Cardiac allograft vasculopathy: Incidence and predictors in a single-center cohort.

Introduction And Aims: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is one of the most significant complications after orthotopic heart transplantation. We aimed to investigate the incidence and predictors of CAV in a large cohort of orthotopic heart transplantation patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis on a prospective cohort of 233 patients who underwent transplantation between November 2003 and May 2014.

Phase I/II Trial of Liver-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Pediatric Liver-based Metabolic Disorders: A Prospective, Open Label, Multicenter, Partially Randomized, Safety Study of One Cycle of Heterologous Human Adult Liver-derived Progenitor Cells (HepaStem) in Urea Cycle Disorders and Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Patients.

Background: Regenerative medicine using stem cell technology is an emerging field that is currently tested for inborn and acquired liver diseases.

Objective: This phase I/II prospective, open label, multicenter, randomized trial aimed primarily at evaluating the safety of Heterologous Human Adult Liver-derived Progenitor Cells (HepaStem) in pediatric patients with urea cycle disorders (UCDs) or Crigler-Najjar (CN) syndrome 6 months posttransplantation. The secondary objective included the assessment of safety up to 12 months postinfusion and of preliminary efficacy.

Use of laser capture microdissection allows detection of loss of heterozygosity in chromosome 9p in breast cancer.

The present study was designed to determine whether loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the p arm of chromosome 9 in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast is detected during the neoplastic progression of the disease. Using laser capture microdissection (LCM) epithelial cells were isolated from 14 invasive ductal carcinoma cases (IDC), ductal carcinomas (DCIS), normal mammary lobules, skin and/or lymph nodes of paraffin embedded tissue sections. LOH analysis of chromosome 9p was performed utilizing the microsatellite markers D9S199, D9S157, D9S171, D9S265 and D9S270.

TRAF1/C5 but not PTPRC variants are potential predictors of rheumatoid arthritis response to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy.

Background: The aim of our work was to replicate, in a Southern European population, the association reported in Northern populations between PTPRC locus and response to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also looked at associations between five RA risk alleles and treatment response.

Methods: We evaluated associations between anti-TNF treatment responses assessed by DAS28 change and by EULAR response at six months in 383 Portuguese patients.

Benefits of radial distortion correction in arthroscopic surgery: a first experimental study on a knee model.

Background: Lens probes used in arthroscopy typically have a small diameter and wide field-of-view. This introduces strong radial distortion (RD) into the image, ultimately affecting the surgeon's hand-eye coordination. This study evaluates potential benefits of using distortion-free images in arthroscopic surgery.

Molecular characterization of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in northern Portugal.

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) prevalence was studied in the north of Portugal, among 193 clinical isolates belonging to citizens in a district in the boundaries between this country and Spain from a total of 7529 clinical strains. In the present study we recovered some members of Enterobacteriaceae family, producing ESBL enzymes, including Escherichia coli (67.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (30.

[Specific dermatoses of pregnancy].

During pregnancy immunological, metabolic, hormonal and vascular changes occur, and can cause specific skin diseases. The specific dermatoses of pregnancy have undergone numerous changes in nomenclature and classification, partly due to advances in the knowledge of the pathogenesis of these skin diseases. Currently the following diseases are considered specific dermatoses of pregnancy: pemphigoid gestations, polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and atopic eruption of pregnancy.

Antimicrobial activity of quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide with 2- and 3-substituted derivatives.

Quinoxaline is a chemical compound that presents a structure that is similar to quinolone antibiotics. The present work reports the study of the antimicrobial activity of quinoxaline N,N-dioxide and some derivatives against bacterial and yeast strains. The compounds studied were quinoxaline-1,4-dioxide (QNX), 2-methylquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide (2MQNX), 2-methyl-3-benzoylquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide (2M3BenzoylQNX), 2-methyl-3-benzylquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide (2M3BQNX), 2-amino-3-cyanoquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide (2A3CQNX), 3-methyl-2-quinoxalinecarboxamide-1,4-dioxide (3M2QNXC), 2-hydroxyphenazine-N,N-dioxide (2HF) and 3-methyl-N-(2-methylphenyl)quinoxalinecarboxamide-1,4-dioxide (3MN(2MF)QNXC).

Budd-Chiari syndrome in children and outcome after liver transplant.

BCS is a rare form of portal hypertension in children. The authors describe two cases of BCS with differing presentations. Case 1: Previously healthy four-yr-old girl.