High plasma microfibrillar-associated protein 4 is associated with reduced surgical repair in abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Objective: Identifying biomarkers for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) could prove beneficial in prognosis of AAA and thus the selection for treatment. Microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an extracellular matrix protein that is highly expressed in aorta. MFAP4 is involved in several tissue remodeling-related diseases.

Head circumference at birth and school performance: a nationwide cohort study of 536,921 children.

Background: Early measures of cognitive function are of great public health interest. We aimed to estimate the association between head circumference at birth, a measure of cerebral size, and school performance.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study of all liveborn singletons in Denmark, 1997-2005.

Randomized Comparison of Terumo® Coated Slender™ versus Terumo® Noncoated Traditional Sheath during Radial Angiography or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: The transradial approach is generally associated with few complications. However, periprocedural pain is still a common issue, potentially related to sheath insertion and/or arterial spasm, and may result in conversion to femoral access. Radial artery occlusion (RAO) following the procedure is also a potential risk.

An iliopsoas plane block does not cause motor blockade-A blinded randomized volunteer trial.

Background: A femoral nerve block relieves pain after total hip arthroplasty, but its use is controversial due to motor paralysis accompanied by an increased risk of fall. Assumedly, the iliopsoas plane block (IPB) targets the hip articular branches of the femoral nerve without motor blockade. However, this has only been indicated in a cadaver study.

The Ability of the Toe-Brachial Index to Predict the Outcome of Treadmill Exercise Testing in Patients with a Normal Resting Ankle-Brachial Index.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the presence of a normal ankle-brachial index (ABI) can be diagnosed noninvasively by measuring a postexercise ABI or by measuring the toe-brachial index (TBI).

Methods: This was a prospective comparative study. Over a period of 30 months, a total of 415 patients who were referred with the suspicion of vascular claudication and resting values of 0.

Head circumference at birth and intellectual disability: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Intellectual disability (ID) is a prevalent chronic disability affecting up to 1-3% of the general population. Small head circumference at birth, a surrogate measure of foetal cerebral growth, may be a risk factor for ID. We aimed to investigate the association between the full distribution of head circumference at birth and ID.

Bilateral dacryocystitis complicated by unilateral retrobulbar abscess in a five-week-old infant.

Retrobulbar orbital abscess in children is a rare condition, and diagnosis and management can be challenging. We report the case of a 5-week-old male infant with retrobulbar orbital abscess secondary to acute dacryocystitis developed from a dacryocystocele. The patient presented with respiratory difficulty, sepsis and progressive clinical findings suggestive of post-septal cellulitis.

Time-dependent improvement of liver inflammation, fibrosis and metabolic liver function after successful direct-acting antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis C.

Sofosbuvir-based direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy generally cures chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infections, however, the effects on the underlying liver disease and the potential rate of recovery are unclear. We aimed to investigate the effects of DAA therapy on liver inflammation, fibrosis, metabolic function and cognitive function and the time course in CHC patients with advanced liver disease. Seventy-one CHC patients with advanced liver disease were studied before, during and one year after successful sofosbuvir-based DAA therapy.

Risk factors and haemodynamic variables in patients with low toe-brachial index but normal ankle-brachial index.

Background And Aims: Classically, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is diagnosed by a low ankle-brachial index (ABI), but the diagnosis can also be made based on toe-brachial index (TBI) measurements. The objective of this study was to characterize patients with low TBI but normal ABI, and chart potential underestimation of PAD prevalence by solitary use of ABI.

Methods: A total of 3739 consecutive patients with known or suspected PAD referred for ABI and TBI measurements in a four-year period were compared to an age- and gender matched control group (n = 17,340).

Early decompressive surgery in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury improves neurological outcome.

Background: The role and timing of a decompressive surgical intervention in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) remain controversial. Given the impact of SCI on the individual and society, decompressive surgery to reduce the extent of tissue destruction and improving neurological outcome after initial spinal cord trauma are needed.

Objective: To evaluate any possible correlation between the time of a decompressive procedure after traumatic SCI and end-neurologic outcome for traumatic SCI patients.

Operative versus non-operative treatment for 2-part proximal humerus fracture: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Although increasingly used, the benefit of surgical treatment of displaced 2-part proximal humerus fractures has not been proven. This trial evaluates the clinical effectiveness of surgery with locking plate compared with non-operative treatment for these fractures.

Methods And Findings: The NITEP group conducted a superiority, assessor-blinded, multicenter randomized trial in 6 hospitals in Finland, Estonia, Sweden, and Denmark.

Remission of a Perimyocardial Melanoma Metastasis With Pembrolizumab Treatment.

Malignant melanoma demonstrates the highest rate of cardiac metastases. The incidence of melanoma is rising. The prognosis of people with advanced melanoma is generally poor.

Illegal cannabis use is common among Danes with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Use of cannabis to alleviate multiple sclerosis (MS)-related symptoms is increasing. Due to strict regulations, only a minority of MS patients receive cannabis-based prescription drugs. The extent of recreational and medical cannabis use among Danes with MS is unknown.

Effect of long-term remote ischemic conditioning on inflammation and cardiac remodeling.

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) protects against acute ischemia-reperfusion injury and may have beneficial effects in patients with stable cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effect of long-term RIC treatment in patients with chronic ischemic heart failure (CIHF). Prespecified post-hoc analysis of a prospective, exploratory and outcome-assessor blinded study.

Improvement in image quality of Tc-99m-based ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through pretest continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

Ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography performed using an aerosol of carbon-coated technetium is frequently used for diagnosing pulmonary embolism. Certain patients may suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); for such patients, the formation of mucus clots in airways can cause accumulation of the aerosol in the larger airways. This centralized deposition of the aerosol leads to insufficient activity in peripheral lung segments and subsequently results in ventilation images of substandard or even nondiagnostic quality.

Prophylactic anticoagulation in nephrotic syndrome prevents thromboembolic complications.

Background: An increased incidence of thromboembolic events (TE) are reported in nephrotic syndrome (NS) leading to recommendations for prophylactic anticoagulation (PAC). However, as no randomized clinical trial has established the efficacy or risks associated with PAC, guidelines are empiric or substantiated only by estimates of risks and benefits. This study evaluates the risk of TE and hemorrhagic complications in patients with NS treated with PAC and compares to patients not receiving PAC.

Placental T2* estimated by magnetic resonance imaging and fetal weight estimated by ultrasound in the prediction of birthweight differences in dichorionic twin pairs.

Introduction: Intertwin birthweight (BW) difference is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcome. Ultrasound estimated fetal weight (EFW) is the current method to predict intertwin BW difference, however, the sensitivity is poor. Therefore, new methods are needed.

Location of recurrences in high-risk stage Iendometrial cancer patients not given postoperative radiotherapy: A Danish gynecological cancer group study.

Objectives: To study recurrence rates in Danish high-risk stage I endometrial cancers not given radiotherapy in accordance with the decision of the Danish Gynecological Cancer Group.

Methods: This prospective national cohort study includes all 4707 endometrial carcinomas diagnosed from 2005 to 2012. Of these, 623 patients had grade 3 endometroid adenocarcinoma with >50% myometrial invasion or serous/clear/undifferentiated carcinoma (with any depth of invasion).

Complete Genome Sequences of Two Isolates of Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme, Obtained from Blood from Patients with Lemierre's Syndrome.

Two isolates (F1260 and F1291) of Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme were recovered from blood from patients with Lemierre's syndrome. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of these two isolates.

The effect of introducing pelvic lymphadenectomy on survival and recurrence rates in Danish endometrial cancer patients at high risk: a Danish Gynecological Cancer Group study.

Objectives: To evaluate the rate of survival and recurrence related to the introduction of pelvic lymphadenectomy in Danish high-risk endometrial cancer patients.

Study Design: Data on 713 high-risk patients defined as grade 3 with >50% myometrial invasion or serous/clear/undifferentiated carcinomas stage I-IV endometrial cancer patients diagnosed from 2005 to 2012 were retrieved from the Danish Gynecological Cancer Database. Of these, 305 were high-risk stage I.

Conditioning on Parity in Studies of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Time to Pregnancy: An Example from the Danish National Birth Cohort.

Background: Previous studies have investigated the associations between perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in women and time to pregnancy (TTP). Inconsistent results may be explained by differences in conditioning on parity.

Objectives: We used causal directed acyclic graphs to illustrate potential confounding related to previous pregnancies and exposure measurement error due to differences in the interpregnancy interval in pregnancy-based studies that include parous women.

Bilaterally Reduced Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Density in Unilateral CRPS-I.

Objective: Findings regarding small nerve fiber damage in complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS-I) are not uniform, and studies have not included a matched healthy control group. The aim was to assess intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) in relation to thermal sensitivity of the same skin areas in CRPS-I patients and a gender- and age-matched healthy control group.

Methods: IENFD was investigated in skin biopsies from the CRPS-affected and contralateral limbs of eight CRPS-I patients and from an equivalent site in eight gender- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs).

Plate fixation compared with nonoperative treatment of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures: a randomized clinical trial.

Aims: Recent studies of nonoperatively treated displaced midshaft clavicular fractures have shown a high incidence of nonunion and unsatisfactory functional outcome. Some studies have shown superior functional results and higher rates of healing following operative treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome in these patients after nonoperative management with those treated with fixation.

Challenges in the measurement of plasma creatinine on the Roche cobas c702.

The aim of this study was to document the differences between two Roche creatinine measurement methods, the CREP2 test on the cobas c702 and the CREA PLUS test on the Modular P. Samples with creatinine isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) values were analyzed on both instruments. Method comparison using the remaining plasma samples was performed twice, using two different lot numbers of reagents and two different lot numbers of calibrators on both instruments.

Effects of 3-hydroxybutyrate and free fatty acids on muscle protein kinetics and signaling during LPS-induced inflammation in humans: anticatabolic impact of ketone bodies.

Background: Acute inflammation, and subsequent release of bacterial products (e.g. LPS), inflammatory cytokines, and stress hormones, is catabolic, and the loss of lean body mass predicts morbidity and mortality.