High-Functioning Autism, Severe Anxiety, and Bullying in a 26 Year Old.

Peter is a 26-year-old group home resident in Austria with a history of poor peer relationships, including being bullied, and previous diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger syndrome, social anxiety, depression, and developmental coordination disorder. Consultation from our international neurodevelopmental team was requested for severe anxiety and avoidance of social interactions. He reported 4 or more spontaneous anxiety episodes per day.

Evaluation of sex-specific cut-off values of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and T assays in an emergency department setting - Results from the Linz Troponin (LITROP) study.

Background: The aim of the present analysis was to evaluate sex-specific cut-off values of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay and a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay in an emergency department setting.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 1945 male and 1643 female emergency department patients in whom we had measured both Roche hs-cTnT and Abbott hs-cTnI routinely upon every troponin measurement request. We performed reclassification analyses of sex-specific thresholds versus sex-neutral thresholds of both assays.

5th generation cardiac troponin I and T assays in clinical routine - A head-to-head comparison with data from the Linz troponin (LITROP) study.

Background: In Europe, clinicians use so called high-sensitivity assays for the measurement of cardiac troponin I and T (i.e., hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT assays, also termed 5th generation assays) since several years.

Increased serum concentrations of soluble ST2 predict mortality after burn injury.

Background: Large burn injuries induce a systemic response in affected patients. Soluble ST2 (sST2) acts as a decoy receptor for interleukin-33 (IL-33) and has immunosuppressive effects. sST2 has been described previously as a prognostic serum marker.

Elevated Cardiac Troponin T in Patients With Skeletal Myopathies.

Background: Cardiac troponins are often elevated in patients with skeletal muscle disease who have no evidence of cardiac disease.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to characterize cardiac troponin concentrations in patients with myopathies and derive insights regarding the source of elevated troponin T measurements.

Methods: Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were determined by using high sensitivity assays in 74 patients with hereditary and acquired skeletal myopathies.

First trimester serum afamin concentrations are associated with the development of pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women.

Objective: Aim of this study was to assess the prognostic capability of afamin to predict pregnancy complications.

Method: First-trimester screening was consecutively performed in 4948 pregnant women, of whom 474 women developed pregnancy complications [gestational hypertension (n=84), pre-eclampsia (n=30), intrauterine growth restriction (n=107), preterm birth (n=44), and gestational diabetes mellitus (n=209)]. To each woman with pregnancy complications an uncomplicated pregnancy was matched for body mass index.

One-year in vitro stability of cardiac troponins and galectin-3 in different sample types.

Background: We assessed the long-term in vitro stability of cardiac troponins and galectin-3 under different storage conditions.

Methods: We used high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and galectin-3 assays from Abbott and a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay from Roche. The analyte concentrations of 30 patients were measured in heparin-treated plasma, EDTA-treated plasma and serum samples after the following storage conditions: 1) samples used immediately after blood collection for baseline measurements; 2) samples stored for 0.

Prognostic Value of Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Biomarkers for Prediction of 90-Day All-Cause Mortality after Acute Ischemic Stroke-Results from the Linz Stroke Unit Study.

Background: Early outcome prediction after acute ischemic stroke is of great interest. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of blood biomarkers in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: We measured interleukin-6 (IL-6), d-dimer, amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, and soluble ST2 plasma concentrations within 24 h after admission to our stroke unit in 721 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients.

Diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of galectin-3 and soluble ST2 for acute heart failure.

Background: We aimed to compare head-to-head the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of galectin-3, soluble ST2 (sST2) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for heart failure (HF) in an emergency setting.

Methods: We studied 251 consecutive patients with dyspnoea as a chief compliant presenting to an emergency department. The diagnosis of HF was based on the Framingham score for HF plus echocardiographic evidence of systolic or diastolic dysfunction.

Interleukin 6, galectin 3, growth differentiation factor 15, and soluble ST2 for mortality prediction in critically ill patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic value of interleukin 6 (IL-6), galectin 3, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), and soluble ST2 (sST2) in an unselected cohort of critically ill patients.

Methods: During a study period of 1 year, we recruited 530 consecutive patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. We examined a combination of inflammatory, renal, and cardiac biomarkers for the prediction of 90-day all-cause mortality.

In vitro Stability of Heat Shock Protein 27 in Serum and Plasma Under Different Pre-analytical Conditions: Implications for Large-Scale Clinical Studies.

The effects of storage temperatures, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, or delays in separating plasma or serum from blood samples are largely unknown for heat shock protein 27 (HSP27). We evaluated (1) the imprecision of the HSP27 assay used in this study; (2) the in vitro stability of HSP27 in blood samples stored at 4°C for up to 6 hr with immediate and delayed serum/plasma separation from cells; and (3) the in vitro stability of HSP27 in blood samples stored at -80°C after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The ELISA to detect HSP27 in this study showed a within-run CV of <9% and a total CV of <15%.

Reference values of galectin-3 and cardiac troponins derived from a single cohort of healthy blood donors.

Background: Here we describe the determination of upper reference limits (URL) for galectin-3, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) in a single cohort of healthy blood donors using routine assays.

Methods: For this reference value study, we used a cohort of 402 consecutive blood donors (64% were male and 36% were female). The median individuals' age was 35.

Analytical and clinical evaluation of a rapid quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for measurement of soluble ST2 in human plasma.

Background: Soluble ST2 (sST2) is gaining growing interest as a biomarker in heart failure. So far, the ELISA-format is widely used for commercially available ST2 assays, which hampers their use in clinical routine. Recently, a rapid quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for the measurement of sST2 in human plasma has been developed.

Prothrombin G20210A mutation and lower extremity peripheral arterial disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective/background: Despite being an important risk factor for venous thromboembolism, the role of the prothrombin G20210A mutation in patients with arterial disease remains unclear. The aim of this review was to evaluate the association of prothrombin G20210A and lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies.

Effect of proton pump inhibitors on gastric pH in patients exposed to severe stress.

Background: The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding from stress ulcers has decreased within the last 30 years. Improvements in intensive care medicine including advanced equipment for artificial ventilation, better sedoanalgesic therapies, and the use of stress ulcer prophylaxis are credited for the decline.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on gastric pH in patients exposed to a defined severe stress situation during a specified time period.

Increased soluble ST2 predicts long-term mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease: results from the Ludwigshafen risk and cardiovascular health study.

Background: Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) has emerged as a strong prognostic biomarker in patients with heart failure and myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of sST2 in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: sST2 plasma concentrations were measured in 1345 patients with stable CAD referred for coronary angiography at a single tertiary care center.

Analytical characterization and clinical evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of afamin in human plasma.

Background: Comparative proteomics has recently identified afamin, the newest member of the albumin gene family, as a potential biomarker for ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was the analytical and clinical evaluation of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of afamin in human plasma.

Methods: We evaluated precision, linearity, and detection limit of the assay, analyte stability and biological variability, determined reference values and quantified afamin concentrations in various diseases.

The guanylin peptide family and the proposed gastrointestinal-renal natriuretic signaling axis.

According to a proposed concept of a gastrointestinal-renal natriuretic signaling axis, natriuretic peptides are released from the intestine into the circulation in response to oral salt intake and act on the kidneys as hormones to increase sodium excretion. The peptides guanylin and uroguanylin and their precursors proguanylin and prouroguanylin, respectively, have been suggested to be the mediators of this axis. A study by Preston and co-workers, however, provides important data not supporting this putative concept.

Prognostic value of soluble ST2 in an unselected cohort of patients admitted to an intensive care unit - The Linz Intensive Care Unit (LICU) study.

Background: Soluble ST2 (sST2) has emerged as a prognostic biomarker in patients with heart disease. We tested the hypothesis that sST2 is an independent predictor of mortality in patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: We performed measurements of sST2 plasma concentrations in 530 consecutive patients admitted to a medical ICU of a tertiary care hospital during a study period of one year.

Soluble ST2 is not independently associated with androgen and estrogen status in healthy males and females.

Background: Soluble ST2 (sST2) plasma concentrations are significantly higher in healthy men than in healthy women. The reason for the sex-specific difference of sST2 plasma concentrations is not established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of sST2 with sex-hormones in healthy males and females separately.

Analytical and clinical evaluation of a novel high-sensitivity assay for measurement of soluble ST2 in human plasma--the Presage ST2 assay.

Background: The protein ST2 is a member of the interleukin-1 receptor family. Blood concentrations of the soluble isoform of ST2 (sST2) are increased in inflammatory diseases and in heart disease and are considered a prognostic marker in both. The aim of this study was the analytical and clinical evaluation of the novel Presage ST2 assay for the determination of sST2 in human plasma.

Value of adiponectin as predictor of 5-year all-cause mortality in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease: results from the Linz Peripheral Arterial Disease (LIPAD) study.

Background: We have previously demonstrated that adiponectin is associated with amino terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Furthermore, we have shown that NT-proBNP is a strong predictor of mortality in these patients. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the value of adiponectin as long-term prognostic marker in patients with atherosclerotic PAD in the same cohort.

Pro-A-type natriuretic peptide and pro-adrenomedullin predict progression of chronic kidney disease: the MMKD Study.

A-type natriuretic peptide (ANP) and adrenomedullin (ADM) are potent hypotensive, diuretic, and natriuretic peptides involved in maintaining cardiovascular and renal homeostasis. We conducted a prospective 7-year study of 177 nondiabetic patients with primary chronic kidney disease to see if ANP and ADM plasma concentrations predict the progression of their disease, using novel sandwich immunoassays covering the midregional epitopes of the stable prohormones (MRproANP and MR-proADM). Progression of chronic kidney disease was defined as doubling of baseline serum creatinine and/or terminal renal failure, which occurred in 65 patients.