T2DM/CKD genetic risk scores and the progression of diabetic kidney disease in T2DM subjects.

This study aimed at understanding the predictive potential of genetic risk scores (GRS) for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Major Cardiovascular Events (MCVE) and All-Cause Mortality (ACM) as secondary outcomes. We evaluated 30 T2DM and CKD GWAS-derived single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their association with clinical outcomes in a central European cohort (n = 400 patients). Our univariate Cox analysis revealed significant associations of age, duration of diabetes, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and eGFR with progression of DKD (all P < 0.

Serum concentrations of proinflammatory biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a predictor of postoperative complications after elective colorectal surgery.

Background: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the role of serum IL-6 as a potential predictive biomarker of postoperative complications (POC) in elective colorectal surgery.

Method: A total of 115 patients underwent colorectal surgery for malignancy. IL-6 was measured on the first and third postoperative days (POD1, POD3), and C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured on the POD3.

Trends in outcomes of women with myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty-Analysis of randomized trials.

Background: Sex- and gender-associated differences determine the disease response to treatment.

Aim: The study aimed to explore the hypothesis that progress in the management of STE-myocardial infarction (STEMI) overcomes the worse outcome in women.

Methods And Results: We performed an analysis of three randomized trials enrolling patients treated with primary PCI more than 10 years apart.

Does Pathological Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Therapy Influence Postoperative Morbidity in Rectal Cancer after Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision?

Purpose: It is still unclear if pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients treated for rectal cancer causes worse postoperative outcomes, especially after transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME). Worse postoperative outcomes might be an argument for an organ preserving watch and wait strategy in fragile patients and patients with comorbidities. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether patients treated for rectal cancer who had pCR to neoadjuvant therapy develop worse postoperative outcomes after TaTME than patients without complete response.

Identification of Recessively Inherited Genetic Variants Potentially Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Risk.

Although 21 pancreatic cancer susceptibility loci have been identified in individuals of European ancestry through genome-wide association studies (GWASs), much of the heritability of pancreatic cancer risk remains unidentified. A recessive genetic model could be a powerful tool for identifying additional risk variants. To discover recessively inherited pancreatic cancer risk loci, we performed a re-analysis of the largest pancreatic cancer GWAS, the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium (PanScan) and the Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PanC4), including 8,769 cases and 7,055 controls of European ancestry.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Pancreas Disease: Clinical Consequences.

Metabolic syndrome and its components such as obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM-T2), and arterial hypertension are unequivocally serious problems for every society. This is especially true in economically developed countries where the imbalance in lifestyle between caloric intake and caloric output still gets greater and greater. This fact is not only a concern for the adult population but for children as well.

Pancreatic Solid Focal Lesions: Differential Diagnosis between Autoimmune Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) in early stages is still challenging for gastroenterologists. The early detection of cancer is one of the utmost importance for the successful therapy of this malignancy. An accurate differential diagnosis of focal pancreatic lesions plays also an important role, whether it is differential diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis from PC or autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) from PC.

The Use of Biomarkers in Early Diagnostics of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid malignancies with increasing incidence. The poor prognosis is due to the aggressive nature of the tumor, late detection, and the resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A radical surgery procedure is the only treatment that has been shown to improve the 5-year survival rate to 20-25%.

Tumor grade as significant prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer: validation of a novel TNMG staging system.

Aim of the study was to asses the tumor grade prognostic value in the Czech pancreatic cancer patients and to evaluate the accuracy of TNMG prognostic model. Retrospective analysis of 431 pancreatic cancer patients undergoing pancreatic resection in seven Czech oncological centers between 2003 and 2013 was performed. The impact of tumor grade and the accuracy of TNMG prognostic model were evaluated.

Comparison of cervical anastomotic leak and stenosis after oesophagectomy for carcinoma according to the interval of the stomach ischaemic conditioning.

Background Stomach preparation by ischaemic conditioning prior to oesophageal resection represents a potential method of reducing the risk of anastomotic complications. This study compares the results of the anastomotic complications of cervical anastomosis after oesophagectomy with a short interval after ischaemic conditioning (group S) and a long interval (group L). Methods Subjects undergoing oesophagectomy for carcinoma after ischaemic conditioning were divided into two groups.

Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm of the Liver or Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of the Bile Duct? A Case Report and a Review of Literature.

Mucinous cystic neoplasm of the liver (MCN-L) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the bile duct (IPMN-B) are diagnoses that were classified by the World Health Organization in 2010 as mucin-producing bile duct tumors of the hepatobiliary system. The preoperative differential diagnosis between these two entities is difficult; the presence of a communication with the bile duct is usually considered as a typical sign of IPMN-B. However, the presence of an ovarian-like stroma (OLS) has been established to define the diagnosis of MCN-L.

C-reactive protein as predictor of anastomotic complications after minimally invasive oesophagectomy.

Background: Anastomotic leaks after oesophagectomy with tabularised stomach replacement are a significant factor in post-operative mortality and morbidity. Early detection and treatment of this complication allow for improving operative and oncological results. When assessing laboratory values - elevation of inflammatory parameters - complicated interpretation is an issue (systemic inflammatory response syndrome, surgical versus non-surgical complication).

Myofascial-manual lymphatic drainage for burn trauma: a service evaluation.

Improving microcirculation in the area of a wound is an important aspect of wound healing. It can be improved by a new manual methodology: myofascial-manual lymphatic drainage (M-MLD). This hybrid technique uses elements of musculoskeletal medicine and manual lymphatic drainage.

Are there differences between macrocyclic gadolinium contrast agents for brain tumor imaging? Results of a multicenter intraindividual crossover comparison of gadobutrol with gadoteridol (the TRUTH study).

Background And Purpose: Gadobutrol (Gadavist) and gadoteridol (ProHance) have similar macrocyclic molecular structures, but gadobutrol is formulated at a 2-fold higher (1 mol/L versus 0.5 mol/L) concentration. We sought to determine whether this difference impacts morphologic contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of functioning pancreatic insulinoma: video case report.

Insulinomas are the most common functioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas. Most of them are well-differentiated tumors, with benign or uncertain behavior at the time of diagnosis. Surgery is considered to be the only curative treatment modality.

Effects of activated and nonactivated platelet-rich plasma on proliferation of human osteoblasts in vitro.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of progressively increasing concentrations of activated and nonactivated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on proliferation of human osteoblasts in vitro.

Materials And Methods: Human osteoblasts (hFOB 1.19) obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA) were used in the experiment.

Polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 and P1 in patients with reflux esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus.

Reflux esophagitis (RE) and Barrett's esophagus (BE) belong to the most common esophageal complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes play an important role in cellular protection against oxidative stress and toxic foreign chemicals. Therefore, we investigated the hypothesis that polymorphisms in genes for these detoxifying enzymes could influence susceptibility to RE and BE.

Occurrence of notched T wave in healthy family members with the long QT interval syndrome.

The notched T wave is considered 1 of the diagnostic signs of long QT interval syndrome (LQTIS). The investigators report observations of notched T waves in noncarrier members of families with LQTIS and compare the exercise-induced dynamic behavior of these complex T-wave patterns in mutation carriers and noncarriers of 3 families with LQTIS.

Effectiveness and Safety of the PEGT/PBT Copolymer Scaffold as Dermal Substitute in Scar Reconstruction Wounds (Feasibility Trial).

Skin defects left after excision of hypertrophic scars were treated with a dermal substitute and split-thickness skin grafts transplanted after vascularisation of the substitute. The used substitute was a synthetic porous scaffold made from the biodegradable copolymer polyethyleneglycol-terephtalate and polybuthylene-terephtalate. The study was designed to assess the rate of granulation tissue formation, graft take, and after 3 and 12 months the quality of life (pain, comfort of treatment, cosmetic or functional nuisance), scar formation and wound contraction.

Low antigen-dependent activity of T cells after repeated stimulation using dendritic cells and expansion with interleukin-2.

Both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells with specific activity against tumor antigens are needed for an efficient antitumor immune response. Activation and proliferation of T cells require cellular interactions including adhesion, recognition of peptides presented by MHC molecules to the T cells receptor, and costimulation. In a series of experiments we attempted to generate and expand specific T cells by repeated stimulation using antigen-loaded autologous dendritic cells (DCs).

New approach to evaluation of clinical state in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The authors used a new method of evaluating clinical disability--Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC). Three quantitative tests, for the upper, lower extremities and cognitive functions, were used in 90 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The correlation between these results and Expanded Disability Status (EDSS) has shown that in slightly disabled patients there was achieved relatively high correlation especially for the upper extremities function.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism, type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and essential hypertension in the Czech population.

Increased plasma concentrations of homocysteine have been found in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and essential hypertension (EH) and in patients with diabetic complications. The 677C/T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism is related to the MTHFR enzyme activity and to the plasma homocysteine concentration. This study was designed to investigate an association of this polymorphism with CAD, EH, and type II diabetes mellitus in the Czech population.