RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1), after the return of spontaneous circulation, can predict the neurologic outcome in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in a single tertiary hospital intensive care unit. All adult OHCA survivors with admission lipid profiles were enrolled from March 2013 to December 2015. Good neurologic outcome was defined as discharge cerebral performance categories 1 and 2. RESULTS: Among 59 patients enrolled, 13 (22.0%) had a good neurologic outcome. Serum levels of HDL (56.7 vs. 40 mg/dL) and ApoA1 (117 vs. 91.6 mg/dL) were significantly higher in patients with a good outcome. Areas under the HDL and ApoA1 receiver operating curves to predict good outcomes were 0.799 and 0.759, respectively. The proportion of good outcome was significantly higher in patients in higher tertiles of HDL and ApoA1 (test for trend, both P=0.003). HDL (P=0.018) was an independent predictor in the multivariate logistic regression model. CONCLUSION: Admission levels of HDL and ApoA1 are associated with neurologic outcome in patients with OHCA. Prognostic and potential therapeutic values of HDL and ApoA1 merit further evaluation in the post-cardiac arrest state, as in other systemic inflammatory conditions such as sepsis.
RESUMEN
Two types of artificial reefs, one for simple (S-AR), another for complex artificial reef (C-AR), were installed on a Korean coast of the East Sea (Sea of Japan) where a barren ground was progressive. Compared with macrobenthic organisms at NHB (natural hard bottom) control, AR (artificial reef) enhanced seaweed composition, reducing echinoderm composition, mostly sea urchins, the causative animal of the barren ground. Composition of the two mutually exclusive communities was AR type-specific, the C-AR exerting betterfunction over S-AR by enhancing higher seaweed composition. However this ecosystem-sound composition at C-AR was maintained only within 10 years. Another negative aspect of the AR was an unexpectedly higher composition of tunicates that canbe a sign of nutrient-rich environment in the Korean waters. Overall, CAR was more agreeable when simply based on its function excluding construction cost.