Characteristics of inpatient and outpatient respiratory syncytial virus mortality in Gavi-eligible countries.

The current understanding of the RSV-related mortality age distribution in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) relies on a limited number of disease incidence studies reporting wide age bands, and lacking specificity to Gavi-eligible countries. Understanding the age distribution of RSV-related deaths is crucial for the implementation of RSV interventions in LMICs that rely on support from Gavi. This study aims to provide the age profile of RSV mortality specifically in Gavi-eligible countries.

Estimated impact of maternal vaccination on global paediatric influenza-related in-hospital mortality: A retrospective case series.

Background: Influenza virus infection is an important cause of under-five mortality. Maternal vaccination protects children younger than 3 months of age from influenza infection. However, it is unknown to what extent paediatric influenza-related mortality may be prevented by a maternal vaccine since global age-stratified mortality data are lacking.

[A heterotopic pregnancy].

Background: Heterotopic pregnancy is a rare but life-threatening situation. This is a situation where a woman has one or more intrauterine pregnancies and at least one ectopic pregnancy.

Case Description: Heterotopic pregnancy was discovered in a 37-year-old woman during a routine ultrasound check.

Toll-like receptor 7 deficiency promotes survival and reduces adverse left ventricular remodelling after myocardial infarction.

Aims: The Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is an intracellular innate immune receptor activated by nucleic acids shed from dying cells leading to activation of the innate immune system. Since innate immune system activation is involved in the response to myocardial infarction (MI), this study aims to identify if TLR7 is involved in post-MI ischaemic injury and adverse remodelling after MI.

Methods And Results: TLR7 involvement in MI was investigated in human tissue from patients with ischaemic heart failure, as well as in a mouse model of permanent left anterior descending artery occlusion in C57BL/6J wild type and TLR7 deficient (TLR7-/-) mice.

LDL extracellular vesicle coagulation protein levels change after initiation of statin therapy. Findings from the METEOR trial.

Background: Statins are thought to have pleiotropic properties, including anticoagulant effects, in addition to reducing lipoprotein (LDL) levels. Plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small bilayer membrane vesicles involved in various biological processes including coagulation. Since subsets of EVs in the LDL plasma fraction (LDL-EVs) correlate with thrombin activity, we hypothesized that changes in LDL-EVs after statin therapy may differ from that of serum levels of coagulation proteins, providing insight into the effects of statins on coagulation.

Lowering Low-Density Lipoprotein Particles in Plasma Using Dextran Sulphate Co-Precipitates Procoagulant Extracellular Vesicles.

Plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid membrane vesicles involved in several biological processes including coagulation. Both coagulation and lipid metabolism are strongly associated with cardiovascular events. Lowering very-low- and low-density lipoprotein ((V)LDL) particles via dextran sulphate LDL apheresis also removes coagulation proteins.

Extracellular Vesicle Proteins Associated with Systemic Vascular Events Correlate with Heart Failure: An Observational Study in a Dyspnoea Cohort.

Background: SerpinF2, SerpinG1, CystatinC and CD14 are involved in inflammatory processes and plasma extracellular vesicle (EV) -levels of these proteins have been reported to be associated with systemic vascular events. Evidence is accumulating that inflammatory processes may play a pivotal role both in systemic vascular events and in heart failure. Therefore, we studied the association between plasma extracellular vesicle SerpinF2-, SerpinG1-, CystatinC and CD14-levels and the occurrence of acute heart failure in patients.

Papanicolaou's nebular cells are related to HPV infection and HSIL.

Metaplastic cells with nebular cytoplasmic changes in the cervical smear are classified in the Dutch coding system for cervical screening as KOPAC O8 cells. Since these nebulated cells are already documented by Papanicolaou, we refer to these cells as Papanicolaou's nebular cells. We examined the simultaneous presence of these characteristic metaplastic cells and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) in a population-based data base from January 1991 and December 1996.

The impact of hospital type on the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment in ovarian cancer patients.

Objective: The hospital type affects the surgical outcomes of ovarian cancer patients. In the present study, we wanted to investigate the effect of hospital type on chemotherapy efficacy.

Methods: Data were collected from 1077 ovarian cancer patients treated from 1996 to 2003 in a random sample of 18 Dutch hospitals.

Inflammatory events as detected in cervical smears and squamous intraepithelial lesions.

The Dutch cytological coding system, KOPAC, enables to code for eight inflammatory events, that is koilocytosis (related to human papillomavirus (HPV)), Trichomonas, dysbacteriosis [related to bacterial vaginosis (BV)], Candida, Gardnerella, Actinomyces, Chlamydia, and non-specific inflammation (leucocytosis). This study presents an analysis of 1,008,879 smears. Of each smear, the age of the woman and the reason for smear taking (screening or indication) was available.

Is centralization of ovarian cancer care warranted? A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tertiary referral care for ovarian cancer patients in the Netherlands.

Methods: We collected clinical and registry data on 1077 newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients treated from 1996-2003 in a random sample of Dutch hospitals. Decision modelling was used to compare the cost-effectiveness of treatment in general hospitals, semi-specialized hospitals, and tertiary care centers.

Specialized and high-volume care leads to better outcomes of ovarian cancer treatment in the Netherlands.

Objective: We investigated the influence of hospital and gynecologist level of specialization and volume on surgical results and on survival of ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: Data were collected from 1077 ovarian cancer patients treated from 1996 to 2003 in a random sample of 18 Dutch hospitals. Hospitals and gynecologists were classified according to specialization (general, semi-specialized or specialized) and by volume (12 cases/year).

Specialized care and survival of ovarian cancer patients in The Netherlands: nationwide cohort study.

Background: There is much debate on the necessity of regionalization of ovarian cancer care. We investigated the association between hospital type and survival of patients with ovarian cancer in The Netherlands.

Methods: A retrospective, population-based cohort study was performed on all Dutch patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer from January 1, 1996, through December 31, 2003.

The outcomes of ovarian cancer treatment are better when provided by gynecologic oncologists and in specialized hospitals: a systematic review.

Objective: There is much debate on the effect of specialized care for ovarian cancer patients. In this review we present an overview and summary of the recent literature on this subject.

Methods: The Pubmed database was searched for studies on the relationship between care setting (type of gynecologist or hospital) and care outcomes which were published between January 1991 and November 2006.

Lymph node recurrence following stage IA vulvar carcinoma: two cases and a short overview of literature.

Stage IA vulvar carcinoma is not supposed to metastasize to the lymph nodes. Therefore, it is assumed that these lesions can be safely treated by less aggressive methods than macroinvasive carcinomas. However, in this case report, two patients are described who had vulvar lesions with a depth of invasion of less than 1 mm and developed lymph node metastases in the groin despite radical wide local excision of their lesions.

Mapping of the coronavirus membrane protein domains involved in interaction with the spike protein.

The coronavirus membrane (M) protein is the key player in virion assembly. One of its functions is to mediate the incorporation of the spikes into the viral envelope. Heterotypic interactions between M and the spike (S) protein can be demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation and by immunofluorescence colocalization, after coexpression of their genes in eukaryotic cells.