Texas Medical Center

About: Texas Medical Center is a healthcare organization based out in Houston, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 2845 authors who have published 2394 publications receiving 79426 citations.

Disseminated visceral giant cell arteritis: histopathologic description and differentiation from other granulomatous vasculitides.

Abstract: Disseminated visceral giant cell arteristic, a previously unknown entity, was observed in four autopsied patients, all men, aged 33, 67, 59 and 45 years. None of the patients had temporal arteritis, collagen disease, sarcoidosis, hepatitis or other infections, and vasculitis was diagnosed only after death. All had giant cell arteritis of extracranial arteries and arterioles in at least three of the following organs: the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and stomach in various combinations. Despite some histopathologic similarities, disseminated visceral giant cell arteritis can be distinguished from other necrotizing and granulomatous vasculitides by the type of vessels principally affected and the presence or absence of giant cells, vascular fibrinoid necrosis and eosinophilic infiltrates. The observations suggest that it is a distinctive type of systemic vasculitis.

Treatment of statin adverse effects with supplemental Coenzyme Q10 and statin drug discontinuation

Abstract: Fifty consecutive new cardiology clinic patients who were on statin drug therapy (for an average of 28 months) on their initial visit were evaluated for possible adverse statin effects (myalgia, fatigue, dyspnea, memory loss, and peripheral neuropathy). All patients discontinued statin therapy due to side effects and began supplemental CoQ10 at an average of 240 mg/day upon initial visit. Patients have been followed for an average of 22 months with 84% of the patients followed now for more than 12 months. The prevalence of patient symptoms on initial visit and on most recent follow-up demonstrated a decrease in fatigue from 84% to 16%, myalgia from 64% to 6%, dyspnea from 58% to 12%, memory loss from 8% to 4% and peripheral neuropathy from 10% to 2%. There were two deaths from lung cancer and one death from aortic stenosis with no strokes or myocardial infarctions. Measurements of heart function either improved or remained stable in the majority of patients. We conclude that statin-related side effects, including statin cardiomyopathy, are far more common than previously published and are reversible with the combination of statin discontinuation and supplemental CoQ10. We saw no adverse consequences from statin discontinuation.

Thyroid hormone stimulates the renal Na/H exchanger NHE3 by transcriptional activation

Abstract: Thyroid hormone stimulates renal proximal tubule NaCl and NaHCO3 absorption in part by activating the apical membrane Na/H exchanger NHE3. We used a renal epithelial cell line, the opossum kidney (...

Computer assisted analysis of fetal age in the third trimester using multiple fetal growth parameters.

Abstract: A new technique is described for predicting menstrual age in the third trimester of pregnancy (28-42 weeks) using multiple fetal growth parameters (biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length). Evaluation of this technique in 177 normal third trimester pregnancies demonstrated that significant improvement in the variability in predicting menstrual age can be achieved when two or more parameters are used collectively instead of a single parameter used individually. The optimal combination prior to 36 weeks was biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur length, while after 36 weeks the optimal combination was head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length. The use of these combinations resulted in smaller mean errors, standard deviations, and maximum errors. Regression equations and tables of normal values are provided to facilitate the use of this dating method.