New Insights in the Occurrence of Venous Thromboembolism in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19-A Large Postmortem and Clinical Analysis.

Critically ill COVID-19 patients are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), namely deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE), and death. The optimal anticoagulation strategy in critically ill patients with COVID-19 remains unknown. This study investigated the ante mortem incidence as well as postmortem prevalence of VTE, the factors predictive of VTE, and the impact of changed anticoagulation practice on patient survival.

Mechanical ventilation and mortality among 223 critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A multicentric study in Germany.

Background: There are large uncertainties with regard to the outcome of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and mechanical ventilation (MV). High mortality (50-97%) was proposed by some groups, leading to considerable uncertainties with regard to outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19 requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission and MV.

Autopsy Findings and Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: The new coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused more than 210 000 deaths worldwide. However, little is known about the causes of death and the virus's pathologic features.

Objective: To validate and compare clinical findings with data from medical autopsy, virtual autopsy, and virologic tests.

[Neuralgic amyotrophy: an extrahepatic manifestation of hepatitis E].

History and initial findings | A patient with bilateral pain in his shoulders is presented at the emergency room. Investigations | There were strongly increased transaminases. Diagnosis | Serology and PCR led to the diagnosis of hepatitis E.

Saccharomyces boulardii to Prevent Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea: A Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background.  Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) are common complications of antibiotic use. Data on the efficacy of probiotics to prevent AAD and CDAD are unclear.

Surgical procedures and postsurgical tissue processing significantly affect expression of genes and EGFR-pathway proteins in colorectal cancer tissue.

An understanding of tissue data variability in relation to processing techniques during and postsurgery would be desirable when testing surgical specimens for clinical diagnostics, drug development, or identification of predictive biomarkers. Specimens of normal and colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues removed during colon and liver resection surgery were obtained at the beginning of surgery and postsurgically, tissue was fixed at 10, 20, and 45 minutes. Specimens were analyzed from 50 patients with primary CRC and 43 with intrahepatic metastasis of CRC using a whole genome gene expression array.

Clinical features of critically ill patients with Shiga toxin-induced hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Objective: In Spring 2011, an unprecedented outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serotype O104:H4-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome occurred in Northern Germany. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of critically ill patients with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome during this outbreak.

Risk factors for development of hemolytic uremic syndrome in a cohort of adult patients with STEC 0104:H4 infection.

The outbreak of Shiga toxin producing E.coli O104:H4 in northern Germany in 2011 was one of the largest worldwide and involved mainly adults. Post-diarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) occurred in 22% of STEC positive patients.

Pancreas and liver injury are associated in individuals with increased alcohol consumption.

Background & Aims: Although chronic pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis are common sequelae of excess alcohol consumption, the 2 conditions are rarely associated. We studied the prevalence of simultaneous liver cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis in alcoholics.

Methods: Postmortem autopsy data from 620 individuals with a history of excess alcohol consumption and 100 nonalcoholics (controls) were analyzed.

The local cytokine and chemokine milieu within malignant effusions.

Background/aims: Malignant effusions offer a unique opportunity for the study of interactions between the human immune system and cancer. We have recently demonstrated that malignant effusions are characterized by an accumulation of T cells expressing chemokine receptors such as CCR4, which is commonly found on Th2 cells. In contrast, effector T cells expressing chemokine receptors typical for Th1 cells, such as CCR5, showed a diminished homing into malignant effusions.

[Autoimmune pancreatitis with normal IgG4-Levels: 4 case reports and review of the literature].

We report four cases of autoimmune pancreatitis in an 18-, a 22- and a 26-year-old male patient and a 20-year-old female patient. The 20-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital with upper abdominal pain and jaundice, the 18-year-old patient with recurrent acute pancreatitis and cholestasis, the 26-year-old patient with right upper abdominal pain for four weeks and laboratory findings suggesting an acute pancreatitis. The 22-year-old patient presented with painless jaundice.

Biliary stent clogging solved by nanotechnology? In vitro study of inorganic-organic sol-gel coatings for teflon stents.

Background & Aims: The major drawback of plastic stents for biliary drainage is the occlusion by sludge. Sludge is accrued because the stent surface allows for the adherence of proteins, glycoproteins, or bacteria and the bile flow is insufficient to clean the surface. In this study, experience from nanotechnology to achieve a clean surface by improved soil-release characteristics is used to optimize biliary stent surface.

Primary precutting versus conventional over-the-wire sphincterotomy for bile duct access: a prospective randomized study.

Background And Study Aims: Precut is a well-known technique that is used if repeated attempts at common bile duct (CBD) cannulation fail. Opinions on the complication rate of precut are conflicting, however. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and complication rate of precut used as a primary method of CBD access with the efficacy and safety of the conventional technique.

Use of modified multiband ligator facilitates circumferential EMR in Barrett's esophagus (with video).

Background: Various techniques are available for EMR in the upper- and lower-GI tract. For early cancers of the esophagus, the "suck and cut" technique, which uses a transparent cap or variceal band ligator, is the most commonly practiced method. To facilitate multiple or circumferential EMR, a modified multiband variceal ligator (MBL) is introduced, which allows sequential banding and snare resection without the need to withdraw the endoscope.

Intravenous iron sucrose versus oral iron supplementation for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease--a randomized, controlled, open-label, multicenter study.

Objectives: Anemia is a frequent complication in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The optimal route for iron supplementation to replenish iron stores has not been determined so far. We therefore evaluated the efficacy and safety of intravenous iron sucrose as compared with oral iron sulfate for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in patients with IBD.

Aggressive endoscopic therapy for pancreatic necrosis and pancreatic abscess: a new safe and effective treatment algorithm (videos).

Background: Pancreatic necrosis and pancreatic abscess are severe complications of acute pancreatitis. Surgery is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in these critically ill patients. Endoscopic therapy has the potential to offer a safer and more effective alternative treatment modality.

Differential expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes in hepatocellular carcinomas.

Background/aims: Somatostatin analogues inhibit cell proliferation by stimulation of distinct somatostatin receptor (SSTR) subtypes. In recent years, these compounds have been introduced into the therapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The efficacy of this treatment is under debate due to the controversial results of clinical trials.

Characterization of effusion-infiltrating T cells: benign versus malignant effusions.

Purpose: While naïve T cells circulate between peripheral blood and lymph nodes, memory effector T cells acquire certain surface molecules that enable them to travel to peripheral tissues and exert their effector function. We analyzed whether deficient numbers of effector-type T cells within the malignant effusion might contribute to tumor escape from immunosurveillance.

Experimental Design: We analyzed the expression of a broad range of adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors (CD62L, CD56, CCR4, CCR5, CCR7, CXCR3, CLA, and integrin alpha 4 beta 7) on tumor-associated lymphocytes in effusions and peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with malignant ascites (n = 11) or malignant pleural effusion (n = 16).

The cholecystokinin2-receptor mediates calcitonin secretion, gene expression, and proliferation in the human medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line, TT.

Gastrin-induced release of calcitonin from medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC) is based on the expression of the cholecystokinin(2)-receptor (CCK(2)R) in these tumors. Recently, we have shown that the CCK(2)R is expressed not only in MTC but also in C-cells within the normal thyroid gland. The functions of the CCK(2)R in MTC and C-cells are largely unknown.

Impact of endoscopic ultrasound for evaluation of submucosal lesions in gastrointestinal tract.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound is widely used following endoscopy for evaluation of suspected submucosal lesions and may guide further management of patients.

Patients And Method: A total of 181 consecutive patients with suspected submucosal lesion in the upper gastrointestinal tract were diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound between 1990-97. We evaluated: 1) the potential of endoscopic ultrasound criteria to predict histological type of submucosal lesions in 69 patients with available histology, 2) the ability of endoscopic ultrasound alone or with clinical presentation, to predict malignancy in 86 patients with available histology or follow-up of >12 months.

Expression of the cholecystokinin 2-receptor in normal human thyroid gland and medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: The cholecystokinin(2)-receptor (CCK(2)R) promotes secretion and cell growth induced by its ligands cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin. The receptor has recently been shown to be expressed in human medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs). The objective of this study was to analyze CCK(2)R expression in MTC samples of different tumor stages as well as in non-malignant thyroid tissues.

CCKB/gastrin receptors mediate changes in sodium and potassium absorption in the isolated perfused rat kidney.

Background: To evaluate the function of cholecystokinin B (CCKB)/gastrin receptors in the rat kidney, we identified the receptors by Northern blot and localized the receptors by immunohistochemistry. The functional effects of gastrin were studied under standardized in vitro conditions using the isolated perfused kidney.

Methods: Rat kidneys were mounted in an organ bath by attaching the renal artery to a perfusion system.