosclerosis assessed through carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) against plasma VEGF levels in patients with post-acute thrombotic stroke. Materials and methods: CIMT was assessed sonographically using GE Logiq S6 with 13 MHz frequency linear probe. VEGF-A plasma levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Differences among variables were compared statistically. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation. Results: A total of 25 patients with post-acute thrombotic stroke were identified in days 7 to 90. CIMT thickening was indicated in 88% of patients (1.202 ± 0.312 mm), while an increase in plasma VEGF was identified in all patients (178.28 ± 93.96 ng/mL). There was no significant correlation between CIMT and plasma VEGF levels in patients with post-acute thrombotic stroke (p=0.741). A significant correlation was recognized between CIMT and total cholesterol (p=0.029) and low-density lipoprotein (p=0.018). Conclusion: There were no significant correlations between CIMT and plasma VEGF levels in patients with post-acute thrombotic stroke. However, plasma VEGF increased in patients with thrombotic stroke. CIMT measurement is a promising noninvasive modality to assess the vascular condition of patients with stroke and diabetes, while plasma VEGF cannot specifically assess vascular condition as it can be triggered by ischemic conditions in tissues of the whole body.

Purpose: To analyze the diagnostic value of MRI for distinguishing tuberculous from pyogenic spondylitis confirmed by histology results and to determine the cut-off point score of MRI. Subjects and methods: Observational analytic design with a cross-sectional approach. Data were collected from radiology and pathology anatomy medical records, therefore no informed consent was obtained. We utilized diagnostic tests using 2×2 tables and receiver operating characteristic curve to obtain the value of the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under curve (AUC) of MRI. Twenty-eight samples were selected, consisting of 20 samples of tuberculous spondylitis and 8 samples of pyogenic spondylitis. Results: The radiological diagnosis using MRI had a sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 87.5%, positive predictive value of 94.4%, negative predictive value of 70%, and accuracy of 85.7%. AUC value was 91.6%, p = 0.001. MRI with a score ≥4 had sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 87.5%, positive predictive value of 94.7%, negative predictive value of 77.8%, and accuracy of 89.2%. Conclusion: MRI had a high diagnostic value with AUC value of 91.6% for distinguishing tuberculous from pyogenic spondylitis, confirmed by histology results. MRI, with a score of ≥4, had a higher diagnostic value compared with the reading of MRI without using scores.

This study aimed to investigate whether combined supplementation with vitamin C and vitamin E was able to modify the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the ovarium of rats exposed to rhodamine B. Twenty-five female Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups (n=5 each), including control (untreated group); rhodamine B group; rhodamine B group which received vitamin C (0.2 mg)+vitamin E (0.04 IU/g body weight); rhodamine B group which received vitamin C (0.4 mg)+vitamin E (0.04 IU/g body weight); and the rhodamine B group which received vitamin C (0.8 mg)+vitamin E (0.04 IU/g body weight). Analysis of MDA levels as a marker of lipid peroxidation was done spectrophotometrically. Analysis of SOD levels was done by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technically. Endometrial histology was analyzed in hematoxylin eosin staining. This increase in ovarian MDA was significantly (p0.05). All doses also significantly prevented rhodamine B-induced decrease in the vascular number and gland density. In conclusion, the protective effect of combined vitamin C and vitamin E against ovarian and endometrial toxicity in rats receiving oral rhodamine B is due to inhibition of the lipid peroxidation, modulation of SOD levels, and the endometrium repairing effect