A Randomized Dose-Escalating Phase I Trial of a Replication-Deficient Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Vector-Based Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus.

Background: A vaccine (HB-101) consisting of 2 nonreplicating lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) vectors expressing the human cytomegalovirus antigens glycoprotein B (gB) and the 65-kD phosphoprotein (pp65), respectively, is in development to prevent cytomegalovirus infection.

Methods: HB-101 was tested in cytomegalovirus-naive, healthy adults in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation Phase I trial. Fifty-four subjects received low, medium, or high dose of HB-101 or placebo by intramuscular administration at Month 0, 1, and 3.

Impact of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest on the BIS index.

Study Objective: To investigate the influence of duration of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) on recovery of the bispectral index (BIS).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Operating room of university teaching hospital.

Thoracic but not lumbar epidural anaesthesia increases liver blood flow after major abdominal surgery.

Background And Objective: Epidural blockade in major abdominal surgery bears the potential to increase gastrointestinal perfusion and thus to improve patient outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the differential influence of thoracic and lumbar epidural anaesthesia and analgesia (EAA) on blood lactate levels and central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) as parameters of global oxygen supply/demand ratio, as well as on the plasma disappearance rate of indocyanine green (PDR(ICG)), a noninvasive method to evaluate liver perfusion.

Methods: We enrolled 17 patients receiving thoracic and 17 patients receiving lumbar EAA in addition to general anaesthesia for major abdominal surgery.

Antibiotics modulate the stimulated cytokine response to endotoxin in a human ex vivo, in vitro model.

Background: Sepsis may lead to the suppression of stimulated cytokine release after Gram-negative stimuli, correlating with a fatal outcome. Treatment of sepsis includes adequate therapy with antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of antibiotics in the modulation of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine response of human monocytes.