Bilateral intralobar pulmonary sequestration in a newborn, case report and review of the literature on bilateral pulmonary sequestrations.

We describe a rare case of bilateral intralobar pulmonary sequestration in a newborn with both sequestrations vascularized from a vessel arising from the celiac trunk of the abdominal aorta. The larger sequestration on the right side was diagnosed antenatally, the left side postnatally. At the age of 7 months, the child underwent successful bilateral thoracotomy.

Imaging findings of avalanche victims.

Objective: Skiing and hiking outside the boundaries remains an attractive wilderness activity despite the danger of avalanches. Avalanches occur on a relatively frequent basis and may be devastating. Musculoskeletal radiologists should be acquainted with these injuries.

Airway epithelial IL-15 transforms monocytes into dendritic cells.

IL-15 has recently been shown to induce the differentiation of functional dendritic cells (DCs) from human peripheral blood monocytes. Since DCs lay in close proximity to epithelial cells in the airway mucosa, we investigated whether airway epithelial cells release IL-15 in response to inflammatory stimuli and thereby induce differentiation and maturation of DCs. Alveolar (A549) and bronchial (BEAS-2B) epithelial cells produced IL-15 spontaneously and in a time- and dose-dependent manner after stimulation with IL-1beta, IFN-gamma, or TNF-alpha.

MRI findings of prolonged post-traumatic sternal pain.

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the different causes of prolonged sternal pain following thoracic trauma with involvement of the sternum and to define criteria for sternal nonunion diagnosis using MRI.

Design And Patients: Five patients with abnormalities of the sternum were evaluated for prolonged sternal pain following thoracic trauma using MRI. MR images were evaluated by two radiologists in consensus.

Prospective study on bright lumen magnetic resonance colonography in comparison with conventional colonoscopy.

The aim of this prospective trial was to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of bright lumen magnetic resonance colonography (MRC) in comparison with conventional colonoscopy (CC). A total of 120 consecutive patients with clinical indications for CC were prospectively examined using MRC (1.5 Tesla) which was then followed by CC.

Differential effect of pioglitazone (PGZ) and rosiglitazone (RGZ) on postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective, randomized crossover study.

Background: Postprandial metabolism is impaired in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2Dm). Two thiazolidinediones pioglitazone (PGZ) and rosiglitazone (RGZ) have similar effects on glycaemic control but differ in their effects on fasting lipids. This study investigated the effects of RGZ and PGZ on postprandial metabolism in a prospective, randomized crossover trial.

Alterations of exhaled nitric oxide in pre-term infants with chronic lung disease.

Animal models suggest that reduced nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity results in lower values of exhaled NO (eNO) present at birth in those individuals who are going to develop chronic lung disease of infancy (CLDI). Online tidal eNO was measured in 39 unsedated pre-term infants with CLDI (mean gestational age (GA) 27.3 weeks) in comparison with 23 healthy pre-term (31.

Tenofovir-containing nucleoside/nucleotide-only antiretroviral maintenance therapy: decision making and virological outcome.

Objective: To assess the virological outcome of patients with undetectable human immunodeficiency (HI) viremia switched to tenofovir (TDF)-containing nucleosideonly (NUKE-only) treatments and to investigate the factors influencing the physicians' decision for application of a nonestablished therapy.

Method: Patients' characteristics and history were taken from the cohort database. To study the decision-making process, questionnaires were sent to all treating physicians.

Chemokines indicate allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Rationale: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is characterized by a Th2 immune response. Mouse models suggest a critical role for the Th2 chemokines thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) in ABPA.

Objectives: To determine whether serum levels of TARC and MDC characterize ABPA in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and to examine longitudinally if levels of TARC and MDC indicate ABPA exacerbations in patients with CF.

Fluorescent microangiography (FMA): an improved tool to visualize the pulmonary microvasculature.

Visualization of the complex lung microvasculature and resolution of its three-dimensional architecture remains a difficult experimental challenge. We present a novel fluorescent microscopy technique to visualize both the normal and diseased pulmonary microvasculature. Physiologically relevant pulmonary perfusion conditions were applied using a low-viscosity perfusate infused under continuous airway ventilation.

The effect of increased lipid intake on hormonal responses during aerobic exercise in endurance-trained men.

In view of the growing health problem associated with obesity, clarification of the regulation of energy homeostasis is important. Peripheral signals, such as ghrelin and leptin, have been shown to influence energy homeostasis. Nutrients and physical exercise, in turn, influence hormone levels.

Glucocorticosteroid-induced spinal osteoporosis: scientific update on pathophysiology and treatment.

Glucocorticosteroid-induced spinal osteoporosis (GIOP) is the most frequent of all secondary types of osteoporosis. The understanding of the pathophysiology of glucocorticoid (GC) induced bone loss is of crucial importance for appropriate treatment and prevention of debilitating fractures that occur predominantly in the spine. GIOP results from depressed bone formation due to lower activity and higher death rate of osteoblasts on the one hand, and from increase bone resorption due to prolonged lifespan of osteoclasts on the other.

Structures of pulmonary surfactant films adsorbed to an air-liquid interface in vitro.

Phospholipid films can be preserved in vitro when adsorbed to a solidifiable hypophase. Suspensions of natural surfactant, lipid extract surfactants, and artificial surfactants were added to a sodium alginate solution and filled into a captive bubble surfactometer (CBS). Surfactant film was formed by adsorption to the bubble of the CBS for functional tests.

Prevention of postmenopausal bone loss with long-cycle hormone replacement therapy.

Objective: Postmenopausal bone loss and osteoporotic fractures can be prevented by hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, opposed HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer above that associated with estrogen alone and in non-hysterectomized women estrogen substitution alone increases the risk of uterine cancer, which triggered renewed interest in long-cycle HRT regimens (estrogen replacement therapy with progesterone-free intervals up to 6 months). The effects on bone of such long-cycle HRT regimens are unknown.

Risk of severe asthma episodes predicted from fluctuation analysis of airway function.

Asthma is an increasing health problem worldwide, but the long-term temporal pattern of clinical symptoms is not understood and predicting asthma episodes is not generally possible. We analyse the time series of peak expiratory flows, a standard measurement of airway function that has been assessed twice daily in a large asthmatic population during a long-term crossover clinical trial. Here we introduce an approach to predict the risk of worsening airflow obstruction by calculating the conditional probability that, given the current airway condition, a severe obstruction will occur within 30 days.

Bi-directional distraction osteogenesis of the alveolar bone using an extraosseous device.

Objectives: In alveolar distraction, the bone segment tends to incline palatally or lingually, making rigid control of the segments difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a newly developed bi-directional extraosseous alveolar distractor (Medartis V2-Alveolar distractor) for pre- and perioperative vector management.

Material And Methods: Seven patients with segmental alveolar atrophy following traumatic tooth loss were treated using the distraction device.

Adjunctive abciximab improves patency and functional outcome in endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal occlusions: initial experience.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the safety and effectiveness of adjunctive administration of abciximab observed within 30 days and at 6 months after randomization in patients undergoing endovascular revascularization of long-segment femoropopliteal occlusions.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the local ethical committee, and patients gave written informed consent. In a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, patients undergoing percutaneous treatment for long-segment (>5 cm) femoropopliteal occlusions were randomly assigned to receive abciximab or a placebo; all patients also received standard-dose heparin.

Forced oscillation technique in infants and young children.

Due to its non-invasive character, the forced oscillation technique has gained importance in clinical research in infants and young children. Standardisation has enabled systematic and comparable measurements to be made in different laboratories throughout the world. The theoretical conditions are now fulfilled for use of these techniques in the clinical environment.

[Endogenous hypercortisolism and immunologically-mediated disease: three cases].

History And Clinical Findings: We report three women with hypercortisolism presenting with symptoms and signs of Cushing's syndrome. In two of the patients, initial symptoms of hypercortisolism were associated with spontaneous amelioration of previously known atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, respectively.

Diagnostic Procedures: Diagnosis was established by demonstrating both lack of responsiveness to dexamethasone (1mg) suppression test and increased 24-hour urine cortisol secretion.

Plasma leptin levels in men are not related to the development of lipoatrophy during antiretroviral therapy.

Objectives: To assess the correlations between the hormone leptin and lipoatrophy in HIV-positive, treatment-naive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Design: Case-control study nested in a multicentre cohort of HIV-infected adults. Cases were patients that developed lipoatrophy and controls those who did not.