The human heart releases cardiotrophin-1 after coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objectives: Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is closely linked to many cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and heart failure, and exhibits cardioprotective effect in ischemia-reperfusion injury. The present study was designed to investigate the course of CT-1 in patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and to evaluate the relationship between plasma CT-1 levels and postoperative cardiac function.

Methods: Twenty-four patients undergoing elective CABG were studied.

Electroconvulsive therapy and biomarkers of neuronal injury and plasticity: Serum levels of neuron-specific enolase and S-100b protein.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered an effective and safe treatment in major depressive disorders. However, the possibility that it may induce cognitive adverse effects observed in selected patients has raised a concern that ECT may induce neuronal damage. The biomarkers of brain damage, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S-100b protein (S-100b), were measured in serum before and after ECT to determine whether this treatment induces neuronal injury or glial activation.

Cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum of lung cancer patients during radiotherapy - Association of interleukin-8 and VEGF with survival.

Radiotherapy (RT) produces oxidative stress and local inflammation. This study aimed at clarifying the role of different cytokines (VEGF, TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in the serum of lung cancer patients at baseline and during RT. Bronchoscopy and BAL were performed on 36 lung cancer patients and 36 controls for diagnosis; patients receiving RT had a second bronchoscopy during RT.

Association of the IL6-174(G/C) polymorphism with C-reactive protein concentration after weight loss in obese men.

Elevated plasma concentration of C-reactive protein has emerged as an important predictor of future cardiovascular diseases and metabolic abnormalities in apparently healthy individuals. Obese individuals tend to have elevated C-reactive protein concentrations. Weight loss induces a change in this protein, and single nucleotide polymorphisms in regulating genes might affect this change, since C-reactive protein concentration is known to be approximately 40-50% heritable.

Alcohol misuse increases serum antibodies to oxidized LDL and C-reactive protein.

Aims: To clarify the relationship of alcohol consumption with serum antibodies to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods: The study population consisted of 280 men with evidence of alcohol misuse by having self-reported alcohol consumption values over 280 g absolute ethanol per week and 250 age-matched moderate drinkers from a population of Finnish men participating in the FINRISK survey study. Serum samples were analysed for antibodies to oxLDL, C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT).

Endothelial dysfunction and increased arterial intima-media thickness in children with type 1 diabetes.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction may play a pathophysiological role in the development of atherosclerosis in subjects with type 1 diabetes. We examined whether alterations in vascular endothelial function exist in children with type 1 diabetes and tested the hypothesis that endothelial dysfunction is associated with early structural atherosclerotic vascular changes in these children.

Methods And Results: Noninvasive ultrasound was used to measure brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) responses and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in 75 children (mean age 11+/-2 years), 45 with type 1 diabetes (diabetes duration 4.

Imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses in elderly patients after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background And Aims: Increased inflammatory activity has been observed in elderly people. The aim of this study was to determine whether cytokine responses after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in elderly patients are different from those in younger patients.

Methods: Fifty-five male patients admitted for first-time elective coronary artery bypass surgery were divided into two age groups: group I, patients younger than 70 years (N=40); and group II, patients aged 70 years or older (N=15).

Soluble adhesion molecules in coronary surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass with pump prime aprotinin.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to establish whether pump prime aprotinin could influence soluble adhesion molecules in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery.

Design: Thirty patients admitted for first-time elective coronary artery bypass surgery were randomized into control or aprotinin groups. Patients in the aprotinin group received 280 mg of aprotinin in the pump prime.

Soluble adhesion molecules and myocardial injury during coronary artery bypass grafting.

Cardiopulmonary bypass is acknowledged to be one of the major causes of a complex systemic inflammatory response after cardiac surgery. Leukocyte-endothelial binding followed by neutrophil migration appears to play a central role. These interactions are mediated by adhesion molecules on the surface of activated cells.

Association of mannan-binding lectin deficiency with venous bypass graft occlusions in patients with coronary heart disease.

We investigated the effect of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency on the susceptibility to bypass graft occlusion in 62 patients with coronary heart disease. MBL deficiency appeared to be associated with occlusion (p = 0.0099).

Comparison of procalcitonin with CRP and differential white blood cell count for diagnosis of culture-proven neonatal sepsis.

We analysed the utility of procalcitonin (PCT) assay, either alone or in combination with 2 simple blood assays, for the diagnosis of culture-proven neonatal septicaemia. Tests for serum PCT concentration, serum CRP concentration and blood immature to total neutrophil leucocyte ratio all had reasonable (58-77%) sensitivity, reasonable (62-84%) specificity, good (94-97%) negative predictive value and poor (16-24%) positive predictive value for the diagnosis of sepsis. Algorithms combining various tests produced slight improvements in sensitivity or specificity.

Cytokine Responses in Low-Risk Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in myocardial function, severe congestive heart failure and sepsis. The present study tested the hypothesis that cytokine levels are elevated after low-risk coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), and that they may be associated with postoperative cardiac dysfunction. Twenty male patients undergoing elective CABG in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were studied.