Serum vascular endothelial growth factor is a potential biomarker for acute mountain sickness.

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the most common disease caused by hypobaric hypoxia (HH) in high-altitude (HA) associated with high mortality when progressing to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and/or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). There is evidence for a role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in development of AMS, but biological pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying AMS remain elusive. We aimed to measure changes in blood cytokine levels and their possible association with the development of AMS.

Vitamin A Supplementation by Endotracheal Application of a Nano-encapsulated Preparation Is Feasible in Ventilated Preterm Lambs.

Background: Vitamin A (VA) is crucial for lung growth and development. In premature infants, inadequate VA levels are associated with an increased risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Intramuscular VA supplementation has been shown to decrease the incidence of BPD, but is not widely used in the clinical setting due to concerns about feasibility and pain.

Influence of prenatal hypoxia and postnatal hyperoxia on morphologic lung maturation in mice.

Background: Oxygen supply as a lifesaving intervention is frequently used to treat preterm infants suffering additionally from possible prenatal or perinatal pathogen features. The impact of oxygen and/or physical lung injury may influence the morphological lung development, leading to a chronic postnatal lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). At present different experimental BPD models are used.

Hypoxia and the hypoxia-regulated transcription factor HIF-1α suppress the host defence of airway epithelial cells.

Chronic diseases of the respiratory tract, such as cystic fibrosis, are associated with mucosal and systemic hypoxia. Innate immune functions of airway epithelial cells are required to prevent and control infections of the lung parenchyma. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) regulates cellular adaptation to low oxygen conditions.

Are Cytokines Useful Biomarkers to Determine Disease Severity in Neonates with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia?

 This study investigates plasma cytokine levels in neonates with the more common left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and correlates them with severity of disease indicated by position of the liver. An intrathoracic part of liver is associated with higher need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and higher risk for chronic lung disease (CLD).  A total of 28 newborns with CDH were subdivided by their liver position in partially intrathoracic ( = 16) and only abdominal ( = 12) position.

Down Syndrome: Gestational Age-Related Neonatal Anthropometrics for Germany.

Background: Neonates with Down syndrome (DS) weigh less, are smaller and have increased first-year mortality, especially if born small for gestational age (GA). DS-specific GA-related neonatal anthropometrics for Germany are lacking.

Objectives: To construct reference tables and centile curves for birth weight (g), crown-heel length (cm) and head circumference (cm) by sex and GA for German DS neonates.

Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells in a double-hit model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonatal mice.

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) presents a major threat of very preterm birth and treatment options are still limited. Stem cells from different sources have been used successfully in experimental BPD, induced by postnatal hyperoxia.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) in a new double-hit mouse model of BPD.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a double-hit mouse model induced by intrauterine hypoxia and postnatal hyperoxia: closer to clinical features?

Despite increased survival of very preterm newborns, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains a major threat, as it affects long-term pulmonary function and neurodevelopmental outcome. Recent research focused on mechanisms of lung repair. Animal models of BPD in term rodents use postnatal hyperoxia in order to mimic features observed in very preterm human neonates: reduced alveolarization and impaired septal architecture without profound inflammatory changes.

Levels of cytokines in umbilical cord blood in relation to spontaneous term labor.

Objective: Inflammatory mechanisms are thought to play an important role in the process of labor, both in preterm and spontaneous term delivery. We aimed to determine whether normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) at term was associated with an inflammatory activation compared with elective cesarean section (ECS) without previous onset of labor.

Methods: Cytokine concentrations were measured in venous cord blood obtained from 60 term newborns (ECS, n=35; SVD, n=25) born to mothers with clinically uneventful pregnancy and without signs of infection.

Differential cell reaction upon Toll-like receptor 4 and 9 activation in human alveolar and lung interstitial macrophages.

Background: Investigations on pulmonary macrophages (MΦ) mostly focus on alveolar MΦ (AM) as a well-defined cell population. Characteristics of MΦ in the interstitium, referred to as lung interstitial MΦ (IM), are rather ill-defined. In this study we therefore aimed to elucidate differences between AM and IM obtained from human lung tissue.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN): a role for polymorphisms in the beta-adrenergic receptor (ADRB) encoding genes?

Aim: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is a common cause of early respiratory distress in the neonatal period of term infants. Delayed resorption of foetal lung fluid after birth is considered as the main pathophysiological factor. As resorption of foetal lung fluid is a catecholamine dependent process, we aimed at investigating, whether beta1- and beta2-adrenoreceptor (ADRB1, ADRB2) polymorphisms, known to alter catecholamine activity, are operative in TTN.

Complex humoral immune response against a benign tumor: frequent antibody response against specific antigens as diagnostic targets.

There are numerous studies on the immune response against malignant human tumors. This study was aimed to address the complexity and specificity of humoral immune response against a benign human tumor. We assembled a panel of 62 meningioma-expressed antigens that show reactivity with serum antibodies of meningioma patients, including 41 previously uncharacterized antigens by screening of a fetal brain expression library.