Gene and metabolite expression dependence on body mass index in human myocardium.

We hypothesized that body mass index (BMI) dependent changes in myocardial gene expression and energy-related metabolites underlie the biphasic association between BMI and mortality (the obesity paradox) in cardiac surgery. We performed transcriptome profiling and measured a panel of 144 metabolites in 53 and 55, respectively, myocardial biopsies from a cohort of sixty-six adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (registration: NCT02908009). The initial analysis identified 239 transcripts with biphasic BMI dependence.

Management of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: Diagnostic consideration of sensitization to non-frequent pollen allergens.

Background: Diagnosis of pollen allergies is mainly based on test allergens for skin prick testing. In the minimum battery of test inhalant allergens recommended by the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network 10 pollen allergens are included. Complementary other pollen allergens may need to be considered; however, respective awareness may not always be granted.

"New" inhalant plant allergens.

Specific IgE measurements obtained from patients suffering from respiratory allergy (n = 952) show that, despite similar climatic conditions, there are clear regional differences in pollen sensitization between North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. The data on sensitization levels and pollen concentration was taken from the research and development project Ufoplan 3710 61 228 of the German Environment Agency for North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria (2011 - 2014). Most poly-sensitized patients have already shown sensitization, both in the form of cross-reactivity and species-specific sensitization, to "new" pollen allergens, such as Bermuda grass and olive tree.

Intravenous sildenafil citrate and post-cardiac surgery acute kidney injury: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: This study assessed whether i.v. sildenafil citrate prevented acute kidney injury in at-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.