Performance Characteristics of Basophil Activation Tests for Diagnosing Penicillin Allergy: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Approximately 10% of the global population identify themselves as penicillin allergic, yet 90% are not truly allergic and could safely tolerate penicillin. There is no simple way to identify these people. Current in vitro diagnostics include specific immunoglobulin E (with a sensitivity of 19% and specificity of 97%) and a basophil activation test (BAT) with undefined sensitivity and specificity.

Cerebral oximetry in adult cardiac surgery to reduce the incidence of neurological impairment and hospital length-of-stay: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Cerebral oximetry using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been shown to reduce neurological dysfunction and hospital length-of-stay after adult cardiac surgery in some but not all studies. We audited maintaining cerebral saturations at or above baseline and showed improved neurological and length-of-stay outcomes. Our hypothesis for this study was that our NIRS protocol would improve neurological and length-of-stay outcomes.

A Case of Life-Threatening Airway Obstruction Caused by Acute Diphtheria Infection in the United Kingdom.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening infection. Cases in the United Kingdom are rare due to widespread vaccination. However, in recent years, there has been a notable increase in cases in the United Kingdom.

Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery Based on Preoperative, Mean Intraoperative and Stratified Cerebral Oximetry Values.

Introduction: Cardiac surgery is associated with significant morbidity and longer length-of-stay (LOS) than most other surgeries. Regional cerebral oximetry (rSO) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on the patient's forehead monitors cerebral oxygenation during surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Its purpose is to detect and manage periods of cerebral hypoxia which may otherwise go undetected, thereby reducing morbidity.

Effect of Acute Stress Glycemic Control and Long-Term Glycemic Control on the Incidence of Post-Operative Infection in Diabetics Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Objective Post-operative infection after cardiac surgery causes prolonged hospital stay and increased mortality. In patients with diabetes, peri-operative and pre-operative glycemic control have been associated with increased risk of post-operative infection. Saudi Arabia is the 7th highest country in the world for the prevalence of diabetes.

The impact of regular bisoprolol on the response to salbutamol in asthma: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Background And Objective: Non-selective beta-blockers impair the bronchodilator response to beta -agonists. Cardio-selective beta -blockers are less likely to cause this effect, yet they remain relatively contraindicated in asthma. We investigated whether the response to salbutamol is impaired during cardio-selective beta -blocker treatment in people with asthma.

AlphaE Integrin Expression Is Increased in the Ileum Relative to the Colon and Unaffected by Inflammation.

Background: Recent findings suggest that αE expression is enriched on effector T cells and that intestinal αE+ T cells have increased expression of inflammatory cytokines. αE integrin expression is a potential predictive biomarker for response to etrolizumab, a monoclonal antibody against β7 integrin that targets both α4β7 and αEβ7. We evaluated the prevalence and localization of αE+ cells as well as total αE gene expression in healthy and inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Breast cancer metastasis: demonstration that FOXP3 regulates CXCR4 expression and the response to CXCL12.

The X-linked transcription factor FOXP3 is expressed by epithelial cells of organs including the breast, where it is considered a tumour suppressor. The chemokine receptor CXCR4 also regulates the development of breast cancer by stimulating cell migration towards CXCL12-expressing sites of metastatic spread. During activation, human T cells show reciprocal regulation of FOXP3 and CXCR4.