Elevated C-reactive protein and homocysteine values: cardiovascular risk factors in hypothyroidism? A cross-sectional and a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Hypothyroidism is associated with premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Recently, total homocysteine (tHcy) and C-reactive protein (CRP) emerged as additional cardiovascular risk factors. We first investigated CRP and tHcy in different severities of primary hypothyroidism and in a second study we evaluated the effect of L-thyroxine treatment in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Early immunoneutralization of calcitonin precursors attenuates the adverse physiologic response to sepsis in pigs.

Objective: The 116 amino acid prohormone procalcitonin and some of its component peptides (collectively termed calcitonin precursors) are important markers and mediators of sepsis. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effect of immunoneutralization of calcitonin precursors on metabolic and physiologic variables of sepsis in a porcine model.

Design: A prospective, controlled animal study.

High circulating levels of the IL-1 type II decoy receptor in critically ill patients with sepsis: association of high decoy receptor levels with glucocorticoid administration.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the interleukin (IL)-1 decoy receptor (R), a negative pathway of regulation of IL-1, is correlated with severity of infection in critically ill patients and reflects the activation of anti-inflammatory pathways by glucocorticoid hormones. Plasma samples were obtained from 101 consecutive, critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit with different severities of microbial infection, as defined by standardized criteria. Here, we report that the IL-1 type II decoy R(II) is elevated in critically ill patients, especially in severe, systemic infection and culture-positive infections.

P, As, Sb, Mo, and other elements in sedimentary Fe/Mn layers of Lake Baikal.

Distinct layers with accumulated iron and manganese oxyhydroxides are found in the recent sediments of Lake Baikal (Siberia). In the South and Central Basins, these concretions accumulate close to the sediment-water interface. In northern Lake Baikal and the area of Academician Ridge, however, massive Fe/Mn crusts are formed within several thousand years at redox fronts 10 to 15 cm below the sediment surface.