Vancomycin and daptomycin modulate the innate immune response in a murine model of LPS-induced sepsis.

Sepsis is a leading cause of death worldwide, despite the use of multimodal therapies. Common antibiotic regimens are being affected by a rising number of multidrug-resistant pathogens, and new therapeutic approaches are therefore needed. Antibiotics have immunomodulatory properties which appear to be beneficial in the treatment of sepsis.

CpG postconditioning after reperfused myocardial infarction is associated with modulated inflammation, less apoptosis, and better left ventricular function.

Postconditioning attenuates inflammation and fibrosis in myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to investigate whether postconditioning with the cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG)-containing Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9) ligand 1668-thioate (CpG) can modulate inflammation and remodeling in reperfused murine MI. Thirty minutes of left descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion was conducted in 12-wk-old C57BL/6 mice.

Low-tidal-volume prevent ventilation induced inflammation in a mouse model of sepsis.

Background And Goal Of The Study: Pulmonary inflammation, increased vascular permeability, and pulmonary edema, occur in response to primary pulmonary infections like pneumonia but are also evident in endotoxemia or sepsis. Mechanical ventilation augments pre-existing lung injury and inflammation resulting from exposure to microbial products. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that low-tidal-volume prevent ventilation induced lung injury in sepsis.

Genome-wide association study of myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, acute stroke, acute kidney injury and delirium after cardiac surgery - a sub-analysis of the RIPHeart-Study.

Background: The aim of our study was the identification of genetic variants associated with postoperative complications after cardiac surgery.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, multicenter, randomized trial (RIPHeart). We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 1170 patients of both genders (871 males, 299 females) from the RIPHeart-Study cohort.

Focused review on seizures caused by meningiomas.

Background: Meningiomas belong to the most common intracranial neoplasms in adults. One of the most common symptoms patients with meningioma experience is seizures. However, it remains unclear whether prophylactic preoperative anticonvulsant treatment is worthwhile.

Synthetic CpG oligonucleotides induce a genetic profile ameliorating murine myocardial I/R injury.

We previously demonstrated that pre-conditioning with CpG oligonucleotide (ODN) 1668 induces quick up-regulation of gene expression 3 hours post-murine myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, terminating inflammatory processes that sustain I/R injury. Now, performing comprehensive microarray and biocomputational analyses, we sought to further enlighten the "black box" beyond these first 3 hours. C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with either CpG 1668 or with control ODN 1612, respectively.

RIPHeart (Remote Ischemic Preconditioning for Heart Surgery) Study: Myocardial Dysfunction, Postoperative Neurocognitive Dysfunction, and 1 Year Follow-Up.

Background: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been suggested to protect against certain forms of organ injury after cardiac surgery. Previously, we reported the main results of RIPHeart (Remote Ischemic Preconditioning for Heart Surgery) Study, a multicenter trial randomizing 1403 cardiac surgery patients receiving either RIPC or sham-RIPC.

Methods And Results: In this follow-up paper, we present 1-year follow-up of the composite primary end point and its individual components (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and acute renal failure), in a sub-group of patients, intraoperative myocardial dysfunction assessed by transesophageal echocardiography and the incidence of postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction 5 to 7 days and 3 months after surgery.

Vendor effects on murine gut microbiota influence experimental abdominal sepsis.

Background: Experimental animal models are indispensable components of preclinical sepsis research. Reproducible results highly rely on defined and invariant baseline conditions. Our hypothesis was that the murine gut microbiota varies among different distributors of laboratory animals and that these variations influence the phenotype of abdominal sepsis derived from a bacterial inoculum model (intraperitoneal stool injection).

The provision of pediatric cardiac anesthesia services in Germany: current status of structural and personnel organization.

Background: Anesthesia for pediatric cardiac surgery requires a high level of expert knowledge. There are currently no recommendations and standards for anesthetic management for congenital cardiac surgery in Germany.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the current status of structural and personnel anesthetic standards at pediatric cardiac surgery centers in Germany.

[Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) : A medical-economic view].

Background: In the context of inpatient and increasingly ambulatory thrombosis prophylaxis, heparins have been recognised as standard therapy for decades. In addition to the therapeutic benefit, therapy with heparins also entails the risk of undesirable side effects, such as bleeding and thrombocytopenia. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT II) is deemed a serious side effect.

Pulmonary vascular inflammation: effect of TLR signalling on angiopoietin/TIE regulation.

Increased pulmonary vascular resistance is a critical complication in sepsis. Toll-like receptor (TLR) as well as angiopoietin (ANG) signalling both contribute to the emergence of pulmonary arterial hypertension. We hypothesized that TLR stimulation by bacterial ligands directly affects expression and secretion of ligands and receptors of the angiopoietin/TIE axis.

Preoperative patient assessment: Identifying patients at high risk.

Postoperative mortality remains alarmingly high with a mortality rate ranging between 0.4% and 4%. A small subgroup of multimorbid and/or elderly patients undergoing different surgical procedures naturally confers the highest risk of complications and perioperative death.

Patient Blood Management is Associated With a Substantial Reduction of Red Blood Cell Utilization and Safe for Patient's Outcome: A Prospective, Multicenter Cohort Study With a Noninferiority Design.

Objective: To determine whether the implementation of patient blood management (PBM) is effective to decrease the use of red blood cell without impairment of patient's safety.

Background: The World Health Organization encouraged all member states to implement PBM programs employing multiple combined strategies to increase and preserve autologous erythrocyte volume to minimize red blood cell transfusions. Data regarding safety issues are not sufficiently available.

Human plasmacytoid dentritic cells elicit a Type I Interferon response by sensing DNA via the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a major source of type I interferon (IFN) and are important for host defense by sensing microbial DNA via TLR9. pDCs also play a critical role in the pathogenesis of IFN-driven autoimmune diseases. Yet, this autoimmune reaction is caused by the recognition of self-DNA and has been linked to TLR9-independent pathways.

Effects of prehospital hypothermia on transfusion requirements and outcomes: a retrospective observatory trial.

Objectives: Prehospital hypothermia is defined as a core temperature <36.0 °C and has been shown to be an independent risk factor for early death in patients with trauma. In a retrospective study, a possible correlation between the body temperature at the time of admission to the emergency room and subsequent in-hospital transfusion requirements and the in-hospital mortality rate was explored.

[Characteristics of Focal Degenerative Cartilage Lesions in the Knee Joint. A Radiologic, Spectroscopic, Histological and Biochemical Study].

Objective: The aim of this study was to perform a macroscopic, spectroscopic and biochemical/histological examination of the defect margins of grade IIIb cartilage lesions in the patella, the medial femoral condyle, the corresponding articular surface and the remaining cartilage surfaces of the knee joint. Our null hypothesis was that there would be no difference in characteristics between the cartilage surrounding the defect, the corresponding articular surface and the remaining articular surfaces of the knee joint on the one hand and the cartilage within the defect on the other.

Method: The study included ten patients treated for focal cartilage lesions (ICRS classification grade IIIb) by autologous cartilage transplantation (ACT).

[Patient Satisfaction as a Measure of Quality of Patient Care - Comparison between a University Hospital and a General Hospital].

The aim of the study was to compare the satisfaction of patients of a general hospital with a university hospital. A patient satisfaction index was calculated based on the assessed levels of satisfaction. In general, higher satisfaction could lead to increased competitiveness and improved cost efficiency for achieving profitability.

Regulation of p53 under hypoxic and inflammatory conditions in periodontium.

Objectives: Different studies suggest that inflammation as well as hypoxia leads to an increase of p53 protein levels. However, the implication of p53 during oral inflammatory processes is still unknown. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of hypoxia and inflammation on p53 regulation in human periodontium in vitro and in vivo.

Tlr4 Deficiency Protects against Cardiac Pressure Overload Induced Hyperinflammation.

Transverse aortic constriction provokes a pro-inflammatory reaction and results in cardiac hypertrophy. Endogenous ligands contribute to cardiac hypertrophy via toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 binding. A lack of TLR4 signaling diminishes hypertrophy and inflammation.

[Perioperative risk and mortality after major surgery].

Although anesthesia-associated mortality has been significantly reduced down to 0.00068-0.00082% over the last decades, recent studies have revealed a high perioperative mortality of 0.