tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Hospital Readmission After Noncardiac Surgery
Authors: Laurent G. Glance, Arthur L. Kellermann, Turner M. Osler, Yue Li, Dana B. Mukamel, Stewart J. Lustik, Michael P. Eaton, Andrew W. Dick
Journal: JAMA Surgery (2014)

Hospital readmissions are believed to be an indicator of suboptimal care and are the focus of efforts by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reduce health care cost and improve quality. Strategies to reduce surgical readmissions may be most effective if applied prospectively to patients who are at increased risk for readmission. Hospitals do not currently have the means to identify surgical patients who are at high risk for unplanned rehospitalizations.To examine whether the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) predicted risk of major complications can be used to identify surgical patients at risk for rehospitalization.Retrospective cohort study of 142,232 admissions in the ACS NSQIP registry for major noncardiac surgery.The association between unplanned 30-day readmission and the ACS NSQIP predicted risk of major complications, controlling for severity of disease and surgical complexity.Of the 143,232 patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, 6.8% had unplanned 30-day readmissions. The rate of unplanned 30-day readmissions was 78.3% for patients with any postdischarge complication, compared with 12.3% for patients with only in-hospital complications and 4.8% for patients without any complications. Patients at very high risk for major complications (predicted risk of ACS NSQIP complication >10%) had 10-fold higher odds of readmission compared with patients at very low risk for complications (adjusted odds ratio = 10.35; 95% CI, 9.16-11.70), whereas patients at high (adjusted odds ratio = 6.57; 95% CI, 5.89-7.34) and moderate (adjusted odds ratio = 3.96; 95% CI, 3.57-4.39) risk of complications had 7- and 4-fold higher odds of readmission, respectively.Unplanned readmissions in surgical patients are common in patients experiencing postoperative complications and can be predicted using the ACS NSQIP risk of major complications. Prospective identification of high-risk patients, using the NSQIP complication risk index, may allow hospitals to reduce unplanned rehospitalizations.
Inhibin at 90: From Discovery to Clinical Application, a Historical Review
Authors: Yogeshwar Makanji, Jie Zhu, Rama Mishra, Chris Holmquist, Winifred P. S. Wong, Neena B. Schwartz, Kelly E. Mayo, Teresa K. Woodruff
Journal: Endocrine Reviews (2014)

When it was initially discovered in 1923, inhibin was characterized as a hypophysiotropic hormone that acts on pituitary cells to regulate pituitary hormone secretion. Ninety years later, what we know about inhibin stretches far beyond its well-established capacity to inhibit activin signaling and suppress pituitary FSH production. Inhibin is one of the major reproductive hormones involved in the regulation of folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis. Although the physiological role of inhibin as an activin antagonist in other organ systems is not as well defined as it is in the pituitary-gonadal axis, inhibin also modulates biological processes in other organs through paracrine, autocrine, and/or endocrine mechanisms. Inhibin and components of its signaling pathway are expressed in many organs. Diagnostically, inhibin is used for prenatal screening of Down syndrome as part of the quadruple test and as a biochemical marker in the assessment of ovarian reserve. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of our current understanding of the biological role of inhibin, its relationship with activin, its signaling mechanisms, and its potential value as a diagnostic marker for reproductive function and pregnancy-associated conditions.
Late Effects of Pelvic Rhabdomyosarcoma and Its Treatment in Female Survivors
Authors: Sheri L. Spunt, Teresa A. Sweeney, Melissa M. Hudson, Catherine A. Billups, Matthew J. Krasin, Allison L. Hester
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2005)

Purpose To document the spectrum and severity of late effects in female survivors of pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma. Patients and Methods We reviewed the demographic, diagnostic, treatment, and outcome data of the 26 females treated for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma at our institution between March 1962 and December 1996 who survived free of disease for 5 or more years. Adverse effects that occurred 5 or more years after diagnosis were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0. Results The most common tumor sites were vagina (n = 7), pelvis/retroperitoneum (n = 6), and bladder (n = 4). All patients received chemotherapy (alkylating agent, n = 23; doxorubicin, n = 16); 22 received radiotherapy (median dose, 46 Gy). Median follow-up of the 23 survivors was 20.3 years. Late effects occurred in 24 patients, 23 of whom had grade 3/4 late effects (median grade 3/4 late effects per patient, three; range, zero to 14). Fourteen patients (54%) required surgery for late complications. The 22 patients who had received radiotherapy had a greater median number of late effects per patient than did the remaining four (9.5 v one; P = .002). The median number of late effects per patient was higher in the 12 patients treated during or after 1984 than in the 14 treated earlier (12.5 v 6.5; P = .041). Conclusion The burden of late effects in girls treated for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma is significant and does not seem to be diminishing with advances in treatment. Prospective studies are needed to better assess the impact of these late effects on quality of life and functional outcome, and to refine the treatment approach to pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma.
T-regulatory cells blood content in patients with asthma exacerbation
Authors: Zhanna Antanovich, Vladimir Tsarev, Nataliya Goncharova
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Background:  Regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells are important components of the immune system homeostasis and impairment of their activity can cause autoimmune diseases and allergy.   Objective:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the blood content of naturally occurring T-regulatory cells (nTreg) in patients with different periods of asthma.   Methods:  48 steroid naive asthmatic adults with asthma exacerbation and 48 with asthma remission were randomly selected and 30 matched control subjects were included. All were submitted to detailed clinical history and examination, pulmonary function testing. Investigation of CD4+, CD25+, CD4+CD25hi-lymphocytes in blood was carried out by flow cytometry. nTreg were defined as a fraction of CD4+CD25+-lymphocytes with a high level of CD25 expression (CD4+CD25hi-cells).   Results:  Subjects with asthma exacerbation had significantly lower values of CD4+CD25hi-cells than subjects with asthma remission (1,56 (1,14-1,97)% vs 5,90 (4,96-6,71)%; p   Conclusion:  CD4+CD25hi-cells blood content is decreased in asthma in comparison with healthy subjects. Blood content of CD4+CD25hi-cells in asthma exacerbation decreases 3 fold and more in comparison with remission and can be predictor for asthma exacerbation.
The Most Redundant Sequences in Human CpG Island Library Are Derived from Mitochondrial Genome
Authors: Ximiao He, Shu Tao, Jing Jin, Songnian Hu, Jun Yu
Journal: Genomics Proteomics & Bioinformatics (2010)

Abstract An altered pattern of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, is critical to many common human diseases, including cancer. Recently, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was reported to be associated with tumorigenesis through epigenetic regulation of methylation patterns. One of the promising approaches to study DNA methylation and CpG islands (CGIs) is sequencing and analysis of clones derived from the physical library generated by methyl-CpG-binding domain proteins and restriction enzyme MseI. In this study, we observed that the most redundant sequences of 349 clones in a human CGI library were all generated from the human mitochondrial genome. Further analysis indicated that there was a 5,845-bp DNA transfer from mtDNA to chromosome 1, and all the clones should be the products of a 510-bp MseI fragment, which contained a putative CGI of 270 bp. The 510-bp fragment was annotated as part of cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COXII), and phylogenetic analysis of homologous sequences containing COXII showed three DNA transfer events from mtDNA to nuclear genome, one of which underwent secondary transfer events between different chromosomes. These results may further our understanding of how the mtDNA regulates DNA methylation in the nucleus.
Dismantling of Cadherin-Mediated Cell-Cell Contacts Modulates Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation
Authors: Elizabeth B. Uglow, Sadie Slater, Graciela B. Sala-Newby, Concepción M. Aguilera-Garcia, Gianni D. Angelini, Andrew C. Newby, Sarah J. George
Journal: Circulation Research (2003)

Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to intimal thickening during atherosclerosis and restenosis. The cadherins are transmembrane proteins, which form cell-cell contacts and may regulate VSMC proliferation. In this study, N-cadherin protein concentration was significantly reduced by stimulation of proliferation with fetal calf serum (FCS) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) in human saphenous vein VSMCs. Furthermore, overexpression of a truncated N-cadherin, which acts as a dominant-negative increased VSMC proliferation. The amount of an extracellular fragment of N-cadherin (approximately 90 kDa) in the media after 24 hours was increased by 12-fold by FCS and 11-fold by PDGF-BB, suggesting that N-cadherin levels are regulated by proteolytic shedding. Incubation with a synthetic metalloproteinase inhibitor or adenoviral overexpression of the endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) demonstrated that metalloproteinase activity was responsible in part for this proteolysis. Although total levels of beta-catenin protein were not affected, beta-catenin was translocated to the nucleus after stimulation with FCS and PDGF-BB. Our data indicates cadherin-mediated cell-cell contacts modulate proliferation in VSMCs. Furthermore, disruption of N-cadherin cell-cell contacts mediated in part by metalloproteinase activity occurs during VSMC proliferation, releasing beta-catenin and possibly inducing beta-catenin-mediated intracellular signaling.
Thermal Treatment after Acute Rheumatism, with a Short Outline of the System Pursued at Bath
Authors: J. G. D. Kerr
Journal: BMJ (1889)

CASES of acute rheumatism are occasionally met with which, thoughi showing no peculiarity in the early stages, and yielding readily to salicylic or other treatment during the first week or two, yet, after that, seem to hang fire; week succeeds week without any permanent improvement.Slight exacerbations and remissions of temperature take place, the range being from 990 to 1010 F. The patient's strength wanes.Subacute inflammatory attacks occur, first in the neighbourhood of one joint, then of another, accompanied by pain and thickening of the tissues, the finger-joints being the most frequently attacked.One form of drug treatment after another is tried in vain.The patient seems to have reached a condition in which the system refuses to respond to the action of medicines.During the last three or four years many such cases have come under my charge, from which I select one, and report it, to show what beneficial results may be obtained from thermal treatment.
Aneurysms of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Authors: J. B. Das, J. T. Chesterman
Journal: Thorax (1956)

Rokitansky in 1852 gave the classical definition of an aneurysm of the patent ductus arteriosus as " a spherical or ovoid tumour larger in the middle than at either end, but smallest towards the pulmonary artery, with which, as well as with the aorta, it communicates, filled with old or recent thrombus and varying in size from a cherrystone to a hazelnut or even a walnut."Interest was aroused in this condition when we saw two post-operative aneurysms within a year.Martin (quoted by Scheef, 1939) is credited with having first described an aneurysm of the ductus arteriosus.Examination of the literature between 1827 and 1955 has yielded some 56 cases which satisfy Rokitansky's definition.Excellent reviews of the cases can be found in the papers of Scheef (1939), Graham (1940), and Lennox and Mac- Carthy (1951).Their surgical importance was stressed for the first time by Graham (1940) in an interesting paper entitled "Aneurysm of the Ductus Arteriosus with a Consideration of its Importance to the Thoracic Surgeon "-its importance in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumours.
Use of Mental Health Services by Veterans With PTSD After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11
Authors: Robert Rosenheck, Alan Fontana
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2003)

Community surveys have demonstrated significant psychological distress since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses are especially vulnerable to stressful events, the authors examined the use of PTSD treatment services and other mental health services at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in New York City and elsewhere after the attacks.Analysis of variance was used to compare changes in average daily service use in the 6 months before and the 6 months after September 11, with changes in service use across the same months in the 2 previous years. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences from previous years in the proportion of new patients (i.e., who had not received treatment in the previous 6 months) entering treatment after September 11.There was no significant increase in the use of VA services for the treatment of PTSD or other mental disorders or in visits to psychiatric or nonpsychiatric clinics in New York City after September 11 and no significant change in the pattern of service use from previous years. Nor was there a significant increase in PTSD treatment in the greater New York area, Washington, D.C., or Oklahoma City or in the proportion of new patients.No increase was observed in the use of mental health services among VA patients with PTSD or other mental illnesses in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Effect of kidney transplantation on left ventricular systolic dysfunction and congestive heart failure in patients with end-stage renal disease
Authors: Ravinder K. Wali, Gregory S. Wang, Stephen S. Gottlieb, Lavanya Bellumkonda, Riple Hansalia, Emilio Ramos, Cinthia Drachenberg, John Papadimitriou, Meredith A. Brisco, Steve Blahut, Jeffrey C. Fink, Michael L. Fisher, Stephen T. Bartlett, Matthew R. Weir
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2005)
EXPRESSION OF MITOCHONDRIAL MITOFILIN BUT NOT OF PORIN IS REDUCED IN LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIUM OF EXPLANTED FAILED HUMAN HEARTS AND IN HEARTS OF DOGS WITH EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED HEART FAILURE
Authors: Ramesh Gupta, Sharad Rastogi, Mengjun Wang, Keife Zhang, Hani N. Sabbah
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2012)
High VEGFR-3–positive Circulating Lymphatic/Vascular Endothelial Progenitor Cell Level Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Human Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Krisztina Bogos, Ferenc Renyi-Vamos, Judit Dobos, Istvan Kenessey, Jozsef Tovari, Jozsef Timar, Janos Strausz, Gyula Ostoros, Walter Klepetko, Hendrik Jan Ankersmit, Gyorgy Lang, Mir AliReza Hoda, Patrick Nierlich, Balazs Dome
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2009)

The newly identified bone marrow-derived cell population, called lymphatic/vascular endothelial progenitor cells (LVEPC), has been shown to contribute to lymph capillary growth in experimental tumor systems. The clinical significance of these cells has not yet been investigated in a human malignancy. Our aim was to study whether peripheral blood circulating LVEPCs participate in the progression of human small cell lung cancer (SCLC).A total of 88 patients with limited-stage SCLC and 32 tumor-free control subjects were included. Peripheral blood circulating LVEPC labeled with CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR3) antibodies and the serum levels of the key lymphangiogenic molecule VEGF-C were measured by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively.CD34-positive/VEGFR3-positive LVEPC levels were significantly increased in patients (versus controls; P<0.01), and there was also a significant relationship between LVEPC counts and lymph node metastasis (P<0.01). High pretreatment circulating LVEPC numbers correlated with poor overall survival (P<0.01). Although we observed significantly elevated VEGF-C concentrations in patients (versus controls; P<0.01), there was no significant correlation between VEGF-C and LVEPC levels. Moreover, no significant differences in peripheral blood VEGF-C levels were seen between patients subgrouped by clinicopathologic variables including tumor and lymph node stages and survival.Peripheral blood levels of bone marrow-derived LVEPCs are significantly increased in patients with SCLC and correlate with lymphatic involvement and prognosis. This is the first study that shows evidence of increased numbers of circulating LVEPC in patients with a malignant tumor.
Capsaicin, a Component of Red Peppers, Inhibits the Growth of Androgen-Independent, p53 Mutant Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Akio Mori, Sören Lehmann, James O'Kelly, Takashi Kumagai, Julian C. Desmond, Milena Pervan, William H. McBride, Masahiro Kizaki, H. Phillip Koeffler
Journal: Cancer Research (2006)

Abstract Capsaicin is the major pungent ingredient in red peppers. Here, we report that it has a profound antiproliferative effect on prostate cancer cells, inducing the apoptosis of both androgen receptor (AR)-positive (LNCaP) and -negative (PC-3, DU-145) prostate cancer cell lines associated with an increase of p53, p21, and Bax. Capsaicin down-regulated the expression of not only prostate-specific antigen (PSA) but also AR. Promoter assays showed that capsaicin inhibited the ability of dihydrotestosterone to activate the PSA promoter/enhancer even in the presence of exogenous AR in LNCaP cells, suggesting that capsaicin inhibited the transcription of PSA not only via down-regulation of expression of AR, but also by a direct inhibitory effect on PSA transcription. Capsaicin inhibited NF-κ activation by preventing its nuclear migration. In further studies, capsaicin inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α–stimulated degradation of IκBα in PC-3 cells, which was associated with the inhibition of proteasome activity. Taken together, capsaicin inhibits proteasome activity which suppressed the degradation of IκBα, preventing the activation of NF-κB. Capsaicin, when given orally, significantly slowed the growth of PC-3 prostate cancer xenografts as measured by size [75 ± 35 versus 336 ± 123 mm3 (±SD); P = 0.017] and weight [203 ± 41 versus 373 ± 52 mg (±SD); P = 0.0006; capsaicin-treated versus vehicle-treated mice, respectively]. In summary, our data suggests that capsaicin, or a related analogue, may have a role in the management of prostate cancer. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(6): 3222-9)
The ‘switcher’ patient profile in psoriasis treatment: from traditional to biological and from biological to traditional systemic drugs
Authors: S. Tabolli, P. Giannantoni, A. Paradisi, D. Abeni
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2014)

Funding sources: The study was funded by our Institute, with partial financial support from the Italian Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy, in the frame of ‘Ricerca Corrente 2014’. Conflicts of interest: none declared. Dear Editor, Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that can severely compromise the quality of life of people affected.1 2 Although systemic therapies have been proven to be effective with limited safety concerns,3 4 adherence to these treatments is still low.5 Proportions of nonpersistent patients at 1 year are 48% for traditional and 43% for biological drugs.6 The therapy switch is generally analysed in randomized clinical trials with focus on the efficacy of the new treatment.7 8 9 Only a few studies looked at the pattern of switch in real world settings. They reported the following: at 4 years from start of treatment, the percentage of patients still in treatment with the same drug ranges from 40% to 70% in Denmark.10 In Italy, a switch between biological agents is observed in 10·6% of patients over 28·9 months.11 To the best of our knowledge, only one study focused on the switch between different classes of treatments (topical, traditional systemic and biologics).6 However, this specific kind of switch (we refer to as class‐switch) is of particular relevance for healthcare assistance, as it implies a dramatic change in drug regimen for the patient and presumably profound dissatisfaction with the initial treatment. We analysed whether traditional and biological drugs are associated with different risks of class‐switch and which baseline characteristics of the patients can predict the class‐switch.
Studies with human leukocyte lysosomes. Evidence for antilysosome antibodies in lupus erythematosus and for the presence of lysosomal antigen in inflammatory diseases.
Authors: D A Bell, P A Thiem, J H Vaughan, J P Leddy
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1975)

Human lysosomes were isolated from normal peripheral blood leukoyctes and characterized by electron microscopy, enzyme analysis, and assays for DNA and RNA. Stored sera from 37 unselected patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including active and inactive, treated and untreated cases, were tested in complement fixation (CF) reactions with these lysosome preparations. 23 SLE sera exhibited positive CR reactions, as did sera from two patients with "lupoid" hepatitis. The seven SLE sera with strongest CF reactivity also demonstrated gel precipitin reactions with lysosomes. Neither CF nor precipitin reactions with lysosomes were observed with normal sera or with sera of patients with drug-induced lupus syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymyositis, or autoimmune hemolytic anemia. By several criteria the antilysosome CF and precipitin reactions of SLE sera cound not be attributed to antibody to DNA, RNA, or other intracellular organelles. The lysosomal component reactive with SLE sera in CF assays was sedimentable at high speed and is presumably membrane associated. The CF activity of two representative SLE sera was associated with IgG globulins by Sephadex filtration. A search for lysosomal antigen in SLE and related disorders was also made. By employing rabbit antiserum to human lysosomes in immunodiffusion, a soluble lysosomal component, apparently distinct from the sedimentable (membrane-associated) antigen described above, was identified in serum, synovial fluid, or pleural fluid from patients with SLE, RA, ankylosing spondylitis, and leukemoid reaction. An antigenically identical soluble component reactive with the rabbit antiserum could be released in vitro from intact lysosomes by repeated freeze-thaw cycles..