NGAL Correlates with Femoral and Carotid Plaque Volume Assessed by Sonographic 3D Plaque Volumetry.

Background/objectives: Inflammation represents a cornerstone in the development of atherosclerosis and early detection is essential to avoid cardiovascular events. Biomarkers like interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, or high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) have been investigated intensively in this field. Since they have several limitations, additional biomarkers are needed for cardiovascular risk stratification.

Carbohydrate-induced gastrointestinal symptoms: development and validation of a test-specific symptom questionnaire for an adult population, the adult Carbohydrate Perception Questionnaire.

Objectives: Carbohydrate intolerances may affect a majority of the worlds-population but there is no validated, test-specific assessment of carbohydrate-induced symptoms during breath tests. We aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire for evaluation and quantification of carbohydrate intolerance.

Methods: A visual analog scale-questionnaire with five complaints (pain, nausea, bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea) was designed.

Results of a randomised controlled trial between an ORC collagen hemostatic agent and a carrier-bound fibrin sealant.

Introduction: Despite ongoing optimisation of surgical techniques, hemostasis continues to be a fundamental challenge in many operations today. This randomised controlled trial compared the efficacy of a new hemostatic agent made of oxidised regenerated cellulose and collagen (ORC-Coll) with that of a conventional carrier-bound fibrin sealant (CBFS).

Methods: Hemostasis was investigated representatively in the case of post-thyroidectomy bleeding from the resection surface.

MOR202, a novel anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: a first-in-human, multicentre, phase 1-2a trial.

Background: Treatment of multiple myeloma is not curative, but targeting CD38 improves patient survival. To further explore this therapeutic approach, we investigated the safety and activity of MOR202, a novel monoclonal antibody targeting CD38, in patients with multiple myeloma.

Methods: This is a multicentre, open-label, phase 1-2a trial done at ten hospitals in Germany and Austria.

Effect of high-dose vitamin D3 on 28-day mortality in adult critically ill patients with severe vitamin D deficiency: a study protocol of a multicentre, placebo-controlled double-blind phase III RCT (the VITDALIZE study).

Introduction: Observational studies have demonstrated an association between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Cohort studies and pilot trials have suggested promising beneficial effects of vitamin D replacement in the critical ill, at least in patients with severe vitamin D deficiency. As vitamin D is a simple, low-cost and safe intervention, it has potential to improve survival in critically ill patients.

Atrial high-rate episodes: prevalence, stroke risk, implications for management, and clinical gaps in evidence.

Self-terminating atrial arrhythmias are commonly detected on continuous rhythm monitoring, e.g. by pacemakers or defibrillators.

The significance of collagen dressings in wound management: a review.

Clinical experience and research has improved our understanding of wound healing which, in turn, has enabled health professionals to aid wound healing and manufacturers to develop modern wound dressings. The significant role of collagen in wound healing has led to the development of numerous products on the basis of this biological material. The main focus of this review is to provide a critical appraisal of publications about collagen and acellular collagen dressings with a fleece-like or spongy structure.

Gene therapy with the angiogenic neuropeptide secretoneurin ameliorates experimental diabetic neuropathy.

The pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy remains enigmatic. Damage to the vasa nervorum may be responsible for this disorder. Recently, we showed that secretoneurin (SN) induces angiogenesis in hindlimb and myocardial ischemia.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Pulmonary Lymphoma: A Small Pilot Study.

Here, we describe the appearance and pattern of pulmonary lymphoma on B-mode imaging and with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). From July 2009 to December 2015, 6 patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed lymphoma of the lung were examined by B-mode imaging, followed by CEUS. A retrospective analysis of the imaging data was performed with respect to the time to enhancement, pulmonary artery (PA) and bronchial artery, echogenicity (hypoechoic, isoechoic, or hyperechoic), and homogeneity (homogeneous or inhomogeneous) of the contrast enhancement.

Detection of peripheral embolic consolidations using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in patients with no evidence of pulmonary embolism on computed tomography: A pilot study.

Aim: To investigate the value of B-mode imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) but no evidence of central PE on CT.

Methods: Between May 2004 and February 2015, we included in this retrospective study 19 patients with a risk profile for PE according to their Wells' score, sonographic patterns of peripheral embolic consolidations (EC) on B-mode-imaging and CEUS (ie, missing or inhomogeneous enhancement of the pleural lesions), and exclusion of central PE by CT within 1 week of CEUS.

Results: On B-mode imaging, 19 pleural defects presented as hypoechoic.

Clinical evaluation of a Mucorales-specific real-time PCR assay in tissue and serum samples.

Molecular diagnostic assays can accelerate the diagnosis of fungal infections and subsequently improve patient outcomes. In particular, the detection of infections due to Mucorales is still challenging for laboratories and physicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate a probe-based Mucorales-specific real-time PCR assay (Muc18S) using tissue and serum samples from patients suffering from invasive mucormycosis (IMM).

Alterations of microRNA and microRNA-regulated messenger RNA expression in germinal center B-cell lymphomas determined by integrative sequencing analysis.

MicroRNA are well-established players in post-transcriptional gene regulation. However, information on the effects of microRNA deregulation mainly relies on bioinformatic prediction of potential targets, whereas proof of the direct physical microRNA/target messenger RNA interaction is mostly lacking. Within the International Cancer Genome Consortium Project "Determining Molecular Mechanisms in Malignant Lymphoma by Sequencing", we performed miRnome sequencing from 16 Burkitt lymphomas, 19 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, and 21 follicular lymphomas.

Use of a portable monitoring device (Somnocheck Micro) for the investigation and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea in comparison with polysomnography.

Objective: Polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). While PSG is essential for OSAS, this technique is not suitable for epidemiological investigation due to its high cost. This study aimed to compare a portable monitoring device with PSG for the measurement of parameters related to the diagnosis of OSAS in rural areas.

Safety and efficacy of rituximab plus bendamustine in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients: an Italian retrospective multicenter study.

Relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not suitable for high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has a dismal prognosis and no standard therapy. We designed an Italian multicenter retrospective study aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of rituximab plus bendamustine (R-B) as salvage treatment in patients not eligible for ASCT because of age and/or comorbidity or in patients with post-ASCT recurrence. Fifty-five patients with a median age of 76 years were included.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of embolic consolidations in patients with pulmonary embolism: A pilot study.

Purpose: To analyze and describe the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) patterns of peripheral lung lesions in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) confirmed on CT angiography or lung scintigraphy.

Methods: CEUS had been performed on 35 patients with peripheral lung lesions detected on gray-scale imaging and confirmed as PE. The following data were evaluated retrospectively: (1) accumulation of contrast medium (absent or present), (2) differentiation between pulmonary arterial (PA) and bronchial arterial blood supply, and (3) contrast-enhancement pattern (absent/nonhomogeneous or homogeneous).

Sonographic patterns of renal lymphoma in B-mode imaging and in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)--a retrospective evaluation.

Introduction: Retrospective analysis of sonographic patterns of renal lymphoma in B-mode imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Patients/methods: From January 2000 to June 2014, 27 patients with clinical or histologically confirmed renal lymphoma were examined with B-mode imaging, followed by CEUS in 8 cases.

Results: In B-mode imaging renal lymphoma were hypoechoic in all 27 cases (100%).

Secretoneurin gene therapy improves hind limb and cardiac ischaemia in Apo E⁻/⁻ mice without influencing systemic atherosclerosis.

Aims: Hypercholesterolaemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and has been shown to influence angiogenesis in the hind limb ischaemia (HLI) model. The impaired up-regulation of angiogenic factors seems to be one of the underlying mechanisms for reduced vessel formation. Since we found that secretoneurin (SN) is up-regulated in hypoxic skeletal muscle cells and exerts beneficial effects in myocardial and HLI, we hypothesized that SN therapy might improve neovascularization in hypercholesterolaemic Apo E(-/-) (Apo E knockout) mice suffering from an impaired vascular response.

Primary antifungal prophylaxis with micafungin in patients with haematological malignancies: real-life data from a retrospective single-centre observational study.

Mould-active antifungal prophylaxis is increasingly used in patients at risk for invasive fungal disease. Between June 2011 and June 2012, one hundred patients with various haematological malignancies at risk for invasive fungal disease received primary antifungal prophylaxis with intravenous micafungin at a daily dosage of 50 mg during neutropenia. The median number of days on micafungin prophylaxis was 14 (range, 6-48 d).

Incidence of Cyp51 A key mutations in Aspergillus fumigatus-a study on primary clinical samples of immunocompromised patients in the period of 1995-2013.

As the incidence of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is rising and the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients is rarely based on positive culture yield, we screened our Aspergillus DNA sample collection for the occurrence of azole resistance mediating cyp51 A key mutations. Using two established, a modified and a novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays followed by DNA sequence analysis to detect the most frequent mutations in the A. fumigatus cyp51 A gene conferring azole resistance (TR34 (tandem repeat), L98H and M220 alterations).

Late microvascular obstruction after acute myocardial infarction: relation with cardiac and inflammatory markers.

Objectives: We sought to assess the relation of late microvascular obstruction (l-MVO) size as quantified by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with cardiac and inflammatory marker concentrations after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: CMR was performed in 118 consecutive patients within 8 days after successful interventional reperfused first acute ST-elevation AMI. Infarct volumes and l-MVO sizes were calculated from late enhancement (LE) sequences and functional parameters were determined from short-axis cine MR sequences.

High-dose therapy followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation with and without rituximab for primary treatment of high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Background: We aimed to determine safety and efficacy of rituximab (R) in combination with repetitive high-dose therapy (HDT) as primary treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Patients And Methods: Patients aged 18-60 years and elevated lactate dehydrogenase were treated with four cycles of MegaCHOEP and transplantation of autologous stem cells after cycles 2, 3 and 4. Rituximab (375 mg/m²) was given before each cycle and 12 and 33 days after start of the last cycle of chemotherapy.

Visual characteristics of the papilla to estimate cannulation of the common bile duct - a pilot study.

Objectives: Performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) depends mainly on the skills of the examiner, but also on anatomical variants. The aim of the study was to investigate patient- and papilla-related factors for the successful selective cannulation of the common bile duct (CBD).

Patients And Methods: 50 patients with a papilla with no prior sphincterotomy needing an ERC were enrolled.