Lesion-Specific Immune Response in Granulomas of Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Pilot Study.

The formation and maintenance of granulomas is central to the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. It is widely accepted that the lungs of patients with tuberculosis (TB) usually contain multiple infection foci, and that the granulomas evolve and differentiate independently, resulting in considerable heterogeneity. Although gene expression profiles of human blood cells have been proposed as biomarkers of Mtb infection and/or active disease, the immune profiles of discrete lesion types has not been studied extensively.

[Bone in a laparotomy scar].

Background: Heterotopic ossification is the formation of bone in tissues outside the skeletal system. Ectopic bone in a midline laparotomy scar is usually asymptomatic.

Case Description: A 59-year-old man was referred by his GP to the surgical outpatient clinic because of dull epigastric pain along with a painful swelling.

Approach to a solid solitary pulmonary nodule in two different settings-"Common is common, rare is rare".

A new solid solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) is a common feature in the daily practice of physicians, pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons. The etiology and consequently the diagnostic approach is very different in various parts of the world. Identification of malignant nodules is the universal goal to proceed to a potential curable therapy.

A new device for the measurement of the arterial compliance using implantable sensors. Description and first experimental application.

To determine the compliance of experimental arterial grafts and its chronic adaptation after implantation, a new device for measurements was developed which is combined with implantable sensors. The system is based on the physical induction phenomenon. Each sensor comprises two small coils of copper wire which are sutured opposite to each other to the arterial vessel.

Experimental evaluation of the dialdehyde starch preserved bovine internal mammary artery as a small diameter arterial substitute.

A canine femoral artery model was used for evaluation of a dialdehyde starch preserved bovine internal mammary artery (BIMA) (3 and 4 mm internal diameter) in comparison to a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft. The study comprised three groups for a 2-hour (n = 7, 3 mm), 3-month (n = 10, 4 mm), and 6-month (n = 10, 4 mm) follow-up. The thrombogenicity of the grafts was measured after 2 hours and 3 months using chromium 51 labeled autologous platelets.