tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Risk and Cause of Death in Patients Diagnosed With Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in Sweden Between 1973 and 2005: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Malin Hultcrantz, Sally R. Wilkes, Sigurdur Y. Kristinsson, Therese M.-L. Andersson, Åsa R. Derolf, Sandra Eloranta, Jan Samuelsson, Ola Landgren, Paul W. Dickman, Paul C. Lambert, Magnus Björkholm
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2015)

Purpose Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are associated with a shortened life expectancy. We assessed causes of death in patients with MPN and matched controls using both relative risks and absolute probabilities in the presence of competing risks. Patients and Methods From Swedish registries, we identified 9,285 patients with MPN and 35,769 matched controls. A flexible parametric model was used to estimate cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) of death and cumulative incidence functions, each with 95% CIs. Results In patients with MPN, the HRs of death from hematologic malignancies and infections were 92.8 (95% CI, 70.0 to 123.1) and 2.7 (95% CI, 2.4 to 3.1), respectively. In patients age 70 to 79 years at diagnosis (the largest patient group), the HRs of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease were 1.5 (95% CI, 1.4 to 1.7) and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3 to 1.8), respectively; all were statistically significantly elevated compared with those of controls. In the same age group, no difference was observed in the 10-year probability of death resulting from cardiovascular disease in patients with MPN versus controls (16.8% v 15.2%) or cerebrovascular disease (5.6% v 5.2%). In patients age 50 to 59 years at diagnosis, the 10-year probability of death resulting from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease was elevated, 4.2% versus 2.1% and 1.9% versus 0.4%, respectively. Survival in patients with MPN increased over time, mainly because of decreased probabilities of dying as a result of hematologic malignancies, infections, and, in young patients, cardiovascular disease. Conclusion Patients with MPN had an overall higher mortality rate than that of matched controls, primarily because of hematologic malignancy, infections, and vascular events in younger patients. Evidently, there is still a need for effective disease-modifying agents to improve patient outcomes.
Reflux oesophagitis in adult coeliac disease: beneficial effect of a gluten free diet
Authors: A Cuomo
Journal: Gut (2003)

<b>Background:</b> Coeliac disease patients show a number of gastrointestinal motor abnormalities, including a decrease in lower oesophageal sphincter pressure. The prevalence of endoscopic oesophagitis in these subjects however is unknown. <b>Aim:</b> To evaluate whether untreated adult coeliac patients had an increased prevalence of reflux oesophagitis and, if so, to assess whether a gluten free diet exerted any beneficial effect on gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) symptoms. <b>Patients and methods:</b> We retrospectively studied 205 coeliac patients (females/males 153/52, median age 32 years) who underwent endoscopy for duodenal biopsy and 400 non-coeliac subjects (females/males 244/156, median age 37 years) referred for endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Each patient was given a questionnaire for evaluation of GORD symptoms prior to and 4–12 months after endoscopy. Coeliac patients were given a gluten free diet. Oesophagitis patients of both groups, following an eight week course of omeprazole, were re-evaluated for GORD symptoms at four month intervals up to one year. Significance of differences was assessed by Fisher’s exact test. <b>Results:</b> Oesophagitis was present in 39/205 (19%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.8–25.0%) coeliac patients and in 32/400 (8%, 95% CI 5.5–11.1%) dyspeptic subjects. At the one year follow up, GORD symptoms relapsed in 10/39 (25.6%, 95% CI 13–42.1%) coeliacs with oesophagitis and in 23/32 (71.8%, 95% CI 53.2–86.2%) non-coeliac subjects with oesophagitis. <b>Conclusion:</b> Coeliac patients have a high prevalence of reflux oesophagitis. That a gluten free diet significantly decreased the relapse rate of GORD symptoms suggests that coeliac disease may represent a risk factor for development of reflux oesophagitis.
Role of Radiotherapy and Newer Techniques in the Treatment of GI Cancers
Authors: Carla Hajj, Karyn A. Goodman
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2015)

The role of radiotherapy in multidisciplinary treatment of GI malignancies is well established. Recent advances in imaging as well as radiotherapy planning and delivery techniques have made it possible to target tumors more accurately while sparing normal tissues. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy is an advanced method of delivering radiation using cutting-edge technology to manipulate beams of radiation. The role of intensity-modulated radiotherapy is growing for many GI malignancies, such as cancers of the stomach, pancreas, esophagus, liver, and anus. Stereotactic body radiotherapy is an emerging treatment option for some GI tumors such as locally advanced pancreatic cancer and primary or metastatic tumors of the liver. Stereotactic body radiotherapy requires a high degree of confidence in tumor location and subcentimeter accuracy of the delivered dose. New image-guided techniques have been developed to overcome setup uncertainties at the time of treatment, including real-time imaging on the linear accelerator. Modern imaging techniques have also allowed for more accurate pretreatment staging and delineation of the primary tumor and involved sites. In particular, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans can be particularly useful in radiotherapy planning and assessing treatment response. Molecular biomarkers are being investigated as predictors of response to radiotherapy with the intent of ultimately moving toward using genomic and proteomic determinants of therapeutic strategies. The role of all of these new approaches in the radiotherapeutic management of GI cancers and the evolving role of radiotherapy in these tumor sites will be highlighted in this review.
Does early indoor microbial exposure reduce the risk of asthma? The Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy birth cohort study
Authors: Jeroen Douwes, Rob van Strien, Gert Doekes, Jet Smit, Marjan Kerkhof, Jorrit Gerritsen, Dirkje Postma, Johan de Jongste, Noemie Travier, Bert Brunekreef
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2006)
SAPS 3—From evaluation of the patient to evaluation of the intensive care unit. Part 2: Development of a prognostic model for hospital mortality at ICU admission
Authors: Rui P. Moreno, Philipp G. H. Metnitz, Eduardo Almeida, Barbara Jordan, Peter Bauer, Ricardo Abizanda Campos, Gaetano Iapichino, David Edbrooke, Maurizia Capuzzo, Jean-Roger Le Gall
Journal: Intensive Care Medicine (2005)

To develop a model to assess severity of illness and predict vital status at hospital discharge based on ICU admission data.
Paediatrics in Amsterdam
Authors: Ernst Eber, Paul Aurora, Karin C. Lødrup Carlsen, Anders Lindblad, Jeannette E. Dankert-Roelse, Robert I. Ross-Russell, Steve W. Turner, Fabio Midulla, Gunilla Hedlin
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

The aim of this update is to describe the paediatric highlights from the 2011 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Abstracts from all seven groups of the ERS Paediatric Assembly (Paediatric Respiratory Physiology, Paediatric Asthma and Allergy, Cystic Fibrosis, Paediatric Respiratory Infection and Immunology, Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Paediatric Respiratory Epidemiology, and Paediatric Bronchology) are presented in the context of current literature.
Patterns of Y-Chromosome Diversity Intersect with the Trans-New Guinea Hypothesis
Authors: S. Mona, M. Tommaseo-Ponzetta, S. Brauer, H. Sudoyo, S. Marzuki, M. Kayser
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2007)

The island of New Guinea received part of the first human expansion out of Africa (>40,000 years ago), but its human genetic history remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined Y-chromosome diversity in 162 samples from the Bird's Head region of northwest New Guinea (NWNG) and compared the results with previously obtained data from other parts of the island. NWNG harbors a high level of cultural and linguistic diversity and is inhabited by non-Austronesian (i.e., Papuan)–speaking groups as well as harboring most of West New Guinea's (WNG) Austronesian-speaking groups. However, 97.5% of its Y-chromosomes belong to 5 haplogroups that originated in Melanesia; hence, the Y-chromosome diversity of NWNG (and, according to available data, of New Guinea as a whole) essentially reflects a local history. The remaining 2.5% belong to 2 haplogroups (O-M119 and O-M122) of East Asian origin, which were brought to New Guinea by Austronesian-speaking migrants around 3,500 years ago. Thus, the Austronesian expansion had only a small impact on shaping Y-chromosome diversity in NWNG, although the linguistic impact of this expansion to this region was much higher. In contrast, the expansion of Trans-New Guinea (TNG) speakers (non-Austronesian) starting about 6,000–10,000 years ago from the central highlands of what is now Papua New Guinea, presumably in combination with the expansion of agriculture, played a more important role in determining the Y-chromosome diversity of New Guinea. In particular, we identified 2 haplogroups (M-P34 and K-M254) as suggestive markers for the TNG expansion, whereas 2 other haplogroups (C-M38 and K-M9) most likely reflect the earlier local Y-chromosome diversity. We propose that sex-biased differences in the social structure and cultural heritage of the people involved in the Austronesian and the TNG expansions played an important role (among other factors) in shaping the New Guinean Y-chromosome landscape.
Fetal wellbeing may be compromised during strenuous exercise among pregnant elite athletes
Authors: Kjell Å Salvesen, Erlend Hem, Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2011)

Objectives To study fetal wellbeing and uteroplacental blood flow during strenuous treadmill running in the second trimester. Methods Six pregnant Olympic-level athletes in endurance events aged 28–37 years and training 15–22 h per week before the pregnancy were tested once at 23–29 weeks of pregnancy. The women ran three to five submaximal workloads on a treadmill with approximately 60–90% of maximal oxygen consumption. The maternal–fetal circulation was assessed with Doppler ultrasound of the uterine and umbilical arteries before, during and after exercise. Results Mean uterine artery volume blood flow was reduced to 60–80% after warming up and stayed at 40–75% of the initial value during exercise. Fetal heart rate (FHR) was within the normal range (110–160 bpm) as long as the woman exercised below 90% of maximal maternal heart rate (MHR). Fetal bradycardia and high umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) occurred when the woman exercised more than 90% of maximal MHR and the mean uterine artery volume blood flow was less than 50% of the initial value. FHR and umbilical artery PI normalised quickly after stopping the exercise. Conclusions Exercise at intensity above 90% of maximal MHR in pregnant elite athletes may compromise fetal wellbeing.
Structural Variants of Human Growth Hormone: Biochemical, Genetic, and Clinical Aspects
Authors: R K Chawla, J S Parks, D Rudman
Journal: Annual Review of Medicine (1983)

Human growth hormone (hGH) is a mixture of peptides in which the major physiologic component is a single chain polypeptide of 191 residues with a molecular weight of 22,000 ("22K" form). The minor components differ from the 22K form in terms of mass (e.g. the 20K form, a single-chain peptide synthesized by deletion of residues 32-46 of the 22K isomer, and the 45K variant formed by aggregation of the 22K molecule), or of charge (e.g. the more acidic two-chain forms alpha 2 and alpha 3 which are generated by proteolytic deletion of residues 135-140 and 135-146 from the 22K variant). The minor components also differ from the 22K molecule in (a) their metabolic effects; (b) their capacity to bind to antiserum raised against the 22K form in a radioimmunoassay (RIA); and (c) their ability to bind to membrane receptors for the 22K hGH in a radioreceptor assay (RRA). Two genes, N and V, involved in the biosynthesis of hGH, are located on human chromosome 17. Heritable alterations of the N gene may cause deficiency of immunoreactive hGH and growth failure. A pathologic variant of hGH has also been identified which is indistinguishable from the 22K form on RIA, but which has low reactivity on hGH-RRA and low somatomedogenic activity. Several mechanisms to account for this bioinactive variant are discussed.
GAS5 long non-coding RNA in malignant pleural mesothelioma
Authors: Arun Renganathan, Jelena Kresoja-Rakic, Nohemy Echeverry, Gabriela Ziltener, Bart Vrugt, Isabelle Opitz, Rolf A Stahel, Emanuela Felley-Bosco
Journal: Molecular Cancer (2014)

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer with short overall survival. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are a class of RNAs more than 200 nucleotides long that do not code for protein and are part of the 90% of the human genome that is transcribed. Earlier experimental studies in mice showed GAS5 (growth arrest specific transcript 5) gene deletion in asbestos driven mesothelioma. GAS5 encodes for a lncRNA whose function is not well known, but it has been shown to act as glucocorticoid receptor decoy and microRNA "sponge". Our aim was to investigate the possible role of the GAS5 in the growth of MPM. Primary MPM cultures grown in serum-free condition in 3% oxygen or MPM cell lines grown in serum-containing medium were used to investigate the modulation of GAS5 by growth arrest after inhibition of Hedgehog or PI3K/mTOR signalling. Cell cycle length was determined by EdU incorporation assay in doxycycline inducible short hairpinGAS5 clones generated from ZL55SPT cells. Gene expression was quantified by quantitative PCR. To investigate the GAS5 promoter, a 0.77 kb sequence was inserted into a pGL3 reporter vector and luciferase activity was determined after transfection into MPM cells. Localization of GAS5 lncRNA was identified by in situ hybridization. To characterize cells expressing GAS5, expression of podoplanin and Ki-67 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. GAS5 expression was lower in MPM cell lines compared to normal mesothelial cells. GAS5 was upregulated upon growth arrest induced by inhibition of Hedgehog and PI3K/mTOR signalling in in vitro MPM models. The increase in GAS5 lncRNA was accompanied by increased promoter activity. Silencing of GAS5 increased the expression of glucocorticoid responsive genes glucocorticoid inducible leucine-zipper and serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 and shortened the length of the cell cycle. Drug induced growth arrest was associated with GAS5 accumulation in the nuclei. GAS5 was abundant in tumoral quiescent cells and it was correlated to podoplanin expression. The observations that GAS5 levels modify cell proliferation in vitro, and that GAS5 expression in MPM tissue is associated with cell quiescence and podoplanin expression support a role of GAS5 in MPM biology.
Epidemiological study of ulcerative proctocolitis in Indian migrants and the indigenous population of Leicestershire.
Authors: C S Probert, V Jayanthi, D Pinder, A C Wicks, J F Mayberry
Journal: Gut (1992)

A retrospective epidemiological study of ulcerative colitis (UC) and proctitis was performed in Leicestershire from 1972-89. Potential cases were identified from hospital departments of pathology, endoscopy, and medical records and from general practitioners. The county population includes more than 93,000 South Asians. There were 573 cases of UC and 286 of proctitis in Europeans and 115 cases of UC and 29 of proctitis in South Asians. The standardised incidence of UC in Europeans and South Asians was stable, except in Sikhs in whom it had increased rapidly. The relative risk of UC to South Asians was 2.45. The standardised incidences of UC in South Asians during the 1980s were: 10.8/10(5)/year in Hindus (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.4-14.1 cases/10(5)/year) 16.5/10(5)/year in Sikhs (95% CI 7.9-25.2 cases/10(5)/year), and 6.2/10(5)/year in Muslims (95% CI 1.6-10.9 cases/10(5)/year). There was no difference in incidence between Asians from East Africa and India. The standardised incidence of UC in Europeans was 5.3/10(5)/year (95% CI 4.3-6.3 cases/10(5)/year). The standardised incidences of proctitis were 3.1/10(5)/year (95% CI 1.9-2.5 cases/10(5)/year) in South Asians and 2.3/10(5)/year (95% CI 1.8-2.4 cases/10(5)/year) in Europeans. Ethnic groups had a similar disease distribution, except Sikhs in whom it was less extensive. Despite the similar disease distribution, South Asians had fewer operations and complications from UC than Europeans. There was a bimodal age specific incidence in Europeans, but not in other ethnic groups. First and second generation South Asians were at similar risk. Hindus and Sikhs have a significantly higher incidence of UC than Europeans in Leicestershire.
Myocardial gallium-67 citrate scintigraphy in patients with systemic sclerosis.
Authors: J Gaal, I Hegedus, K Devenyi, L Czirjak
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1995)

To detect myocardial involvement in 16 patients with systemic sclerosis using radiogallium scintigraphySixteen patients with systemic sclerosis were investigated by myocardial gallium-67 citrate scintigraphy. Echocardiographic studies and (in the positive cases) magnetic resonance imaging were also performed.Increased myocardial gallium uptake was found in five of the 16 patients. None of these positive cases exhibited any 'classical' clinical, electrocardiographic or laboratory signs characteristic of myocarditis. The mean age of the positive cases was 60.8 (SD 5.0) years compared with 44.6 (10.7) years for the negative cases; no difference was detected in the mean disease duration between these two groups. Two of the affected cases belonged to the limited scleroderma subgroup.In spite of the low number of patients investigated, it is tempting to speculate that elderly patients with a disease onset around 60 years tend to be the candidates in whom a positive gallium-67 scintigraphy test may best indicate a silent myocardial interstitial inflammation.
Use of azathioprine in IBD: modern aspects of an old drug
Authors: Edouard Louis, Peter Irving, Laurent Beaugerie
Journal: Gut (2014)

Thiopurines have been considered the reference treatment for patients with steroid-dependent moderate to severe IBD for many years. This has been based on evidence describing the efficacy and safety of azathioprine and mercaptopurine in Crohn's disease (CD) and UC. In CD, efficacy has been established through controlled trials, meta-analyses, cohort studies and data on mucosal healing, as well as in withdrawal studies. A Cochrane meta-analysis concluded that azathioprine and mercaptopurine effectively maintained remission in CD with an OR between 2 and 3 compared to placebo.1 Mucosal healing was initially studied in patients on azathioprine with longstanding steroid-free remission.2 In this setting, full mucosal healing was achieved in 54% of patients with ileitis and 70% with colitis. The majority of the remaining patients had at least partial healing, and only a small minority experienced no healing at all. This healing potential was confirmed in a controlled study showing the superiority of azathioprine over budesonide.3 When patients achieve sustained steroid-free remission under azathioprine, it is usually stable and longstanding. A controlled withdrawal study from the GETAID indicated sustained remission over more than 5 years in 80% of patients when the treatment was continued, compared to 40% of patients when it was stopped.4

The evidence base in UC is weaker. Nevertheless, a controlled trial comparing azathioprine to mesalazine in steroid-dependent UC clearly showed the superiority of azathioprine with an OR of 4.8 (95% CI 1.6 to 14.5).5 This benefit was confirmed in a meta-analysis.6 Additionally, a withdrawal study, although not controlled, showed around 60% of patients with UC relapse over 5 years after azathioprine withdrawal.7

In CD, these data have also been reinforced by cohort studies suggesting a beneficial effect of thiopurines on long-term outcome, including a decrease in the rate of surgery in adult and paediatric patients. …
Relevance of volume and proximal extent of reflux in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Authors: D Sifrim
Journal: Gut (2005)

In patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), oesophageal and extraoesophageal symptoms are traditionally attributed to increased contact time between the mucosa and refluxates. However, the volume of reflux may be important by increasing the total amount of highly concentrated damaging substances, either by prolonging distal mucosal exposure or by expanding to more proximal areas. To date, it has not been possible to accurately measure the volume of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Determination of the volume of reflux will help to better understand the pathophysiology of GORD and to evaluate the efficacy of antireflux treatments.
Simplified measurement of intra-access pressure.
Authors: A Besarab, S Frinak, R A Sherman, J Goldman, F Dumler, M V Devita, T Kapoian, F Al-Saghir, T Lubkowski
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (1998)

The measurement of intra-access pressure (P[IA]) normalized by mean arterial BP (MAP) helps detect venous outlet stenosis and correlates with access blood flow. However, general use of P(IA)/MAP is limited by time and special equipment costs. Bernoulli's equation relates differences between P(IA) (recorded by an external transducer as PT) and the venous drip chamber pressure, PDC; at zero flow, the difference in height (deltaH) between the measuring sites and fluid density determines the pressure deltaPH = P(IA) - P(DC) Therefore, P(DC) and PT measurements were correlated at six different dialysis units, each using one of three different dialysis delivery systems machines. Both dynamic (i.e., with blood flow) and static pressures were measured. Changes in mean BP, zero calibration errors, and hydrostatic height between the transducer and drip chamber accounted for 90% of the variance in P(DC), with deltaPH = -1.6 + 0.74 deltaH (r = 0.88, P < 0.001). The major determinants of static P(IA)/MAP were access type and venous outflow abnormalities. In grafts, flow averaged 555 +/- 45 ml/min for P(IA)/MAP > 0.5 and 1229 +/- 112 ml/min for P(IA)/MAP < 0.5. DeltaPH varied from 9.4 to 17.4 mmHg among the six centers and was related to deltaH between the drip chamber and the armrest of the dialysis chair. Concordance between values of P(IA)/MAP calculated from PT and from P(DC) + deltaPH was excellent. It is concluded that static P(DC) measurements corrected by an appropriate deltaPH can be used to prospectively monitor hemodialysis access grafts for stenosis.