DNA binding protein YB-1 is a part of the neutrophil extracellular trap mediation of kidney damage and cross-organ effects.

Open-heart surgery is associated with high morbidity, with acute kidney injury (AKI) being one of the most commonly observed postoperative complications. Following open-heart surgery, in an observational study we found significantly higher numbers of blood neutrophils in a group of 13 patients with AKI compared to 25 patients without AKI (AKI: 12.9±5.

Key summary of German national treatment guidance for hospitalized COVID-19 patients : Key pharmacologic recommendations from a national German living guideline using an Evidence to Decision Framework (last updated 17.05.2021).

Purpose: This executive summary of a national living guideline aims to provide rapid evidence based recommendations on the role of drug interventions in the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Methods: The guideline makes use of a systematic assessment and decision process using an evidence to decision framework (GRADE) as recommended standard WHO (2021). Recommendations are consented by an interdisciplinary panel.

Next generation sequencing and imprinting disorders: Current applications and future perspectives: Lessons from Silver-Russell syndrome.

Imprinting Disorders are a group of rare diseases with overlapping phenotypes which are associated with similar molecular changes and affect imprinted chromosomal regions. Clinical features mainly occur prenatally or in childhood, but have a severe lifelong impact on health. Due to their clinical and molecular heterogeneity, the diagnosis of imprinting disorders is often challenging and requires testing of a broad spectrum of genomic variants and aberrant methylation of imprinted loci (epimutations).

No evidence for point mutations in the novel renal cystine transporter AGT1/SLC7A13 contributing to the etiology of cystinuria.

Background: Cystinuria is caused by the defective renal reabsorption of cystine and dibasic amino acids, and results in cystine stone formation. So far, mutations in two genes have been identified as causative. The SLC3A1/rBAT gene encodes the heavy subunit of the heterodimeric rBAT-bAT transporter, whereas the light chain is encoded by the SLC7A9/ bAT gene.

Search for altered imprinting marks in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser patients.

Background: Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) is the second most common cause of primary amenorrhea and characterized by absence of the uterus and the upper part of the vagina. The etiology of MRKH is mainly unknown but a contribution of genomic alterations is probable. A molecular disturbance so far neglected in MRKH research is aberrant methylation at imprinted loci.

Mif-deficiency favors an atheroprotective autoantibody phenotype in atherosclerosis.

The inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) promotes atherosclerosis via lesional monocyte and T-cell recruitment. B cells have emerged as important components in atherogenesis, but the interaction between MIF and B cells in atherogenesis is unknown. Here, we investigated the atherosclerotic phenotype of Mif-gene deletion in Apoe mice.

NLRP genes and their role in preeclampsia and multi-locus imprinting disorders.

Preeclampsia (PE) affects 2-5% of all pregnancies. It is a multifactorial disease, but it has been estimated that 35% of the variance in liability of PE are attributable to maternal genetic effects and 20% to fetal genetic effects. PE has also been reported in women delivering children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS, OMIM 130650), a disorder associated with aberrant methylation at genomically imprinted loci.

Food matters: how the microbiome and gut-brain interaction might impact the development and course of anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is one of the most common chronic illnesses in female adolescents and exhibits the highest mortality risk of all psychiatric disorders. Evidence for the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic or psychopharmacological interventions is weak. Mounting data indicate that the gut microbiome interacts with the central nervous system and the immune system by neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter, neurotrophic and neuroinflammatory afferent and efferent pathways.

Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 16 [upd(16)mat]: clinical features are rather caused by (hidden) trisomy 16 mosaicism than by upd(16)mat itself.

Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 16 [upd(16)mat] as the result of trisomy 16 is one of the most frequently reported uniparental disomies in humans, but a consistent phenotype is not obvious. Particularly, it is difficult to discriminate between features resulting from upd(16)mat and mosaic trisomy 16. By evaluating literature data (n = 74) and three own cases we aimed to determine whether the clinical features are due to upd(16)mat or to trisomy 16 mosaicism.

MIF promotes B cell chemotaxis through the receptors CXCR4 and CD74 and ZAP-70 signaling.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a proinflammatory cytokine with chemokine-like functions that plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases by promoting leukocyte recruitment. We showed that MIF promotes the atherogenic recruitment of monocytes and T cells through its receptors CXCR2 and CXCR4. Effects of MIF on B cell recruitment have not been addressed.

MR imaging of thrombi using EP-2104R, a fibrin-specific contrast agent: initial results in patients.

This study was an initial phase II trial in humans of molecular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for improved visualization of thrombi in vessel territories potentially responsible for stroke using a new fibrin-specific contrast agent (EP-2104R). Eleven patients with thrombus in the left ventricle (n = 2), left or right atrium (n = 4), thoracic aorta (n = 4) or carotid artery (n = 1) as verified by an index examination (ultrasound, computed tomograpy, or conventional MR) were enrolled. All MR imaging was performed on 1.

Collagen in colon disease.

The pathophysiology of wound healing in the bowel wall suggests that collagen and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have an important role in the changes of the bowel wall seen in several colonic diseases. Several recent studies suggest that disturbances of the collagen texture and the extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism are major factors leading to the onset of diverticular disease. Changes of the ECM also play a role in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Stochastic behavior of atrial and ventricular intrinsic cardiac neurons.

To quantify the concurrent transduction capabilities of spatially distributed intrinsic cardiac neurons, the activities generated by atrial vs. ventricular intrinsic cardiac neurons were recorded simultaneously in 12 anesthetized dogs at baseline and during alterations in the cardiac milieu. Few (3%) identified atrial and ventricular neurons (2 of 72 characterized neurons) responded solely to regional mechanical deformation, doing so in a tightly coupled fashion (cross-correlation coefficient r = 0.

Importance of ductus venosus Doppler assessment for fetal outcome in cases of intrauterine growth restriction.

Objective: The measurement and evaluation of ductus venosus (DV) blood flow velocity waveform in high-risk pregnancies has been studied intensively in recent years in order to find a more intermediate signal of fetal compromise. Our objective was to study the fetal outcome of pregnancies with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and normal pulsatility of DV compared to an IUGR group with increased DV pulsatility.

Methods: The outcome of 42 fetuses before 32 weeks of gestational age without chromosomal or structural aberrations was analyzed.

Surgery modifies cardiac sensory transduction.

Objective: We sought to determine whether cardiac surgery, specifically the placement of an incision within a ventricular wall, affects the capacity of regional cardiac sensory nerve terminals (neurites) to transduce the local cardiac milieu.

Methods: The capacity of sensory neurites in the right ventricular outflow tract associated with afferent neurons in nodose ganglia to transduce their mechanical and chemical milieu was studied in 11 anesthetized pigs before and after performing a local ventriculotomy.

Results: Right ventricular outflow tract sensory neurites associated with 23 nodose ganglion afferent neurons were identified that transduced local mechanical deformation along with substance P.

Measurement of motor evoked potentials following repetitive magnetic motor cortex stimulation during isoflurane or propofol anaesthesia.

Background: Isoflurane and propofol reduce the recordability of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) following single transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex (sTCMS). Repetition of the magnetic stimulus (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTCMS) might allow the inhibition caused by anaesthesia with isoflurane or propofol to be overcome.

Methods: We applied rTCMS (four stimuli; inter-stimulus intervals of 3, 4, 5 ms (333, 250, 200 Hz), output 2.

Dilatation of the pulmonary veins in atrial fibrillation: a transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation.

Ectopic beats originating from sleeves of atrial tissue within the pulmonary veins (PVs) can induce and sustain paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial stretch and dilatation favors the development of atrial ectopy and AF. Similarly, PV dilatation, if present, might trigger PV ectopy in patients with AF.

Short-wavelength automated perimetry in patients with diabetes mellitus without macular edema.

Background: The short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) cone-mediated sensitivity is a sensitive indicator of functional changes of the macula in diabetic maculopathy. This study was performed to investigate whether functional losses of the macula are detectable in patients without a significant macular edema.

Methods: In 45 patients with diabetes mellitus with clear optical media and no macular edema, conventional white-on-white perimetry (WWP) and short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP) were performed in the central 10-deg field.

Expression of adhesion molecules in the lower uterine segment during term and preterm parturition.

Term and preterm cervical ripening and dilatation have similarities with an inflammatory reaction. Since cell adhesion molecules are involved in this process, investigations on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule in the lower uterine segment and in vitro experiments on human umbilical vein endothelial cells were performed. In addition, current reports on expression of endothelial adhesion molecules by the uterine cervix were summarized.

Chorioamnionitis: elevated interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 concentrations in the lower uterine segment.

Aims: To determine interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 concentrations in the lower uterine segment in patients with chorioamnionitis compared to those without.

Methods: Biopsy specimens from the lower uterine segment of 33 patients with chorioamnionitis were matched to specimens of 33 patients without. The biopsies had been taken during cesarean section.

Outcome in adolescent anorexia nervosa.

The present paper compares course and outcome of adolescent anorexia nervosa to that of adult onset forms. In recent studies earlier onset of anorexia nervosa was associated with higher recovery rates and a lower mortality, although even in adolescent patients anorexia nervosa takes a prolonged course. A chronic eating disorder bears a high risk of other comorbid psychiatric or personality disorders.