Evaluation and 1-year follow-up of patients presenting at a Lyme borreliosis expertise centre: a prospective cohort study with validated questionnaires.

Objectives: To describe the course of symptoms reported by patients with symptoms attributed to Lyme borreliosis (LB) without being subsequently diagnosed with LB.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study with patients presenting at the outpatient clinic of two clinical LB centres. The primary outcome was the prevalence of persistent symptoms, which were defined as clinically relevant fatigue (CIS, subscale fatigue), pain (SF-36, subscale bodily pain), and cognitive impairment (CFQ) for ≥ 6 months and onset < 6 months over the first year of follow-up.

Determinants of persistent symptoms after treatment for Lyme borreliosis: a prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Patients treated for Lyme borreliosis (LB) frequently report persistent symptoms. Little is known about risk factors and etiology.

Methods: In a prospective observational cohort study with a follow-up of one year, we assessed a range of microbiological, immunological, genetic, clinical, functional, epidemiological, psychosocial and cognitive-behavioral variables as determinants of persistent symptoms after treatment for LB.

Corrections to "Prevalence of persistent symptoms after treatment for lyme borreliosis: a prospective observational cohort study" [The Lancet Regional Health - Europe 6 (2021) 100142].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.

Ticking on Pandora's box: a prospective case-control study into 'other' tick-borne diseases.

Background: Tick-borne pathogens other than Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato - the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis - are common in Ixodes ricinus ticks. How often these pathogens cause human disease is unknown. In addition, diagnostic tools to identify such diseases are lacking or reserved to research laboratories.

Validation of cellular tests for Lyme borreliosis (VICTORY) study.

Background: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a tick-borne disease caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species. Due to a variety of clinical manifestations, diagnosing LB can be challenging, and laboratory work-up is usually required in case of disseminated LB. However, the current standard of diagnostics is serology, which comes with several shortcomings.

Prevalence and determinants of persistent symptoms after treatment for Lyme borreliosis: study protocol for an observational, prospective cohort study (LymeProspect).

Background: After antibiotic treatment of Lyme borreliosis, a subset of patients report persistent symptoms, also referred to as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. The reported prevalence of persistent symptoms varies considerably, and its pathophysiology is under debate. The LymeProspect study has been designed to investigate the prevalence, severity, and a wide range of hypotheses on the etiology of persistent symptoms among patients treated for Lyme borreliosis in the Netherlands.

Prospective comparative cohort study evaluating incompetent great saphenous vein closure using radiofrequency-powered segmental ablation or 1470-nm endovenous laser ablation with radial-tip fibers (Varico 2 study).

Background: Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and radiofrequency-powered segmental ablation (RPSA) of the incompetent great saphenous vein (GSV) are both known for their excellent technical and clinical outcomes for the treatment of varicose veins. RPSA has reduced postprocedural pain and morbidity with shorter recovery time for the patient compared with EVLA using bare-tip fibers. However, new-generation EVLA devices with less traumatic radial-tip fibers (RTFs) operating at longer wavelengths up to 1470 nm also reduce postprocedural pain.

Five-year follow-up of a randomized, controlled trial comparing saphenofemoral ligation and stripping of the great saphenous vein with endovenous laser ablation (980 nm) using local tumescent anesthesia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the long-term results (groin-related recurrence, great saphenous vein [GSV] occlusion rate, Clinical class, Etiology, Anatomy, and Pathophysiology [CEAP] staging, and quality of life [QoL]) after the treatment of a GSV incompetence by saphenofemoral ligation and stripping (SFL/S) with endovenous laser ablation bare fiber, 980 nm (EVLA).

Methods: Patients with GSV insufficiency and varicose veins were randomized to either undergo SFL/S or EVLA, both of which were performed under tumescent anesthesia. The long-term results, which included the anatomic occlusion rate, varicose vein recurrence at the saphenofemoral junction (SFJ), relief of venous symptoms and QoL, were compared up to 5 years after treatment.

Autologous skin substitute for hard-to-heal ulcers: retrospective analysis on safety, applicability, and efficacy in an outpatient and hospitalized setting.

Chronic ulcers ((arterio)venous, decubitus, or postoperative) have no tendency to heal within a period of at least 3 months despite optimal therapy according to internationally accepted guidelines. This retrospective study evaluates the safety and efficacy of an autologous, dermal-epidermal skin substitute (SS) for treating ulcers of various origins. Ulcers were treated within 7 Dutch centers over 5 years.

Sapheon: the solution?

Less invasive endovenous techniques have been shown to be as effective as open surgery in the treatment of varicose veins. Furthermore, they cause less postoperative bruising and pain and enable early return to normal activities and work. Tumescent anaesthesia is safe and obviates complications of general or spinal anaesthesia.

Detection of varicose vein recurrence by duplex ultrasound: intra- and interobserver reproducibility.

In a long-term follow-up study comparing saphenofemoral ligation and stripping with endovenous laser ablation, the groin is examined yearly by duplex ultrasound (DUS) to detect postoperative varicose vein recurrence. Clear criteria are needed for the uniformity of DUS observations. Physicians taking care of the follow-up were evaluated by an intra- and interobserver analysis.

Randomised controlled trial comparing sapheno-femoral ligation and stripping of the great saphenous vein with endovenous laser ablation (980 nm) using local tumescent anaesthesia: one year results.

Objectives: Comparison of sapheno-femoral ligation and stripping (SFL/S) versus endovenous laser ablation (EVLA, 980-nm) in the treatment of great saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency, using local tumescent anaesthesia.

Design: Randomised, single centre trial.

Materials And Methods: Patients with GSV incompetence and varicose veins were randomised to either SFL/S or EVLA.

Comparison of exhaled breath condensate pH using two commercially available devices in healthy controls, asthma and COPD patients.

Background: Analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a non-invasive method for studying the acidity (pH) of airway secretions in patients with inflammatory lung diseases.

Aim: To assess the reproducibility of EBC pH for two commercially available devices (portable RTube and non-portable ECoScreen) in healthy controls, patients with asthma or COPD, and subjects suffering from an acute cold with lower-airway symptoms. In addition, we assessed the repeatability in healthy controls.

Exhaled nitric oxide predicts lung function decline in difficult-to-treat asthma.

A subset of patients with asthma is known to have progressive loss of lung function despite treatment with corticosteroids. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors of decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma. In total, 136 nonsmoking patients with difficult-to-treat asthma were recruited between 1998 and 1999.

An electronic nose in the discrimination of patients with asthma and controls.

Background: Exhaled breath contains thousands of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could serve as biomarkers of lung disease. Electronic noses can distinguish VOC mixtures by pattern recognition.

Objective: We hypothesized that an electronic nose can discriminate exhaled air of patients with asthma from healthy controls, and between patients with different disease severities.

Reduction in sputum neutrophil and eosinophil numbers by the PDE4 inhibitor roflumilast in patients with COPD.

Background: Roflumilast is a targeted oral once-daily administered phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor with clinical efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Results from in vitro studies with roflumilast indicate that it has anti-inflammatory properties that may be applicable for the treatment of COPD.

Methods: In a crossover study, 38 patients with COPD (mean (SD) age 63.

Alveolar nitric oxide versus measures of peripheral airway dysfunction in severe asthma.

Alveolar nitric oxide (NO) is a measure of peripheral airway inflammation in asthma, potentially associated with disease severity. The relationship between alveolar NO and physiological tests of peripheral airway (dys)function has not been investigated. The present authors hypothesised that peripheral airway inflammation and dysfunction are inter-related and associated with asthma severity.

Efficacy of the novel phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor BAY 19-8004 on lung function and airway inflammation in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Selective inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibit the hydrolysis of intracellular cAMP, which may result in bronchodilation and suppression of inflammation. We examined the effect of 1 week treatment with BAY 19-8004 (5 mg once daily), a novel orally administered PDE4 inhibitor, on trough FEV1 and markers of inflammation in induced sputum in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Seven patients with asthma (mean [SD] FEV1 69.

Does a single dose of the phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, cilomilast (15 mg), induce bronchodilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Maintenance treatment with PDE(4) inhibitor cilomilast improves FEV(1) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. We investigated the acute bronchodilating effects of a single dose of cilomilast with or without concomitant administration of inhaled salbutamol and/or ipratropium bromide in 21 patients with COPD (mean (SD) age 64 (8.1) y, post-salbutamol FEV(1) 47.