Anti-calreticulin antibodies and calreticulin in sera of patients diagnosed with dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Distinct cellular level of the Ca-binding chaperone calreticulin (CRT) is essential for correct embryonal cardiac development and postnatal function. However, CRT is also a potential autoantigen eliciting formation of antibodies (Ab), whose role is not yet clarified. Immunization with CRT leads to cardiac injury, while overexpression of CRT in cardiomyocytes induces dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in animals.

Long-term follow-up after bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation in STEMI patients: PRAGUE-19 study update.

Aims: Early clinical results after implantation of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are encouraging, but long-term data are missing. This study evaluates long-term outcome in STEMI patients with implanted BVS.

Methods And Results: The PRAGUE-19 study is an academic study enrolling consecutive STEMI patients with the intention to implant BVS.

Combination of Steroids and Azathioprine in the Treatment of Ormond's Disease--A Single Centre Retrospective Analysis.

We present a retrospective analysis of patients treated in our Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Immunology, Na Homolce Hospital, during 1997-2013 for Ormond's disease. We analyse the clinical history, diagnostic approaches, surgical, and immunosuppressive therapies and their subsequent effect on our patients. 28 patients treated for Ormond's disease were included.

The importance of intramedullary hip nail positioning during implantation for stable pertrochanteric fractures: biomechanical analysis.

Purpose: Proximal femoral fractures are among the most commonly sustained fractures. The current treatment of stable proximal femoral fractures located in trochanteric region primarily involves the use of two systems: extramedullary dynamic hip screws and intramedullary hip nails. Given that these fractures are mainly found in the elderly population, the necessity of a repeat, due to failure of the first, may jeopardize the patient's life.

Small nucleolar RNA U91 is a new internal control for accurate microRNAs quantification in pancreatic cancer.

Background: RT-qPCR quantification of miRNAs expression may play an essential role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) diagnostics. RT-qPCR-based experiments require endogenous controls for the result normalization and reliability. However, expression instability of reference genes in tumors may introduce bias when determining miRNA levels.

Ormond's Disease--IgG4-related Disease.

Ormond's disease is a relatively rare disease with unclear etiology, characterized by chronic periaortitis and retroperitoneal fibrosis. The inflammatory process affects the infrarenal part of the abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries, and the presence of infiltrates encasing the ureters and inferior vena cava. This disease is currently classed as an IgG4-related disease.

Diffuse parenchymal lung disease as first clinical manifestation of GATA-2 deficiency in childhood.

Background: GATA-2 transcription factor deficiency has recently been described in patients with a propensity towards myeloid malignancy associated with other highly variable phenotypic features: chronic leukocytopenias (dendritic cell-, monocyto-, granulocyto-, lymphocytopenia), increased susceptibility to infections, lymphatic vasculature abnormalities, and sensorineural deafness. Patients often suffer from opportunistic respiratory infections; chronic pulmonary changes have been found in advanced disease.

Case Presentation: We present a case of a 17-year-old previously healthy Caucasian male who was admitted to the hospital with fever, malaise, headache, cough and dyspnea.

Clinical spectrum in CADASIL family with a new mutation.

Background: Clinical presentation of CADASIL patients is variable due to the impact of other vascular risk factors and the type of a NOTCH3 mutation. This variability may impede the diagnosis of the disease.

Subjects And Methods: We report a comprehensive evaluation of several individuals in the CADASIL family whose member was identified to have the new mutation of NOTCH3 receptor on exon 6 (p.