Deceased Kidney Donor Biomarkers: Relationship between Delayed Kidney Function and Graft Function Three Years after Transplantation.

With an increasing number of marginal donors, additional methods for the evaluation of cadaveric kidney quality are required. This study aimed to evaluate pretransplant deceased donor serum (s) and urine (u) biomarkers, including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), interleukin-18, and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) for predicting early and late graft function. In total, 43 deceased kidney donors and 76 corresponding recipients were enrolled.

The Role of Pre- and Post-Transplant Hydration Status in Kidney Graft Recovery and One-Year Function.

: Early improvements to graft function are crucial for good outcomes in kidney transplantation (kTx). Various factors can influence early graft function. This study aimed to evaluate the pre- and post-transplant hydration statuses of kTx recipients using bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and lung ultrasonography (LUS) and to investigate the hydration status' relationship with the function of the transplanted kidney during the first year after transplantation.

Motifs in SARS-CoV-2 evolution.

We present a novel framework enhancing the prediction of whether novel lineage poses the threat of eventually dominating the viral population. The framework is based purely on genomic sequence data, without requiring prior established biological analysis. Its building blocks are sets of coevolving sites in the alignment (motifs), identified via coevolutionary signals.

A Plethora of Functions Condensed into Tiny Phospholipids: The Story of PI4P and PI(4,5)P.

Phosphoinositides (PIs) are small, phosphorylated lipids that serve many functions in the cell. They regulate endo- and exocytosis, vesicular trafficking, actin reorganization, and cell mobility, and they act as signaling molecules. The most abundant PIs in the cell are phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate (PI4P) and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P].

The intracellular and plasma membrane pools of phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate control megakaryocyte maturation and proplatelet formation.

Background: Megakaryocytes (MKs) develop from hematopoietic stem cells after stimulation by the cytokine thrombopoietin. During megakaryopoiesis, MKs enlarge, undergo the process of endomitosis, and develop intracellular membranes (demarcation membrane system, DMS). During DMS formation, there is active transport of proteins, lipids, and membranes from the Golgi apparatus to the DMS.

The arithmetic topology of genetic alignments.

We propose a novel mathematical paradigm for the study of genetic variation in sequence alignments. This framework originates from extending the notion of pairwise relations, upon which current analysis is based on, to k-ary dissimilarity. This dissimilarity naturally leads to a generalization of simplicial complexes by endowing simplices with weights, compatible with the boundary operator.

Oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe protein controls cytoskeletal reorganisation during human platelet spreading.

Lowe syndrome (LS) is a rare, X-linked disorder characterised by numerous symptoms affecting the brain, the eyes, and the kidneys. It is caused by mutations in the oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe (OCRL) protein, a 5-phosphatase localised in different cellular compartments that dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate into phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate. Some patients with LS also have bleeding disorders, with normal to low platelet (PLT) count and impaired PLT function.

Imaging of Intracellular and Plasma Membrane Pools of PI(4,5)P and PI4P in Human Platelets.

Phosphoinositides (PIs) are phosphorylated membrane lipids that have a plethora of roles in the cell, including vesicle trafficking, signaling, and actin reorganization. The most abundant PIs in the cell are phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P] and phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate (PI4P). The localization and roles of both PI(4,5)P and PI4P are well established, is the broadly accepted methodological approach for their immunocytochemical visualization in different cell compartments in several cell lines.

Developmental differences of cultured murine bone marrow- and fetal liver-derived megakaryocytes.

Multiple lines of evidence support differences in the megakaryopoiesis during development. Murine models to study megakaryopoiesis employ cultured megakaryocytes MKs derived from adult bone marrow (BM) or fetal livers (FL) of mouse embryos. Mouse models allow to study the molecular basis for cellular changes utilizing conditional or knock-out models and permit further genetic or pharmacological manipulations.

Multiscale Feedback Loops in SARS-CoV-2 Viral Evolution.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The viral genome is considered to be relatively stable and the mutations that have been observed and reported thus far are mainly focused on the coding region. This article provides evidence that macrolevel pandemic dynamics, such as social distancing, modulate the genomic evolution of SARS-CoV-2.

Evaluating the impact of international airline suspensions on the early global spread of COVID-19.

Global airline networks play a key role in the global importation of emerging infectious diseases. Detailed information on air traffic between international airports has been demonstrated to be useful in retrospectively validating and prospectively predicting case emergence in other countries. In this paper, we use a well-established metric known as effective distance on the global air traffic data from IATA to quantify risk of emergence for different countries as a consequence of direct importation from China, and compare it against arrival times for the first 24 countries.

Exposure to hepatitis E virus, hepatitis A virus and Borrelia spp. infections in forest rangers from a single forest district in western Poland.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an emerging problem in developed countries. At least 2 zoonotic genotypes of the virus (HEV-3 and HEV-4) infect human beings. There are some data suggesting that forest rangers (FRs) can be at a higher risk of contact with HEV.

Underestimation of hepatitis E virus seroprevalence in soldiers from the Polish Special Forces.

No abstract.

Hepatitis E virus antibodies in HIV-infected patients and blood donors from western Poland: A preliminary report.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an emerging problem in industrialized countries, including Europe. Little data exists on HEV seroprevalence in Poland.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies in Polish patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and blood donors.

Anemia, an independent predictive factor for amputation and mortality in patients hospitalized for peripheral artery disease.

Objectives: Anemia is associated with poorer outcome in coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF), but data on patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are scarce, especially regarding the local (limb) prognosis. It was hypothesized that anemia is associated with poorer prognosis in patients hospitalized for PAD, and this relationship would be proportional to the severity of the anemia.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Phase I trial: the use of autologous cultured adipose-derived stroma/stem cells to treat patients with non-revascularizable critical limb ischemia.

Background Aims: Non-revascularizable critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most severe stage of peripheral arterial disease, with no therapeutic option. Extensive preclinical studies have demonstrated that adipose-derived stroma cell (ASC) transplantation strongly improves revascularization and tissue perfusion in ischemic limbs. This study, named ACellDREAM, is the first phase I trial to evaluate the feasibility and safety of intramuscular injections of autologous ASC in non-revascularizable CLI patients.

[Anticoagulant clinics are they effective in France? Performance evaluation of six anticoagulant clinics concerning the management of vitamin K antagonists].

Purpose: Recent data show that the quality of anticoagulation evaluated in patients receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKA) is not optimal in France. The aim of this retrospective study was to estimate the performances of six French anticoagulant clinics that manage VKA treatments over a 3-year period, from 2009 to 2011.

Methods: All clinics used the same rule based software.

A hospital discharge risk score for 1-year all-cause mortality or non-fatal cardiovascular events in patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease, with and without revascularisation.

Objectives: This study aims to determine a hospital discharge prognostic risk score for patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) with and without revascularisation.

Design, Materials And Methods: A prognostic score on mortality or non-fatal cardiovascular events was determined using the database of a multicentre prospective study enrolling consecutive patients hospitalised for PAD (COhorte de Patients ARTeriopathes, COPART).

Results: We analysed the data of 640 patients in the derivation cohort and 517 in the validation cohort.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies (anti-HAV) in adult inhabitants of Wielkopolska region, Poland--the role of simple demographic factors.

Introduction And Objective: Based on the available epidemiologic data, Poland currently has the features typical for areas of very low endemicity for hepatitis A. The incidence of hepatitis A in the Wielkopolska region in years 2006-2008 was 0.68/100,000 inhabitants or significantly lower.

Operant self-administration of a sigma ligand improves nociceptive and emotional manifestations of neuropathic pain.

Background: The treatment of neuropathic pain is unsatisfactory at the present moment and the sigma 1 receptor has been identified as a new potential target for neuropathic pain. The aim of this study was to use an operant self-administration model to reveal the potential interest of a new sigma 1 receptor antagonist, S1RA, in chronic pain that was developed in mice by a partial ligation of the sciatic nerve.

Methods: Once that chronic pain had reached a steady state, mice were trained to maintain an operant behaviour to self-administer S1RA.

Results of antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C: experience of Poznan centre.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Poland affects approximately 750 thousand persons. The prevention of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, of which approximately 20% of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus are at risk, aims at eradication of the virus by applying antiviral treatment with pegylated interferon alpha with ribavirin.

Material/methods: In this paper the results of the standard treatment of chronic hepatitis C in a population of 169 adult patients in whom it was started in the period of 01.

Pharmacological properties of S1RA, a new sigma-1 receptor antagonist that inhibits neuropathic pain and activity-induced spinal sensitization.

Background And Purpose: The sigma-1 (σ(1) ) receptor is a ligand-regulated molecular chaperone that has been involved in pain, but there is limited understanding of the actions associated with its pharmacological modulation. Indeed, the selectivity and pharmacological properties of σ(1) receptor ligands used as pharmacological tools are unclear and the demonstration that σ(1) receptor antagonists have efficacy in reversing central sensitization-related pain sensitivity is still missing.

Experimental Approach: The pharmacological properties of a novel σ(1) receptor antagonist (S1RA) were first characterized.

Alterations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and estradiol serum levels in chronic hepatitis C.

Aim Of The Study: Deregulation of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) production and decreased hepatic estrogen levels were associated with development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected cirrhotic patients. The aim of our study was to determine serum levels of IGF-I, insulin and 17-β estradiol (17-βE) in relation to other markers of liver injury in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.

Material And Methods: Thirty anti-viral treatment-naïve CHC patients and 10 healthy subjects were examined.