Systolic Function in the Fontan Circulation is Exercise, but not Preload, Recruitable.

Background: Fontan circulatory failure with impaired systolic function is well documented; however, its mechanisms are not fully understood. We aimed to explore the myocardial functional reserve in adolescent patients with Fontan circulation in response to exercise or acute preload increase.

Methods: Our study comprised 32 patients (median age: 16.

Gut microbiota diversity is prognostic and associated with benefit from chemo-immunotherapy in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

The gut microbiota influences multiple aspects of human health and disease. Several studies have indicated an association between the gut microbiota and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in various cancers, but there is scarce data from breast cancer. The randomized ALICE trial demonstrated improved progression-free survival (PFS) from adding the programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor atezolizumab (atezo) to immunomodulating chemotherapy (chemo) in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), even for PD-L1 disease.

Adherence to the Healthy Nordic Food Index is associated with reduced plasma levels of inflammatory markers in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Background And Aims: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disease associated with hypercholesterolemia, and dietary treatment is part of the treatment. We aimed to assess the dietary pattern in relation to the Healthy Nordic Food Index (HNFI) in adults with and without heterozygous FH (HeFH), and to examine the associations between dietary quality and biomarkers related to cardiovascular disease in adults with HeFH.

Methods: We included 205 adults (≥18 years) with HeFH who received follow-up at the Lipid Clinic in Oslo and compared them to controls (n = 228).

Report on the 12th international workshop on the CCN family of genes, Oslo, June 20-23, 2024.

The 12th international workshop on the CCN family of genes took place at the Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel in Oslo, Norway from June 20-23, 2024. In 2024, it was the second time, following the Nice meeting in 2022, that the scientific topics were expanded to include additional cellular signaling and communication pathways of interest to the CCN Society members, as suggested by Bernard Perbal in 2019. The 12th international CCN workshop, organized by Håvard Attramadal and Vivi T.

The effects of remdesivir on long-term symptoms in patients hospitalised for COVID-19: a pre-specified exploratory analysis.

Background: There is an unmet need for treatment of long-term symptoms following COVID-19. Remdesivir is currently the only antiviral approved by the European Medicines Agency for hospitalised patients. Here, we report on the effect of remdesivir in addition to standard of care on long-term symptoms and quality of life in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 as part of the open-label randomised NOR-Solidarity trial (NCT04321616).

A deep learning based method for left ventricular strain measurements: repeatability and accuracy compared to experienced echocardiographers.

Background: Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) provides quantification of left ventricular (LV) deformation and is useful in the assessment of LV function. STE is increasingly being used clinically, and every effort to simplify and standardize STE is important. Manual outlining of regions of interest (ROIs) is labor intensive and may influence assessment of strain values.

Progression of myocardial dysfunction and prediction of arrhythmic events in patients with exercise-induced arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Several reports exist of an acquired exercise-induced arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Little is known about myocardial disease progression and arrhythmia prediction in this population.

Objective: The study sought to explore the evolution of myocardial function and structure and its relation to incident life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (VA), to identify markers of impending events.

Clinicopathological Analysis of a European Cohort of MYOD1 Mutant Rhabdomyosarcomas in Children and Young Adults.

Background: Patients with PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcomas (fnRMS) harbouring the rare L122R MYOD1 mutation have significantly poorer prognosis than other fnRMS. We undertook a detailed clinicopathological evaluation of a cohort of patients with MYOD1 mutated fnRMS in order to improve risk stratification and treatment options.

Procedure: Histological, mutational and clinical data from a cohort of patients with MYOD1 mutant RMS treated in Europe were analysed.

Gut dysbiosis and neutrophil extracellular traps in chronic heart failure.

Background: Chronic heart failure (HF) patients have reduced microbiota diversity. Leakage of microbes and their metabolites into the bloodstream may activate neutrophils. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) consist of chromatin and proteases, and may contribute to HF pathogenesis.

The role of dendritic cells in tertiary lymphoid structures: implications in cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS) are organized aggregates of immune cells such as T cells, B cells, and Dendritic Cells (DCs), as well as fibroblasts, formed postnatally in response to signals from cytokines and chemokines. Central to the function of TLS are DCs, professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that coordinate the adaptive immune response, and which can be classified into different subsets, with specific functions, and markers. In this article, we review current data on the contribution of different DC subsets to TLS function in cancer and autoimmunity, two opposite sides of the immune response.

Elevated levels of peripheral and central nervous system immune markers reflect innate immune dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder.

Background: Evidence suggests dysregulated immune functions in the pathophysiology of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although specific immune mechanisms are yet to be identified.

Methods: We assessed circulating levels of 25 immune/neuroinflammatory markers in a large ASD sample (n = 151) and matched controls (n = 72) using linear models. In addition, we performed global brain transcriptomics analyses of relevant immune-related genes.

Cardiac remodelling in patients with atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnoea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can cause left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) remodelling, which is linked to atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can reverse LA and LV remodelling in patients with OSA and paroxysmal AF (PAF) has yet to be studied. We assessed the impact of CPAP treatment on LA and LV size and function in patients with OSA and PAF before and after catheter ablation.

Delayed Distant Recurrence of a Uveal Melanoma 4 Decades after Enucleation.

Introduction: This report presents a case of an exceptionally delayed distant recurrence of a choroidal melanoma, occurring 4 decades after the enucleation of the affected eye.

Case Presentation: In 1977, a 29-year-old man underwent enucleation for a choroidal melanoma. At the age of 68 years, he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.

Right ventricular remodelling and long-term survival after pulmonary endarterectomy versus balloon pulmonary angioplasty in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the treatment of choice for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), while balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is an alternative for inoperable patients. We aimed to compare right ventricular (RV) remodelling and late survival after PEA and BPA.

Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study, we performed echocardiography at baseline and follow-up in patients with CTEPH treated with PEA (n=54) or BPA (n=44) between 2011 and 2022.

Value of preparticipation cardiovascular evaluation of master athletes by self-reported symptoms and cardiovascular risk-score.

The risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is increased during endurance competitive sports. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of SCD in master athletes ≥ 35 years old (MAs). To reduce the risk of SCD self-assessment of symptoms by questionnaire, and evaluation of cardiovascular risk-score, are recommended as pre-participation cardiovascular evaluation (PCVE).

Pregnancy-Associated Maternal Mortality Within One Year After Childbirth: Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess associations between pregnancy complications and pregnancy-associated maternal mortality (PAM) within 1 year after childbirth.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Setting: Norway, 1967-2020.

Significant individual variation in cardiac-cycle-linked cerebrospinal fluid production following subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background: Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) often results in altered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and secondary hydrocephalus, yet the mechanisms behind these phenomena remain poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of SAH on individual CSF flow patterns and their association with secondary hydrocephalus.

Methods: In patients who had experienced SAH, changes in CSF flow were assessed using cardiac-gated phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) at the Sylvian aqueduct and cranio-cervical junction (CCJ).

Predictability of antigen binding based on short motifs in the antibody CDRH3.

Adaptive immune receptors, such as antibodies and T-cell receptors, recognize foreign threats with exquisite specificity. A major challenge in adaptive immunology is discovering the rules governing immune receptor-antigen binding in order to predict the antigen binding status of previously unseen immune receptors. Many studies assume that the antigen binding status of an immune receptor may be determined by the presence of a short motif in the complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3), disregarding other amino acids.

Left atrial volume assessed by echocardiography identifies patients with high risk of adverse outcome after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The left atrial (LA) volume has been demonstrated to be an important predictor of adverse outcome in patients with various cardiac conditions, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, new treatment strategies in patients with AMI have led to better patient outcomes. We hypothesised that increased LA size could still predict mortality in patients with AMI despite improved treatment strategies.

Hypothermia versus normothermia in patients with cardiac arrest and shockable rhythm: a secondary analysis of the TTM-2 study.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess whether hypothermia increased survival and improved functional outcome when compared with normothermia in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients with similar characteristics than in previous randomized studies showing benefits for hypothermia.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized clinical trial (TTM-2, NCT02908308). In this analysis, the subset of patients included in the trial who had similar characteristics to patients included in one previous randomized trial and randomized to hypothermia at 33 °C or normothermia (i.

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Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring form of cancer in pregnancy. Among women aged between 25 and 29 years, one in five cases of breast cancer will occur in pregnancy or during the first postnatal year. The prevalence is increasing, presumably because of the increase in maternal age at pregnancy.