Prospective randomised placebo-controlled trial assessing the efficacy of silver dressings to enhance healing of acute diabetes-related foot ulcers.

Aims/hypothesis: Silver dressings are used for their antimicrobial properties but there is limited evidence of clinical benefit when managing diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFUs). We aimed to assess whether silver dressings in acute DFUs increased the proportion of ulcers healed compared with non-silver dressings.

Methods: In this open-labelled, randomised controlled trial, consecutive individuals who presented to a tertiary multidisciplinary diabetic foot service with a DFU without osteomyelitis or tendon on view of <6 weeks' duration were randomised 1:1 via a computer-generated randomisation process to receive Acticoat (Smith & Nephew, England) dressing (silver group) or dressing without silver (control group) in addition to standard care.

Survey of Lifestyle, Past Medical History and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adult Patients Participating in the National Cancer Institute's Exceptional Responders Initiative.

Introduction: The Exceptional Responders Initiative (ERI) at the National Cancer Institute attempts to correlate unusually good outcomes in patients with cancer with genetic targets in tumors and the therapies the patients received. It is not known if other factors might contribute to exceptional responses or outcomes. We explored aspects of the medical history, lifestyle changes, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and communication between health care practitioners and patients who experienced an exceptional response following cancer treatment.

Benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy according to the number of risk factors in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Indications of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are not clearly defined. We aimed to identify factors predicting relapse in cSCC patients treated with surgery or RT alone and to assess in which clinical setting adjuvant RT was beneficial in term of progression free survival (PFS).

Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients with resectable primary cSCC treated with surgery and/or RT in curative intent, managed at Centre Léon Bérard (Lyon, France) from April 2010 to September 2020.

Strategies to identify individuals with monogenic diabetes: results of an economic evaluation.

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the lifetime costs associated with strategies to identify individuals with monogenic diabetes and change their treatment to more appropriate therapy.

Design: A decision analytical model from the perspective of the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales was developed and analysed. The model was informed by the literature, routinely collected data and a clinical study conducted in parallel with the modelling.

Soluble syndecan-3 binds chemokines, reduces leukocyte migration in vitro and ameliorates disease severity in models of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Syndecans are heparan sulfate proteoglycans that occur in membrane-bound or soluble forms. Syndecan-3, the least well-characterised of the syndecan family, is highly expressed on synovial endothelial cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Here, it binds pro-inflammatory chemokines with evidence for a role in chemokine presentation and leukocyte trafficking into the joint, promoting the inflammatory response.

Novel Anti-Inflammatory Peptides Based on Chemokine-Glycosaminoglycan Interactions Reduce Leukocyte Migration and Disease Severity in a Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Inflammation is characterized by the infiltration of leukocytes from the circulation and into the inflamed area. Leukocytes are guided throughout this process by chemokines. These are basic proteins that interact with leukocytes to initiate their activation and extravasation via chemokine receptors.

The feasibility and effectiveness of Catch It, an innovative CBT smartphone app.

Background: The widespread use of smartphones makes effective therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) potentially accessible to large numbers of people.

Aims: This paper reports the usage data of the first trial of Catch It, a new CBT smartphone app.

Method: Uptake and usage rates, fidelity of user responses to CBT principles, and impact on reported negative and positive moods were assessed.

Practical Classification Guidelines for Diabetes in patients treated with insulin: a cross-sectional study of the accuracy of diabetes diagnosis.

Background: Differentiating between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is fundamental to ensuring appropriate management of patients, but can be challenging, especially when treating with insulin. The 2010 UK Practical Classification Guidelines for Diabetes were developed to help make the differentiation.

Aim: To assess diagnostic accuracy of the UK guidelines against 'gold standard' definitions of type 1 and type 2 diabetes based on measured C-peptide levels.

Syndecan-3 is selectively pro-inflammatory in the joint and contributes to antigen-induced arthritis in mice.

Introduction: Syndecans are heparan sulphate proteoglycans expressed by endothelial cells. Syndecan-3 is expressed by synovial endothelial cells of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients where it binds chemokines, suggesting a role in leukocyte trafficking. The objective of the current study was to examine the function of syndecan-3 in joint inflammation by genetic deletion in mice and compare with other tissues.

A chemokine self-presentation mechanism involving formation of endothelial surface microstructures.

Endothelial surface microstructures have been described previously under inflammatory conditions; however, they remain ill-characterized. In this study, CXCL8, an inflammatory chemokine, was shown to induce the formation of filopodia-like protrusions on endothelial cells; the same effects were observed with CXCL10 and CCL5. Chemokines stimulated filopodia formation by both microvascular (from bone marrow and skin) and macrovascular (from human umbilical vein) endothelial cells.

Babies born at the threshold of viability: changes in survival and workload over 20 years.

Objective: To assess the care given to the babies born at the threshold of viability over the last 20 years using regional and national data.

Design: Population-based retrospective study.

Setting: Former 'Trent' health region.