Frequency, Etiology, Mortality, Cost, and Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections-Prospective, One Center Study.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most monitored form of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). A small number of epidemiological studies have monitored community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) in intensive care units (ICUs). The objective of this study was to assess the frequency, etiology, mortality, and additional costs of RTIs.

Uremic toxins impair human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells functionality in vitro.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are becoming therapeutic agents of interest in many areas of medicine, including renal diseases and kidney transplantations. However, the effect of uremia on cell properties is still unclear. Therefore, we examined the in vitro influence of uremic toxins, p-cresol (PC) and indoxyl sulfate (IS), on human bone marrow-derived MSC functionality.

The effect of endoscopic administration of autologous porcine muscle-derived cells into the urethral sphincter.

Objective: To verify the fate of autologous porcine myogenic cells after endoscopic administration into the urethral sphincter.

Methods: This study was performed on pig animal models. The muscle-derived cells (MDCs) were isolated and identified.

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells into the skeletal muscle induces cytokine generation.

Mesenchymal stem cells due to the high proliferative potential, capacity of multilineage differentiation became a hope of regenerative medicine. However, the organism's response to the transplantation of MSCs is not fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the acute local tissue response to syngeneic MSCs administration into the muscle.

Urethral distension as a novel method to simulate sphincter insufficiency in the porcine animal model.

Objectives: To describe a novel animal model of intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

Methods: The study was carried out on 10 female pigs. Injury to the urethral sphincter was induced by distension of the urethra.

Characterization of bone-marrow-derived rat mesenchymal stem cells depending on donor age.

It is generally accepted that autologous transfers, as non-immunogenic, constitute the safest approach in cellular transplantations. However, this attitude is often associated with the need for isolation and extracorporeal propagation of cells derived from aged patients. Thus the knowledge about relationship between aging and the properties of MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) is crucial in developing new clinical strategies.