Comparison of procalcitonin levels with blood culture results and foci of infection in septic patients.

Background And Aim: Large number of studies proved undisputable role of procalcitonin (PCT) in sepsis diagnosis. Moreover, potential of procalcitonin to predict blood culture results according to Gram staining, different types of pathogens and foci of infection is discussed lately. The primary aim of our study was to compare the PCT levels in septic patients with documented Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteraemia.

Diagnosis of sepsis: which clinical and laboratory biomarkers are useful?

The quest for a definitive diagnostic tool for sepsis has spanned decades, yet it remains elusive. The diagnostic workup of sepsis is inherently complex, involving dozens of biochemical, hematologic, and immunologic parameters, alongside complex microbiological diagnostics. Over the past decade, the integration of omics technologies has further complicated this diagnostic landscape.

Bacteremia in Patients with Sepsis in the ICU: Does It Make a Difference?

Sepsis (and septic shock) is on of the most common causes of death worldwide. Bacteremia often, but not necessarily, occurs in septic patients, but the impact of true bacteremia on a patient's clinical characteristics and outcome remains unclear. The main aim of this study was to compare the characteristics and outcome of a well-defined cohort of 258 septic patients with and without bacteremia treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary center hospital in Prague, Czech Republic.

Association of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid Exposure during Pregnancy with Maternal Outcomes and Newborn Anthropometric Measures: Results from the IoMum Cohort Study.

The aims of this study were to characterize the exposure of pregnant women living in Portugal to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and to evaluate the association of this exposure with maternal outcomes and newborn anthropometric measures. We also aimed to compare exposure in summer with exposure in winter. Pregnant women attending ultrasound scans from April 2018 to April 2019 at a central hospital in Porto, Portugal, were invited to participate.

Sepsis as a Challenge for Personalized Medicine.

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome of systemic inflammation induced by infection, now defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated immune response to infection [...

Mendelian Susceptibility to Mycobacterial Disease: The First Case of a Diagnosed Adult Patient in the Czech Republic.

We present a case of a 42-year-old woman with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease. The disease was diagnosed at an adult age with relatively typical clinical manifestations; the skeleton, joints, and soft tissues were affected by nontuberculous mycobacteria: , , and . A previously published loss-of-function and functionally validated variant NM_000416.

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein transcription is regulated by estrogen receptor signaling in largemouth bass ovary.

Estrogenic contaminants in the environment are linked to the occurrence of reproductive abnormalities in many aquatic species, including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; LMB). Previous work has shown that many different types of xenoestrogens regulate expression of the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein (StAR), a cholesterol-transporting protein vital to steroid hormone biosynthesis; however, the regulatory mechanisms of StAR are incompletely characterized in fish. To learn more about endogenous expression patterns of StAR in the ovary, LMB were collected from the St.

Kinetics of Myristic Acid Following Accidentally Induced Septic Response.

Myristic acid was identified as a metabolite with the highest diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in the metabolome of patients with bacteraemia. Subsequently, its significant decrease was observed in patients in septic shock not responding to treatment. In our study we have captured myristic acid serum level kinetics in 96 hours following accidental intravenous self-administration of eubiotic Hylak forte causing infection-like systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Abdominal aortic aneurysm as an IgG4-related disease.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate patients with aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA) with regard to immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related disease (IgG4-RD). IgG4-RD represents a recently defined condition comprised of a collection of disorders characterized by IgG4 hypergammaglobulinemia, the presence of IgG4-positive plasma cells in organs affected with fibrotic or sclerotizing changes and typical histopathological features. It was identified as a possible cause of vasculitis in large vessels.

Gene expression in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm - more than immunological mechanisms involved.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a serious condition of unclear pathogenesis and progression. Two samples were collected from 48 patients during AAA surgery. One sample was collected from the aneurysm, the other from the aneurysm proximal neck where the tissue did not exhibit any aneurysmal changes.

Parameters affecting 5-hydroxymethylfurfural exposure from beer.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is generated during food and beverage heating processes and/or storage. Its daily intake, estimated as 4-10 mg day, is several orders of magnitude higher than other process contaminants. Beer can be of relevance to the evaluation of HMF exposure; however, the information concerning its occurrence in different types of beer and during product storage is scarce.

Thrower's Fracture of the Humerus: A Case Report.

Humeral fractures typically occur as the result of direct, external trauma. Here however, we describe the case of a young, amateur athlete presenting with acute right, upper arm pain after throwing a ball. Examination showed right upper arm deformity and tenderness to palpation, without any distal neurovascular deficits.

Isolated Arteritis of Both Lower Limbs.

Isolated arteritis of the lower limb vessels is an extremely rare condition. The use of modern vascular imaging techniques substantially facilitates and accelerates the diagnostics. In the isolated lower limb arteritis, it is always necessary to exclude Takayasu's and giant-cell arteritis.

Evaluation of IFN-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay (ELISPOT) as a First-line Test in the Diagnosis of Non-Immediate Hypersensitivity to Amoxicillin and Penicillin.

The current diagnostic algorithm for beta-lactam allergy is based on skin and provocation tests, both of which carry a certain risk of inducing hypersensitivity reactions. Thus, non-invasive in vitro tests reliable enough to replace skin and provocation tests at least in a portion of patients are desirable. We aimed to verify the utility of IFN-γ ELISPOT as a first-line test in patients with suspected non-immediate hypersensitivity reaction to amoxicillin (AMX) and penicillin (PNC).

Sepsis Diagnostics in the Era of "Omics" Technologies.

Sepsis is a multifactorial clinical syndrome with an extremely dynamic clinical course and with high diverse clinical phenotype. Early diagnosis is crucial for the final clinical outcome. Previous studies have not identified a biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis which would have sufficient sensitivity and specificity.

IgG4-related Disease - A Patient with Multiple Organ Involvement.

IgG4-related diseases represent a heterogeneous group of conditions characterised by elevated serum IgG4 levels and fibrotic or sclerosing changes in the affected organs or systems accompanied by IgG4-positive plasma cells. A disease associated with IgG4 may affect virtually any organ - salivary glands, periorbital tissue, kidneys, lungs, meninges, aorta, prostate, pericardium or skin. Histopathological findings are uniform, characterised by a major lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate and the presence of IgG4-producing plasma cells, irrespective of the affected site.

IgG4-related Diseases - A Rare Polycystic Form of Ormond's Disease.

Currently, Ormond's disease is classified among IgG4-associated diseases. Its clinical manifestation varies and is characterized by the presence of fibrous retroperitoneal tissue that often affects the ureters or abdominal aorta and iliac arteries. We present a unique case of the polycystic form of Ormond's disease, imitating tumour in the retroperitoneal space.

Cryotolerance of Sperm from Transgenic Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Cryopreservation is an important tool routinely used in preserving sperm for assisted reproductive technologies and for genetic preservation of unique animal models. Here we investigated the viability of fresh and frozen sperm from rhesus macaques on the basis of motility, membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity. Sperm motility was determined by visual evaluation; membrane and acrosome integrity were assessed simultaneously through triple staining with Hoechst 33342, propidium iodide, and fluorescein isothiocyanate-peanut agglutinin.

miR-196a Ameliorates Cytotoxicity and Cellular Phenotype in Transgenic Huntington's Disease Monkey Neural Cells.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) tract that leads to motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairment. Currently there is no cure for HD. A transgenic HD nonhuman primate (HD-NHP) model was developed with progressive development of clinical and pathological features similar to human HD, which suggested the potential preclinical application of the HD-NHP model.

Immunotherapy of Sepsis: Blind Alley or Call for Personalized Assessment?

Sepsis is the most frequent cause of death in noncoronary intensive care units. In the past 10 years, progress has been made in the early identification of septic patients and their treatment. These improvements in support and therapy mean that mortality is gradually decreasing, however, the rate of death from sepsis remains unacceptably high.

High contaminant loads in Lake Apopka's riparian wetland disrupt gene networks involved in reproduction and immune function in largemouth bass.

Lake Apopka (FL, USA) has elevated levels of some organochlorine pesticides in its sediments and a portion of its watershed has been designated a US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. This study assessed reproductive endpoints in Florida largemouth bass (LMB) (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) after placement into experimental ponds adjacent to Lake Apopka. LMB collected from a clean reference site (DeLeon Springs) were stocked at two periods of time into ponds constructed in former farm fields on the north shore of the lake.

Transcriptional networks associated with the immune system are disrupted by organochlorine pesticides in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) ovary.

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) inhabiting Lake Apopka, Florida are exposed to high levels of persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and dietary uptake is a significant route of exposure for these apex predators. The objectives of this study were to determine the dietary effects of two organochlorine pesticides (p, p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; p, p' DDE and methoxychlor; MXC) on the reproductive axis of largemouth bass. Reproductive bass (late vitellogenesis) were fed one of the following diets: control pellets, 125ppm p, p'-DDE, or 10ppm MXC (mg/kg) for 84days.

Combination of Steroids and Azathioprine in the Treatment of Ormond's Disease--A Single Centre Retrospective Analysis.

We present a retrospective analysis of patients treated in our Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Immunology, Na Homolce Hospital, during 1997-2013 for Ormond's disease. We analyse the clinical history, diagnostic approaches, surgical, and immunosuppressive therapies and their subsequent effect on our patients. 28 patients treated for Ormond's disease were included.

Ormond's Disease--IgG4-related Disease.

Ormond's disease is a relatively rare disease with unclear etiology, characterized by chronic periaortitis and retroperitoneal fibrosis. The inflammatory process affects the infrarenal part of the abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries, and the presence of infiltrates encasing the ureters and inferior vena cava. This disease is currently classed as an IgG4-related disease.