tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Exhaled 8-isoprostane as a new non-invasive biomarker of oxidative stress in cystic fibrosis
Authors: P. Montuschi
Journal: Thorax (2000)

Cystic fibrosis is characterised by oxidative stress in the airways. Isoprostanes are prostaglandin isomers formed by free radical catalysed peroxidation of arachidonic acid. 8-Isoprostane is increased in interstitial lung diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and adult respiratory distress syndrome. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) are biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the airways, respectively.Concentrations of 8-isoprostane in the breath condensate of 10 normal subjects and 19 patients with stable cystic fibrosis were measured using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Breath condensate is a non-invasive method of collecting airway secretions. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels were measured by a chemiluminescence analyser.Concentrations of 8-isoprostane in the breath condensate of patients with stable cystic fibrosis were increased about threefold compared with normal subjects (42.7 (4.5) pg/ml vs 15.2 (1.7) pg/ml; p<0.005, 95% CI 14.6 to 40.9). 8-Isoprostane concentrations were negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in one second in patients with cystic fibrosis (r = -0.61; p<0.005). Exhaled CO was also increased in patients with cystic fibrosis compared with normal subjects (6.7 (1.2) ppm vs 2.9 (0.3) ppm; p<0.05, 95% CI 0.2 to 7.4). 8-Isoprostane concentrations were significantly correlated with CO levels (r = 0.66; p<0.002).The results of this study show that oxidative stress is increased in cystic fibrosis and may be quantified by measuring 8-isoprostane concentrations in breath condensate.
Oxidative stress and protection against reactive oxygen species in the pre-implantation embryo and its surroundings
Authors: P. Guerin
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (2001)

Oxidative stress is involved in the aetiology of defective embryo development. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) may originate from embryo metabolism and/or embryo surroundings. Embryo metabolism generates ROS via several enzymatic mechanisms. The relative contribution of each source seems different depending on the species, the stage of development, and the culture conditions. Several exogenous factors and culture conditions can enhance the production of ROS by embryos. ROS can alter most types of cellular molecules, and also induce development block and retardation. Multiple mechanisms of embryo protection against ROS exist, and these have complementary actions. External protection, present in follicular and tubal fluids, mainly comprises non-enzymatic antioxidants such as hypotaurine, taurine and ascorbic acid. Internal protection mainly comprises antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase. Transcripts encoding for these enzymes are present in the oocyte, embryo and oviduct. It may be important that these transcripts are stored during oocyte maturation in order to allow the embryo to acquire the aptitude to develop. It is now common to add antioxidant compounds to culture media. Nevertheless, maintaining the pro-oxidant–antioxidant equilibrium in embryos through such supplementation is a complex problem. Further studies are necessary to limit oxidative stress during embryo culture.
Increased Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Critical Care Nurses
Authors: Meredith L. Mealer, April Shelton, Britt Berg, Barbara Rothbaum, Marc Moss
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2006)

Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses work in a demanding environment where they are repetitively exposed to traumatic situations and stressful events. The psychological effects on nurses as a result of working in the ICU are relatively unknown.To determine whether there is an increased prevalence of psychological symptoms in ICU nurses when compared with general nurses.We surveyed ICU and general nurses from three different hospitals (n=351) and then surveyed ICU nurses throughout the metropolitan area (n=140).In both cohorts of nurses, we determined the prevalence of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression using validated survey instruments. Within our hospital system, 24% (54/230) of the ICU nurses tested positive for symptoms of PTSD related to their work environment, compared with 14% (17/121) of the general nurses (p=0.03). ICU nurses did not report a greater amount of stress in their life outside of the hospital than general nurses. There was no difference in symptoms of depression or anxiety between ICU and general nurses. In the second survey of ICU nurses from our metropolitan area, 29% (41/140) of the respondents reported symptoms of PTSD, similar to our first cohort of ICU nurses.ICU nurses have an increased prevalence of PTSD symptoms when compared with other general nurses. These results may increase awareness of these symptoms in nurses and lead to future interventions that improve their mental health and job satisfaction and help retain ICU nurses in their profession.
Nerve growth factor and neuropeptides circulating levels in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
Authors: M Matucci-Cerinic
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2001)

To determine the circulating levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in systemic sclerosis (SSc), and to correlate these levels with clinical and laboratory features.Forty four patients with SSc were evaluated for circulating NGF (immunoenzymatic assay), NPY and VIP (radioimmunoassay), anticentromere and antitopoisomerase I autoantibodies, lung disease (pulmonary function tests with carbon monoxide transfer factor (TLCO), ventilation scintiscan with 99mTc DTPA radioaerosol, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), pulmonary pressure (echo colour Doppler)), heart disease (standard and 24 ECG, echocardiography), cutaneous involvement (skin score), joint involvement (evidence of tender or swollen joints, or both), peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement (electromyography), rheumatoid factor, angiotensin converting enzyme (fluorimetric method), von Willebrand factor (ELISA), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (Westergren).Circulating NGF levels in SSc were significantly increased compared with controls (p<0.00001) and significantly higher in the diffuse than in the limited subset of patients (p<0.01). Patients with articular disease had significantly higher levels of NGF. A significant indirect correlation between NGF levels and TLCO was detected (p<0.01), but no correlation was found between NGF and HRCT, DTPA, skin score, PNS involvement and angiotensin converting enzyme and von Willebrand factor levels, antitopoisomerase or anticentromere antibodies, and ESR. NGF levels increased progressively as the disease worsened. Similarly, VIP circulating levels were significantly increased in patients with SSc (p<0.001), whereas the increase of NPY levels did not reach statistical significance. However, both neuropeptides, following the same trend as NGF, increased as the disease worsened (skin score and lung disease).The increase of NGF and VIP in patients with SSc, the former in the diffuse subset of the disease, and in patients with prominent articular disease, may suggest a link between neurotransmitters and the disease pathogenesis. Neuropeptide circulating levels seem to increase only in patients with the most severe disease.
Prognostic Significance of the Centers for Disease Control/American Heart Association High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Cut Points for Cardiovascular and Other Outcomes in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Marc S. Sabatine, David A. Morrow, Kathleen A. Jablonski, Madeline Murguia Rice, J. Wayne Warnica, Michael J. Domanski, Judith Hsia, Bernard J. Gersh, Nader Rifai, Paul M Ridker, Marc A. Pfeffer, Eugene Braunwald
Journal: Circulation (2007)

Background— Data supporting the prognostic significance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are derived largely from individuals with no overt coronary artery disease or from patients with acute coronary syndromes. In contrast, the ability of hs-CRP to predict outcomes in patients with stable coronary artery disease and the prognostic significance of the Centers for Disease Control/American Heart Association hs-CRP cut points in such a population remain relatively unexplored. Methods and Results— We measured hs-CRP in 3771 patients with stable coronary artery disease from the Prevention of Events With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition (PEACE) trial, a randomized placebo-controlled trial of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor trandolapril. Patients were followed up for a median of 4.8 years for cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, as well as new heart failure and diabetes. After adjustment for baseline characteristics and treatments, higher hs-CRP levels, even &gt;1 mg/L, were associated with a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hs-CRP 1 to 3 mg/L: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.81; P =0.016; hs-CRP &gt;3 mg/L: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.02; P =0.003). Similarly, elevated hs-CRP levels were an independent predictor of new heart failure (adjusted P &lt;0.001 for trend) and new diabetes (adjusted P &lt;0.001 for trend). There were no significant interactions between hs-CRP levels and the effects of trandolapril on any of the above outcomes. Conclusions— In stable coronary artery disease, an elevated hs-CRP level, even &gt;1 mg/L, is a significant predictor of adverse cardiovascular events independently of baseline characteristics and treatments. An elevated hs-CRP does not appear to identify patients with stable coronary artery disease and preserved ejection fraction who derive particular benefit from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition.
Immunogenicity of retransplanted rat kidney allografts. Effect of inducing chimerism in the first recipient and quantitative studies on immunosuppression of the second recipient.
Authors: R I Lechler, J R Batchelor
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1982)

It has been previously shown that long surviving, enhanced (AS X AUG)F1 rat kidneys residing in a primary AS recipient are not acutely rejected if transferred into a second AS recipient. The reduced immunogenicity of the retransplanted graft was attributed to a depletion of incompatible passenger cells. It is shown here that if the primary AS recipient is made chimeric by x irradiation and injection of (AS X AUG)F1 bone marrow cells, transfer of the long surviving, enhanced graft into a second AS recipient provokes acute graft rejection comparable to that observed when normal (AS X AUG)F1 kidneys are transplanted into untreated AS recipients. Transplantation of passenger cell-depleted AUG kidneys into AS recipients leads to graft rejection, with a median survival time of 22 d. Treatment of these recipients with as little as 1.5 mg/kg cyclophosphamide for 14 d induces prolonged graft survival. By contrast, five times as much cyclophosphamide treatment is required to induce prolonged survival of normal AUG kidneys (i.e., containing incompatible passenger cells) transplanted to AS recipients. These results confirm that the major alloimmunogenic stimulus of rat kidney grafts is provided by the incompatible passenger cells.
Oligosaccharides of Hyaluronan Activate Dendritic Cells via Toll-like Receptor 4
Authors: Christian Termeer, Frauke Benedix, Jonathon Sleeman, Christina Fieber, Ursula Voith, Thomas Ahrens, Kensuke Miyake, Marina Freudenberg, Christopher Galanos, Jan Christoph Simon
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2002)

Low molecular weight fragmentation products of the polysaccharide of Hyaluronic acid (sHA) produced during inflammation have been shown to be potent activators of immunocompetent cells such as dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages. Here we report that sHA induces maturation of DCs via the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, a receptor complex associated with innate immunity and host defense against bacterial infection. Bone marrow–derived DCs from C3H/HeJ and C57BL/10ScCr mice carrying mutant TLR-4 alleles were nonresponsive to sHA-induced phenotypic and functional maturation. Conversely, DCs from TLR-2–deficient mice were still susceptible to sHA. In accordance, addition of an anti–TLR-4 mAb to human monocyte–derived DCs blocked sHA-induced tumor necrosis factor α production. Western blot analysis revealed that sHA treatment resulted in distinct phosphorylation of p38/p42/44 MAP-kinases and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, all components of the TLR-4 signaling pathway. Blockade of this pathway by specific inhibitors completely abrogated the sHA-induced DC maturation. Finally, intravenous injection of sHA-induced DC emigration from the skin and their phenotypic and functional maturation in the spleen, again depending on the expression of TLR-4. In conclusion, this is the first report that polysaccharide degradation products of the extracellular matrix produced during inflammation might serve as an endogenous ligand for the TLR-4 complex on DCs.
Prediction of pulmonary embolism in the pneumology departments: Clinical prediction rules
Authors: Hajer Racil, Manel Loukil, Nawel Ben Salem, Sana Cheikh Rouhou, Nawel Chaouch, Mourad Zarrouk, Abdellatif Chabbou
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Background:  Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) requires clinical probability assessment. In recent years, a great number of clinical prediction rules have been issued.   Objective:  To evaluate the effectiveness of the Geneva and the Revised Geneva score in PE diagnosis in pulmonary departments.   Patients and methods:  A retrospective study of 53 consecutive patients admitted for clinically suspected PE. We evaluated the clinical probability of PE for all patients for whom a CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was performing. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 (G1: n = 25) with no confirmed PE, the second group (G2: n = 28) with confirmed PE.   Results:   When another variable was associated such as COPD (2 points) in the Revised Geneva score, the score became moderate in 66,7% and high in 25,9% both in G2.   Conclusion:  In pulmonary practice, a scoring system with other variables as if COPD, lung cancer, should be introduced and would help safety excluded PE. A prospective study is necessary.
Cost-effectiveness of tacrolimus ointment in adults and children with moderate and severe atopic dermatitis: twice-weekly maintenance treatment vs. standard twice-daily reactive treatment of exacerbations from a third party payer (U.K. National Health Ser
Authors: E. Healy, A. Bentley, C. Fidler, C. Chambers
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2010)

Background A twice-weekly maintenance treatment regimen with tacrolimus ointment for atopic dermatitis (AD) significantly delayed and reduced the number of disease exacerbations over a 12-month period compared with the standard reactive treatment regimen. Objectives To determine the cost-effectiveness of tacrolimus ointment used in the maintenance treatment regimen vs. the standard reactive treatment regimen for the management of moderate and severe AD in adults and children. Methods Data from two pivotal phase III studies conducted in adults and children receiving 0·1% and 0·03% tacrolimus ointment, respectively, were used to populate a decision-analytic model. The costs and benefits associated with maintenance vs. reactive use of tacrolimus ointment were calculated over a 12-month period based on the clinical and quality of life data from the clinical trials. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the U.K. National Health Service. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the degree of uncertainty surrounding the results. Results For both adults and children with moderate and severe AD, twice-weekly maintenance treatment with tacrolimus ointment was shown to be a more effective and less costly (dominant) treatment regimen than the standard treatment regimen. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the model was robust and largely insensitive to changes in model parameters. Conclusions Maintenance treatment with tacrolimus ointment for the management of moderate and severe AD provides incremental health benefits at a lower cost compared with the reactive treatment regimen.
Monitoring of Individual Needs in Diabetes (MIND): baseline data from the Cross-National Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes, and Needs (DAWN) MIND study.
Authors: Frank J. Snoek, Nancy Y.A. Kersch, Ebbe Eldrup, Ilana Harman-Boehm, Norbert Hermanns, Andrzej Kokoszka, David R. Matthews, Brian E. McGuire, Mirjana Pibernik-Okanović, Joelle Singer, Maartje de Wit, Søren E. Skovlund
Journal: Diabetes Care (2011)

To test the feasibility and impact of implementing the computer-assisted Monitoring of Individual Needs in Diabetes (MIND) procedure, which is aimed at improving recognition and management of the psychological needs of diabetic patients in routine care.The MIND study was implemented in diabetes clinics across eight countries as part of the annual review. The computerized assessment covered emotional well-being (World Health Organization 5 Well-Being Index), diabetes-related distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes), life events, and the patient's agenda. Medical data were retrieved from the charts, and agreed-upon actions were recorded.Of 1,567 patients monitored using the MIND, 24.9% had either likely depression or high diabetes-related distress; 5.4% had both. Over 80% of these patients were newly identified cases, and 41% of patients with depression were referred to a mental health professional.Monitoring of well-being and diabetes-related distress as part of routine diabetes care is feasible and helps to identify and discuss unmet psychosocial needs.
Problems associated with the micropolarographic measurement of the arterial wall pO2
Authors: J KLINOWSKI, S E KORSNER, C P WINLOVE
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1982)

Faced with considerable disagreement between the reported measurements of oxygen tension in the arterial wall, we compared recessed-tip and needle-type oxygen sensitive microelectrodes in respect of their performance and suitability. Both types of electrodes are sensitive to pH, to certain molecules other than oxygen and to protein adsorption at the catalytic surface, but these effects are not of sufficient magnitude to be important in the present application. Very fine recessed-tip electrodes penetrate arterial tissue more easily than the needle-type, but even electrodes of tip diameters 3 to 7 μm produce damage and enhanced permeability to Trypan Blue in the surrounding tissue. They also cause tissue dimpling, which limits their spatial resolution to ±20 μm. Electrode current was measured as a function of depth of penetration into the rabbit thoracic aorta using recessed-tip electrodes 3 to 7 μm in diameter. In vitro measurements on fresh tissue superfused with air-equilibrated Tyrode's solution showed an initial fall in current of 0.35% per μm advanced from the intimal surface. However, profiles in vessels stored for up to 24 h, exposed to NaCN before the measurements, or even heated to 100°C were not significantly different. Moreover, electrode output was found to fall on penetration of sterile agar gels, the actual gradient increasing with gel concentration and the electrode size. We attribute these effects to an imbalance between oxygen availability at the electrode tip and consumption of oxygen by the electrode; theoretical calculations support this conclusion. The effects of enzymic digestions of the tissue on the gradient of electrode current have been investigated in an attempt to identify the component of the arterial wall responsible for the restricted availability of oxygen.
Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and higher albuminuria are associated with mortality and end-stage renal disease. A collaborative meta-analysis of kidney disease population cohorts
Authors: Brad C. Astor, Kunihiro Matsushita, Ron T. Gansevoort, Marije van der Velde, Mark Woodward, Andrew S. Levey, Paul E. de Jong, Josef Coresh
Journal: Kidney International (2011)
Acid reflux into the oesophagus does not influence exercise-induced airway narrowing in bronchial asthma
Authors: M Ferrari, F Bonella, L Benini, P Ferrari, F De Iorio, R Testi, V Lo Cascio
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2007)

A few studies on small patient series have investigated the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and bronchial responsiveness as expressed by exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), with non-conclusive results. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of acid in the oesophagus may influence EIB.45 patients with bronchial asthma underwent spirometry, exercise challenge on bicycle ergometer and 24 h oesophageal pH monitoring. Subjects with EIB (Forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)) percentage decrease after exercise (DeltaFEV1) > or =15%, n = 28) were retested after a 2 week treatment course with omeprazole 40 mg/daily. Exercise at baseline was performed at the same time as oesophageal pH monitoring.In basal condition, there was no difference in FEV1, acid exposure time or number of refluxes measured during 24 h pH monitoring between patients with and without EIB. There was no relationship between spirometry results and DeltaFEV1 on one hand, and parameters of gastroesophageal reflux on the other. Nine patients with EIB (31.0%) and six patients without EIB (37.5%) had one or more episodes of GER during exercise challenge, without significant differences between the two groups. After gastric acid inhibition by omeprazole, DeltaFEV1 did not change significantly.The results indicate that acid in the oesophagus, or its short-term inhibition by proton pump inhibitors, has no influence on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.