NF-B-mediated metabolic remodelling in the inflamed heart in acute viral myocarditis

Acute viral myocarditis (VM), characterised by leukocyte infiltration and dysfunction of the heart, is an important cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults. Unfortunately, to date, the pathological mechanisms underlying cardiac failure in VM remain incompletely understood. In the current study, we investigated if acute VM leads to cardiac...

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, stromal cell-derived factor-1, and CXCR4 in human limb muscle with acute and chronic ischemia

OBJECTIVE - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) has been implicated in angiogenesis in ischemic tissues by recruitment of CXCR4-positive bone marrow-derived circulating cells with paracrine functions in preclinical models. Here, evidence for this is provided in patients with peripheral artery...

Acetazolamide improves cerebral oxygenation during exercise at high altitude

Acute mountain sickness is thought to be triggered by cerebral hypoxemia and be prevented by acetazolamide (Actz). The effect of Actz on cerebral oxygenation at altitude remains unknown. In 16 members of the 2005 Dutch Cho Oyu (8201 m, Tibet) expedition, the influence of Actz and exercise (750 mg PO daily) on heart rate, peripheral and regional...

Hypercholesterolemia reduces collateral artery growth more dominantly than hyperglycemia or insulin resistance in mice

OBJECTIVE - Collateral artery development (arteriogenesis), a vital compensatory mechanism in patients with arterial obstructive disease, may be deregulated by vascular risk factors, eg, diabetes or hypercholesterolemia. Here, we compared the effects of either disturbed glucose metabolism or disturbed lipid metabolism on arteriogenesis. METHODS...

Prognostic factors for duration of sick leave in patients sick listed with acute low back pain: A systematic review of the literature

Background: The percentages of patients with acute low back pain (LBP) that go on to a chronic state varies between studies from 2% to 34%. In some of these cases low back pain leads to great costs. Aims: To evaluate the evidence for prognostic factors for return to work among workers sick listed with acute LBP. Methods: Systematic literature...

Acute hepatic steatosis in mice by blocking β-oxidation does not reduce insulin sensitivity of very-low-density lipoprotein production

Accumulation of triglycerides (TG) in the liver is generally associated with hepatic insulin resistance. We questioned whether acute hepatic steatosis induced by pharmacological blockade of β-oxidation affects hepatic insulin sensitivity, i.e., insulin-mediated suppression of VLDL production and insulin-induced activation of phosphatidylinositol...

MMP protein and activity levels in synovial fluid from patients with joint injury, inflammatory arthritis, and osteoarthritis

Objective: To determine protein and activity levels of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 3 (MMP-1 and MMP-3) in synovial fluid of patients with knee joint injury, primary osteoarthritis, and acute pyrophosphate arthritis (pseudogout). Methods: Measurements were done on knee synovial fluid obtained in a cross sectional study of cases of injury (n...

Surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis in the Netherlands, 1992-94

Detection and investigation of call cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children below 15 years of age are among the criteria for poliomyelitis-free certification. In the absence of poliomyelitis the incidence of AFP is around 1 per 100 000 children aged < 15 years. In the Netherlands, surveillance of AFP began in October 1992 under the...

Surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis in the Netherlands, 1992-94

Psychosocial stressors at work and musculoskeletal problems

Objectives - This paper examines the relationship between work stressors and the following health indicators: psychosomatic complaints, health behavior, and musculoskeletal problems. Methods - Secondary analyses were performed on data from the National Work and Living Condition Survey, which provides a representative sample of the working...

Detection of single-strand breaks and base damage in DNA of blood cells from leukaemia patients receiving chemo- and radiotherapy

Chemotherapy combined with total-body irradiation (TBI), a conditioning regimen for bone-marrow transplantation (BMT), causes lesions in the cellular DNA of the patients treated. To understand possible consequences of the DNA damage induced during such treatment, information is required about the nature of the damage, the level of induction and...

Hemostasis and fibrinolysis in severe liver failure and their relation to hemorrhage

In a study of severe, decompensated liver failure, we tried to find a correlation between hemorrhage and parameters of hemostasis and fibrinolysis. Three groups of patients were studied: alcoholic cirrhosis; nonalcoholic cirrhosis, and acute liver failure without known prior liver disease. The two cirrhotic groups did not differ significantly...

Differences in uptake of adriamycin and daunomycin by normal BM cells and acute leukemia cells determined by flow cytometry

Flow cytometry was used to measure the uptake of adriamycin (AM) and daunomycin (DM) by various cell types of the haemopoietic organs and by acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. For this purpose, the spontaneous fluorescence of the drugs upon excitation with laser light at 488 nm was measured. The difference in the uptake of these two drugs...