NT-proBNP reflects right ventricular structure and function in pulmonary hypertension.

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether alterations in N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) reflect changes in right ventricular structure and function in pulmonary hypertension patients during treatment. The study consisted of 30 pulmonary hypertension patients; 15 newly diagnosed and 15 on long-term treatment. NT-proBNP, right heart catheterisation and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging measurements were performed, at baseline and follow-up. There were no significant differences between newly diagnosed patients and those on treatment at baseline or follow-up with respect to NT-proBNP, haemodynamics and right ventricular parameters. Relative changes in NT-proBNP during treatment were correlated to the relative changes in right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (r = 0.59), right ventricular mass index (r = 0.62) and right ventricular ejection fraction (r = -0.81). N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide measurements reflect changes in magnetic resonance imaging-measured right ventricular structure and function in pulmonary hypertension patients. An increase in N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide over time reflects right ventricular dilatation concomitant to hypertrophy and deterioration of systolic function.     

Humoral and Cellular Responses to Influenza Vaccination in Human Recipients Naturally Tolerant to a Kidney Allograft

Rare kidney allograft recipients enjoy unaltered graft function years after interruption of their immunosuppressive treatment. To assess the extent to which this state of 'operational tolerance' (TOL) is specific to the graft and not the result of a global immunodeficiency, we analyzed the response of such patients following influenza vaccination. Hemagglutination inhibition titers and frequency of IFNgamma-secreting T cells were measured before 1 and 3 months after vaccination. The proportion of healthy volunteers (HV) responding to vaccine was significantly higher than that of immunosuppressed (IS) patients. Three 'TOL' patients presented a humoral response similar to that of HV, whereas the two others had a poor response, like the IS recipients. Although the small number of patients does not allow for definitive conclusions to be made, these data suggest that the status of tolerance may be heterogeneous, with some patients with a global immunodeficiency and others with an adapted response to vaccination.     

A Call for a National Transplant Surgical Quality Improvement Program

The severity of illness in transplant patients and the complexity of transplant operations results in significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. Remarkable efforts have been made by transplant physicians to study and improve organ allocation, graft and patient survival, immunosuppression and the long-term management of post-transplant complications. Less effort has been spent studying the actual transplant operation and systems of acute transplant care. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) has provided a standardized approach to quality improvement and has demonstrated significant potential for a reduction in postoperative morbidity and mortality in other surgical disciplines. Medical centers are under increasing pressure to measure surgical quality and the nexus of transplant surgical quality improvement should not lie in the hands of CMS or JACHO, but rather it should be created and developed within the transplant community. The time has come for a national transplant surgical quality improvement program based on the NSQIP infrastructure. Such a proactive approach toward quality improvement from the transplant community is an excellent investment for patients, providers and health care payers.     

ATM-dependent DNA damage surveillance in T-cell development and leukemogenesis: the DSB connection

Summary:  The immune system is capable of recognizing and eliminating an enormous array of pathogens due to the extremely diverse antigen receptor repertoire of T and B lymphocytes. However, the development of lymphocytes bearing receptors with unique specificities requires the generation of programmed double strand breaks (DSBs) coupled with bursts of proliferation, rendering lymphocytes susceptible to mutations contributing to oncogenic transformation. Consequently, mechanisms responsible for monitoring global genomic integrity must be activated during lymphocyte development to limit the oncogenic potential of antigen receptor locus recombination. Mutations in ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated), a kinase that coordinates DSB monitoring and the response to DNA damage, result in impaired T-cell development and predispose to T-cell leukemia. Here, we review recent evidence providing insight into the mechanisms by which ATM promotes normal lymphocyte development and protects from neoplastic transformation.     

Melioidosis: an important cause of pneumonia in residents of and travellers returned from endemic regions.

Melioidosis is endemic in South East Asia, Asia and northern Australia. Infection usually follows percutaneous inoculation or inhalation of the causative bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is present in soil and surface water in the endemic region. While 20-36% of melioidosis cases have no evident predisposing risk factor, the vast majority of fatal cases have an identified risk factor, the most important of which are diabetes, alcoholism and chronic renal disease. Half of all cases present with pneumonia, but there is great clinical diversity, from localised skin ulcers or abscesses without systemic illness to fulminant septic shock with multiple abscesses in the lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys. At least 10% of cases present with a chronic respiratory illness (sick > 2 months) mimicking tuberculosis and often with upper lobe infiltrates and/or cavities on chest radiography. As with tuberculosis, latency with reactivation decades after infection can also occur, although this is rare. Confirmation of diagnosis is by culture of B. pseudomallei from blood, sputum, throat swab or other samples. Microbiology laboratories need to be informed of the possibility of melioidosis, as those not familiar with it can misidentify the organism. Antibiotic therapy is initial intensive therapy with i.v. ceftazidime or meropenem or imipenem +/- cotrimoxazole for > or = 10 days, followed by eradication therapy with cotrimoxazole +/- doxycycline +/- chloramphenicol (first 4 weeks only) for > or = 3 months. Melioidosis has been increasingly recognised in returning travellers in Europe and recently melioidosis and colonisation with B. pseudomallei have been documented in cystic fibrosis patients visiting or resident in endemic areas.     

Pharmacokinetics of Moxifloxacin in Rabbits After Intravenous,Subcutaneous and a Long‐acting Poloxamer 407 Gel Formulation Administration

The pharmacokinetics (PK) of moxifloxacin in healthy white New Zealand rabbits was studied following intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) administration routes as well as a SC long‐acting poloxamer 407 gel formulation (SC‐P407). Moxifloxacin concentrations were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography assay with fluorescence detection. Mean half‐life for IV, SC and SC‐P407 routes was 2.15, 5.41 and 11.09 h. Clearance value after IV dosing was 0.78 l/kg/h. After SC administration, the mean absolute bioavailability was 117% and the C_max was 1.61 ± 0.49 mg/l. After SC‐P407 administration, the bioavailability was 44% and the C_max 1.83 was ±0.62 mg/l. No adverse effects were observed in any of the rabbits following IV, SC and SC‐P407 administration of moxifloxacin. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of moxifloxacin against different strains of Staphylococcus aureus from different european countries were used to compute the main pharmacodynamic (PD) surrogate markers of efficacy. The high tolerability of this SC‐P407 formulation and the favourable PK behaviour such as the long half‐life, acceptable bioavailability and excellent PK–PD ratios achieved indicate that it is likely to be effective in rabbits.     

Anxiety in medically III patients

Anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent in the general population and more so in the medically ill. They have a number of negative consequences for these patients and may worsen the outcome of the medical illness and increase health care utilization. In the evaluation of these patients, it is of paramount importance to identify the etiology of the anxiety and, in particular, to differentiate primary from secondary anxiety. Management includes medications (especially benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and psychotherapy (particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy).     

Right aortic arch detected in fetal life.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prenatal distribution, associated conditions and outcome of the different types of right aortic arch (RAA) detected in fetal life. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of all cases of RAA detected prenatally between 1998 and 2005 in two tertiary referral centers. RESULTS: In the study period 71 cases of RAA were detected; 26 (37%) had RAA with aberrant left subclavian artery, 23 (32%) had RAA with mirror-image branching, 20 (28%) had RAA of unknown type and two (3%) had double aortic arch. While 20/26 cases with RAA and aberrant left subclavian artery were isolated findings, all 23 cases with RAA and mirror-image branching were associated with cardiac defects, namely tetralogy of Fallot (43%) or pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (22%). Of the 20 cases with RAA, 19 of unknown type were associated with heterotaxy syndromes and had additional cardiac malformations and ambiguities of the situs. The two cases with DAA were isolated findings. Seven cases in our series (10%) had a microdeletion 22q11 and these were significantly associated with extracardiac malformations. The outcome in our series depended solely on the associated cardiac and extracardiac malformations, with the exception of one infant with isolated DAA, in whom a surgical correction was warranted. CONCLUSIONS: RAA detected in fetal life is associated frequently with other cardiac/non-cardiac malformations, heterotaxy syndromes and microdeletions 22q11. The associated conditions vary depending on the branching type of the brachiocephalic vessels and the presence of extracardiac malformations.