Medizin - Open Access LMU - Teil 21/22

Use long acting beta 2 agonists only when asthma cannot be controlled otherwise

Validation of the English Language Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire

Background and Objectives: The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is predictive of pain-related responses to experimental stimuli in German-speaking individuals. Here, we explored the validation of the English translation of the PSQ (PSQ-E). Methods: One hundred thirty-six patients scheduled to undergo a low back interventional procedure completed the PSQ-E and other questionnaires including the Brief Pain Inventory. Pain ratings on a visual analog scale (VAS) were obtained following 2 standar...

A Practical Guide for the Diagnosis of Primary Enteric Nervous System Disorders

Objective:Primary gastrointestinal neuropathies are a heterogeneous group of enteric nervous system (ENS) disorders that continue to cause difficulties in diagnosis and histological interpretation. Recently, an international working group published guidelines for histological techniques and reporting, along with a classification of gastrointestinal neuromuscular pathology. The aim of this article was to review and summarize the key issues for pediatric gastroenterologists on the diagnostic worku...

Air Pollution and Liver Enzymes

Activation of the Lectin Pathway of Complement in Pig-to-Human Xenotransplantation Models

Background. Natural IgM containing anti-Gal antibodies initiates classic pathway complement activation in xenotransplantation. However, in ischemia-reperfusion injury, IgM also induces lectin pathway activation. The present study was therefore focused on lectin pathway as well as interaction of IgM and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) in pig-to-human xenotransplantation models. Methods. Activation of the different complement pathways was assessed by cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using human...

Differences in Circulating Carnitine Status of Preterm Infants Fed Fortified Human Milk or Preterm Infant Formula

Objective:The aim of the study was to compare plasma carnitine profiles in fortified human milk (HM)-fed preterm infants or formula-fed preterm infants.Methods:Plasma acylcarnitine concentrations were determined in 20 formula-fed and 18 HM-fed preterm infants (birth weights between 1000 and 2200 g) by isotope dilution ESI MS/MS technique on study days 0, 14, and 28.Results:Concentrations of free carnitine (FC) and different acylcarnitines did not change during the 4 weeks of the study in infants...

Link between Process and Appraisal in Coverage Decisions: An Analysis with Structural Equation Modeling

Background. To achieve fair-coverage decision making, both material criteria and criteria of procedural justice have been proposed. The relationship between these is still unclear. Objective. To analyze hypotheses underlying the assumption that more assessment, transparency, and participation have a positive impact on the reasonableness of coverage decisions. Methods. We developed a structural equation model in which the process components were considered latent constructs and operationalized by...

Moving the genetics of inflammatory bowel diseases from bench to bedside: first steps towards personalised medicine

Evaluation of a novel Scheimpflug-based non-contact tonometer in healthy subjects and patients with ocular hypertension and glaucoma

Background: To evaluate the agreement of intraocular pressure (IOP) and central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements obtained with the non-contact tonometer Corvis Scheimpflug Technology (Corvis ST, OCULUS, Wetzlar, Germany) versus Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and ultrasound-based corneal pachymetry (US-CCT). Methods: Eye healthy participants, patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) and patients with open-angle glaucoma were included in this prospective study. In each participant, GAT, U...

Support of the histaminergic hypothesis in Tourette Syndrome: association of the histamine decarboxylase gene in a large sample of families

Background: Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by the interaction of environment with a complex genetic background. The genetic etiology of the disorder remains, so far, elusive, although multiple promising leads have been recently reported. The recent implication of the histamine decarboxylase (HDC) gene, the key enzyme in histamine production, raises the intriguing hypothesis of a possible role of histaminergic dysfunction leading to TS onset. Method...

Blankenstein–Hattingen: seine adeligen Häuser, der Amtsbezirk, der Gerichtsbezirk und die Rentei

Adam Otto von Viereck und R. Schlüter

Diese Publikation enthält ein Digitalisat aus dem Geheimen Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz (GStA PK), I. HA Geheimer Rat, Rep. 34 Herzogtum Kleve, Grafschaft Mark, Grafschaft Ravensberg; Beziehungen zu den Niederlanden, Nr. 2267 (Ausschnitt) © bpk / GStA PK Eine schriftliche Genehmigung des GStA PK zur Veröffentlichung des Ausschnitts liegt vor.

The Spetses Summer Schools on Molecular and Developmental Biology

The Spetses Summer Schools - A Tribute to Marianne Grunberg-Manago - Founding and More than 40 Years of the School - How Spetses Summer Schools Were Run - Financing the Spetses Summer Schools - Past and Future of the Spetses Summer Schools - List of the Spetses Summer Schools from 1966 to 2009

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: The New Frontier of Gluten Related Disorders

Non Celiac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) was originally described in the 1980s and recently a re-discovered disorder characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing food, in subjects that are not affected with either celiac disease (CD) or wheat allergy (WA). Although NCGS frequency is still unclear, epidemiological data have been generated that can help establishing the magnitude of the problem. Clinical studies further defined the identity of...

Clinical relevance and utility of cetuximab-related changes in magnesium and calcium serum levels

Hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia are common adverse events during cetuximab treatment. The influence of the chemotherapeutic combination on serum levels is unknown and the predictive value is currently under discussion. This analysis investigated 79 patients who had received cetuximab for at least 6 weeks in the day clinic of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Munich. Calcium and magnesium serum levels were analyzed weekly; tumor response and adverse events were followed. Thirty-eight...

Diagnostic Value of Concentration Profiles of Glucocorticosteroids and Endocannabinoids in Hair

Background:Endogenous corticosteroids and endocannabinoids are both known to be involved in stress adaption and anti-inflammatory and immuneregulatory effects. The application of hair as retrospective specimen for long-term recording of corticosteroids and its association with stress-induced biochemical alterations was intensively examined.Methods:To evaluate the stability and correlation of various parameters of the endocannabinoid and corticosteroid systems, a prospective study was carried out...

Elevated Everolimus Levels During Severe Diarrhea in Two Children After Heart Transplantation

3D-OSEM and FP-CIT SPECT quantification: benefit for studies with a high radius of rotation?

Objectives Dopamine transporter imaging with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a valuable tool for both clinical routine and research studies. Recently, it was found that the image quality could be improved by introduction of the three-dimensional ordered subset expectation maximization (3D-OSEM) reconstruction algorithm, which provides resolution recovery. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the potential benefits of 3D-OSEM in comparison with 2D-OSEM under ...

Reply: Can We Really Skip the Biopsy in Diagnosing Symptomatic Children With Celiac Disease

From genotype to phenotype in human atherosclerosis - recent findings

Purpose of reviewSince 2007, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have led to the identification of numerous loci of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The majority of these loci harbor genes previously not known to be involved in atherogenesis. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in understanding the pathophysiology of genetic variants in atherosclerosis.Recent findingsFifty-eight loci with P<10(-7) have been identified in GWAS for coronary heart disease and myocardial in...

The Relationship Between the Site of Metastases and Outcome in Children With Stage IV Wilms Tumor: Data From 3 European Pediatric Cancer Institutions

The aim of this study was to analyze in detail the site of metastasis of stage 4 Wilms tumor (WT) and its correlation with outcome. The databases from 3 major European pediatric cancer institutions were screened for children with WT between 1994 and 2011. Of 208 children identified, 31 (14.9%) had metastases at diagnosis. The lung was affected in 29 children (93.5%) and the liver in 6 children (19.4%). Twenty-seven children (87.1%) had metastases isolated to 1 organ, with the lung being the most...

Clinical outcomes and safety of rituximab treatment for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - results from a nationwide cohort in Germany (GRAID)

ObjectiveThe objective of this article is to evaluate the safety and clinical outcome of rituximab treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients refractory to standard of care therapy in a real-life setting in Germany. MethodsThe GRAID registry included patients with different autoimmune diseases who were given off-label treatment with rituximab. Data on safety and clinical response were collected retrospectively. In SLE patients, clinical parameters included tender and swollen joint ...

Neuromyelitis optica and pregnancy during therapeutic B cell depletion: infant exposure to anti-AQP4 antibody and prevention of rebound relapses with low-dose rituximab postpartum

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) predominantly affects women, some in childbearing age, and requires early therapeutic intervention to prevent disabling relapses. We report an anti-AQP4 antibody-seropositive patient who became pregnant seven months after low-dose (100 mg) rituximab application. Pregnancy showed no complications, and low-dose rituximab restarted two days after delivery resulted in neurological stability for 24 months. Remarkably, her otherwise healthy newborn presented with anti-AQP4 a...

Triggering of acute myocardial infarction by different means of transportation

Background: Prior studies have reported an association between traffic-related air pollution in urban areas and exacerbation of cardiovascular disease. We assess here whether time spent in different modes of transportation can trigger the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Design: We performed a case-crossover study. We interviewed consecutive cases of AMI in the KORA Myocardial Infarction Registry in Augsburg, Southern Germany between February 1999 and December 2003 eliciting data on p...

White-matter lesions drive deep gray-matter atrophy in early multiple sclerosis: support from structural MRI

Background: In MS, the relationship between lesions within cerebral white matter (WM) and atrophy within deep gray matter (GM) is unclear. Objective: To investigate the spatial relationship between WM lesions and deep GM atrophy. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study (3 Tesla) in 249 patients with clinically-isolated syndrome or relapsing-remitting MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale score: median, 1.0; range, 0-4) and in 49 healthy controls. ...

Effects of a predefined mini-trampoline training programme on balance, mobility and activities of daily living after stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study

Objective: To investigate the effects of a predefined mini-trampoline therapy programme for increasing postural control, mobility and the ability to perform activities of daily living after stroke. Design: Randomized non-blinded controlled pilot study. Setting: Neurological rehabilitation hospital. Subjects: First-time stroke; age 18-80 years; independent standing ability for a minimum of 2 minutes. Intervention: Patients were randomized into two groups: the mini-trampoline group (n = 20) receiv...

Placental Syncytiotrophoblast Maintains a Specific Type of Glycocalyx at the Fetomaternal Border: The Glycocalyx at the Fetomaternal Interface in Healthy Women and Patients With HELLP Syndrome

Recent studies showed that considerable amounts of glycosaminoglycans are released into maternal blood during normal pregnancy and in hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome. Maternal endothelia and the syncytiotrophoblast layer have been discussed as a possible origin of these glycocalyx components. Our study aimed to visualize the glycocalyx on the syncytiotrophoblast by electron microscopy, to analyze its structure and composition by immunohistochemistry, and to ...

Natalizumab-induced PML: can the beast be tamed?

Ion channel disorders: still a fascinating topicnews on episodic ataxia type 1

Traumatic retinopathy presenting as acute macular neuroretinopathy

Aim: Traumatic retinopathy presenting as acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMNR) is an uncommon disease causing paracentral scotomas after indirect trauma. Methods: We report on five patients (six eyes) with AMNR with a temporary reduction of visual acuity and persistent paracentral scotomas after indirect trauma. The findings were documented using multimodal imaging and the follow-up was up to 32months. Results: Initially, fundoscopy was unremarkable in all patients while visual acuity (Snellen e...