Amiodarone Treatment in the Early Phase of Acute Myocardial Infarction Protects Against Ventricular Fibrillation in a Porcine Model.

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurring in the first minutes to hours of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a frequent cause of death and treatment options are limited. The aim was to test whether early infusion of amiodarone 10 min after onset of AMI reduced the incidence of VF in a porcine model. Eighteen female Danish landrace pigs were randomized to a control and an amiodarone group.

The coronary circulation in acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury: a target for cardioprotection.

The coronary circulation is both culprit and victim of acute myocardial infarction. The rupture of an epicardial atherosclerotic plaque with superimposed thrombosis causes coronary occlusion, and this occlusion must be removed to induce reperfusion. However, ischaemia and reperfusion cause damage not only in cardiomyocytes but also in the coronary circulation, including microembolization of debris and release of soluble factors from the culprit lesion, impairment of endothelial integrity with subsequently increased permeability and oedema formation, platelet activation and leucocyte adherence, erythrocyte stasis, a shift from vasodilation to vasoconstriction, and ultimately structural damage to the capillaries with eventual no-reflow, microvascular obstruction (MVO), and intramyocardial haemorrhage (IMH).

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab alone versus ipilimumab alone in advanced melanoma (CheckMate 067): 4-year outcomes of a multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial.

Background: Previously reported results from the phase 3 CheckMate 067 trial showed a significant improvement in objective responses, progression-free survival, and overall survival with nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab alone compared with ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma. The aim of this report is to provide 4-year updated efficacy and safety data from this study.

Methods: In this phase 3 trial, eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with previously untreated, unresectable, stage III or stage IV melanoma, known BRAF mutation status, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1.

Vago-Splenic Axis in Signal Transduction of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning in Pigs and Rats.

Rationale: The signal transduction of remote ischemic conditioning is still largely unknown.

Objective: Characterization of neurohumoral signal transfer and vago-splenic axis in remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC).

Methods And Results: Anesthetized pigs were subjected to 60 minutes of coronary occlusion and 180 minutes of reperfusion (placebo+ischemia/reperfusion [PLA+I/R]).

The efficacy of re-challenge with BRAF inhibitors after previous progression to BRAF inhibitors in melanoma: A retrospective multicenter study.

BRAF and MEK inhibition is efficient in patients with BRAF V600-mutated metastatic melanoma, but due to acquired resistance the duration of response (DoR) is often only short-lived. In this retrospective multicenter study with 60 patients suffering from inoperable or metastatic melanoma we evaluated the efficacy of re-challenge with a BRAF inhibitor (BRAF2) with or without MEK-inhibition after progressive disease upon previous treatment with a BRAF inhibitor (BRAF1) with or without MEK inhibition. Treatment with BRAF1 led to a disease control rate (DCR) of 90% with 12% complete responses (CR), 58% partial responses (PR) and 20% stable diseases (SD), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.

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.

Extended Versus Limited Lymph Node Dissection in Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy: Survival Results from a Prospective, Randomized Trial.

Background: The extent of lymph node dissection (LND) in bladder cancer (BCa) patients at the time of radical cystectomy may affect oncologic outcome.

Objective: To evaluate whether extended versus limited LND prolongs recurrence-free survival (RFS).

Design, Setting, And Participants: Prospective, multicenter, phase-III trial patients with locally resectable T1G3 or muscle-invasive urothelial BCa (T2-T4aM0).

The 10th Biennial Hatter Cardiovascular Institute workshop: cellular protection-evaluating new directions in the setting of myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and cardio-oncology.

Due to its poor capacity for regeneration, the heart is particularly sensitive to the loss of contractile cardiomyocytes. The onslaught of damage caused by ischaemia and reperfusion, occurring during an acute myocardial infarction and the subsequent reperfusion therapy, can wipe out upwards of a billion cardiomyocytes. A similar program of cell death can cause the irreversible loss of neurons in ischaemic stroke.

Vitronectin promotes the vascularization of porous polyethylene biomaterials.

Rapid implant vascularization is a prerequisite for successful biomaterial engraftment. Vitronectin (VN) is a matricellular glycoprotein well known for its capability to interact with growth factors, proteases, and protease inhibitors/receptors. Since such proteins are highly relevant for angiogenic processes, we hypothesized that VN contributes to the tissue integration of biomaterials.

The prognostic and predictive value of IKZF1 and IKZF3 expression in T-cells in patients with multiple myeloma.

: While recent studies described the role of IKZF1/3 proteins in multiple myeloma (MM) cells, few have highlighted the significance of IKZF1/3 expression in T-cells. In this study we examine the prognostic and predictive value of IKZF1/3 expression in T-cells in patients with MM stage III. : We analysed the IKZF1/3 expression levels in T-cells from 45 MM stage I (MMI) and 50 newly diagnosed MM stage III (MMIII) patients, according to Durie-Salmon staging system, by flow cytometry to examine their prognostic and predictive value.

Long-term changes in liver elasticity in hepatitis C virus-infected patients with sustained virologic response after treatment with direct-acting antivirals.

Background: The use of interferon-free direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) is associated with a rapid short-term decrease in liver stiffness in chronic hepatitis C-infected patients with sustained virologic response (SVR).

Objective: The objective of this article is to evaluate long-term changes in liver elasticity in hepatitis C patients with SVR using transient elastography (TE), FIB-4 and APRI.

Methods: A total of 143 patients were treated with DAAs and reached SVR.

Imaging features and safety and efficacy of endovascular stroke treatment: a meta-analysis of individual patient-level data.

Background: Evidence regarding whether imaging can be used effectively to select patients for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is scarce. We aimed to investigate the association between baseline imaging features and safety and efficacy of EVT in acute ischaemic stroke caused by anterior large-vessel occlusion.

Methods: In this meta-analysis of individual patient-level data, the HERMES collaboration identified in PubMed seven randomised trials in endovascular stroke that compared EVT with standard medical therapy, published between Jan 1, 2010, and Oct 31, 2017.

New lessons learned in T-PLL: results from a prospective phase-II trial with fludarabine-mitoxantrone-cyclophosphamide-alemtuzumab induction followed by alemtuzumab maintenance.

Clinical trials in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) are scarce. Based on a precursor study testing fludarabine, mitoxantrone, and cyclophosphamide followed by alemtuzumab (FMC-A), we aimed to improve this regimen by upfront combining subcutaneous (s.c.

Initial single centre experience with the novel Rhythmia© high density mapping system in an all comer collective of 400 electrophysiological patients.

Background: A novel, automatically annotating ultra-high density mapping system (Rhythmia©, Boston Scientific) collects a high number and quality of electrograms (EGMs). So far, data on general use in the electrophysiological laboratory are sparse.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all our ablations using Rhythmia and recorded patient clinical data, procedural parameters, and mapping parameters including the count of EGMs, mapping time, and mapping volume.

Prospective and longitudinal natural history study of patients with Type 2 and 3 spinal muscular atrophy: Baseline data NatHis-SMA study.

Unlabelled: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a monogenic disorder caused by loss of function mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 gene, which results in a broad range of disease severity, from neonatal to adult onset. There is currently a concerted effort to define the natural history of the disease and develop outcome measures that accurately capture its complexity. As several therapeutic strategies are currently under investigation and both the FDA and EMA have recently approved the first medical treatment for SMA, there is a critical need to identify the right association of responsive outcome measures and biomarkers for individual patient follow-up.

Epidemiology of migraine in men: Results from the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study.

Objective: To assess migraine epidemiology in men by examining gender differences in disease presentation, comorbidities, and prognosis.

Patients And Methods: The Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study is a longitudinal survey of US adults with migraine identified by web questionnaire. Data were stratified by gender, collected between September 2012-November 2013, and included sociodemographics, headache features, Migraine Disability Assessment, Migraine Symptom Severity Score, Allodynia Symptom Checklist, and comorbidities.

Long-term outcomes of the GPOH NB97 trial for children with high-risk neuroblastoma comparing high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation and oral chemotherapy as consolidation.

Background: This study was done to investigate the long-term event free and overall survival of high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), compared to maintenance chemotherapy (MT). Patterns of recurrences and late sequelae of both arms were analysed.

Methods: A randomised open label trial was conducted nationwide during 1997-2004 in Germany and Switzerland.

Economic benefits of treating medication-overuse headache - results from the multicenter COMOESTAS project.

Background: Medication-overuse headache is a costly disease for individuals and society.

Objective: To estimate the impact of medication-overuse headache treatment on direct and indirect headache-related health care costs.

Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was part of the COMOESTAS project (COntinuous MOnitoring of Medication Overuse Headache in Europe and Latin America: development and STAndardization of an Alert and decision support System).

Psychological, clinical, and therapeutic predictors of the outcome of detoxification in a large clinical population of medication-overuse headache: A six-month follow-up of the COMOESTAS Project.

Aim: To identify factors that may be predictors of the outcome of a detoxification treatment in medication-overuse headache.

Methods: Consecutive patients entering a detoxification program in six centres in Europe and Latin America were evaluated and followed up for 6 months. We evaluated anxious and depressive symptomatology (though patients with severe psychiatric comorbidity were excluded), quality of life, headache-related disability, headache characteristics, and prophylaxis upon discharge.

Vessel density in OCT angiography permits differentiation between normal and glaucomatous optic nerve heads.

Aim: To evaluate whether optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) can detect altered vessel density (VD) at the optic nerve head (ONH) in glaucoma patients. Special attention is paid to the accuracy of the OCTA technique for distinguishing healthy from glaucomatous eyes.

Methods: A total of 171 eyes were examined by the OCTA system AngioVue™ (Optovue): 97 eyes diagnosed with glaucoma and 74 healthy control eyes.