The impact of feedback training on prediction of cancer clinical trial results.

Introduction: Funders must make difficult decisions about which squared treatments to prioritize for randomized trials. Earlier research suggests that experts have no ability to predict which treatments will vindicate their promise. We tested whether a brief training module could improve experts' trial predictions.

Influence of Lateral Sitting Wedges on the Rasterstereographically Measured Scoliosis Angle in Patients Aged 10-18 Years with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a three-dimensional axial deviation of the spine diagnosed in adolescence. Despite a long daily sitting duration, there are no studies on whether scoliosis can be positively influenced by sitting on a seat wedge. For the prospective study, 99 patients with AIS were measured with the DIERS formetric III 4D average, in a standing position, on a level seat and with three differently inclined seat wedges (3°, 6° and 9°).

The proportion of North American cancer trials that evaluate novel targets.

Major advances in cancer care often emerge from the development of novel targets. We randomly sampled 10% of cancer trials on clinicaltrials.gov with start dates 2013-2016 to determine the proportion of trials and research subjects directed at evaluating novel targets.

[Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension in Dialysis Patients with End-stage Renal Disease].

Background:  In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a frequent complication with different etiologies and a 17 - 56 % prevalence rate. We evaluated the impact of fluid retention measured by bioimpedance on the prevalence of PH in this patient cohort.

Methods:  All patients with ESRD at the dialysis center of the Medical Clinic II of the University Hospital Gießen were invited to participate in the study and undergo non-invasive PH screening.

Risks and benefits of unapproved disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative disease.

Objective: To determine whether patients randomized to unapproved, disease-modifying interventions in neurodegenerative disease trials have better outcomes than patients randomized to placebo by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of risk and benefit experienced by patients in randomized placebo-controlled trials testing investigational treatments for Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov for results of randomized trials testing non-Food and Drug Administration-approved, putatively disease-modifying interventions from January 2005 to May 2018.

Improvement of complex regional pain syndrome after plasmapheresis.

Complex regional pain syndrome is a severe complication following trauma that is associated with vasomotor, sudomotor and sensory disturbances in an affected limb or region of the body. The exact physiopathology is not fully understood yet. Recently, autoantibody findings suggested an immune-mediated physiopathology of the disease.

Continuous cardiac troponin I release in Fabry disease.

Background: Fabry disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder also affecting the heart. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of cardiac troponin I (cTNI) elevation, a sensitive parameter reflecting myocardial damage, in a smaller cohort of FD-patients, and to analyze whether persistent cTNI can be a suitable biomarker to assess cardiac dysfunction in FD.

Methods: cTNI values were determined at least twice per year in 14 FD-patients (6 males and 8 females) regularly followed-up in our centre.

The risk of polyomavirus-associated graft nephropathy is increased by a combined suppression of CD8 and CD4 cell-dependent immune effects.

Polyomavirus-associated graft nephropathy (PAN) has emerged as a significant risk factor for kidney graft loss. We analyzed intracellular cytokine responses for possible protective versus permissive immunologic effects on BK-virus replication. One hundred five renal transplant patients included in a prospective single-center study were randomized to receive cyclosporine mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (CM: n = 31), tacrolimus (Tac)/MMF (TM: n = 32) or Tac/MMF with conversion to everolimus (TErl; n = 32).

Cardiac Troponin I elevation after epileptic seizure.

Background: Cardiac troponin-I (cTNI) is highly specific biomarker to prove myocardial damage, e.g. in acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Dynamic hyperinflation during exercise in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension often present with a mild obstructive lung pattern, however, the functional consequences are not known.

Methods: We analysed flow volume loops during exercise in 61 patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) (age 55 ± 14 years) in comparison with 21 patients with COPD (60 ± 12 years), 39 patients with pulmonary fibrosis (58 ± 11 years) and 38 healthy controls (HC) (39 ± 15 years). Inspiratory capacity (IC) was measured at rest, and during maximum exercise (max).

Persistent increase in cardiac troponin I in Fabry disease: a case report.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a frequent manifestation in Fabry disease (FD) - an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by reduced activity of the enzyme α-galactosidase A. In FD an elevation of specific cardiac biomarkers, such as cardiac troponin I (cTNI) has been reported in case of clinical manifestation suggestive of myocardial ischemia. In diagnosing acute myocardial infarction cTNI is considered the most reliable parameter.

Postoperative bleeding after AB0-incompatible living donor kidney transplantation.

Background: Since 2007, we have performed 14 AB0-incompatible (AB0i) living kidney transplantations to increase the number of living kidney transplantations.

Methods: To prevent clotting, donor kidneys were perfused with an HTK/heparin solution with heparin washed out immediately pretransplantation. However, in 4/14 recipients, significant postoperative diffuse hemorrhage occurred with the need for surgical intervention in 3 patients.

Impact of pretransplant intravenous immunoglobulin administration on anti-AB0 antibody levels in AB0-incompatible living donor kidney transplantation.

Background: From March 2007 to July 2010, we performed 14 AB0-incompatible (AB0i) living kidney transplantations using donor blood group-specific immunoadsorption (IA), anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) pretreatment.

Methods: To analyze the effect of a presumed anti-donor blood group-specific antibody transfer by IVIG administration (0.5 g/kg; 5.

Mycophenolate mofetil-based immunosuppression and cytokine genotypes: effects on monokine secretion and antigen presentation in long-term renal transplant recipients.

Background: It has been suggested that increased monocyte responses might play a role in chronic allograft rejection.

Methods: We investigated in vitro monokine responses in 112 patients with long-term stable kidney graft function (ST patients; n=80, non-mycophenolate mofetil [MMF]; n=32, MMF) and 25 patients with chronic renal transplant rejection (CR patients; non-MMF). Interleukin 10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha promoter gene polymorphisms were tested by polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific primers; antigen-presenting capacity (AC) of monocytes was tested by incubation with staphylococcal superantigens (SEA, SEE, SED).

The effect of ATG on cytokine and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte gene expression in renal allograft recipients during the early post-transplant period.

Background: Despite the long history of ATG use, the exact in vivo mechanism of action remains unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of ATG-induction therapy on expression of 10 immunologically relevant genes in the early post-transplant period.

Methods: Eight renal allograft recipients received post-transplant prophylactic ATG treatment on 10 consecutive days and an additional three patients received treatment on 5, 6, or 7 consecutive days, respectively.

Surfactant subtype conversion is related to loss of surfactant apoprotein B and surface activity in large surfactant aggregates. Experimental and clinical studies.

Conversion of the highly surface-active subtype of pulmonary surfactant known as large surfactant aggregates (LA) to small aggregates (SA) with poor surface activity has recently been shown to occur upon cyclic changes of the air-liquid interface area in vitro. By subjecting pooled rabbit bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to this maneuver, we found that conversion of LA to SA was accompanied by a marked decline in the ability of the remaining LA fraction to reduce surface tension by adsorption and during film compression on a pulsating bubble surfactometer. SA obtained by centrifugation of noncycled rabbit BALF had a similar phospholipid (PL) but different neutral lipid (NL) composition than did the LA.

Serum-Zn-levels in prostatic cancer.

Zinc in serum of both patients with prostatic carcinoma and men without prostatic cancer was analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). No significant differences were found between the group with prostatic carcinoma without metastasis and the group used for comparison. The Zn level in serum of patients with both prostatic carcinoma and metastases was decreased in comparison to the other groups.

Investigations of trace elements in metastases and primary carcinoma of the prostate.

The concentration of several trace elements (Cd, Zn, Mn, Cr, Pb, Se) as determined both in primary prostatic carcinoma and in metastases of the same patients in unseparated and in separated tissue. In the unseparated tissue a significantly higher amount of all elements studied was found in the primary tumour. Different results were obtained for the concentrations in separated epithelium and stroma as well as in the cellular fractions of metastases and of primary tumour.

Zinc, cadmium and selenium concentrations in separated epithelium and stroma from prostatic tissues of different histology.

The concentration of Zn, Cd and Se in unseparated tissues and epithelial and stromal fractions of normal prostate gland, BPH and prostatic carcinomas of different histological grading were determined by flameless AAS. There were distinct differences in the content of Zn, Cd and Se in the epithelial and stromal fractions depending on histology. In all cases the concentration of these elements in the epithelial fractions was higher than in stromal fractions.

Studies of Cd, Zn and Cu levels in human kidney tumours and normal kidney.

The distribution of Cd, Zn and Cu was analyzed in nuclear, mitochondrial and cytosol cellular fractions of renal tumours and normal surrounding kidney tissues by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The normal kidney tissues were separated into cortical and medullary parts. A significant decrease of the Cd-levels was found in all cellular fractions from normal kidney to tumour tissues (hypernephroma).

Zinc and cadmium plasma and erythrocyte levels in prostatic carcinoma, BPH, urological malignancies, and inflammations.

Zinc and cadmium in both serum and erythrocytes from patients with prostatic carcinoma of different histologies, BPH, other urological tumors, and pyelonephritis were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The variance of the results obtained was very high for each group. No significant differences in the Zn or Cd concentration in either the blood plasma or the erythrocytes could be found between any of the different groups of patients.

Zinc and cadmium in cell fractions of prostatic cancer tissues of different histological grading in comparison to BPH and normal prostate.

The concentrations of zinc and cadmium in cellular fractions of normal prostate gland, BPH and prostatic carcinomas of different histological grading were determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. We found distinct differences in the content of Zn and Cd in the nuclear fractions of malignant tissues in comparison with BPH and normal prostatic tissues. The highest values of Cd were obtained in the nuclear fractions of poorly-differentiated carcinomas.

Determination of the distribution of zinc and cadmium in cellular fractions of BPH, normal prostate and prostatic cancers of different histologies by atomic and laser absorption spectrometry in tissue slices.

The distribution of Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd) was analyzed in nuclear, mitochondrial and cytosol cellular fractions of prostatic carcinoma of different histological grading, BPH and normal prostate by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Distinct differences in Zn and Cd concentration in carcinomatous material in comparison with BPH and normal prostates was found. The highest concentration of Cd and the lowest level of Zn were found in poorly differentiated carcinomas.