TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: The surgical treatment method in which the peritoneal cavity is opened anteriorly and deliberately left open, hence often called "open abdomen" has become the standard of care in damage-control procedures as well as in the management of intra-abdominal hypertension and in severe intra-abdominal sepsis. Whereas open abdomen has been closed in two stages traditionally, a modern trend is to close the fascial layers within the initial hospitalization to avoid complications like enterocutaneous fistula and hernia formation. The aim of this study was to determine crucial factors influencing the possibility of fascial closure after open abdomen.', 'Between 2003 and 2013, 355 adult patients were treated with open abdomen in our institution. Their data were collected and retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into two groups depending on fascial closure or not (fascial closure, n\xa0=\xa0137 (39%) vs. non-fascial closure, n\xa0=\xa0218 (61%)).', 'The patients who reached fascial closure had a significantly higher rate of initially performed open abdomen (97 patients (71%) vs. 118 (54%), p\xa0=\xa00.002) and the periods of time until a second and a third look operation were significantly shorter (2.7\xa0±\xa02.5 vs. 4.2\xa0±\xa06.6 days, p\xa0=\xa00.021 and 5.6\xa0±\xa03.7 vs. 8.5\xa0±\xa08.6 days, p\xa0=\xa00.006). Furthermore, the presence of peritonitis (64 patients (47%) vs. 83 patients (38%), p\xa0=\xa00.023) and large bowel resection (74 patients (54%) vs. 90 patients (41%), p\xa0=\xa00.022) were significantly higher in this group. Rates of in-hospital mortality (97 patients (44%) vs. 38 patients (28%), p\xa0=\xa00.002) and the presence of pancreatitis (19 patients (9%) vs. 3 patients (2%), p\xa0=\xa00.013) were significantly higher in the non-fascial closure group.\Question: Are fascial closure after open abdomen : initial indication and early revisions decisive factors -- a retrospective cohort study?

SOLUTION: The probability to reach fascial closure after open abdomen seems to increase when open abdomen is performed initially and when early second and third look operations are performed. The presence of pancreatitis seems to be the only negative prognostic marker concerning fascial closure.

PROBLEM: Context: Liraglutide improves the metabolic control of diabetic animals after islet transplantation. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties of liraglutide on rat pancreatic islets in vitro and in vivo.', 'In vitro, rat islets were incubated with 10\xa0μmol·L', 'Islet viability and function were preserved and enhanced with liraglutide treatment. Liraglutide decreased CCL2 and IL-6 secretion and macrophage activation after 12\xa0h of culture, while IL-10 secretion was unchanged. However, intracellular levels of ROS were increased with liraglutide treatment at 12\xa0h. This result was correlated with an increase of anti-oxidative capacity. In vivo, liraglutide decreased macrophage infiltration and reduced fasting blood glucose in transplanted rats.\Question: Is improvement of islet graft function using liraglutide correlated with its anti-inflammatory properties?

SOLUTION: The beneficial effects of liraglutide on pancreatic islets appear to be linked to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. These findings indicated that analogues of glucagon-like peptide-1 could be used to improve graft survival.

PROBLEM: Context: To determine the clinical significance of IgG antibodies to type II collagen (CII) and to define any correlation of antibodies to CII with the inflammatory response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).', 'IgG antibodies to native human type II collagen (IgG anti-CII) were measured in sera and synovial fluid (SF) from patients with RA, patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and healthy controls by an improved ELISA. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were also obtained at the time of sampling in patients with RA.', 'The median level and positivity for circulating IgG anti-CII were higher in patients with RA (n = 297) than patients with OA (n = 34) and healthy controls (n = 50) (p < 0.001). The titers of IgG anti-CII in SF were also higher in RA (n = 45) than in OA (n = 16) (p < 0.001). In paired samples, the levels of IgG anti-CII were significantly higher in SF compared to the sera in patients with RA (n = 45) (p < 0.001), but levels were not different in patients with OA (n = 16). Circulating IgG anti-CII converted from positive to negative in 13 patients (10.7%) and from negative to positive in 18 patients (14.8%) among 122 patients with RA in whom IgG anti-CII were monitored sequentially at a mean interval of 12.2 months. IgG anti-CII positive patients (n = 98) had shorter disease duration (p = 0.04) and less frequent deformity (p = 0.013), and higher median erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (p = 0.001) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (p < 0.001) than IgG anti-CII negative patients (n = 120). The levels of IgG anti-CII correlated with CRP (r = 0.270) and ESR (r = 0.253). CRP decreased significantly in patients (n = 13) who converted from IgG anti-CII positive to negative (p = 0.013). IgG anti-CII positive patients (n = 40) had higher levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 than negative patients (n = 40) (p < 0.001). Levels of IgG anti-CII correlated well with TNF-alpha (r = 0.617) and IL-6 (r = 0.347).\Question: Do igG antibodies to type II collagen reflect inflammatory activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

SOLUTION:
Increased IgG anti-CII in sera and SF in RA correlated directly with acute phase reactants and the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6. Our data suggest that IgG anti-CII could reflect inflammatory activity with a potential to destroy cartilage in the early stages of RA.