Background: High-density lipoproteins (HDLs), particles characterized by their reverse cholesterol transport function, display pleiotropic properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions. Moreover, all lipoproteins (HDLs but also low-density lipoproteins (LDLs)) neutralize lipopolysaccharides, leading to increased bacterial clearance. These two lipoproteins decrease during sepsis, and an association between low lipoprotein levels and poor outcome was reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations are measured routinely in some centers after cardiac surgery as part of risk stratification, but there are no data on how increased cTn concentrations could change patients' management. The aim of this study was to estimate relevant cTnI thresholds and identify potential interventions (additional monitoring/therapeutic interventions) that could be part of management changes of patients with cTnI greater than relevant thresholds.
Design: Retrospective, single-center, observational study.
: This study aimed to determine whether sCD163, a soluble macrophage marker up-regulated in numerous inflammatory disorders, is predictive of accelerated atherosclerosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).: Carotid ultrasound was prospectively performed, at baseline and during follow-up, in 63 consecutive SLE patients asymptomatic for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 18 volunteer health workers. Serum sCD163 level was determined at baseline using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: We aimed to compare the use of nine different cardiac troponin (cTn) assays (2 cTnT and 7 cTnI) for the diagnosis of NSTEMI in a single multi-centre population.
Design And Methods: One hundred and fifty-eight patients were included (mean age 60 years, SD 17 years), including 23 patients (14%) with NSTEMI.
Results: The analytical comparison highlighted a large heterogeneity of cTn assays, as reflected by percentages of patients with detectable cTn, correlation coefficients, Passing-Bablok comparisons and concordance coefficients.
Objectives: Alveolar macrophage polarization and role on alveolar repair during human acute respiratory distress syndrome remain unclear. This study aimed to determine during human acute respiratory distress syndrome: the alveolar macrophage polarization, the effect of alveolar environment on macrophage polarization, and the role of polarized macrophages on epithelial repair.
Design: Experimental ex vivo and in vitro investigations.
Objective: As with any biomarker, interpretation of changes of NGAL concentration must consider its variability in a specific clinical setting. The aim of this study was to calculate the reference change value (RCV) and the index of individuality (II) of plasma and urine NGAL in the context of coronary artery bypass graft surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, in patients without postoperative acute kidney injury.
Methods: This prospective single-center observational study included patients with a preoperative glomerular filtration rate of >30mlmin 1.
Objectives: To validate the Fautrel classification criteria for adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and to compare the discriminative performance to that of the Yamaguchi criteria.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 426 patients who had serum ferritin level and percentage glycosylated ferritin assayed at the biochemistry laboratory of Bichat Hospital. Medical data were extracted by use of a standardized form.
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) patients. The Framingham score underestimates the risk for CVD in this population. Our study aimed to determine whether serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (HS-cTnT) might help to identify SLE patients at risk for CVD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The prognostic value of N-terminal fragment of pro B-type natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) in aortic stenosis (AS) is still being debated. We sought to evaluate the determinants of Nt-proBNP in AS and its prognostic value in asymptomatic patients.
Methods: Patients with pure isolated at least mild degenerative AS enrolled in our prospective cohort (2006-2013) constituted our population.
Objective: Alveolar fibrocytes are monocyte-derived mesenchymal cells associated with poor prognosis in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our aims were to determine the following: 1) the ability of monocytes from acute respiratory distress syndrome patients to differentiate into fibrocytes; 2) the influence of the acute respiratory distress syndrome alveolar environment on fibrocyte differentiation; and 3) mediators involved in this modulation, focusing on serum amyloid P.
Design: Experimental in vitro investigation.
Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is frequently observed in severe asthma but the causal link between the 2 diseases remains hypothetical. The role of OSA-related systemic and airway neutrophilic inflammation in asthma bronchial inflammation or remodelling has been rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to compare hallmarks of inflammation in induced sputum and features of airway remodelling in bronchial biopsies from adult patients with severe asthma with and without OSA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Myocardial fibrosis has been proposed as an outcome predictor in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) that may lead to consider prophylactic surgery. It can be detected using MRI but its widespread use is limited and development of substitute biomarkers is highly desirable. We analysed the determinants and prognostic value of galectin-3, one promising biomarker linked to myocardial fibrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of the study was to compare NT-proBNP and BNP levels in fresh samples from heart failure (HF) patients measured using 10 immunoassays and to assess their agreement.
Methods: NT-proBNP (CobasH232(®), Elecsys(®), Vidas(®), Vista(®), XPand(®), Vitros(®)) and BNP (Triage(®), Access(®), CentaurXP(®), Architect(®)) levels were measured in 39 heparin and 19 EDTA samples, respectively.
Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient ranged between 0.
Background: Obesity induces cardiovascular alterations, including cardiac hypertrophy, impaired relaxation, and heart rate variability (HRV), which are associated with increased mortality. Gastric bypass surgery (GBP) reduces cardiovascular mortality, but the mechanisms involved are not clearly established. To date, the implication of postsurgical hormonal changes has not been tested.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiac troponin (cTn) assays have quickly gained in analytical sensitivity to become what are termed 'high-sensitivity cardiac troponin' (hs-cTn) assays, bringing a flurry of dense yet incomplete literature data. The net result is that cTn assays are not yet standardized and there are still no consensus-built data on how to use and interpret cTn assay results. To address these issues, the authors take cues and clues from multiple disciplines to bring responses to frequently asked questions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Heart Lung Transplant
February 2015
Background: Post-operative infections are a major complication after lung transplantation (LT). Early bacterial pneumonia worsens the prognosis of LT. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been proposed as an early and rapid laboratory marker of infection and sepsis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a ubiquitous atmospheric pollutant, may enhance the asthmatic response to allergens through eosinophilic activation in the airways. However, the effect of NO2 on inflammation without allergen exposure is poorly studied.
Objectives: We investigated whether repeated peaks of NO2, at various realistic concentrations, induce changes in airway inflammation in asthmatics.
Background: Early recognition of bacterial infections is crucial for their proper management, but is particularly difficult in children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) for diagnosing bacterial infections and assessing the prognosis of hospitalized children with SAM, and to determine the reliability of CRP and PCT rapid tests suitable for remote settings.
Methods: From November 2007 to July 2008, we prospectively recruited 311 children aged 6 to 59 months hospitalized with SAM plus a medical complication in Maradi, Niger.
Background: Small deep infarcts (SDI), also called lacunar infarcts, resulting from the occlusion of deep branch arteries, account for 25% of ischemic strokes. The physiopathology of the disease remains largely unknown. However, evidence about the role of endothelial dysfunction has emerged.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Glucocorticoid therapy is being used in a wide variety of systemic disorders. Reference papers, published more than 20 years ago, showed no correlation between adrenal insufficiency risk and dose or duration of glucocorticoid therapy.
Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the extent to which long-term glucocorticoid therapy damages the pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with systemic inflammatory disorders.
Although numerous diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers are proposed in the literature, only a limited number of them are finally used in daily practice. The necessary steps to prove their clinical interest include: 1) an exhaustive clinical and statistical evaluation demonstrating not only the added value of the marker with regard to the existing validated tools but also the modification of the clinical practice induced by the knowledge of the result of the biomarker; 2) an evaluation of the pre-analytical, and analytical performances of its measure necessary to the reliability of the results; 3) an evaluation of its biological variation. These steps are a major prerequisite to an effective, reliable and optimal clinical interpretation of the biomarker, and should be validated for each routine biomarker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Previous studies suggested an independent prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in aortic valve stenosis (AS) but were impeded by small sample sizes and inclusion of relatively selected young patients. We aimed to evaluate the relationship among N-terminal fragment of proBNP (Nt-proBNP), AS severity, symptoms and outcome in a large cohort of elderly patients with AS.
Design: Observational cohort study, COhorte Française de Retrecissement Aortique du Sujet Agé (clinicalTrial.
Background: Fibrocytes are circulating precursors for fibroblasts. Blood fibrocytes are increased in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to determine whether alveolar fibrocytes are detected in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL), to identify their prognostic value, and their potential association with culture of fibroblasts from BAL.
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