Significant association between circumvallate placenta, placental abruption and acute chorioamnionitis in preterm birth: A 23-year retrospective cohort study.

Aim: circumvallate placenta, placental abruption and acute chorioamnionitis separately are associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence and define whether an association exists between the three abnormalities.

Methods: 16,042 placenta pathology reports between 1997 and 2020 from a tertiary care centre in the Netherlands were retrospectively analysed.

Epstein-Barr Viral Load Monitoring Strategy and the Risk for Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disease in Adult Liver Transplantation : A Cohort Study.

Background: Primary infection with or reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can occur after liver transplant (LT) and can lead to posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). In pediatric LT, an EBV-DNA viral load (EBV VL) monitoring strategy, including the reduction of immunosuppression, has led to a lower incidence of PTLD. For adult LT recipients with less primary infection and more EBV reactivation, it is unknown whether this strategy is effective.

Endoglin Is an Important Mediator in the Final Common Pathway of Chronic Kidney Disease to End-Stage Renal Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a slow-developing, progressive deterioration of renal function. The final common pathway in the pathophysiology of CKD involves glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) stimulates the differentiation of fibroblasts towards myofibroblasts and the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and thereby interstitial fibrosis.

Tactile Perception of the Hand in Children With an Upper Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy.

Objective: To investigate factors that cause impairment of hand function in children with an upper Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy (NBPP), we performed an in-depth analysis of tactile hand sensibility, especially the ability to correctly localize a sensory stimulus on their fingers.

Design: A cross-sectional investigation of children with NBPP, compared with healthy controls. The thickest Semmes-Weinstein (SW) monofilament was pressed on the radial or ulnar part of each fingertip (10 regions), while a screen prevented seeing the hand.

The VEGF Inhibitor Soluble Fms-like Tyrosine Kinase 1 Does Not Promote AKI-to-CKD Transition.

(1) Background: Soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFLT1) is an endogenous VEGF inhibitor. sFLT1 has been described as an anti-inflammatory treatment for diabetic nephropathy and heart fibrosis. However, sFLT1 has also been related to peritubular capillary (PTC) loss, which promotes fibrogenesis.

Increased microchimerism in peripheral blood of women with systemic lupus erythematosus: relation with pregnancy.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the presence, amount and origin of microchimerism in peripheral blood of pregnant and non-pregnant parous women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as compared to control subjects.

Methods: We performed a comparative study in which peripheral blood was drawn from eleven female non-pregnant SLE-patients and 22 control subjects, and from six pregnant SLE-patients and eleven control subjects during gestation and up to six months postpartum. Quantitative PCR for insertion-deletion polymorphisms and null alleles was used to detect microchimerism in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and granulocytes.

Use of Glomerular CD68+ Cells as a Surrogate Marker for Endocapillary Hypercellularity in Lupus Nephritis.

Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) class III or IV is strongly related to patient mortality and morbidity. The interobserver agreement of endocapillary hypercellularity by routine light microscopy, one of the most important lesions determining whether class III or IV is present, is moderate. In IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the presence of glomerular CD68+ cells was found to be a good surrogate marker for endocapillary hypercellularity.

Endothelial Endothelin Receptor A Expression Is Associated With Podocyte Injury and Oxidative Stress in Patients With Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Introduction: The podocyte is thought to be the mainly affected cell type in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). However, recent studies have also indicated a role for glomerular endothelial cells and podocyte-endothelial crosstalk in FSGS development. An experimental model for podocyte injury showed that increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) signaling between podocytes and endothelial cells induces endothelial oxidative stress and subsequent podocyte loss.

Gripforce reduction in children with an upper neonatal brachial plexus palsy.

Objective: To assess gripforce in children with a C5 and C6 neonatal brachial plexus palsy, as it may affect hand use. Applying classic innervation patterns, gripforce should not be affected, as hand function is not innervated by C5 or C6. This study compares gripforce in children with a neonatal brachial plexus palsy with that in a healthy control group, and assesses correlations with hand sensibility, bimanual use and external rotation.

Thrombomodulin is upregulated in the kidneys of women with pre-eclampsia.

The endothelial glycoprotein thrombomodulin regulates coagulation, vascular inflammation and apoptosis. In the kidney, thrombomodulin protects the glomerular filtration barrier by eliciting crosstalk between the glomerular endothelium and podocytes. Several glomerular pathologies are characterized by a loss of glomerular thrombomodulin.

Reduced Glomerular Endothelial Thrombomodulin Is Associated with Glomerular Macrophage Infiltration in Diabetic Nephropathy.

The endothelial glycoprotein thrombomodulin regulates coagulation, inflammation, and apoptosis. In diabetic mice, reduced thrombomodulin function results in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Furthermore, thrombomodulin treatment reduces renal inflammation and fibrosis.

Endoglin Promotes Myofibroblast Differentiation and Extracellular Matrix Production in Diabetic Nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a complication of diabetes mellitus that can lead to proteinuria and a progressive decline in renal function. Endoglin, a co-receptor of TGF-β, is known primarily for regulating endothelial cell function; however, endoglin is also associated with hepatic, cardiac, and intestinal fibrosis. This study investigates whether endoglin contributes to the development of interstitial fibrosis in DN.

Developments in the Histopathological Classification of ANCA-Associated Glomerulonephritis.

Background And Objectives: The histopathologic classification for ANCA-associated GN distinguishes four classes on the basis of patterns of injury. In the original validation study, these classes were ordered by severity of kidney function loss as follows: focal, crescentic, mixed, and sclerotic. Subsequent validation studies disagreed on outcomes in the crescentic and mixed classes.

Does mucosal inflammation drive recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis in liver transplantion recipients with ulcerative colitis?

Background: Liver transplantation remains the only effective evidence based treatment for advanced primary sclerosing cholangitis. However, recurrence of disease occurs in approximately 18%.

Aims: This study aimed to assess risk factors of recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

What Range of Motion is Achieved 5 Years After External Rotationplasty of the Shoulder in Infants with an Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury?

Background: Obstetric brachial plexus injuries result from traction injuries during delivery, and 30% of these children have persisting functional limitations related to an external rotation deficit of the shoulder. Little is known about the long-term effect of soft-tissue procedures of the shoulder in patients with obstetric brachial plexus injuries.

Questions/purposes: (1) After soft-tissue release for patients with passive external rotation less than 20° and age younger than 2 years and for patients older than 2 years with good external rotation strength, what are the improvements in passive external rotation and abduction arcs at 1 and 5 years? (2) For patients who underwent staged tendon transfer after soft-tissue release, what are the improvements in active external rotation and abduction arcs at 1 and 5 years? (3) For patients with passive external rotation less than 20° and no active external rotation, what are the improvements in active external rotation and abduction arcs at 1 and 5 years?

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a longitudinally maintained institutional database.

Glomerular C4d deposition can precede the development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Recent studies suggest that complement plays a role in the pathogenesis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Moreover, co-localization of IgM and C3 deposits with FSGS lesions has frequently been reported. Here, we investigated whether glomerular complement deposition precedes the development of FSGS and whether it represents local complement activation.

Complement-mediated microangiopathy in IgA nephropathy and IgA vasculitis with nephritis.

Complement factor C4d was recently observed in renal biopsies from patients who had IgA nephropathy and a poor prognosis. We previously reported that C4d is a common denominator in microangiopathies. In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated whether C4d is a marker of microangiopathy in both IgA nephropathy and IgA vasculitis with nephritis, and whether patients with C4d and microangiopathy have poor renal outcome.

Inclination but not anatomical reconstruction is related with higher cobalt levels in MoM hip arthroplasty.

Metal on Metal total hip arthroplasty is associated with elevated serum cobalt levels. In this study we investigate if there is a relation between the inclination and anteversion angle of the cup and the anatomical reconstruction of the hip on the serum cobalt level. Postoperative cobalt serum levels were measured in 250 patients with the M2a-38 cup and Taperloc stem combination.

Plasma LDL-Cholesterol Level at Admission is Independently Associated with Infarct Size in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is a well-known risk factor for developing atherosclerosis and subsequently for the risk of a myocardial infarction (MI). Moreover, it might also be related to the extent of damaged myocardium in the event of a MI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of baseline low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) level with infarct size in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneously coronary intervention (pPCI).

Intramyocardial bone marrow cell injection does not lead to functional improvement in patients with chronic ischaemic heart failure without considerable ischaemia.

Background: It has been suggested that bone marrow cell injection may have beneficial effects in patients with chronic ischaemic heart disease. However, previous trials have led to discrepant results of cell-based therapy in patients with chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intramyocardial injection of mononuclear bone marrow cells in patients with chronic ischaemic heart failure with limited stress-inducible myocardial ischaemia.

Low wintertime pre-diagnostic vitamin D status is associated with an increased risk of internal malignancies in kidney transplant recipients.

Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations have been associated with increased cancer risk, but the relative importance of seasonality, i.e. high summer concentrations versus low winter concentrations, is unclear.

Etanercept in patients with inflammatory hand osteoarthritis (EHOA): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: Hand osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease with limited treatment options. Since joint inflammation is often present, we investigated tumour necrosis factor (TNF) as treatment target in patients with proven joint inflammation in a proof-of-concept study.

Methods: This 1-year, double-blind, randomised, multicentre trial (NTR1192) enrolled patients with symptomatic erosive inflammatory hand osteoarthritis.

Endoglin Mediates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A-Induced Endothelial Cell Activation by Regulating Akt Signaling.

In diabetic nephropathy, differential expression of growth factors leads to vascular changes, including endothelial cell activation, monocyte infiltration, and inflammation. Endoglin plays an important role in endothelial function and is also associated with inflammation. In the kidney, vascular endoglin expression is increased in animal models of renal injury, where it contributes to disease severity, possibly by promoting endothelial cell activation and inflammation.

Sensibility of the Hand in Children With Conservatively or Surgically Treated Upper Neonatal Brachial Plexus Lesion.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the sensibility of the hand in children with a neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) involving the C5 and C6, and to correlate results with dexterity.

Methods: Fifty children with NBPP (30 after nerve surgery, mean age 9.8 years) and 25 healthy controls (mean age 9.