Effects of endogenous serum neuregulin-1β on morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Context: Improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) following administration of recombinant human Neuregulin-1β (NRG), epidermal growth factor (EGF) involved in cardiomyocyte repair/survival, has been observed in patients with systolic heart failure (HF).

Methods: Serum NRG was measured by ELISA in 248 patients with NYHA class I-IV HF.

Results: NRG exhibited a marginally significant effect on LVEF trajectory over 11 months (p = 0.

Unmet needs in treating laryngo-pharyngeal reflux disease: where do we go from here?

Introduction: Many patients experience ear, nose and throat symptoms associated with their gastroesophageal reflux disease. These symptoms are purportedly caused by reflux of gastroduodenal contents into the larynx, which leads to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Various modalities are used to diagnose LPR, including ambulatory pH monitoring, laryngoscopy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy, as well as a few new emerging diagnostic tests.