Biomarkers of coagulation and fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction: a joint position paper of the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care and the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Thrombosis.

The formation of a thrombus in an epicardial artery may result in an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Despite major advances in acute treatment using network approaches to allocate patients to timely reperfusion and optimal antithrombotic treatment, patients remain at high risk for thrombotic complications. Ongoing activation of the coagulation system as well as thrombin-mediated platelet activation may both play a crucial role in this context.

HSD17B13 truncated variant is associated with a mild hepatic phenotype in Wilson's Disease.

Unlabelled: encodes hydroxysteroid 17-β dehydrogenase 13, a novel liver lipid-droplet associated protein that is involved in the regulation of lipid biosynthetic processes. A protein-truncating variant (rs72613567) was shown to protect individuals from alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease. Since steatosis is a common feature in Wilson's disease (WD), we aimed to assess whether the HSD17B13 variant modulates the phenotypic presentation and progression of WD.

Genetic Variation in HSD17B13 Reduces the Risk of Developing Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Alcohol Misusers.

Background And Aims: Carriage of rs738409:G in patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) is associated with an increased risk for developing alcohol-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, rs72613567:TA in hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) was shown to be associated with a reduced risk for developing alcohol-related liver disease and to attenuate the risk associated with carriage of PNPLA3 rs738409:G. This study explores the risk associations between these two genetic variants and the development of alcohol-related cirrhosis and HCC.

Comparative effectiveness of common therapies for Wilson disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled studies.

Background & Aims: Wilson disease (WD) is a rare disorder of copper metabolism. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the comparative effectiveness and safety of common treatments of WD.

Methods: We included WD patients of any age or stage and the study drugs D-penicillamine, zinc salts, trientine and tetrathiomolybdate.

Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cholangiocarcinoma.

The high mortality rate of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is due, in part, to the lack of non-invasive approaches able to accurately detect this silent tumour at early stages, when therapeutic options can be potentially curative or may at least increase the overall survival of patients. The fact that the majority of CCA tumours are not linked to any known aetiological factor highly compromises the monitoring of patients at risk for tumour development and also their early diagnosis. Combination of clinical/biochemical features, imaging techniques and analysis of non-specific tumour biomarkers in serum are commonly used to help in the diagnosis of CCA, but tumour biopsy is usually required to confirm the diagnosis.

Practical recommendations for fertility preservation in women by the FertiPROTEKT network. Part II: fertility preservation techniques.

Purpose: In addition to guidelines focusing on scientific evidence, practical recommendations on fertility preservation are also needed.

Methods: A selective literature search was performed based on the clinical and scientific experience of the authors. This article (Part II) focuses on fertility preservation techniques.

Microstructured Multilevel Bacterial Cellulose Allows the Guided Growth of Neural Stem Cells.

Repeated photolithographic and etching processes allow the production of multileveled polymer microstructures that can be used as templates to produce bacterial cellulose with defined surfaces on demand. By applying this approach, the bacterial cellulose surface obtains new properties and its use for culturing neural stem cells cellulose substrate topography influences the cell growth in a defined manner.

Ninety-five orthotopic transplantations in 74 women of ovarian tissue after cytotoxic treatment in a fertility preservation network: tissue activity, pregnancy and delivery rates.

Study Question: What is the success rate in terms of ovarian activity (menstrual cycles) as well as pregnancy and delivery rates 1 year after orthotopic ovarian transplantations conducted in a three-country network?

Summary Answer: In 49 women with a follow-up >1 year after transplantation, the ovaries were active in 67% of cases and the pregnancy and delivery rates were 33 and 25%, respectively.

What Is Known Already: Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue in advance of cytotoxic therapies and later transplantation of the tissue is being performed increasingly often, and the total success rates in terms of pregnancy and delivery have been described in case series. However, published case series have not allowed either a more detailed analysis of patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or calculation of success rates based on the parameter 'tissue activity'.

Degradation of intestinal mRNA: a matter of treatment.

Aim: To characterize the influence of location, species and treatment upon RNA degradation in tissue samples from the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: The intestinal samples were stored in different medium for different times under varying conditions: different species (human and rat), varying temperature (storage on crushed ice or room temperature), time point of dissection of the submucous-mucous layer from the smooth muscle (before or after storage), different rinsing methods (rinsing with Medium, PBS, RNALater or without rinsing at all) and different regions of the gut (proximal and distal small intestine, caecum, colon and rectum). The total RNA from different parts of the gut (rat: proximal and distal small intestine, caecum, colon and rectum, human: colon and rectum) and individual gut layers (muscle and submucosal/mucosal) was extracted.

Endostatin and physical exercise in young female and male athletes and controls.

It was suggested that endostatin, an angiogenic mediator, is influenced by physical exercise. We performed bicycle stress testing in 88 healthy non-smoking female and male individuals, divided into athlete and non-athlete groups. Serum endostatin and norepinephrine were measured at rest, after reaching maximum workload and after 20 min of recovery.

Neurocircuit function in eating disorders.

Objective: Eating disorders are serious psychosomatic disorders with high morbidity and lifetime mortality. Inadequate response to current therapeutic interventions constitutes a challenging clinical problem. A better understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms could improve psychotherapeutic and drug treatment strategies.