Thrombosis is a vascular pathological process which frequently affects the veins of the lower limbs, and embolisation of thrombotic material is common. Thromboembolic disease is a common cause of death in Western societies, predominantly affecting the elderly. Numerous risk factors and co-morbidities have been identified. Safe and effective means of prophylaxis are available but are underutilised. Anticoagulant drugs are very effective in preventing thromboembolic disease, but their effects on the evolution of the thrombotic process remain poorly documented. These drugs are difficult to use, and treatment errors and treatment failures are common. The factors which determine the embolisation of deep vein thrombosis are poorly understood. When such embolisation occurs it is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism presents in 3 general ways-pleuritic pain, shortness of breath, or collapse. Tachypnea is the commonest sign. Tests which are available to assist in the diagnosis of thromboembolic disease include the ventilation perfusion lung scan, ultrasound of the lower limbs, pulmonary angiography and echocardiography. The commonest investigation requested in this context is the lung scan. Although the results are often inconclusive, this is frequently the only specific investigation which is performed. The accurate interpretation of lung scans requires consideration of the pretest probability of pulmonary embolism. The D-dimer assay is another test which may be useful. The finding of a normal D-dimer level substantially reduces the probability of thromboembolic disease and may render a lung scan unnecessary. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Thrombosis is a vascular pathological process which frequently affects the veins of the lower limbs, and embolisation of thrombotic material is common. Thromboembolic disease is a common cause of death in Western societies, predominantly affecting the elderly. Numerous risk factors and co-morbidities have been identified. Safe and effective means of prophylaxis are available but are underutilised. Anticoagulant drugs are very effective in preventing thromboembolic disease, but their effects on the evolution of the thrombotic process remain poorly documented. These drugs are difficult to use, and treatment errors and treatment failures are common. The factors which determine the embolisation of deep vein thrombosis are poorly understood. When such embolisation occurs it is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism presents in 3 general ways-pleuritic pain, shortness of breath, or collapse. Tachypnea is the commonest sign. Tests which are available to assist in the diagnosis of thromboembolic disease include the ventilation perfusion lung scan, ultrasound of the lower limbs, pulmonary angiography and echocardiography. The commonest investigation requested in this context is the lung scan. Although the results are often inconclusive, this is frequently the only specific investigation which is performed. The accurate interpretation of lung scans requires consideration of the pretest probability of pulmonary embolism. The D-dimer assay is another test which may be useful. The finding of a normal D-dimer level substantially reduces the probability of thromboembolic disease and may render a lung scan unnecessary. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Thrombosis is a vascular pathological process which frequently affects the veins of the lower limbs, and embolisation of thrombotic material is common. Thromboembolic disease is a common cause of death in Western societies, predominantly affecting the elderly. Numerous risk factors and co-morbidities have been identified. Safe and effective means of prophylaxis are available but are underutilised. Anticoagulant drugs are very effective in preventing thromboembolic disease, but their effects on the evolution of the thrombotic process remain poorly documented. These drugs are difficult to use, and treatment errors and treatment failures are common. The factors which determine the embolisation of deep vein thrombosis are poorly understood. When such embolisation occurs it is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism presents in 3 general ways-pleuritic pain, shortness of breath, or collapse. Tachypnea is the commonest sign. Tests which are available to assist in the diagnosis of thromboembolic disease include the ventilation perfusion lung scan, ultrasound of the lower limbs, pulmonary angiography and echocardiography. The commonest investigation requested in this context is the lung scan. Although the results are often inconclusive, this is frequently the only specific investigation which is performed. The accurate interpretation of lung scans requires consideration of the pretest probability of pulmonary embolism. The D-dimer assay is another test which may be useful. The finding of a normal D-dimer level substantially reduces the probability of thromboembolic disease and may render a lung scan unnecessary. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Thrombosis is a vascular pathological process which frequently affects the veins of the lower limbs, and embolisation of thrombotic material is common. Thromboembolic disease is a common cause of death in Western societies, predominantly affecting the elderly. Numerous risk factors and co-morbidities have been identified. Safe and effective means of prophylaxis are available but are underutilised. Anticoagulant drugs are very effective in preventing thromboembolic disease, but their effects on the evolution of the thrombotic process remain poorly documented. These drugs are difficult to use, and treatment errors and treatment failures are common. The factors which determine the embolisation of deep vein thrombosis are poorly understood. When such embolisation occurs it is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism presents in 3 general ways-pleuritic pain, shortness of breath, or collapse. Tachypnea is the commonest sign. Tests which are available to assist in the diagnosis of thromboembolic disease include the ventilation perfusion lung scan, ultrasound of the lower limbs, pulmonary angiography and echocardiography. The commonest investigation requested in this context is the lung scan. Although the results are often inconclusive, this is frequently the only specific investigation which is performed. The accurate interpretation of lung scans requires consideration of the pretest probability of pulmonary embolism. The D-dimer assay is another test which may be useful. The finding of a normal D-dimer level substantially reduces the probability of thromboembolic disease and may render a lung scan unnecessary. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Case Western Reserve University (Health Sciences), 2007. / (UMI)AAI3255439. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-03, Section: B, page: 1572. Adviser: Christopher King.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on May 13, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: B, page: 4596. Adviser: Janet P. Wallace.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, San Francisco, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-02, Section: B, page: 0685. Adviser: Warner C. Greene.

Thrombosis is a vascular pathological process which frequently affects the veins of the lower limbs, and embolisation of thrombotic material is common. Thromboembolic disease is a common cause of death in Western societies, predominantly affecting the elderly. Numerous risk factors and co-morbidities have been identified. Safe and effective means of prophylaxis are available but are underutilised. Anticoagulant drugs are very effective in preventing thromboembolic disease, but their effects on the evolution of the thrombotic process remain poorly documented. These drugs are difficult to use, and treatment errors and treatment failures are common. The factors which determine the embolisation of deep vein thrombosis are poorly understood. When such embolisation occurs it is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism presents in 3 general ways-pleuritic pain, shortness of breath, or collapse. Tachypnea is the commonest sign. Tests which are available to assist in the diagnosis of thromboembolic disease include the ventilation perfusion lung scan, ultrasound of the lower limbs, pulmonary angiography and echocardiography. The commonest investigation requested in this context is the lung scan. Although the results are often inconclusive, this is frequently the only specific investigation which is performed. The accurate interpretation of lung scans requires consideration of the pretest probability of pulmonary embolism. The D-dimer assay is another test which may be useful. The finding of a normal D-dimer level substantially reduces the probability of thromboembolic disease and may render a lung scan unnecessary. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: B, page: 0952. Adviser: Matthew A. Wallig. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-136) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Background The goal of this study is to understand role of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in development of osteoarthritis (OA). Results from studies indicate that the genetic inactivation of Smad-3, or the disruption of the interaction of Tgf-β1 with its receptor Tgf-β type II receptor (Tgfbr2), in germline cells results in OA-like knee joints in mice at one month of age. However, other studies suggest that the increased expression of Tgf-β1 in mature knee joints causes OA in animal models. A human genetic study reports that a two-nucleotide deletion, 741-742del AT, and/or a nucleotide change, 859C>T or 782C>T in SMAD-3 are associated with early-onset OA. This observation is consistent with the finding that the lack of Tgf-β1 signaling in the germline cell results in OA in developing joints and that increased Tgf-β1 signaling causes OA in mature joints. The plausible explanation for this “conflicting” role of TGF-β1 in the pathogenesis of OA is that the effective TGF-β1 signaling acts in either a dose-dependent or a developmental stage-dependent manner. The present study addresses the question as to whether inhibition of Tgf-β1 signaling prevents mature knee joints from being degenerated in mouse models of OA. Methods 1) Using conditional knock out techniques with aggrecan-CreERt2 mice and floxed Tgfbr2 mice, Tgfbr2 was removed from articular cartilage of knee joints in 2-month-old mice. Mice without Tgfbr2 were kept for another 6 months or longer. Knee joints from the mice (n=8) and their corresponding control (n=4) were collected for morphological analysis. 2) Mice without Tgfbr2 at two months old were subjected to DMM to induce articular cartilage degeneration. Knee joints from the mice at 4 and 8 weeks post surgery (n=8 in each group) were collected for morphological analysis. Results 1) We did not find the initiation and acceleration of articular cartilage degeneration by the genetic inactivation of Tgfbr2 in knee joints of mice at the age of 9 months or older. We also did not find hypertrophic chondrocytes in the articular cartilage of the mice. 2) We found that removal of Tgfbr2 in articular cartilage of knee joints delayed articular cartilage degeneration, at least 6 weeks, compared to that in wild-type littermates. Conclusion Inhibition of Tgf-β1 signaling attenuated articular cartilage degeneration in mature knee joints of mouse models of OA. Therefore, inhibition activity of TGF-β1, not application of TGF-β1, may be considered in treatment of OA in mature joints.