Unresolved alterations in bile acid composition and dyslipidemia in maternal and cord blood after ursodeoxycholic acid treatment for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Unlabelled: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is characterized by elevated plasma bile acid levels. ICP is linked to adverse metabolic outcomes, including a reported increased risk of gestational diabetes. The standard therapeutic approach for managing ICP is treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and induction of labor prior to 40 weeks of gestation.

Dietary interventions to prevent high-fructose diet-associated worsening of colitis and colitis-associated tumorigenesis in mice.

Diet is believed to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. High consumption of dietary fructose has been shown to exacerbate experimental colitis, an effect mediated through the gut microbiota. This study evaluated whether dietary alterations could attenuate the detrimental effects of a high-fructose diet (HFrD) in experimental colitis.

Dietary Fructose Alters the Composition, Localization, and Metabolism of Gut Microbiota in Association With Worsening Colitis.

Background & Aims: The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases has increased over the last half century, suggesting a role for dietary factors. Fructose consumption has increased in recent years. Recently, a high fructose diet (HFrD) was shown to enhance dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice.

Free cholesterol, cholesterol precursor and plant sterol levels in atherosclerotic plaques are independently associated with symptomatic advanced carotid artery stenosis.

Background And Aims: Circulating sterols result either from cholesterol (CH) synthesis or intestinal uptake. They are mainly esterified and can be oxygenated. Sterols accumulate in atherosclerotic plaques whereby their clinical impact is uncertain.

Endovascular Repair of the Thoracic or Thoracoabdominal Aorta Following the Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure.

Background: This study evaluated the outcomes of endovascular repair of the thoracoabdominal aorta following the frozen elephant trunk (fET) procedure.

Methods: Between October 2014 and July 2018, 249 patients underwent thoracic or thoracoabdominal endovascular aortic repair in our institution. Of these, 10 patients (50% male) underwent second-stage endovascular repair after previous fET implantation.

Retroperitoneal space-occupying lesion with displacement of the inferior vena cava.

Introduction: The differential diagnosis and therapy of retroperitoneal masses suspicious for soft tissue tumors remains difficult and needs individual decisions as to the best management of patients. We report an unusual case of retroperitoneal schwannoma (RS).

Presentation Of Case: We report on a 57-year-old female patient with a retroperitoneal space-occupying lesion with displacement, but no infiltration of surrounding vessels, especially the inferior vena cava.

Ischaemic preconditioning of the spinal cord to prevent spinal cord ischaemia during endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm: first clinical experience.

Aims: The purpose of our study was to report our experience with minimally invasive segmental artery coil embolisation (MISACE) to prevent spinal cord ischaemia (SCI) after endovascular repair (ER) of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA).

Methods And Results: A cohort of 57 patients with TAAAs was treated by MISACE followed by ER between October 2014 and December 2017. The TAAA Crawford classification was: type I, n=5; type II, n=12; type III, n=27; type IV, n=13.

Endovascular Treatment of Severely Calcified Femoropopliteal Lesions Using the "Pave-and-Crack" Technique: Technical Description and 12-Month Results.

Purpose: To report midterm results of the "pave-and-crack" technique to facilitate safe and effective scaffolding of heavily calcified femoropopliteal lesions in preparation for delivery of a Supera interwoven stent.

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively on 67 consecutive patients (mean age 71±8 years; 54 men) treated with this technique between November 2011 and February 2017 at a single center. A third (22/64, 34%) of the patients had critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Factors associated with morbidity and in-hospital mortality after surgery beyond the age of 90: Comparison with outcome results of younger patients matched for treatment.

Background: Surgical outcome to extremes of age is understudied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient characteristics and incidence of postoperative morbidity and in-hospital mortality among patients aged 90 years and older who underwent surgery in comparison to younger controls.

Methods: Patients aged 90 years or older (n = 80; mean age, 92.

Single-center experience with vascular closure devices in real-world endovascular peripheral interventions.

Background: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vascular closure devices (VCDs) in non-cardiac endovascular interventions.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients submitted to endovascular interventions, with deployment of 2327 vascular closure devices. Demographic, clinical/periprocedural, post-operative, complication and reintervention data were reviewed.

Drug-Coated Balloons for Complex Femoropopliteal Lesions: 2-Year Results of a Real-World Registry.

Objectives: The authors sought to investigate the efficacy of a drug-coated balloon (DCB) for treatment of complex femoropopliteal lesions.

Background: Superiority of DCBs compared with uncoated balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal interventions has been demonstrated in randomized trials for short lesions. Their performance in complex lesions with higher restenosis rates is unclear.

Good clinical outcome after accidental intra-arterial injection of flunitrazepam tablets in 16 drug abusers with critical limb ischaemia.

Objectives: Inadvertent intra-arterial injection of flunitrazepam tablets intended for intravenous use by drug abusers has devastating effects. We report here on the clinical outcome of 16 drug abusers developing critical limb ischaemia after flunitrazepam injection.

Methods: Treatment combined immediate analgesia and anticoagulation, long-lasting local thrombolysis and vasodilatation, antibiotic prophylaxis, and physical mobilization.

Randomized phase II study comparing topotecan/cisplatin administration for 5 days versus 3 days in the treatment of extensive stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Background: Topotecan (T) is an active drug in SCLC. A combination of topotecan with cisplatin (DDP) was suggested to be highly synergistic. This phase II trial was initiated to assess the activity of T/DDP in chemotherapy-naive patients suffering from extensive disease small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and to compare the conventional 5-day regime with an experimental 3-day schedule.

Prolonged infusional topotecan and accelerated hyperfractionated 3d-conformal radiation in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma--a phase I study.

Purpose: Topotecan has demonstrated exceptional central nervous system penetration as well as radiosensitizing properties in glioblastoma xenografts [Chastagner et al., Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phy 50: 777-782, 2001]. This phase I trial was performed to determine the maximum tolerated dose and the recommended dose of topotecan continuous infusion administered together with concomitant radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma.

Topotecan chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer and brain metastases: results of a pilot study.

Background: Symptomatic brain metastases occur in approximately 10-15% of patients suffering from breast cancer and are linked to a clear deterioration of the patient's condition. Although radiotherapy is recommended as a primary therapy, the optimal management remains controversial. To evaluate the role of topotecan as a primary chemotherapy for brain metastases, we performed a pilot study in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

[A double-blind comparative study of the effectiveness and tolerance of paroxetine and amitriptyline in treatment of breast cancer patients with clinically assessed depression].

Objective: In this double-blind, non-placebo controlled study [corrected], 179 patients with treated breast cancer who fulfilled the ICD-10 criteria for an acute depressive episode underwent an 8-week course of antidepressant treatment with either the tricyclic amitriptyline (75-150 mg, n = 87) or the serotonin-reuptake inhibitor paroxetine (20-40 mg, n = 88).

Methods: The change in clinical status relative to baseline was measured with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Clinical Global Impression (CGI), the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC) and the Patient Global Evaluation.

Results: Both treatment groups showed significant improvement in all parameters at weeks 3, 5 and 8.

Subnuclear distribution of DNA topoisomerase I and Bax protein in normal and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts after irradiation with UV light and gamma rays or treatment with topotecan.

Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine abundance and subnuclear distribution of DNA topoisomerase I and the Bax protein in normal and excision-repair-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) fibroblasts after irradiation of cells with gamma rays or UV light, or exposure to the topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan. DNA topoisomerase I and Bax were monitored using antisera raised against the human proteins. In addition, topoisomerases IIalpha and IIbeta were made visible with specific antibodies.

Dose escalation vs. continued doses of paroxetine and maprotiline: a prospective study in depressed out-patients with inadequate treatment response.

In view of the fact that controlled prospective studies on the benefits of dose escalation of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine are lacking, we conducted a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group multicentre study designed to compare the possible benefits of dose escalation of paroxetine and maprotiline in patients suffering from major or minor depression according to modified Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) with inadequate treatment response. The study sample consisted of 544 out-patients with different degrees of severity of depression. Patients received either 20 mg paroxetine (n = 271) or 100 mg maprotiline (n = 273) for the first 3 weeks in a double-blind manner.

Colonic spreading of a non-chlorofluorocarbon mesalazine rectal foam enema in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis.

Background: Rectal foam enemas provide for drug delivery to the distal colon for treatment of left sided ulcerative colitis. However, currently available formulations contain chlorofluorocarbons which are due to be phased out in the near future. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the degree of dispersion of a newly developed non-chlorofluorocarbon rectal foam preparation in ulcerative colitis patients.

[Granisetron, a antiemetic for treatment of cytostatic drug-induced vomiting: results of a practice-oriented study].

The present multicentre Austrian investigation of the prophylactic intravenous administration of granisetron, a serotonin antagonist, routinely for control of cytostatic-induced nausea and emesis was carried out in 102 patients with cancer of various types undergoing different emetogenic cytostatic regimens (232 cycles of chemotherapy). A major therapeutic response, i.e.