Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator Shortens the Lengths of Stay in Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction after Myocardial Infarction: A Single-Centre Real-World Experience.

The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) has been proven to be effective in preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients soon after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%. The aim of this study was to assess whether a WCD may shorten the length of an initial hospital stay (total length, days in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the acute cardiac care unit (ACCU)) among these patients. This was a single-centre, retrospective observational study of patients referred for the management of SCD risk post-AMI and LVEF ≤35%, in a tertiary care hospital.

Virtual Reality Hypnosis in the Electrophysiology Lab: When Human Treatments Are Better than Virtual Ones.

Aims: Virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) has been used successfully in various clinical settings to decrease anxiety and the sensation of pain. We aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of VRH in patients undergoing electrophysiology and pacing procedures under conscious sedation. Methods: During a two-month period, VRH support was proposed and accepted by 25 patients undergoing electrophysiological procedures.

Global quieting of high-frequency seismic noise due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures.

Human activity causes vibrations that propagate into the ground as high-frequency seismic waves. Measures to mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused widespread changes in human activity, leading to a months-long reduction in seismic noise of up to 50%. The 2020 seismic noise quiet period is the longest and most prominent global anthropogenic seismic noise reduction on record.

Combined use of multiparametric flow cytometry and cytomorphology to enhance detection of neuroblastoma metastatic cells in bone marrow.

Introduction: In the context of neuroblastoma (NB), the screening for bone marrow (BM) metastasis is a recurrent issue for hematology laboratory routine practice. Detection of low tumor burden using light microscopy is often difficult. In this regard, our objective was to evaluate the performance of multiparametric flow cytometry (FC) for detecting NB metastatic cells in BM.

Standardization of Flow Cytometric Immunophenotyping for Hematological Malignancies: The FranceFlow Group Experience.

Flow cytometry is broadly used for the identification, characterization, and monitoring of hematological malignancies. However, the use of clinical flow cytometry is restricted by its lack of reproducibility across multiple centers. Since 2006, the EuroFlow consortium has been developing a standardized procedure detailing the whole process from instrument settings to data analysis.

Very- and ultra-long-period seismic signals prior to and during caldera formation on La Réunion Island.

Early detection of the onset of a caldera collapse can provide crucial information to understand their formation and thus to minimize risks for the nearby population and visitors. Here, we analyse the 2007 caldera collapse of Piton de la Fournaise on La Réunion Island recorded by a broadband seismic station. We show that this instrument recorded ultra-long period (ULP) signals with frequencies in the range (0.

Occurrence of Incomplete Endothelialization Causing Residual Permeability After Left Atrial Appendage Closure.

Aims: Percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion is occasionally incomplete, with residual permeability of the LAA on cardiac computed tomography. The cause for this is unclear. Our objective was to determine if residual permeability was related to incomplete endothelialization.

Significance of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 elevation in patients admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis.

Background: Among septic patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), early recognition of those with the highest risk of death is of paramount importance. Since clinical judgment is sometimes uncertain biomarkers could provide additional information likely to guide critical illness management. We evaluated the prognostic value of soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed by Myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1), procalcitonin (PCT) and leucocyte surface expression of CD64.

Usefulness of Flow Cytometric Mepacrine Uptake/Release Combined with CD63 Assay in Diagnosis of Patients with Suspected Platelet Dense Granule Disorder.

Dense granule disorder is one of the most common platelet abnormalities, resulting from dense granule deficiency or secretion defect. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the flow cytometric combination of mepacrine uptake/release assay and CD63 expression detection in the management of patients with suspected dense granule disorder. Over a period of 5 years, patients with abnormal platelet aggregation and/or reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) secretion suggestive of dense granule disorder were consecutively enrolled.

Outcomes after cryoablation vs. radiofrequency in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: impact of pulmonary veins anatomy.

Aims: Pulmonary vein isolation is the mainstay of treatment in catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Cryoballoon ablation has been introduced more recently than radiofrequency ablation, the standard technique in most centres. Pulmonary veins frequently display anatomical variants, which may compromise the results of cryoballoon ablation.

Validation of a single-platform method for hematopoietic CD34+ stem cells enumeration according to accreditation procedure.

Introduction: Stem cells for autologous and allogenic transplantation are obtained from several sources including bone marrow, peripheral blood or cord blood. Accurate enumeration of viable CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is routinely used in clinical settings, especially to monitor progenitor cell mobilization and apheresis. The number of viable CD34+ HSC has also been shown to be the most critical factor in haematopoietic engraftment.

Pro- and anti-arrhythmic effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Inflammatory process is strongly associated with cardiac arrhythmia, either as a cause or a consequence. Antiinflammatory drugs are widely prescribed, and some of them have been associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Then, the eventual pro- or anti-arrhythmic effect of these drugs is of high interest for clinical practice.

Development of a new method for identification and quantification in cerebrospinal fluid of malignant cells from breast carcinoma leptomeningeal metastasis.

Background: The diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) in patients with solid tumors remains difficult. The usual diagnostic methods of cytomorphological assessment of cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) and gadolinium enhanced MRI of the entire neuraxis lack both specificity and sensitivity. The Veridex CellSearch® technology has been designed for the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in blood from cancer patients and validated for the follow-up and prognosis of breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer.

Soluble TREM-like transcript-1 regulates leukocyte activation and controls microbial sepsis.

The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 plays a crucial role during the onset of sepsis by amplifying the host immune response. The TREM-like transcript-1 (TLT-1) belongs to the TREM family, is selectively expressed on activated platelets, and is known to facilitate platelet aggregation through binding to fibrinogen. In this study, we show that a soluble form of TLT-1 is implicated in the regulation of inflammation during sepsis by dampening leukocyte activation and modulating platelet-neutrophil crosstalk.

Combination biomarkers to diagnose sepsis in the critically ill patient.

Rationale: Although the outcome of sepsis benefits from the prompt administration of appropriate antibiotics on correct diagnosis, the assessment of infection in critically ill patients is often a challenge for clinicians. In this setting, simple biomarkers, especially when used in combination, could prove useful.

Objectives: To determine the usefulness of combination biomarkers to diagnose sepsis.

Plasma soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 in Crohn's disease.

Background: No definite conclusions can be drawn from available data on the accuracy of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) to assess disease activity in Crohn's disease.

Aims: Plasma sTREM-1 levels were correlated with disease activity markers in Crohn's disease.

Methods: 191 consecutive patients from a single referral centre (Nancy IBD cohort) were prospectively enrolled between June 1, 2005 and December 12, 2008.

Serum sTREM-1 (soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1) associates negatively with embryo quality in infertility patients.

Problem: Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) is a useful biomarker of infection and inflammation.

Method Of Study: We studied serum and follicular fluid sTREM-1 in infertile patients (N = 110) utilizing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Serum and follicular sTREM-1 were in good correlation (Pearson's correlation 0.

Follicular proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines as markers of IVF success.

Cytokines are key modulators of the immune system and also contribute to regulation of the ovarian cycle. In this study, Bender MedSystems FlowCytomix technology was used to analyze follicular cytokines (proinflammatory: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, IFN-γ, IFN-α, TNF-α, IL-12, and IL-23;, and anti-inflammatory: G-CSF), chemokines (MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MCP-1, RANTES, and IL-8), and other biomarkers (sAPO-1/Fas, CD44(v6)) in 153 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Cytokine origin was studied by mRNA analysis of granulosa cells.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 as a new therapeutic target during inflammatory diseases.

The Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a recently identified molecule involved in monocytic activation and inflammatory response. It belongs to a family related to Natural Killer cell-receptors and is expressed on neutrophils, mature monocytes and macrophages. The engagement of TREM-1 synergizes with several Toll Like Receptors (TLR) and/or NOD Like Receptors (NLR) activation in amplifying the inflammatory response mediated by microbial components or danger signals.

[Atrial fibrillation in 2010: an increasing morbidity and mortality burden].

AF, a frequent and banal arrhythmia, is a debilitating and costly disease. The majority of patients with AF are aged 60 to 80 years, but the prevalence is as high as 10% after 80 years and the incidence increases in recent years in an "epidemic" way. AF is responsible for an excess of mortality with an relative risk between 2 and 4 depending of age and sex, especially as cardiovascular risk factors are associated.

Desulfovibrio spp. survive within KB cells and modulate inflammatory responses.

Desulfovibrio are sulfate-reducing anaerobic gram-negative rods that have been proposed as potential periodontopathogens. We investigated the capacity of Desulfovibrio to invade epithelial cells and induce cytokine secretion from these cells. Desulfovibrio strains were co-cultured with KB cells and counts of intracellular bacteria evaluated up to 3 days after infection.

The relationship between CD4+CD25+CD127- regulatory T cells and inflammatory response and outcome during shock states.

Introduction: Although regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) have a pivotal role in preventing autoimmune diseases and limiting chronic inflammatory conditions, they may also block beneficial immune responses by preventing sterilizing immunity to certain pathogens.

Methods: To determine whether naturally occurring Treg cells have a role in inflammatory response and outcome during shock state we conducted an observational study in two adult ICUs from a university hospital. Within 12 hours of admission, peripheral whole blood was collected for the measurement of cytokines and determination of lymphocyte count.