Monoclonal Gammopathy, Arthralgias, and Recurrent Fever Syndrome: A New Autoinflammatory Syndrome?

Objective: To describe a new autoinflammatory syndrome with recurrent fever and monoclonal gammopathy that differs from Schnitzler syndrome.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with monoclonal gammopathy and recurrent fever of unknown origin.

Results: Five patients were studied; median age at onset of symptoms was 44 years.

Remission and platelet responses with romiplostim in primary immune thrombocytopenia: final results from a phase 2 study.

In anecdotal reports, some patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) maintained platelet counts after discontinuing romiplostim. Here, we examined rates of platelet response (≥50 × 10(9) /l), remission, splenectomy and adverse events in patients with primary ITP duration ≤6 months who were treated with romiplostim for ≤12 months. The starting dose of romiplostim was 1 μg/kg; concomitant and rescue treatments were permitted to maintain platelet counts.

Impact of chronic kidney disease on the outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation: results from the FRANCE 2 registry.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) classification on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods And Results: Data of 2,929 consecutive patients undergoing TAVI in the FRANCE 2 registry were analysed. Patients were divided into five groups: CKD 1+2, 3a, 3b, 4, and 5.

Risk of cross transmission with point-of-care ultrasound system: effect of a glass-sealed control panel on microbial contamination.

Contamination of a point-of-care ultrasound system (POCUS) mainly involved electrocardiography accessories and included pathogenic microorganisms. The use of a glass-sealed control panel significantly facilitated its cleaning and reduced its bacterial contamination compared with a standard control panel. Overall hand hygiene compliance during examinations with POCUS was poor.

Description and microbiology of endotracheal tube biofilm in mechanically ventilated subjects.

Background: A biofilm is found on the inner side of endotracheal tubes (ETT) in mechanically ventilated patients, but its features and role in pneumonia remain unclear.

Methods: This prospective, observational, monocentric study included critically ill ventilated subjects. Measurement of the ETT inner volume was first performed before extubation using the acoustic reflection method.

Genome-wide association study identifies multiple susceptibility loci for diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma subtype and is clinically aggressive. To identify genetic susceptibility loci for DLBCL, we conducted a meta-analysis of 3 new genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and 1 previous scan, totaling 3,857 cases and 7,666 controls of European ancestry, with additional genotyping of 9 promising SNPs in 1,359 cases and 4,557 controls. In our multi-stage analysis, five independent SNPs in four loci achieved genome-wide significance marked by rs116446171 at 6p25.

Clinical outcomes and safety of transfemoral aortic valve implantation under general versus local anesthesia: subanalysis of the French Aortic National CoreValve and Edwards 2 registry.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) performed under local anesthesia (LA) is becoming increasingly common. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes in patients who underwent transfemoral-TAVI under general anesthesia (GA) and LA.

Methods And Results: Data from 2326 patients in the French Aortic National CoreValve and Edwards 2 (FRANCE 2) registry who underwent transfemoral-TAVI were analyzed.

Hydroxychloroquine is a good second-line treatment for adults with immune thrombocytopenia and positive antinuclear antibodies.

Treatment of patients with lupus-associated thrombocytopenia (SLE-ITP) is not standardized. We report data on efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in this setting and in ITP patients with positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) without definite SLE. Inclusion criteria were: definite diagnosis of ITP with a platelet count (PLT) <50 × 10(9) /L, ANA ≥ 1/160 on Hep2 cells with or without a definite diagnosis of SLE, and no sustained response to at least one previous treatment-line and treatment with HCQ.

Clinical results of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in octogenarians and nonagenarians: insights from the FRANCE-2 registry.

Background: Although transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been developing as an alternative treatment in elderly patients with high surgical risk, age-specific differences in clinical outcome have not been fully validated.

Methods: Data were analyzed for 2,254 patients at least 80 years old who were enrolled between January 2010 and October 2011 in the French national transcatheter aortic valve implantation registry, FRANCE-2. Procedural and clinical outcomes defined according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium criteria were compared among subjects in three age groups: 80 to 84 years (n = 867), 85 to 89 years (n = 1,064), and at least 90 years (n = 349; range, 90 to 101 years).

A retrospective pilot evaluation of switching thrombopoietic receptor-agonists in immune thrombocytopenia.

Romiplostim and eltrombopag, the first thrombopoietic receptor-agonists with demonstrated efficacy against immune thrombocytopenia in prospective controlled studies, were recently authorized in most countries for adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia. So far, no data are available about the potential contribution of switching from romiplostim to eltrombopag or vice versa in terms of efficacy or tolerance. Efficacies and tolerance profiles were evaluated for 46 patients who sequentially received both drugs, switching from one to the other.

Natriuretic peptide-driven fluid management during ventilator weaning: a randomized controlled trial.

Rationale: Difficult weaning from mechanical ventilation is often associated with fluid overload. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been proposed as a tool for predicting and detecting weaning failure of cardiovascular origin.

Objectives: To investigate whether fluid management guided by daily BNP plasma concentrations improves weaning outcomes compared with empirical therapy dictated by clinical acumen.

Cardiac effects of growth hormone treatment in chronic heart failure: A meta-analysis.

Context: Experimental studies suggest that GH treatment may improve cardiovascular parameters in chronic heart failure (CHF). However, clinical trials involved small numbers of patients and did not allow a conclusion to be drawn on the effect of this treatment in humans.

Objective: We systematically reviewed and analyzed all randomized controlled trials and open studies of sustained GH treatment in CHF.

Pleural carcinogenic potency of mineral fibers (asbestos, attapulgite) and their cytotoxicity on cultured cells.

The carcinogenicity of several samples of mineral fibers was tested following injection of 20 mg in the pleural cavity of noninbred Sprague-Dawley rats. Three samples of chrysotile asbestos (mean length: 3.2, 2.