Reduction of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy by PCI: Quantification and Correlation With Outcome After Heart Transplantation.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) might improve outcome at severe stages of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) among patients after heart transplantation (HTx). Yet, risk stratification of HTx patients after PCI remains challenging.

Aims: To assess whether the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) CAV classification remains prognostic after PCI and whether risk-stratification models of non-transplanted patients extend to HTx patients with CAV.

Fibrotic plaques in heart transplanted patients and their association with insulin resistance syndrome and Lp(a).

Background: Angiographic evidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major limiting factor to survival after heart transplantation (HTx). Prevention of CAV is therefore most relevant. Whether modifiable risk factors could be targeted for the prevention of fibrotic plaques, that are common and related to CAV, is not clear.

Immune Regulatory 1 Cells: A Novel and Potent Subset of Human T Regulatory Cells.

A subset of T regulatory cells (Tregs), identified by TIRC7 (T cell immune response cDNA 7) expression is designated as Immune Regulatory 1 Cells (IR1 cells). TIRC7 is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, co-localized with the T- cell receptor, HLA-DR and CTLA-4 during T-cell activation, which delivers regulatory signals binding to its ligand, HLA-DR 2 domain. IR1 cells express FOXP3, and multiple other markers associated with immune suppression.

Fas expression by tumor stroma is required for cancer eradication.

The contribution of molecules such as perforin, IFN-γ (IFNγ), and particularly Fas ligand (FasL) by transferred CD8(+) effector T (T(E)) cells to rejection of large, established tumors is incompletely understood. Efficient attack against large tumors carrying a surrogate tumor antigen (mimicking a "passenger" mutation) by T(E) cells requires action of IFNγ on tumor stroma cells to avoid selection of antigen-loss variants. Because "cancer-driving" antigens (CDAs) are rarely counterselected, IFNγ may be expected to be dispensable in elimination of cancers by targeting a CDA.

External inosculation as a feature of revascularization occurs after free transplantation of murine liver grafts.

The induction of angiogenesis is essential for successful engraftment of freely transplanted cells or cellular composites. How to augment angiogenesis to ensure an appropriate viability of the grafts is still under investigation. This study evaluated the proangiogenic capability of different syngeneic free liver transplants and elucidated the origin of the newly formed vascular network via use of an eGFP(+) /eGFP(-) (enhanced green fluorescent protein) cross-over design.

A neuropsychiatric perspective of phenylketonuria I: overview of phenylketonuria and its neuropsychiatric sequelae.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive metabolic genetic disorder that is associated with neuropsychiatric sequelae of varying severity. The natural history, epidemiology, and a history of the medical understanding and approaches to treatment of PKU are presented. Neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric sequelae of patients with untreated, early-treated, and continuously-treated PKU are described, and possible mechanisms for the symptoms are proposed.

A neuropsychiatric perspective of phenylketonuria II: needs assessment for a psychiatric presence.

Background: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a neuropsychiatric disease with a genetically transmitted metabolic etiology. A large percentage of untreated, early-treated, and continuously treated patients with PKU suffer from neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric sequelae. To our knowledge, this is the first survey of the mental health needs of persons with PKU and availability of referral and treatment for this population.

Bronchoconstriction in nonhuman primates: a species comparison.

Bronchoconstriction is a characteristic symptom of various chronic obstructive respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) are a suitable ex vivo model to study physiological mechanisms of bronchoconstriction in different species. In the present study, we established an ex vivo model of bronchoconstriction in nonhuman primates (NHPs).

Frequency and management of breakthrough bleeding with continuous use of the transvaginal contraceptive ring: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To assess bleeding patterns with continuous use of the transvaginal contraceptive ring.

Methods: We did a prospective analysis of daily menstrual flow during a 21/7 cycle followed by 6 months of continuous use and institution of a randomized protocol to manage breakthrough bleeding/spotting. Seventy-four women completed the baseline 21/7 phase and were randomized equally into two groups during the continuous phase.

Analysis of knowledge and attitudes of adult groups before and after attending an educational presentation regarding adolescent sexual activity.

Objective: To assess changes in knowledge and attitudes of adult groups before and after attending an educational presentation on adolescent sexual health.

Study Design: A diverse group of adults attended the presentations and completed a presurvey and postsurvey containing 10 knowledge questions, 3 opinion questions, and demographics.

Results: Survey forms were completed by 3661 participants before and 3605 participants after 62 educational programs during the 2002 to 2003 school year.

Spectrum reconstruction from dose measurements as a linear inverse problem.

There are three ways to determine the spectrum of a clinical photon beam: direct measurement, modelling the source and reconstruction from ion-chamber measurements. We focus on reconstruction because the necessary equipment is readily available and it provides independent confirmation of source models for a given machine. Reconstruction methods involve measuring the dose in an ion chamber after the beam passes through an attenuator.

Evaluation of the Iowa Medicaid pharmaceutical case management program.

Objective: To test the effect of pharmaceutical case management (PCM) on medication safety and health care utilization.

Design: Prospective cohort design with 9-month follow-up period (enrollment from October 1, 2000, through July 1, 2001, with follow-up through July 1, 2002).

Setting: Iowa Medicaid program.

Asthma prevalence and morbidity among rural Iowa schoolchildren.

Background: There are conflicting findings about the prevalence of asthma among farm and nonfarm children.

Objectives: We sought to estimate asthma prevalence and morbidity and determine differences between farm and nonfarm children.

Methods: The study population consisted of all children aged 6 to 14 years enrolled in 10 school districts in 2 noncontiguous rural Iowa counties from 2000 through 2002.

System for exchanging information among pharmacists in different practice environments.

Objectives: A system for exchanging patient information among hospital, long-term-care (LTC), and ambulatory care pharmacies is described, and the influence of that system on pharmacist interventions is reported.

Methods: Study sites consisted of three ambulatory care pharmacies, one LTC pharmacy, and one hospital in a small Midwestern city. Meetings were held by clinicians, the investigators, and hospital administrators to plan the information-exchange system.

System for exchanging information among pharmacists in different practice environments.

A system for exchanging patient information among hospital, long-term-care (LTC), and ambulatory care pharmacies is described, and the influence of that system on pharmacist interventions is reported. Study sites consisted of three ambulatory care pharmacies, one LTC pharmacy, and one hospital in a small Midwestern city. Meetings were held by clinicians, the investigators, and hospital administrators to plan the information-exchange system.

Effect of a training program on community pharmacists' detection of and intervention in drug-related problems.

Objective: To develop and present a pharmaceutical care training program for pharmacists, and to examine the ability of these pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care in a community pharmacy setting.

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Intervention: A 40-hour pharmaceutical care training program was developed and presented to pharmacists, and 1,078 patients were randomly assigned to receive either (1) traditional pharmacy services or (2) pharmaceutical care, consisting of initial patient work-up and follow-up with documentation in a patient record.

Disaster nomenclature--a functional impact approach: the PICE system.

A standard nomenclature that concisely describes any disaster is currently lacking. This article describes a model taxonomy system. Instead of the term "disaster," a root word "PICE," "potential injury-creating event," is used.

Recombinant erythropoietin for zidovudine-induced anemia in AIDS.

Recombinant erythropoietin (Epogen, Amgen Pharmaceuticals; Procrit, Amgen Pharmaceuticals, distributed by Ortho Biotech) is approved for use in anemia associated with HIV infection and treatment. The recommended starting dose is 100 IU/kg iv or sc 3 times per week. Current evidence suggests that anemia in zidovudine-treated patients may be a result of insufficient quantities of erythropoietin, bone marrow unresponsiveness to the hormone, or HIV infection.