Oxidative stress induced by sustained supraphysiological intrastriatal GDNF delivery is prevented by dose regulation.

Despite its established neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons and encouraging phase I results, intraputaminal GDNF administration failed to demonstrate significant clinical benefits in Parkinson's disease patients. Different human GDNF doses were delivered in the striatum of rats with a progressive 6-hydroxydopamine lesion using a sensitive doxycycline-regulated AAV vector. GDNF treatment was applied either continuously or intermittently (2 weeks on/2 weeks off) during 17 weeks.

Selective targeting of striatal parvalbumin-expressing interneurons for transgene delivery.

PV mice--> combined with AAV-FLEX vectors allowed efficient and specific targeting of PV interneurons in the striatum. However, diffusion of viral particles to the globus pallidus caused massive transduction of PV projection neurons and subsequent anterograde transport of the transgene product to the subthalamic nucleus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata. Different AAV serotypes (1 and 9) and promoters (CBA and human synapsin) were evaluated.

Safety of biological agents in paediatric rheumatic diseases: A real-life multicenter retrospective study using the JIRcohorte database.

Objective: To analyse and report the incidence of side effects of biological agents in paediatric patients with inflammatory diseases using of real-life follow-up cohort.

Methods: In this international, observational, retrospective, multicentre study of children treated by biological agents and followed in the Juvenile Inflammatory Rheumatism (JIR) cohort (JIRcohorte) network, a Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the occurrence of adverse events. A Cox model was constructed to identify independent predictors of adverse events.

mTOR and Tumor Cachexia.

Cancer cachexia affects most patients with advanced forms of cancers. It is mainly characterized by weight loss, due to muscle and adipose mass depletion. As cachexia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, identifying the underlying mechanisms leading to cachexia is essential in order to design novel therapeutic strategies.

[Update on the current diagnosis and therapy of peripheral arterial occlusive disease].

Update on the current diagnosis and therapy of peripheral arterial occlusive disease The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAOD) increases with age and overall due to demographic trends. The symptoms severely reduce the quality of life. The 5-year mortality rate is even twice as high as in patients without PAOD.

Brucellosis and thrombosis of the inferior vena cava.

We describe the case of a 23-year old woman with a newly diagnosed thrombosis of the inferior vena cava associated with a Brucella melitensis infection. We suggest possible mechanisms leading to brucellosis-associated venous thrombosis and review 14 previously reported cases.
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Pelvic congestion syndrome and left renal compression syndrome - clinical features and therapeutic approaches.

Knowledge of the anatomy of the pelvic, gonadal and renal veins is important to understand pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) and left renal vein compression syndrome (LRCS), which is also known as the nutcracker syndrome. LRCS is related to PCS and to the presence of vulvar, vaginal and pudendal varicose veins. The diagnosis of the two syndromes is difficult, and usually achieved with CT- or phlebography.

Impact of compression stockings on calf-vein diameters and on quality of life parameters in subjects with painful legs.

Background: Calf vein diameters during compression with two different stocking brands are assessed as well as quality of life.

Patients And Methods: 60 subjects (53 female) with painful legs were randomized to either wearing the Venotrain micro® (VM) or the Venotrain ulcertec® (VU) compression stocking for 2 weeks. All calf - veins were assessed in cross - sectional plane by Duplexsonography native and through the compression stockings.

Compression to prevent the postthrombotic syndrome.

Summary We give an overview on the current literature concerning compression in the prevention of postthrombotic syndrome, including our own investigations of the hemodynamic changes over time in female and male patients. We also describe the evaluation of a combined reflux-occlusion score to predict occurrence of new pigmentation (C4).

Performance of coagulation tests in patients on therapeutic doses of rivaroxaban. A cross-sectional pharmacodynamic study based on peak and trough plasma levels.

Knowledge of anticoagulation status during rivaroxaban therapy is desirable in certain clinical situations. It was the study objective to determine coagulation tests most useful for assessing rivaroxaban's anticoagulant effect. Peak and trough blood samples from 29 patients taking rivaroxaban 20 mg daily were collected.

Performance of coagulation tests in patients on therapeutic doses of dabigatran: a cross-sectional pharmacodynamic study based on peak and trough plasma levels.

Background: Knowledge of anticoagulation status during dabigatran therapy may be desirable in certain clinical situations.

Objective: To determine the coagulation tests that are most useful for assessing dabigatran's anticoagulant effect.

Methods: Peak and trough blood samples from 35 patients taking dabigatran 150 mg twice daily, and one sample each from 30 non-anticoagulated individuals, were collected.

Non-invasive pressure measurement of the great saphenous vein in healthy controls and patients with venous insufficiency.

Objectives: Venous pressure measurement using an intravenous catheter is the sole method for the diagnosis of venous hypertension in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. A noninvasive tool to quantify increased venous pressure is essential for studying venous pathophysiology. Aim of the study was to investigate the value of controlled compression ultrasound (CCU) for noninvasive assessment of venous pressure (VP) of the great saphenous vein (GSV) in healthy persons and patients with venous insufficiency to quantify venous hypertension.

Popliteal entrapment syndrome and age.

On the occasion of diagnosing a popliteal entrapment syndrome in a 59-year old man with no cardiovascular risk factors, who developed acute ischemic leg pain during long distance running, we give an overview on this entity with emphasis on patients' age. The different types of the popliteal artery compression syndrome are summarized. The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are discussed.

[Superficial venous thrombosis. A review].

This review summarizes the epidemiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis and new therapeutic options of the superficial venous thrombosis. An important new finding is, that the thrombophlebitis is actually a thrombosis, which occurs in an intra- or epifascial vein. It can be associated with deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, thus carrying considerable risk.

Varicose veins: a critical review of the definition and the therapeutical options.

This review intends to give an overview of the present therapeutic options for varicose vein disease. The definition of varicose vein disease and its recurrence are made and discussed with new aspects including duplexsonography assessment. All therapeutic approaches have developed and refined their treatment modalities, the open surgical as well as the endovenous techniques.

Clinical relevance of musical murmurs in color-coded duplex sonography of peripheral and visceral vessels.

Background: Musical murmurs (MMs) are Doppler phenomena which sound like high-frequency musical sounds. They reflect high and turbulent flow within relevant stenoses and were first described in degenerated bioprosthetic valves and later in intracranial vessels and were associated either with high-grade arterial stenosis, small collateral arteries or carotid cavernous fistulas. Objective of this article is to illustrate the spectrum of imaging of MMs observed in renal, intestinal and peripheral vessels.

Unusual vascular focal high-grade arterial stenoses in a young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and secondary antiphospholipid syndrome.

We report the case of a 28-year old woman with an unusual presentation of peripheral arterial occlusive disease clinically characterized by intermittent claudication and bilateral, focal stenoses of the iliac arteries without signs of atherosclerosis in other vascular beds. The successful percutaneous intervention is described in detail and pathogenetic aspects of the disease are discussed.

[Chronic venous insufficiency in postthrombotic syndrome and varicose veins].

Venous disorders have a high prevalence and require approximately 1% of health budgets of industrialized countries. The postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) is defined by subjective symptoms and morphologic trophical skin changes following deep venous thrombosis. Prevention of venous thromboembolism in risk situations, easy availability of diagnostic tools (D-dimers, colour-coded duplex sonography) and early detection of deep venous thrombosis, as well as immediate therapeutic anticoagulation along with leg compression during the acute phase and over a two year period of time significantly reduce the incidence of PTS.

Effect of prolonged treatment with compression stockings to prevent post-thrombotic sequelae: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Compression stockings are widely applied after acute proximal deep vein thrombosis, but their efficacy in preventing the post-thrombotic syndrome remains controversial. This study assessed the effect of prolonged compression therapy after a standard treatment of 6 months after acute deep vein thrombosis.

Methods: Of 900 patients screened, we randomly allocated 169 patients with a first or recurrent proximal deep vein thrombosis after receiving 6 months of standard treatment to wear compression stockings or not.

What makes a host profitable? Parasites balance host nutritive resources against immunity.

Numerous host qualities can modulate parasite fitness, and among these, host nutritive resources and immunity are of prime importance. Indeed, parasite fitness increases with the amount of nutritive resources extracted from the host body and decreases with host immune response. To maximize fitness, parasites have therefore to balance these two host components.

Venous reflux and venous distensibility in varicose and healthy veins.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse venous diameter changes and venous reflux parameters, assessed during a standardised Valsalva manoeuvre in healthy subjects and in patients with varicose veins.

Methods: Measurements were carried out in 444 vein segments, (96 legs of 48 healthy volunteers, 52 legs of 35 patients with varicose veins). The common femoral vein (CVF), the femoral vein (FV) and the great saphenous vein (GSV) were investigated.

Selective loss of extracellular matrix proteins is linked to biophysical properties of varicose veins assessed by ultrasonography.

Background: Dilatation and enhanced distensibility are specific biophysical properties of varicose veins. Both can be assessed by ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to analyse correlations between the vein wall protein content and these two biophysical properties of varicose veins.

Acute occlusive large vessel disease leading to fatal stroke in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: arteritis or atherosclerosis?

A woman with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus presented with extensive bilateral strokes due to acute inflammatory, occlusive large vessel disease affecting several aortic branches including the carotid, subclavian, renal, and iliac arteries. We quantitatively characterized the arterial inflammation in this patient and compared it with the inflammatory infiltrates from 22 patients with conventional atherosclerosis. Profound histomorphologic differences from conventional atherosclerosis (predominance of CD8-positive lymphocytes, relative absence of macrophages, no ectopic neovascularization, no signs of plaque hemorrhage, concentric instead of eccentrical stenosis) suggest that this patient's accelerated arteriopathy was precipitated by pathogenic events other than conventional atherosclerosis.