Objectives: To study the role of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) escape for disease progression in HIV-1 infection, we analyzed the CTL response to the dominant human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B8-restricted CTL epitope FLKEKGGL (FL8) in HIV-1 Nef.
Methods: HIV-1 nef genes derived from 56 patients were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing. T-cell responses against FL8 and mutated FL8 variants were detected by gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are used worldwide to help athletes gain muscle mass and strength. Their use and abuse is associated with numerous side effects, including acute myocardial infarction (MI). We report a case of MI in a young 31-year-old bodybuilder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Computations of left and right ventricular (LV and RV) gated blood pool SPECT (GBPS) ejection fraction (EF) have been well validated against other imaging modalities. As GBPS images depict the entire extent of both blood pools, it is possible to compute not only global but also regional biventricular function parameters, which have the prospect of being clinically useful for planning cardiac resynchronization therapy. This investigation sought to establish LV and RV count-based GBPS regional functional normal limits and to quantify their reproducibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chest pain is one of the most common complaints of patients presenting at emergency departments. However, the most appropriate diagnostic evaluation for patients with chest pain but without acute coronary syndrome remains controversial, and differs greatly among institutions and physicians. At our institution, patients with chest pain can be admitted to an internist-run hospitalist service, a private attending service, or a cardiologist-run Chest Pain Unit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe describe the development and institution of an initiative based on a clinical diagnostic algorithm and treatment pathways, facilitated by cardiac nurse practitioners, for the treatment of the diverse group of patients with chest pain who seek treatment at our urban-based institution. We believe that our chest pain initiative incorporates previous strategies of rapid emergency department management with inpatient-based care while providing a framework for outpatient follow-up and secondary prevention. These strategies allow our hospital to meet its goals of providing chest pain patients with standardized, high-quality, and expeditious care, given the challenges faced by an academic urban hospital.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We assessed the clinical impact of an interdisciplinary, cardiac nurse practitioner-facilitated chest pain (CP) initiative that stresses an early invasive approach for patients with CP with acute coronary syndromes in traditionally underserved patient populations, including females, blacks, Hispanics, and patients older than 60 years.
Methods: Two groups of patients were identified: Pre-CP initiative (December 1999-February 2000) and post-CP initiative (December 2000-February 2001).
Results: Analysis of 714 patients revealed significantly more cardiac diagnoses post-CP initiative (61% pre-CP initiative vs.
Background: Following pig to primate kidney transplantation, xenogenic activation of the coagulation (XAC) system of the recipient eventually leading to organ dysfunction and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can be observed.
Methods: Using an ex-vivo perfusion circuit based on low-dose heparin-mediated anticoagulation and exogenous complement inhibition by C1- Inhibitor (C1-Inh), we have analysed XAC following contact of human blood with porcine endothelium. Porcine kidneys (n = 23) were recovered following in situ cold perfusion with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution and were connected to a perfusion circuit utilizing freshly drawn pooled human AB blood.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Saxon Diabetes Management Program (SDMP), which is based on integrated practice guidelines, shared care, and integrated quality management. The SDMP was implemented into diabetes contracts between health insurance providers, general practitioners (GPs), and diabetes specialized practitioners (DSPs) unified in the Saxon association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.
Research Design And Methods: The evaluation of the SDMP in Germany represents a real-world study by using clinical data collected from participating physicians.
In the European Union Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS) eradication is still based on stamping out. Due to the lack of effective low cost vaccines immune prophylaxis is currently not used to combat VHS. This paper describes a new oral delivery method for immunisation of trout with attenuated virus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate whether enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) exerts an effect on myocardial perfusion.
Methods: Eleven patients with angina were studied before and after 35 sessions of EECP treatment. Myocardial perfusion was quantified with positron emission tomography and intravenous 13N-ammonia at rest and after dipyridamole, by means of a two-compartment mathematical model.
The patient introduced in the case history had a myocardial infarction in 2001 and a coronary two-vessel disease (extensive subtotal proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending [LAD] and proximal subtotal stenosis of the right coronary artery) which was diagnosed via coronary angiography at the age of 39 years. Besides smoking and obesity an important coronary risk factor was hyperlipoproteinemia with an especially massive increase in lipoprotein (a) level. The lipoprotein (a) level in January 2002 was massively elevated with 273.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe plasminogen activation system is part of the fibrinolysis which is tightly regulated and protected against dysfunction by various activators and inhibitors. However, microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and also parasites have been proven to interact in a specific manner with components of the fibrinolytic pathways. Pathogenic bacteria are capable to subvert the function of proteases, activators or inhibitors for their own benefits including dissemination within the host and evasion of host inflammatory immune response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is known as a rare adverse event with chemotherapy. We report the case of a SIADH occurring after vinorelbine treatment.
Case Report: In a 79-year-old woman breast cancer was first diagnosed in 2000.
This study compared the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and traditional virus isolation on cell culture in detection of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) and infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). RT-PCR was used for 172 tissue sample pools (total of 859 fish) originating from a field survey on the occurrence of VHSV and IHNV in farmed and wild salmonids in Switzerland. These samples represented all sites with fish that were either identified as virus-positive by means of virus isolation (three sites, four positive tissue sample pools) and/or demonstrated positive anti-VHSV-antibody titres (83 sites, 121 positive blood samples) in a serum plaque neutralization test (SPNT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: HIV-1 infected individuals have an increased cardiovascular risk which is partially mediated by dyslipidemia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in multiple genes involved in lipid transport and metabolism are presumed to modulate the risk of dyslipidemia in response to antiretroviral therapy.
Methods: The contribution to dyslipidemia of 20 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms of 13 genes reported in the literature to be associated with plasma lipid levels (ABCA1, ADRB2, APOA5, APOC3, APOE, CETP, LIPC, LIPG, LPL, MDR1, MTP, SCARB1, and TNF) was assessed by longitudinally modeling more than 4400 plasma lipid determinations in 438 antiretroviral therapy-treated participants during a median period of 4.
To identify viral proteins that induce cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) against viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)-infected cells, rainbow trout were immunized with DNA vectors encoding the glycoprotein G or the nucleocapsid protein N of VHSV. The G protein was a more potent trigger of cytotoxic cells than the N protein. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) isolated from trout immunized against the G protein killed both VHSV-infected MHC class I matched (RTG-2) and VHSV-infected xenogeneic (EPC) target cells, suggesting the involvement of both cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and NK cells, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA gas chromatographic method was successfully applied to determine cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in human plasma. The linearity, precision, recovery and sensitivity of the method were determined. Oral supplementation with a combination of vitamin E (800 IU), C (1 g) and beta-carotene (24 mg), given for 21 days to 21 patients, did not significantly decrease plasma COP content.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBifidobacteria constitute up to 3% of the total microbiota and represent one of the most important health-promoting bacterial groups of the human intestinal microflora. The presence of Bifidobacterium in the human gastrointestinal tract has been directly related to several health-promoting activities; however, to date, no information about the specific mechanisms of interaction with the host is available. In order to provide some insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction with the host, we investigated whether Bifidobacterium was able to capture human plasminogen on the cell surface.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBy cDNA sequencing we have achieved the first, and complete, hemocyanin sequence of a bivalve (Nucula nucleus). This extracellular oxygen-binding protein consists of two immunologically distinguishable isoforms, here termed NnH1 and NnH2. They share a mean sequence identity of 61%, both contain a linear arrangement of eight paralogous, ca.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the postgenomic era it has become increasingly apparent that the vast number of predicted biosynthesis genes of microorganisms is not reflected by the metabolic profile observed under standard fermentation conditions. In the absence of a particular (in most cases unknown) trigger these gene loci remain silent. Because these cryptic gene clusters may code for the biosynthesis of important virulence factors, toxins, or even drug candidates, new strategies for their activation are urgently needed to make use of this largely untapped reservoir of potentially bioactive compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Organ dysfunction due to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common problem in transplant, liver, trauma, and heart surgery. I/R injury is mediated by upregulated expression of endothelial cell surface adhesion molecules and subsequent adhesion and activation of circulating leukocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an intraoperative administration of FTY720 in an animal model with controlled bilateral warm kidney ischemia compared to steroids or placebo application.
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