Paediatric and adult congenital cardiology education and training in Europe.

Background: Limited data exist on training of European paediatric and adult congenital cardiologists.

Methods: A structured and approved questionnaire was circulated to national delegates of Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology in 33 European countries.

Results: Delegates from 30 countries (91%) responded.

Mycophenolate mofetil treatment in patients with autoimmune hepatitis failing standard therapy with prednisolone and azathioprine.

Background: Data on rescue treatment of autoimmune hepatitis in patients that fail standard treatment are sparse.

Aims: To report our long-term experience with mycophenolate mofetil.

Methods: Retrospective study in 22 patients with autoimmune hepatitis who failed azathioprine and prednisolone due to adverse events (n = 14, 64%), lack of remission (n = 5, 23%) or a combination (n = 3, 13%).

Identifying newborns with umbilical cord blood metabolic acidosis by intrapartum cardiotography combined with fetal ECG ST analysis (STAN): comparison of the new and old FIGO systems to classify cardiotocograms.

The intrapartum cardiotocography (CTG) classification system by FIGO in 2015 (FIGO2015) was introduced to simplify CTG interpretation, but it is not harmonized with the fetal ECG ST analysis (STAN) algorithm from 2007 (STAN2007), which is based on the FIGO CTG system from 1987. The study aimed to determine time courses and sensitivity between the systems in classifying CTG + ST events to indicate metabolic acidosis at birth. Forty-four cases with umbilical cord artery metabolic acidosis were retrieved from a European multicenter database.

Risk factors for refractive error after cataract surgery: Analysis of 282 811 cataract extractions reported to the European Registry of Quality Outcomes for cataract and refractive surgery.

Purpose: To analyze risk factors for refractive error after cataract surgery and provide a benchmark for refractive outcomes after standard cataract surgery.

Setting: One hundred cataract surgery clinics from 12 European countries.

Design: Multicenter database study.

FHR patterns that become significant in connection with ST waveform changes and metabolic acidosis at birth.

Recent developments have produced new CTG classification systems and the question is to what extent these may affect the model of FHR + ST interpretation? The two new systems (FIGO2015 and SSOG2017) classify FHR + ST events differently from the current CTG classification system used in the STAN interpretation algorithm (STAN2007). Identify the predominant FHR patterns in connection with ST events in cases of cord artery metabolic acidosis missed by the different CTG classification systems. Indicate to what extent STAN clinical guidelines could be modified enhancing the sensitivity.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgeries reported to the European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract and Refractive Surgery: Baseline characteristics, surgical procedure, and outcomes.

Purpose: To describe a large cohort of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgeries in terms of baseline characteristics and the related outcomes.

Setting: Eighteen cataract surgery clinics in 9 European countries and Australia.

Design: Prospective multicenter case series.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery versus standard phacoemulsification cataract surgery: Study from the European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Purpose: To compare the visual, refractive, and adverse outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

Setting: Cataract surgery clinics in 9 European countries and Australia (femtosecond-assisted) and 18 European countries and Australia (conventional).

Design: Multicenter case-control study.

Endophthalmitis after small-gauge vitrectomy: a retrospective case series from Sweden.

Purpose: To investigate the anatomical and functional outcomes of acute-onset endophthalmitis after small-gauge vitrectomy.

Methods: Retrospective case series of patients who underwent 23- or 25-gauge vitrectomy at four centres in Sweden between 2008 and 2012. Postvitrectomy endophthalmitis was identified through the search of the journal records of each institution, and the diagnosis was based on clinical criteria regardless of culture results.

LACC1 polymorphisms in inflammatory bowel disease and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

The function of the Laccase domain-containing 1 (LACC1) gene is unknown, but genetic variation at this locus has been reported to consistently affect the risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and leprosy. Recently, a LACC1 missense mutation was found in patients suffering from monogenic forms of CD, but also systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. We tested the hypothesis that LACC1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in addition to CD, are associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, non-systemic), and another major form of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC).

Cataract surgery outcomes in corneal refractive surgery eyes: Study from the European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Purpose: To analyze visual outcomes after cataract surgery in patients with previous corneal refractive surgery.

Setting: Cataract surgery clinics in 18 European countries and Australia.

Design: Database study.

The European registry of quality outcomes for cataract and refractive surgery (EUREQUO): a database study of trends in volumes, surgical techniques and outcomes of refractive surgery.

Background: A European web-based registry for refractive surgery was established in 2008; The European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (EUREQUO). The aim of the registry was to improve treatment and standards of care for refractive surgery. Further aims were to offer a tool for benchmarking by establishing a reference database and for surgeons to enter and analyze their own outcomes.

The changing pattern of cataract surgery indications: a 5-year study of 2 cataract surgery databases.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe changes over time in the indications and outcomes of cataract surgery and to discuss optimal timing for the surgery.

Design: Database study.

Participants: Patients who had undergone cataract extraction in the Netherlands, Sweden, or Malaysia from 2008 through 2012.

Increased plasma TACE activity in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Evidence suggests that the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-signaling pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM-17) can cleave both pro-TNF-α and TNF receptors. Recently, we have shown that TACE activity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients is significantly higher than that of cognitively healthy controls (HC).

Antibodies to heteromeric glycolipid complexes in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Autoantibodies are infrequently detected in the sera of patients with the demyelinating form of Guillain-Barré syndrome most commonly encountered in the Western world, despite abundant circumstantial evidence suggesting their existence. We hypothesised that antibody specificities reliant on the cis interactions of neighbouring membrane glycolipids could explain this discrepancy, and would not have been detected by traditional serological assays using highly purified preparations of single gangliosides. To assess the frequency of glycolipid complex antibodies in a Western European cohort of patients GBS we used a newly developed combinatorial glycoarray methodology to screen against large range of antigens (11 gangliosides, 8 other single glycolipids and 162 heterodimeric glycolipid complexes).

Reduced prevalence of metabolic acidosis at birth: an analysis of established STAN usage in the total population of deliveries in a Swedish district hospital.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate quality-of-care improvements after the introduction of ST waveform analysis as an adjunct to standard cardiotocography (CTG).

Study Design: This was a prospective clinical study that was conducted over 7 years. Four yearly cohorts of 12,832 term pregnancies were part of a detailed analysis.

Increased porphyrins in primary liver cancer mainly reflect a parallel liver disease.

Hepatic porphyries have been associated with an increased risk of primary liver cancer (PLC), which on the other hand may cause an increased porphyrin production. To evaluate the role of an underlying liver disorder we analyzed porphyrins in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n = 65), cholangiocellular carcinoma (n = 3), or suspected PLC, which turned out to be metastases (n = 18) or a benign disorder (n = 11). None of the patients had a family history of porphyry or clinical signs of porphyry.

Effects of a supplementary diet with specially processed cereals in patients with short bowel syndrome.

Objective: Short bowel syndrome patients frequently experience impaired health-related quality of life. This syndrome is also associated with increased costs for the individuals concerned and the community. Intake of specially processed cereals has been demonstrated to decrease intestinal secretion.

Novel cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of axonal degeneration in frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous disease with substantial interpersonal variance in aggressiveness. Novel biomarkers for rapidly progressive FTD could improve diagnosis and provide clues regarding its pathogenesis. In this study, surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) was used to analyze peptide profiles in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 24 FTD patients.

Five mucosal transcripts of interest in ulcerative colitis identified by quantitative real-time PCR: a prospective study.

Background: The cause and pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis are both mainly unknown. We have previously used whole-genome microarray technique on biopsies obtained from patients with ulcerative colitis to identify 5 changed mucosal transcripts. The aim of this study was to compare mucosal expressions of these five transcripts in ulcerative colitis patients vs.

HLA haplotype map of river valley populations with hemochromatosis traced through five centuries in Central Sweden.

Background: The hemochromatosis mutation, C282Y of the HFE gene, seems to have originated from a single event which once occurred in a person living in the north west of Europe carrying human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A3-B7. In descendants of this ancestor also other haplotypes appear probably caused by local recombinations and founder effects. The background of these associations is unknown.

Real-time PCR quantification analysis of five mucosal transcripts in patients with Crohn's disease.

Objectives: Crohn's disease has a genetic background. Onset of the clinical manifestations, however, is suggested to be triggered by environmental factors. Microarray analysis has shown that the expression of transcripts aldolase B, elafin, MST-1, simNIPhom and SLC6A14 are altered in patients with ulcerative colitis.