Total 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Is an Independent Marker of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Heart Failure with Reduced and Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Vitamin D emerged as an important prognostic biomarker in heart failure (HF), with currently highly debated therapeutic implications. Several trials on vitamin D supplementation in HF showed improvements in left ventricular (LV) remodeling and function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which did not translate into mid- to long-term beneficial effects regarding physical performance and mortality. We addressed total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), serum albumin, and uric acid (UA) levels, focusing mainly on vitamin D deficiency, as potential markers of LV systolic dysfunction in HF with reduced and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, HFmrEF).

Influence of vaccination schedules and host factors on antibody response following hepatitis B vaccination.

In a prospective multicentre trial, the influence of schedule, compliance, age, sex and weight on the antibody response to hepatitis B vaccination was investigated. Comparison of the vaccination schedules 0, 1, 6 months (group 1; n = 143) and 0, 1, 2, 12 months (group 2; n = 141) was performed in months 3, 7 and 12. In addition, the antibody response was compared one month after the third and one and six months after the last vaccination.