Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided celiac plexus neurolysis in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer: An update.

Pancreatic cancer produces disabling abdominal pain, and the pain medical management for pancreatic cancer is often challenging because it mainly relies on the use of narcotics (major opioids). However, opioids often provide suboptimal pain relief, and the use of opioids can lead to patient tolerance and several side effects that considerably reduce the quality of life of pancreatic cancer patients. Endosonography-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) is an alternative for pain control in patients with nonsurgical pancreatic cancer; EUS-CPN consists of the injection of alcohol and a local anesthetic into the area of the celiac plexus to achieve chemical ablation of the nerve tissue.

Phase 3 rehabilitation: an underused tool for consolidation of lifestyle changes, and prevention of relapses in cases of ischemic heart disease.

The third phase of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (CRP) is a lifelong, maintenance phase beginning 3 to 6 months after the cardiac event. Individualized surveillance and monitoring schedules are established. The exercise prescription guidelines are practically identical to those of the other phases of the CRP with personalized monitoring.

Effect of acute caffeine intake on hit accuracy and reaction time in professional e-sports players.

Caffeine is considered a cognitive enhancer at low to moderate doses because it improves alertness, vigilance, attention, and reaction time. However, no previous investigation has assessed the effect of acute caffeine intake on e-sports-specific performance. The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of the ingestion of 3 mg per kg of body mass on simple reaction time in a color test and on hit accuracy and reaction time during a first-person shooting game.

Short communication: Effect of different kefir grains on the attributes of kefir produced with milk from Costa Rica.

Kefir is an artisanal product that is gaining scientific attention due to its increase in consumption attributed to its potential health benefits. The effect on the quality attributes of kefir grains of different origin (household and commercial) and preserved with different methods (drying and freezing) was evaluated to standardize a domestic and semi-industrial process. Chemical (protein, lactose.

Multicenter, randomized study to optimize bowel preparation for colon capsule endoscopy.

Aim: To assess the cleansing efficacy and safety of a new Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) bowel preparation regimen.

Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing two CCE regimens. Subjects were asymptomatic and average risk for colorectal cancer.

Napsin A, a new marker for lung adenocarcinoma, is complementary and more sensitive and specific than thyroid transcription factor 1 in the differential diagnosis of primary pulmonary carcinoma: evaluation of 1674 cases by tissue microarray.

Context: Differentiation of non-small cell carcinoma into histologic types is important because of new, successful therapies that target lung adenocarcinoma (ACA). TTF-1 is a favored marker for lung ACA but has limited sensitivity and specificity. Napsin A (Nap-A) is a functional aspartic proteinase that may be an alternative marker for primary lung ACA.

Association of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene 4G/5G polymorphism with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction in young patients.

Introduction And Objectives: To investigate the role of the 4G/5G polymorphism in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) aged < or =45 years and its influence on regulation of the plasma PAI-1 concentration.

Methods: This case-control study included 127 consecutive patients aged < or =45 years with a diagnosis of STEMI who were admitted to a cardiovascular intensive care unit and 127 controls recruited between January 2006 and March 2007. Participants were genotyped for the 4G/5G polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and their plasma PAI-1 concentrations were measured.

The inhibitory effect of HKa in endothelial cell tube formation is mediated by disrupting the uPA-uPAR complex and inhibiting its signaling and internalization.

In two-dimensional (2-D) culture systems, we have previously shown that cleaved two-chain high-molecular-weight kininogen (HKa) or its domain 5 induced apoptosis by disrupting urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) receptor (uPAR)-integrin signal complex formation. In the present study, we used a three-dimensional (3-D) collagen-fibrinogen culture system to monitor the effects of HKa on tube formation. In a 3-D system, HKa significantly inhibited tube and vacuole formation as low as 10 nM, which represents 1.

Stent-graft deployment for aortic rupture after stenting for aortic recoarctation.

We present the case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with recoarctation and then experienced rupture of the aorta and severe clinical deterioration after a stent was deployed. She was treated immediately by intrastent deployment of a stent-graft, which resolved the extremely serious situation.

The inhibition of tube formation in a collagen-fibrinogen, three-dimensional gel by cleaved kininogen (HKa) and HK domain 5 (D5) is dependent on Src family kinases.

Cleaved high molecular weight kininogen (HKa), as well as its domain 5 (D5), inhibits migration and proliferation induced by angiogenic factors and induces apoptosis in vitro. To study its effect on tube formation we utilized a collagen-fibrinogen, three-dimensional gel, an in vitro model of angiogenesis. HKa, GST-D5 and D5 had a similar inhibitory effect of tube length by 90+/-4.

Removal of a N-linked glycosylation site of classical swine fever virus strain Brescia Erns glycoprotein affects virulence in swine.

E(rns) glycoprotein, along with E(1) and E(2), is one of the three envelope glycoproteins of classical swine fever virus (CSFV). E(rns) is a heavily glycosylated protein involved in several functions, including virus attachment and entry to target cells, production of neutralizing antibodies, and virulence. The role of added glycans to CSFV strain Brescia E(rns) on virus virulence was assessed in swine.

Kininostatin associates with membrane rafts and inhibits alpha(v)beta3 integrin activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Objective: The cleaved form of high molecular weight kininogen (HKa) is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth in vivo; the functional domain has been identified as domain 5 (D5, named as kininostatin). We now identify the subcellular targeting site for D5 on endothelial cells (ECs), and investigate D5 inhibition of integrin functions.

Methods And Results: Endothelial membrane rafts were isolated using sucrose density gradient centrifugation.

Antithrombotic activity of kininogen is mediated by inhibitory effects of domain 3 during arterial injury in vivo.

High-molecular-weight kininogen (HK) and its domain 3 (D3) exhibit anticoagulant properties and inhibit platelet activation at low thrombin concentration in vitro. We hypothesized that the rapid occlusive thrombosis in HK-deficient (HKd) rats following endothelial injury of the aorta results from enhanced platelet aggregation by thrombin. The effects of D3 (G235-M357) or D3-derived peptides on thrombosis in vivo were tested.

Amelioration of inflammation, angiogenesis and CTGF expression in an arthritis model by a TSP1-derived peptide treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a thrombospondin 1 (TSP1)-derived peptide on inflammation and angiogenesis in an animal model of erosive arthritis and to assess the relationship between TSP1 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: Erosive arthritis in Lewis rats was induced by peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-PS). Animals were divided into four groups: (1) negative control and groups receiving, (2) no treatment, (3) treatment with a TSP1-derived peptide, and (4) treatment with a scrambled peptide.

Identification of a novel virulence determinant within the E2 structural glycoprotein of classical swine fever virus.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) E2 glycoprotein contains a discrete epitope (TAVSPTTLR, residues 829-837 of CSFV polyprotein) recognized by monoclonal antibody (mAb) WH303, used to differentiate CSFV from related ruminant pestiviruses, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and Border Disease Virus (BDV), that infect swine without causing disease. Progressive mutations were introduced into mAb WH303 epitope in CSFV virulent strain Brescia (BICv) to obtain the homologous amino acid sequence of BVDV strain NADL E2 (TSFNMDTLA). In vitro growth of mutants T1v (TSFSPTTLR), T2v (TSFNPTTLR), T3v (TSFNMTTLR) was similar to parental BICv, while mutants T4v (TSFNMDTLR) and T5v (TSFNMDTLA) exhibited a 10-fold decrease in virus yield and reduced plaque size.

[High molecular weight kininogen in inflammation and angiogenesis: a review of its properties and therapeutic applications].

The plasma kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) participates in the pathogenesis of inflammatory reactions involved in cellular injury, coagulation, fibrinolysis, kinin formation, complement activation, cytokine secretion and release of proteases. It has been shown that KKS activation in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome results in decrease of its component plasma proteins. Similar changes have been documented in diabetes, sepsis, children with vasculitis, allograft rejection, disseminated intravascular coagulation, patients with recurrent pregnancy losses, hereditary angioedema, adult respiratory distress syndrome and coronary artery disease.

Multiple myeloma in a murine syngeneic model:modulation of growth and angiogenesis by a monoclonal antibody to kininogen.

Multiple myeloma (MM), a B-cell malignancy characterized by proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells remains incurable. Murine plasma cell tumors share common features with human MM. We used two cell lines (B38 and C11C1) derived from P3X63Ag8 myeloma cells.

Thromsbospondin-1 binds to the heavy chain of elastase activated coagulation factor V (FVaHNE) and enhances thrombin generation on the surface of a promyelocytic cell line.

Introduction: Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) has the ability to bind to HL-60 cells and to reversibly inhibit human neutrophil elastase (HNE). Human factor V (FV) can be cleaved by HNE thereby providing FV with cofactor activity (FVa(HNE)). Experiments were performed to evaluate the ability of HNE expressed on the surface of HL-60 cells to generate FVa(HNE) to support thrombin generation, and to determine the effect of TSP1 on this reaction.

Modulation of inflammation by kininogen deficiency in a rat model of inflammatory arthritis.

Objective: To compare inflammatory peripheral arthritis in wild-type and high molecular weight kininogen (HK)-deficient rats, both on the genetically susceptible Lewis background.

Methods: By backcrossing Brown-Norway HK-deficient rats with Lewis rats for 6 generations, 2 new strains were produced, wild-type F6 and HK-deficient F6, each with a 98.5% Lewis genome.

A monoclonal antibody against kininogen reduces inflammation in the HLA-B27 transgenic rat.

The human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) transgenic rat is a model of human inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Studies of chronic inflammation in other rat models have demonstrated activation of the kallikrein-kinin system as well as modulation by a plasma kallikrein inhibitor initiated before the onset of clinicopathologic changes or a deficiency in high-molecular-mass kininogen. Here we study the effects of monoclonal antibody C11C1, an antibody against high-molecular-mass kininogen that inhibits the binding of high-molecular-mass kininogen to leukocytes and endothelial cells in the HLA-B27 rat, which was administered after the onset of the inflammatory changes.

The role of plasma high molecular weight kininogen in experimental intestinal and systemic inflammation.

Inflammation is accompanied by activation of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system (KKS). KKS activation has been demonstrated in a variety of inflammatory human diseases. To further explore the participation of KKS in arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, we used two experimental animal models in arthritis and enterocolitis.

The role of plasma high molecular weight kininogen in experimental intestinal and systemic inflammation.

Inflammation is accompanied by activation of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system (KKS). KKS activation has been demonstrated in a variety of inflammatory human diseases. To further explore the participation of KKS in arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, we used two experimental animal models in arthritis and enterocolitis.

Erectile dysfunction in heart disease patients.

Atherosclerosis is a general health problem that not only affects the coronary arteries but also (in men) the penile arteries, thus contributing to organic causes of erectile dysfunction (ED) in heart disease patients. These organic causes are intertwined with psychological and pharmacological causes because medication prescribed for heart disease patients may also cause ED. The incidence of ED after myocardial infarction ranges from 38 to 78%.

A monoclonal antibody to high-molecular weight kininogen is therapeutic in a rodent model of reactive arthritis.

We reported that high-molecular weight kininogen is proangiogenic by releasing bradykinin and that a monoclonal antibody to high-molecular weight kininogen, C11C1, blocked its binding to endothelial cells. We now test if this antibody can prevent arthritis and systemic inflammation in a Lewis rat model. We studied 32 animals for 16 days.