Occult RV systolic dysfunction detected by CMR derived RV circumferential strain in patients with pectus excavatum.

Aims: To investigate the right ventricular (RV) strain in pectus excavatum (PE) patients using cardiac magnetic resonance tissue tracking (CMR TT).

Materials And Methods: Fifty consecutive pectus excavatum patients, 10 to 32 years of age (mean age 15 ± 4 years), underwent routine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) including standard measures of chest geometry and cardiac size and function. The control group consisted of 20 healthy patients with a mean age of 17 ± 5 years.

Comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and rapid chemiluminescent analyser in the detection of myeloperoxidase and proteinase 3 autoantibodies.

Antibodies to myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3) are vital in the diagnosis and management of ANCA-associated vasculitis. A chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA; Quanta Flash) provides MPO and PR3 antibody results in 30 minutes, which is much faster than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We compared the performance of ELISA (Orgentec) and CLIA (Quanta Flash) for MPO and PR3 antibody quantitation on 303 samples, comprising 196 consecutive samples received in a single diagnostic laboratory over a 3 month period, and 107 samples collected from 42 known vasculitis patients over a 40 month period.

Regulation of endogenous glucose production in glucose transporter 4 over-expressing mice.

Strategies to amplify whole-body glucose disposal are key therapies to treat type 2 diabetes. Mice that over-express glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) in skeletal muscle, heart, and adipose tissue (G4Tg) exhibit increased fasting glucose disposal and thus lowered blood glucose. Intriguingly, G4Tg mice also exhibit improved insulin-stimulated suppression of endogenous glucose production even though Glut4 is not present in the liver.

Heterophile interference accounts for method-specific dsDNA antibodies in patients receiving anti-TNF treatment.

Objective: To evaluate analytical explanations for the highly reported incidence of antibodies to dsDNA in patients receiving TNF antagonists.

Methods: Sixty serum samples from patients receiving biological anti-TNF medication were assessed for the presence of dsDNA antibodies using three standard diagnostic platforms [ELISA, IIF and multiplex bead array (MBA)], before and after treatment to block heterophile antibodies. Results were compared with those obtained using serum samples from patients with SLE.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 controls glycemia via regulation of hepatic glucose flux and insulin sensitivity.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel metabolic regulator shown to improve glycemic control. However, the molecular and functional mechanisms underlying FGF21-mediated improvements in glycemic control are not completely understood. We examined FGF21 effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose fluxes upon chronic (daily injection for 8 d) and acute (6 h infusion) administration in ob/+ and ob/ob mice.

Glucose metabolism in vivo in four commonly used inbred mouse strains.

Objective: To characterize differences in whole-body glucose metabolism between commonly used inbred mouse strains.

Research Design And Methods: Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic (approximately 8.5 mmol/l) and -hypoglycemic (approximately 3.

Glucose kinetics and exercise tolerance in mice lacking the GLUT4 glucose transporter.

The absence of GLUT4 severely impairs basal glucose uptake in vivo, but does not alter glucose homeostasis or circulating insulin. Glucose uptake in isolated contracting skeletal muscle (MGU) is also impaired by the absence of GLUT4, and onset of muscle fatigue is hastened. Whether the body can compensate and preserve glucose homeostasis during exercise, as it does in the basal state, is unknown.