Course of iron parameters in HFE-hemochromatosis patients during initial treatment with erythrocytapheresis compared to phlebotomy.

Current treatment for newly diagnosed patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) and iron overload consist of weekly phlebotomy or less frequent and more personalized erythrocytapheresis. Previous observations during phlebotomy suggest an increase in intestinal iron uptake caused by lowering of hepcidin as a result of intensive bloodletting. It is not known whether such an effect is present or even more pronounced using erythrocytapheresis since a larger amount of iron is extracted per procedure.

Evidence for a Cystic Fibrosis Enteropathy.

Background: Previous studies have suggested the existence of enteropathy in cystic fibrosis (CF), which may contribute to intestinal function impairment, a poor nutritional status and decline in lung function. This study evaluated enterocyte damage and intestinal inflammation in CF and studied its associations with nutritional status, CF-related morbidities such as impaired lung function and diabetes, and medication use.

Methods: Sixty-eight CF patients and 107 controls were studied.

Blood biomarkers are helpful in the prediction of response to chemoradiation in rectal cancer: a prospective, hypothesis driven study on patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Purpose/objective: Chemoradiation (CRT) has been shown to lead to downsizing of an important portion of rectal cancers. In order to tailor treatment at an earlier stage during treatment, predictive models are being developed. Adding blood biomarkers may be attractive for prediction, as they can be collected very easily and determined with excellent reproducibility in clinical practice.

A multicenter evaluation of dysthyroxinemia in a defined patient cohort.

Background: In the region Limburg (The Netherlands) almost all of the five participating laboratories use a different immunoassay platform to determine thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thryoxine (FT4). With the frequent transfer of patients within the region, harmonization of test result interpretation is necessary. In this study, we investigated dysthyroxinemia classification between participating laboratories and developed procedures for improvement.

Replicated evidence of absence of association between serum S100B and (risk of) psychotic disorder.

Background: S100B is a potential marker of neurological and psychiatric illness. In schizophrenia, increased S100B levels, as well as associations with acute positive and persisting negative symptoms, have been reported. It remains unclear whether S100B elevation, which possibly reflects glial dysfunction, is the consequence of disease or compensatory processes, or whether it is an indicator of familial risk.

IVF culture medium affects human intrauterine growth as early as the second trimester of pregnancy.

Study Question: When does a difference in human intrauterine growth of singletons conceived after IVF and embryo culture in two different culture media appear?

Summary Answer: Differences in fetal development after culture of embryos in one of two IVF media were apparent as early as the second trimester of pregnancy.

What Is Known Already: Abnormal fetal growth patterns are a major risk factor for the development of chronic diseases in adult life. Previously, we have shown that the medium used for culturing embryos during the first few days after fertilization significantly affects the birthweight of the resulting human singletons.

Minimal intensity physical activity (standing and walking) of longer duration improves insulin action and plasma lipids more than shorter periods of moderate to vigorous exercise (cycling) in sedentary subjects when energy expenditure is comparable.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that excessive sitting time is associated with increased health risk, independent of the performance of exercise. We hypothesized that a daily bout of exercise cannot compensate the negative effects of inactivity during the rest of the day on insulin sensitivity and plasma lipids.

Methodology/principal Findings: Eighteen healthy subjects, age 21±2 year, BMI 22.

Metabolic syndrome, circulating RBP4, testosterone, and SHBG predict weight regain at 6 months after weight loss in men.

Objective: Weight loss helps reduce the symptoms of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the obese, but weight regain after active weight loss is common. The changes and predictive role of circulating adipokines and sex hormones for weight regain in men during dietary intervention, and also the effect of basal MetS status on weight regain, were investigated.

Design And Methods: Twenty-four men who continued to lose weight (WL) and 24 men who regained weight (WR) during the 6-month follow-up period after weight loss were selected from the Diogenes Study.

Primary ovarian insufficiency in classic galactosemia: role of FSH dysfunction and timing of the lesion.

FSH inactivity due to secondary hypoglycosylation has been suggested as a potential mechanism for primary ovarian insufficiency in classic galactosemia. To investigate the role of FSH and to gain insight in the timing of the damage, ovarian stimulation tests were performed and data on ovarian imaging collected. Fifteen patients with primary ovarian insufficiency underwent ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins.

Vitamin D status is associated with bone mineral density and functional exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with several extrapulmonary effects that contribute to the severity of the disease. Vitamin D is suggested to play a role in COPD and its related extrapulmonary effects.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its relation with bone density, muscle strength, and exercise capacity in patients with COPD.

Assessment of endogenous growth hormone pulsatility in gelded yearling horses using deconvolution analysis.

Hypothesis/objectives: Defining normal Growth Hormone (GH) secretory dynamics in the horse is necessary to understand altered GH dynamics related to issues like welfare and disease.

Animals And Methods: Twelve healthy yearlings and two mature Standardbreds were used to quantify GH secretion. Endogenous GH half-life was determined after administration of 1.

Basal glucose metabolism and peripheral insulin sensitivity in equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

Background: Glucocorticoids are suggested to precipitate laminitis and induce insulin resistance in horses.

Hypothesis/objectives: To assess insulin sensitivity and the basal amount of glucose metabolized in equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID).

Animals And Methods: The euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC) technique was performed in seven horses with a diagnosis of PPID based on the presence of hypertrichosis and positive dexamethasone suppression-test results comprising one gelding and six mares with a mean age of 21.

Flow cytometry-based assay to evaluate human serum MUC1-Tn antibodies.

Mucin-1 (MUC1) is a heavily O-glycosylated, transmembrane protein that is expressed on the apical surface of most secretory epithelia. In malignantly transformed epithelia, MUC1 has lost its apical distribution, is underglycosylated and is secreted into the circulation. Due to the underglycosylation of MUC1, cancer-specific MUC1-Tn/STn antigens, which are highly immunogenic, become exposed.

Gelofusine affects the quality control performance of QuickVue point-of-care human chorionic gonadotropin test devices.

Objective: To characterize the influence of Gelofusine (succinylated gelatin) on the performance of point-of-care testing (POCT) for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) devices.

Design And Methods: Three brands of urine and urine/serum hCG POCT devices were verified.

Results: Succinylated gelatin affected the performance of the control band in the QuickVue hCG POCT devices.

Pregnancy in classic galactosemia despite undetectable anti-Müllerian hormone.

Objective: To report a pregnancy in a patient with classic galactosemia despite signs of no ovarian reserve to draw attention to the limited predictive value of ovarian reserve tests in these patients.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Secondary and tertiary care center.

High prevalence of morphometric vertebral deformities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Earlier studies have documented that the prevalence of decreased bone mineral density (BMD) is elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of vertebral deformities in inflammatory bowel disease patients and their relation with BMD and bone turnover.

Methods: One hundred and nine patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 72 with ulcerative colitis (UC) (age 44.

Bone turnover and hip bone mineral density in patients with sarcoidosis.

Background And Aim Of The Work: Sarcoidosis is a chronic inflammatory T-cell-driven disease that can also affect bone. We evaluated bone remodelling and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with sarcoidosis and their dependency of disease-related and treatment-related factors.

Methods: In 124 patients BMD of the hip (DXA) and markers of bone resorption (ICTP) and formation (PINP) were evaluated.

The effect of sublingual captopril versus intravenous enalaprilat on angiotensin II plasma levels.

A 44-year-old woman, with a history of familial adenomatous polyposis, complicated by carcinoma of the colon, for which a proctocolectomy had been performed, now presented with metastasis located in the pancreas. Treatment consisted of chemotherapy followed by a partial pancreaticoduodenectomy. Due to ischemia, resection of the small intestines was performed the same day.

Utility of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, galectin-3, and apelin for the evaluation of patients with acute heart failure.

Objectives: This study sought to explore the role of new biomarkers in heart failure (HF).

Background: We investigated the utility of novel serum markers alone or together with natriuretic peptide testing for diagnosis and short-term prognosis estimation in subjects with acute HF.

Methods: Plasma levels of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), apelin, and galectin-3 were measured in 599 patients presenting with dyspnea at the emergency department, of which 209 (35%) had acute HF.

Co-ingestion of a protein hydrolysate and amino acid mixture with carbohydrate improves plasma glucose disposal in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Although insulin secretion after carbohydrate ingestion is severely impaired in patients with type 2 diabetes, amino acid and protein co-ingestion can substantially increase plasma insulin responses.

Objective: We investigated insulin responses and the subsequent plasma glucose disposal rates after the ingestion of carbohydrate alone (CHO) or with a protein hydrolysate and amino acid mixture (CHO+PRO) in patients with a long-term diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Design: Ten type 2 diabetic patients [mean (+/-SEM) age: 62 +/- 2 y; body mass index (kg/m(2)): 27 +/- 1] and 9 healthy control subjects (age: 58 +/- 1 y; body mass index: 27 +/- 1) participated in 2 trials in which the plasma insulin response was measured after the ingestion of 0.

Hip bone mineral density, bone turnover and risk of fracture in patients on long-term suppressive L-thyroxine therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: Untreated hyperthyroidism and treatment with high doses of thyroid hormone are associated with osteoporosis. However, their effect on bone turnover, their contribution to bone mineral density (BMD) in the context of other clinical risk factors for osteoporosis and the prevalence of vertebral fractures is not well documented.

Design: Cross-sectional study.