Biochemical profile of human infant cerebrospinal fluid in intraventricular hemorrhage and post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus of prematurity.

Background: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) have a complex pathophysiology involving inflammatory response, ventricular zone and cell-cell junction disruption, and choroid-plexus (ChP) hypersecretion. Increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokines, extracellular matrix proteins, and blood metabolites have been noted in IVH/PHH, but osmolality and electrolyte disturbances have not been evaluated in human infants with these conditions. We hypothesized that CSF total protein, osmolality, electrolytes, and immune cells increase in PHH.

A new paradigm in threshold of toxicological concern based on chemoinformatics analysis of a highly curated database enriched with antimicrobials.

A new database of antimicrobial-enriched chemicals for the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach has been compiled, comprising 1357 chemicals with 276, 54, and 1027 substances in Cramer Classes I, II, and III, respectively. To enrich the chemical space of the No-/Lowest-Observed-Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL/LOAEL) database, a reference Antimicrobial (AM) Inventory (681) was established for chemical inclusion. To this database, the three existing TTC datasets were combined via robust data fusion process.

Surgical-Site Infection Prevention After Hysterectomy: Use of a Consensus Bundle to Guide Improvement.

Hysterectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in women. Surgical-site infections (SSI) after hysterectomy can lead to increased morbidity and mortality as well as readmission, which is associated with increased costs for health systems. The aim of the project was to improve standardization of preoperative education on infection prevention and incorporate the use of preoperative chlorhexidine (CHG) bathing for patients undergoing hysterectomy to decrease rates of SSI.

A randomized multicenter trial of paricalcitol versus calcitriol for secondary hyperparathyroidism in stages 3-4 CKD.

Background And Objectives: Calcitriol is used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with CKD. Paricalcitol is less calcemic and phosphatemic in preclinical studies and in some trials in dialysis patients, but head-to-head comparisons in nondialysis patients are lacking. A large meta-analysis of trials concluded that these agents did not consistently reduce parathyroid hormone (PTH) and increased the risk of hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia.

Maintenance of glomerular filtration barrier integrity requires laminin alpha5.

Mutation of the mouse laminin alpha5 gene results in a variety of developmental defects, including defects in kidney structure and function. Whereas the total absence of laminin alpha5 results in breakdown of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and failed glomerular vascularization, a hypomorphic Lama5 mutation (the Lama5(neo) allele) results in proteinuria, hematuria, polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and death 3 to 4 weeks after birth. Here, we examined the role of podocyte-derived laminin alpha5 via podocyte-specific inactivation of Lama5 and podocyte-specific rescue of the Lama5(neo) mutation.

Glomerular filtration is normal in the absence of both agrin and perlecan-heparan sulfate from the glomerular basement membrane.

Background: For several decades, it has been thought that the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) provides a charge-selective barrier for glomerular filtration. However, recent evidence has presented challenges to this concept: selective removal of heparan sulfate (HS) moieties that impart a negative charge to the GBM causes little if any increase in proteinuria. Removal of agrin, the major GBM HS-proteoglycan (HSPG), from the GBM causes a profound reduction in the glomerular anionic charge without changing the excretion of a negatively charged tracer.

Podocyte-specific deletion of dicer alters cytoskeletal dynamics and causes glomerular disease.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by binding the 3' untranslated region of mRNAs. To define their role in glomerular function, miRNA biogenesis was disrupted in mouse podocytes using a conditional Dicer allele. Mutant mice developed proteinuria by 3 wk after birth and progressed rapidly to end-stage kidney disease.

Incidence of hepatic dysfunction is equivalent in burn patients receiving oxandrolone and controls.

Oxandrolone has been shown to improve lean muscle mass in patients with burns. Hepatic dysfunction is a known side effect of treatment with oxandrolone. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of hepatic dysfunction in our series of burn patients receiving oxandrolone.

Empiric treatment of minimally abnormal papanicolaou smears with 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel with no treatment in patients who have had a minimally abnormal Papanicolaou smear.

Methods: One hundred forty-five patients whose initial Papanicolaou smears were limited by inflammation or benign cellular changes, reactive cellular changes, or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance that did not favor a neoplastic process were randomized to 5 days of treatment with 0.