Proteoglycans: the "Teflon" of the airways?

Proteoglycans are a family of structurally distinct, polyanionic complex carbohydrates composed of repeating disaccharide units. Proteoglycans include heparin, heparan sulphate, chondroitin 4- sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate, dermatan sulphate, and hyaluronic acid. Heparin is found in the granules of a subset of mast cells where it is bound to various mediators including histamine. Heparan sulphate has a much wider distribution in the body, being associated with stromal matrices, basement membrane and many cell surfaces, particularly the surface of endothelial cells. Heparin is an anticoagulant, but it is now very apparent that it possesses many other biological activities that have relevance to our understanding of lung diseases, particularly inflammatory diseases of the airway. Recent evidence suggests in the airway when administered by inhalation that could be exploited therapeutically.


     

Editorial Commentary: It's Not the Age; It's the Story: Acetabular Labral Repair

The major factor separating a good from a poor outcome in any study is appropriate indications. We don't operate on x-rays, magnetic resonance images, or computed tomography scans alone; we operate on clinical symptoms. With proper patient selection, we can achieve good outcomes from hip arthroscopic surgery in many older patients. There is no controversy involved in performing hip arthroscopy for an older patient. The key is to prospectively identify the proper candidates.     

ASO Visual Abstract: Preoperative FDG Positive Lymph Nodes Predict the Postoperative Prognosis in Resectable Biliary Tract Cancers

Annals of Surgical Oncology -     

Donor heart selection: the outcome of "unacceptable" donors

Background  

The decline in the number of suitable donor hearts has led to an increasing interest in the use of previously unacceptable donors. In the United Kingdom, if one centre declines a donor heart on medical grounds it may be offered to other centres. This multi-centre study aimed to evaluate the outcome of recipients of donor hearts considered medically unsuitable for transplantation by one centre that were used in other centres.