Cohort profile of BIGPROMISE: a perioperative biobank of a high-risk surgical population.

Purpose: Postoperative complications increase mortality, disability and costs. Advanced understanding of the risk factors for postoperative complications is needed to improve surgical outcomes. This paper discusses the rationale and profile of the BIGPROMISE (biomarkers to guide perioperative management and improve outcome in high-risk surgery) cohort, that aims to investigate risk factors, pathophysiology and outcomes related to postoperative complications.

Prediction of the Values of CRP, eGFR, and Hemoglobin in the Follow-Up of Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients after (Cryo)Surgery Using Machine Learning Algorithms.

Background: Artificial intelligence can support clinical decisions by predictive modeling. Using patient-specific characteristics, models may predict the course of clinical parameters, thus guiding monitoring approaches for the individual patient. Here, we present prediction models for inflammation and for the course of renal function and hemoglobin (Hb) in renal cell carcinoma patients after (cryo)surgery.

The Promoter Polymorphism Associates With Severe COVID-19 in the European Population.

Diversity in response on exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may be related to the innate immune response in the elderly. The mucin MUC5B is an important component of the innate immune response and expression levels are associated with the promoter polymorphism, rs35705950. The high expressing T-allele is a risk allele for the non-infectious aging lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Increased Efficacy of Whole Lung Lavage Treatment in Alveolar Proteinosis Using a New Modified Lavage Technique.

Background: Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is an ultra-rare pulmonary disease. Whole lung lavage (WLL) is considered the gold standard therapy. We report a protocol for a new modified lavage technique (nMLT) in which controlled repetitive manual hyperinflation (MH) and intermittent chest percussion are used to enhance WLL efficacy.

Serum biomarker CA 15-3 as predictor of response to antifibrotic treatment and survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is a baseline biomarker in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but its value during follow-up is unknown. Associations between serum CA 15-3 and pulmonary function tests during 1-year follow-up were evaluated by a mixed model in 132 IPF treated with pirfenidone or nintedanib. Increased baseline (median: 56 kU/l) and follow-up CA 15-3 levels were inversely associated with forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (estimates respectively: -5.

Genetic Variation in CCL18 Gene Influences CCL18 Expression and Correlates with Survival in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Part A.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrotic disease, characterized by fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. CC-chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) upregulates the production of collagen by lung fibroblasts and is associated with mortality. This study was designed to evaluate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene on CCL18 expression and survival in IPF.

Association between serum biomarkers CEA and LDH and response in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Background: In addition to radiological evaluation, biomarkers may be useful in providing early information on the response to treatment, and supporting clinical decision-making. The objective of this study was to investigate carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as biomarkers for early assessment of response in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Methods: A retrospective follow-up study was conducted from 2012 to 2017 among 593 consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands.

Change in Serum Biomarker CA 15-3 as an Early Predictor of Response to Treatment and Survival in Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

Background: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease with a heterogeneous course of disease and treatment response. Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3), part of mucin 1, is believed to reflect epithelial cell injury and lung permeability and could be a potential biomarker for treatment response in HP.

Objective: To assess the value of CA 15-3 as a predictive biomarker in non-fibrotic and fibrotic HP during immunosuppressive therapy.

ACE and sIL-2R correlate with lung function improvement in sarcoidosis during methotrexate therapy.

Introduction: In sarcoidosis, the search for disease activity markers that correlate with treatment response is ongoing. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of two proposed markers, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) during methotrexate (MTX) therapy in sarcoidosis patients.

Materials And Methods: We analysed 114 sarcoidosis patients who used MTX for six months, consisting of a subgroup of 76 patients with a pulmonary indication for treatment and a subgroup of 38 patients with an extra-pulmonary indication.

Evaluation of circulating YKL-40 levels in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias.

Introduction: YKL-40 is a novel biomarker in diseases with inflammation, fibrosis and tissue remodelling. Previously, circulating YKL-40 was shown to be elevated in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and was associated with survival.

Objective: To compare YKL-40 serum levels between IPF and other interstitial pneumonias such as non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), smoking-related interstitial lung disease (SR-ILD) and cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP).

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) -173 polymorphism is associated with clinical erythema nodosum in Löfgren's syndrome.

Introduction: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been shown to be a key regulator in innate and adaptive immune responses. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5' region of the MIF gene, MIF -173∗G/C, is associated with increased MIF protein production, in vivo and in vitro. Associations have been shown between the minor MIF -173C allele and sarcoidosis patients with erythema nodosum (EN).

[Hypoglycaemia with low insulin levels: what insulin tests do not measure].

Insulin can be measured by immunochemical methods using polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are specific in the detection of pure human insulin, and may show little to no cross reactivity with pro-insulin or recombinant insulin. Polyclonal antibodies, however, do show such cross reactivity.

YKL-40 and matrix metalloproteinases as potential biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis in the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.

Background And Objective: The development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after lung transplantation is characterized by inflammation, remodeling and fibrosis. Both YKL-40 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 have shown to be involved in these processes. We measured serial YKL-40 and MMP-9 serum levels in lung transplant recipients and assessed their usefulness as biomarker for BOS.

Incidence and predictive value of proteinuria in community-acquired pneumonia.

Background/aims: The presence of baseline proteinuria predicts the outcome in patients with chronic kidney disease and in the general population, independent of renal function. However, the predictive value of proteinuria during an episode of acute illness has not been reported yet. Therefore, we investigated the incidence and predictive value of proteinuria in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

IL1RN genetic variations and risk of IPF: a meta-analysis and mRNA expression study.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare and devastating lung disease of unknown aetiology. Genetic variations in the IL1RN gene, encoding the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), have been associated with IPF susceptibility. Several studies investigated the variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) or single nucleotide polymorphisms rs408392, rs419598 and rs2637988, with variable results.

Association between variations in cell cycle genes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating and progressive lung disease. Its aetiology is thought to involve damage to the epithelium and abnormal repair. Alveolar epithelial cells near areas of remodelling show an increased expression of proapoptotic molecules.

Bronchoalveolar lavage cell pattern from healthy human lung.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is widely accepted as a key diagnostic procedure in interstitial lung diseases (ILD). We performed a study to obtain reference intervals of differential cell patterns in BAL fluid with special attention to the origin of lavage fluid, e.g.

The influence of CYP2C19*2 and *17 on on-treatment platelet reactivity and bleeding events in patients undergoing elective coronary stenting.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of genotypes on the basis of the loss-of-function variant CYP2C19*2 and the gain-of-function variant CYP2C19*17 on on-treatment platelet reactivity and on the occurrence of Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) major bleedings in 820 clopidogrel-treated patients who underwent elective coronary stenting.

Methods: On-treatment platelet reactivity was quantified using ADP-induced light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) and the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay. Postdischarge TIMI major bleedings within 1 year after enrollment were recorded.

Genetic variation in the Toll-like receptor gene cluster (TLR10-TLR1-TLR6) influences disease course in sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Various microorganisms have been proposed as etiologic agent suggesting a role for pattern-recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in disease pathogenesis, with a special interest in TLR-2. TLR-10, TLR-1, and TLR-6 act as co-receptors for TLR-2 and the genes encoding these receptors are located in a gene cluster on chromosome 4.

Genetic polymorphisms and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation: promising results and recommendations for the future.

Survival rates after lung transplantation are the lowest among solid organ transplantations. Long-term survival is limited by the development of chronic rejection, known as bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). Risk factors, such as acute rejection and cytomegalovirus infection, contribute to the development of BOS.

Genetic variability in the IL1RN gene and the balance between interleukin (IL)-1 receptor agonist and IL-1β in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown aetiology. Interleukin (IL)-1β plays an important role in inflammation and has been associated with fibrotic remodelling. We investigated the balance between IL-1β and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum as well as the influence of genetic variability in the IL1B and IL1RN gene on disease susceptibility and cytokine levels.

A genetic polymorphism in the CAV1 gene associates with the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation.

Background: Caveolin 1 (Cav-1) is the primary structural component of cell membrane invaginations called 'caveolae'. Expression of Cav-1 is implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Genetic polymorphisms in the CAV1 gene influence the function of Cav-1 in malignancies and associate with renal allograft fibrosis.

Combined influence of proton-pump inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers and CYP2C19*2 on on-treatment platelet reactivity and on the occurrence of atherothrombotic events after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The carriage of CYP2C19*2 and the use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) has been associated with the diminished efficacy of clopidogrel. However, previous studies have only assessed the isolated impact of these risk factors for clopidogrel poor response.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the combined presence of three risk factors for clopidogrel poor response, that is, the use of CCBs, PPIs and the carriage of CYP2C19*2, on on-treatment platelet reactivity and the occurrence of atherothrombotic events in 725 patients on dual antiplatelet therapy undergoing elective coronary stenting.

Prognostic value of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity for outcome of community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: In a previous study, a relation between decreased serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and physiological parameters was observed in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The present study aims to further assess the prognostic value of serum ACE activity for outcome of community-acquired pneumonia.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study including two cohorts of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (2004-2006; n=157 and 2007-2010; n=138).