Evaluation of sE-Selectin and sICAM-1 as Parameters for Renal Function

Introduction. In order to monitor acute renal failure, intensive care patients were examined, and routine as well as specialized parameters were compared. Materials and Methods. Thirty-three patients at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were examined daily over the entire period for which they stayed in the ICU. The patients were retrospectively classified as being either with or without acute renal failure. Group 1 consisted of 22 patients who resided in the ICU for 11–15 (median 14) days without ARF. Group 2 consisted of 11 patients who developed an ARF during their stay of 13–18 (median 16) days in the ICU. In addition to the routine parameters of diuresis, serum creatinine/urea, and clearance of creatinine, specialized parameters for kidney function, including the excretion rates of α1-microglobulin, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and total protein, were compared with the excretion rate of soluble ICAM-1 and sE-Selectin. Results. Diuresis, serum creatinine, urea, and enzyme elimination were pathological among patients with ARF. Already on the day of admission, raised elimination rates of sICAM-1 were found in the urine of patients who had developed an ARF. While high values were still shown upon discharge, levels kept falling among patients without ARF. Clearly raised values were also shown for sE-Selectin compared to patients without ARF. Conclusions. sICAM-1 and sE-Selectin as supplementary parameters indicating renal function revealed early signs of kidney damage. These parameters may play a major role in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for ARF (antibodies against ICAM-1 or sE-Selectin).     

Larger amygdala volumes in first depressive episode as compared to recurrent major depression and healthy control subjects.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis that amygdala volumes are reduced in patients with recurrent major depression compared with first episode patients. METHODS: Using structural magnetic resonance imaging, we compared 30 inpatients with first-episode depression and 27 inpatients with recurrent major depression (DSM-IV) with healthy volunteer subjects from the local community matched for age, gender, and handedness. RESULTS: Patients with first-episode depression showed enlarged amygdala volumes compared with patients with recurrent major depression and healthy control subjects. No significant differences were found between patients with recurrent depression and healthy control subjects. No significant correlations were found between amygdala volumes and age of onset, illness duration, or severity of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Larger amygdala volumes in patients with first-episode depression may result from higher amygdala metabolism and blood flow. Additionally, disease progression with stress-related excitotoxic processes during recurrent depressive episodes might result in decreased amygdala volumes. Prospective investigations to investigate amygdala changes during the course of depression are needed.     

Exercise affects symptom severity but not biological measures in depression and somatization – Results on IL-6, neopterin,tryptophan, kynurenine and 5-HIAA

Exercise leads to symptom reduction in affective disorders and functional somatic syndromes. Biological hypotheses of underlying mechanisms include serotonergic and immunological pathways. We aimed to investigate biological features in persons with major depression and somatoform syndromes, and to analyze effects of short-term graded exercise on these parameters. Baseline values for depressive and somatoform symptoms, tryptophan, kynurenine, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, neopterin and interleukin-6 were compared with those after one week of increased and one week of reduced physical activity. Thirty-eight persons with major depression, 27 persons with a minimum of 6–8 somatoform symptoms, and 48 healthy controls participated in the study. Depressive and somatoform symptoms were reduced after the active week, and an interaction pointed towards group-specific reduction of psychopathology. Participants with major depression had lower levels of kynurenine compared to controls, with intermediate concentrations in somatoform patients. There were no systematic associations of symptom improvement with biological changes. A possible limitation of the design is that a control condition with low physical activity, but no placebo condition was included. People with multiple somatoform symptoms and major depression benefit from a short and low-graded exercise intervention. These effects do not seem to be mediated by changes in serotonergic and inflammatory parameters.     

Induction of mesenchymal/epithelial marker expression in human amniotic fluid stem cells

Although dialysis and transplantation are widely applied therapies for renal failure, drawbacks such as morbidity, shortage of compatible organs and high cost are limiting factors. Recently, interest has increased in the potential use of stem cells for the repair of kidney injury, which has been considered as an alternative therapeutic strategy. Due to their high proliferation rates, their pluripotent differentiation potential, the finding that they do not induce tumour formation and the fact that they do not raise the ethical concerns connected with human embryonic stem cells, human amniotic fluid stem cells are considered to be a very promising cell source. This study demonstrates that the expression of the mesenchymal markers CD29 and CD44, the epithelial markers CD51 and ZO-1 and the podocyte markers CD2AP and NPHS2 can be induced in these cells via incubation with epidermal growth factor/platelet-derived growth factor BB and fibroblast growth factor 4/hepatocyte growth factor, respectively. Since podocytes are visceral epithelial cells in the kidneys, which form the essential part of the glomerular filtration barrier, these findings warrant further investigation of the potential use of human amniotic fluid stem cells for cell-based kidney therapies.     

Intestinal flora in very low-birth weight infants

Aim:  To study the early faecal microbiota in very low-birth weight infants (VLBW, <1500 g), possible associations between faecal microbiota and faecal calprotectin (f-calprotectin) and to describe the faecal microbiota in cases with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) before diagnosis.
Methods:  Stool samples from the first weeks of life were analysed in 48 VLBW infants. Bacterial cultures were performed and f-calprotectin concentrations were measured. In three NEC cases, cultures were performed on stool samples obtained before diagnosis.
Results:  Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were often identified in the first stool sample, 55% and 71% of cases, respectively within the first week of life. A positive correlation between lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and volume of enteral feed was found. Other bacteria often identified were Escherichia coli , Enterococcus and Staphyloccus sp. F-calprotectin was not associated with any bacterial species. All NEC cases had an early colonization of LAB. Prior to onset of disease, all cases had a high colonization of non- E. coli Gram-negative species.
Conclusion:  In contrast to the previous studies in VLBW infants, we found an early colonization with LAB. We speculate that this may be due to early feeding of non-pasteurized breast milk.