Clinical Diagnostics of Fecal Calprotectin: a Comparative Study of Actim® Calprotectin and LIAISON® Calprotectin.

Background: Fecal calprotectin (fCal) is an important surrogate biomarker of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Non-invasive, immunochromatographic rapid tests are excellent tools for the real-time monitoring of disease activity and reduce the need for invasive and costly colonoscopy procedures.

Methods: In this study the accuracy of fCal detection by the semi-quantitative Actim® Calprotectin and the quantitative automated LIAISON® Calprotectin assay was assessed on a panel of clinical stool samples.

Biomarkers as predictors of sudden cardiac death in coronary artery disease patients with preserved left ventricular function (ARTEMIS study).

Aims: Biomarkers have shown promising results in risk assessment of cardiovascular events. Their role in predicting the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is not well established. We tested the performance of several biomarkers in risk assessment for SCD in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and preserved left ventricular function.

Usefulness of Highly Sensitive Troponin as a Predictor of Short-Term Outcome in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus and Stable Coronary Artery Disease (from the ARTEMIS Study).

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that novel biomarkers may predict cardiac events in diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Serum levels of highly sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT), B-type natriuretic peptide, highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), galectin-3, and soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) were analyzed in 1,137 patients with CAD and with type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, or fasting glycaemia (diabetic group) and in 649 patients with normal glucose state. Cardiac death or hospitalization for congestive heart failure was the major end point during the follow-up of 2 years.

Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell Transplantation Restores Inflammatory Balance of Cytokines after ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) launches an inflammatory response and a repair process to compensate cardiac function. During this process, the balance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines is important for optimal cardiac repair. Stem cell transplantation after AMI improves tissue repair and increases the ventricular ejection fraction.

Serum PINP, PIIINP, galectin-3, and ST2 as surrogates of myocardial fibrosis and echocardiographic left venticular diastolic filling properties.

Objectives And Background: Serum biomarkers have been proposed to reflect fibrosis of several human tissues, but their specific role in the detection of myocardial fibrosis has not been well-established. We studied the association between N-terminal propeptide of type I and III procollagen (PINP, PIIINP, respectively), galectin-3 (gal-3), soluble ST2 (ST2), and myocardial fibrosis measured by late gadolinium enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE CMR) and their relation to left ventricular diastolic filling properties measured by tissue Doppler echocardiography (E/e') in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: We determined the PINP, PIIINP, gal-3, and ST2 serum levels and performed LGE CMR and echocardiography on 63 patients with stable CAD without a history of prior myocardial infarction.

Functional consequences of perturbed CXCL12 signal processing: analyses of immature hematopoiesis in GRK6-deficient mice.

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) reside in bone marrow (BM) in an environment rich in CXCL12, the ligand for CXCR4, which is constitutively expressed on all immature hematopoietic cells in BM. This ligand-receptor pair critically controls HSPC retention and (relative) quiescence in BM. Interestingly, in a chemokine-abundant environment, CXCR4 surface expression and CXCL12 sensitivity of BM-residing HSPCs are continuously maintained.

Exercise capacity is associated with endothelin-1 release during emotional excitement in coronary artery disease patients.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, IL-6, and catecholamines are increased and heart rate variability [SD of normal to normal R-R intervals (SDNN)] decreased during emotional excitement, but individual responses vary. We tested the hypothesis that exercise capacity is associated with physiological responses caused by real-life emotional excitement. We measured the plasma levels of ET-1, IL-6, catecholamines, heart rate, and SDNN in enthusiastic male ice hockey spectators (n = 51; age, 59 ± 9 years) with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) at baseline and during the Finnish National Ice Hockey League's final play-off matches.

Physiological responses to emotional excitement in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease.

Emotional excitement may trigger cardiovascular (CV) events, particularly in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Our aim was to compare changes in various biomarkers in CAD patients and age-matched healthy male subjects during "real-life" emotional excitement. Enthusiastic male ice hockey spectators (CAD n = 18, healthy subjects n = 16) attended Finnish national ice hockey play-off matches.

The effect of bone marrow microenvironment on the functional properties of the therapeutic bone marrow-derived cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Treatment of acute myocardial infarction with stem cell transplantation has achieved beneficial effects in many clinical trials. The bone marrow microenvironment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients has never been studied even though myocardial infarction is known to cause an imbalance in the acid-base status of these patients. The aim of this study was to assess if the blood gas levels in the bone marrow of STEMI patients affect the characteristics of the bone marrow cells (BMCs) and, furthermore, do they influence the change in cardiac function after autologous BMC transplantation.

Cardiac Function, Perfusion, Metabolism, and Innervation following Autologous Stem Cell Therapy for Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. A FINCELL-INSIGHT Sub-Study with PET and MRI.

Purpose: Beneficial mechanisms of bone marrow cell (BMC) therapy for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarct (STEMI) are largely unknown in humans. Therefore, we evaluated the feasibility of serial positron emission tomography (PET) and MRI studies to provide insight into the effects of BMCs on the healing process of ischemic myocardial damage.

Methods: Nineteen patients with successful primary reteplase thrombolysis (mean 2.

Leisure time emotional excitement increases endothelin-1 and interleukin-6 in cardiac patients.

OBJECTIVES. Emotional excitement may trigger serious cardiovascular (CV) events. Our objective was to compare the changes in potential surrogate markers of CV events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) during emotional excitement and exercise.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha promotes the expression of immunosuppressive proteins and enhances the cell growth in a human bone marrow-derived stem cell culture.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in experimental treatments for various conditions that involve normal tissue regeneration via inflammatory repair. It is known that MSCs can secrete multiple soluble factors and suppress inflammation. Even though the effect of MSCs on inflammation has been extensively studied, the effect of inflammation on MSCs is poorly understood.

Effects of intracoronary injection of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells on natriuretic peptides and inflammatory markers in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Intracoronary administration of autologous bone marrow stem cells (BMC) has been shown to result in a subtle improvement of global left ventricular ejection fraction after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but the overall benefits of BMC therapy are still unclear. We studied the influence of intracoronary injections of BMC on levels of natriuretic peptides and inflammatory mediators, which are well established prognostic biomarkers, in patients with STEMI.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind study, consecutive patients with an acute STEMI treated with thrombolysis followed by PCI 2-6 days after STEMI, were randomly assigned to receive either intracoronary BMC or placebo medium into the infarct-related artery.

Determinants of functional recovery after myocardial infarction of patients treated with bone marrow-derived stem cells after thrombolytic therapy.

Objective: To assess the determinants of functional recovery in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated initially with thrombolysis, followed by percutaneous coronary intervention and intracoronary injection of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMC).

Design: A randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study (substudy of FINCELL).

Setting: Two tertiary cardiac centres.