Editorial Material
Urology & Nephrology
Andrea Remuzzi, Masaomi Nangaku
Summary: Kidney fibrosis is a chronic transformation of the renal parenchyma. The mechanisms responsible for its initiation and progression are not fully understood. Li et al.'s investigation provides novel evidence in this direction.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alessandra Morano, Emanuele Cerulli Irelli, Martina Fanella, Biagio Orlando, Enrico Michele Salamone, Emanuele Tinelli, Gabriele Ruffolo, Luigi Zuliani, Jinane Fattouch, Mario Manfredi, Anna Teresa Giallonardo, Carlo Di Bonaventura
Summary: This study investigated olfaction in a population of patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE). It found that a significant proportion of AE cases had impaired olfaction, and this appeared to be more common in patients with severe AE, suggesting that olfactory deficits may be an additional feature of immune-mediated encephalitis.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Urology & Nephrology
Michaela A. A. Fuchs, Armin Kurtz
Summary: In this study, Kaneko et al. generated a mouse line that allows for cell labeling controlled by the Epo gene promotor. The authors found that Epo-producing cells become proliferating, profibrotic cells after kidney injury and lose their ability to produce Epo. Furthermore, they showed that the fluorescent-labeled cells can regain their Epo synthesis capability during a recovery period.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jaap Seelig, Martin E. W. Hemels
Summary: This editorial discusses critical illness associated new onset atrial fibrillation, subsequent atrial fibrillation diagnoses, and other adverse outcomes.
Article
Allergy
Maria Antonia Pastor-Nieto, Maria Elena Gatica-Ortega, Leopoldo Borrego
Summary: Patch testing of patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) revealed a high prevalence of sensitization to ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS). We propose expanding the spectrum of allergens in FFA to include EHS and consider optimizing the patch test preparation.
CONTACT DERMATITIS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Edward D. Chan, Adela Cota-Gomez, Brendan Podell
Summary: It is important to identify underlying host susceptibility factors in NTM-infected patients by classifying NTM disease into different categories. Recent research showed that the transcription factor Nrf2 provides protection against NTM infection in a murine model by enhancing phagosome-lysosome fusion. Further study is needed to explore other potential mechanisms by which oxidative stress predisposes to and Nrf2 protects against NTM infections.
Review
Rheumatology
B. -t. Martin-Marquez, F. Sandoval-Garcia, F. -i. Corona-Meraz, M. -h. Petri, Y. -k. Gutierrez-Mercado, M. Vazquez-Del Mercado
Summary: This review highlights the role of osteopontin in systemic lupus erythematosus and neuropsychiatric SLE and discusses the associated immunopathology mechanisms.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Julia D. S. Friese, Axel Temming, Andreas Daenhardt
Summary: Inundated salt marshes are valued as nekton habitat due to their low predator and high prey abundance. Habitat quality is dependent on abiotic properties, including water temperature, oxygen concentration, flow velocity, turbidity, and sediment grain size. Despite seasonal variations, salt-marsh creeks provide relatively stable temperature and oxygen conditions, sheltered by vegetation and characterized by low flow velocities and fine sediments. Turbidity plays a significant role in nekton species occurrence, while temperature has a minor impact. Small nekton species dominate in salt-marsh creeks due to their ability to cope with extreme temperatures and benefit from reduced currents.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Simone Koenig, Christian Engl, Malte Bayer, Fabiola Escolano-Lozano, Heike Rittner, Cora Rebhorn, Frank Birklein
Summary: This study found that the metabolism of neuropeptide substance P (SP) is reduced in the serum of patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and patients with limb trauma, suggesting a potential association between impaired peptide metabolism and the development of CRPS and posttraumatic pain.
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Pardeep S. Jhund
Summary: This article discusses the short-term effects of dapagliflozin on the maximal functional capacity in heart failure patients. The study findings suggest that dapagliflozin has positive short-term effects on improving exercise capacity in patients with heart failure.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEART FAILURE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Johannes Petersen, Benjamin Kloth, Shahria Iqbal, Hermann Reichenspurner, Bastian Geelhoed, Renate Schnabel, Thomas Eschenhagen, Torsten Christ, Evaldas Girdauskas
Summary: This study quantified β-adrenoceptor dysfunction in patients with aortic valve disease using in vitro myocardial contractility testing. A significant association was found between reduced β-AR sensitivity and increased left ventricular diameter, suggesting a potential role of β-AR dysfunction in the development of heart failure in patients with aortic valve disease.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Maria Elena Marquez, Sandra Sernbo, Eugenia Payque, Rita Uria, Juan Pablo Tosar, Juliana Querol, Catalina Berca, Angimar Uriepero, Daniel Prieto, Diego Alvarez-Saravia, Carolina Oliver, Victoria Irigoin, Gimena Dos Santos, Cecilia Guillermo, Ana Ines Landoni, Marcelo Navarrete, Florencia Palacios, Pablo Oppezzo
Summary: Clinical and molecular heterogeneity are characteristic features of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and patients' progression and treatment requirement can evolve independently from the mutational status. In this study, the researchers aimed to better understand the heterogeneity of CLL by comparing the miRNome of clinically progressive and stable CLL cases. They found that miR-26b-5p plays a key role in CLL progression by modulating the TGF-beta/SMAD pathway. This work proposes a new molecular mechanism for CLL progression and suggests a potential alternative strategy for CLL therapy.
Review
Acoustics
Andjoli Davidhi, Vasileios Rafailidis, Evangelos Destanis, Panos Prassopoulos, Stefanos Foinitsis
Summary: Recent literature has highlighted the importance of carotid plaque features other than stenosis in determining plaque vulnerability. Ultrasonography is the primary modality for assessing carotid disease, and recent advancements such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography have improved its accuracy in evaluating plaque morphology. This review aims to present the available literature on ultrasound elastography of atherosclerotic carotid plaques. Elastography, particularly shear wave elastography, is a feasible method for characterizing plaque components and identifying vulnerable plaques. However, more large-scale prospective studies are needed to validate elastography as an imaging modality for detecting unstable carotid plaques.
MEDICAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Avinash Padhi, Ankit Srivastava, Abarajitha Ramesh, Marcus Ehrstrom, Michel Simon, Eniko Sonkoly, Liv Eidsmo, Peter Bergman, Josefin Lysell
Summary: Increased presence of IL-22(+) cells in the skin is a characteristic finding in skin barrier defects. In this study, reduced levels of peptidylarginine deiminase 1, an enzyme that converts peptidylarginine into citrulline, were observed in lesional psoriatic skin. IL-22 signaling was shown to suppress the expression of peptidylarginine deiminase 1 in epidermal keratinocytes, leading to a decrease in deimination of important proteins for epidermal differentiation. Vitamin D and acitretin partially restored the defect caused by IL-22. These findings identify a potential target for treatment of skin barrier defects.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geography
Jan Daniel
Summary: This paper expands the discussion on the inclusiveness of the history of geography by linking the study of geographical knowledge to the concept of regional assemblage, using post-war Czechoslovakia as an example. The analysis of regional assemblage helps reconstruct the process of conceptualization and role of a 'good' region. The concept of assemblage allows for analyzing the limits of geographical knowledge in concrete time and space.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ulrich Laufs, Alberico Luigi Catapano, Raffaele De Caterina, Francois Schiele, Alessandro Sionis, Azfar Zaman, J. Wouter Jukema
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of the ESC/EAS 2019 dyslipidaemia guidelines on lipid-lowering therapy in ACS patients. Results showed that lipid testing was performed earlier in 2022 compared to 2018, and there was an increase in testing for non-HDL-C, lipoprotein(a), and ApoB. Majority of patients were receiving lipid-lowering therapy at discharge and there was a higher proportion of patients receiving statin plus ezetimibe combination therapy in 2022. LDL-C levels were lower in 2022 and more patients achieved LDL-C goals.
VASCULAR PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Manuel C. Olma, Serdar Tutuncu, Cornelia Fiessler, Claudia Kunze, Michael Kraemer, Lena Steindorf-Sabath, Muhammad Jawad-Ul-Qamar, Paulus Kirchhof, Ulrich Laufs, Johannes Schurig, Peter Kraft, Joachim Roether, Albrecht Guenther, Goetz Thomalla, Boris Dimitrijeski, Darius G. Nabavi, Roland Veltkamp, Peter U. Heuschmann, Karl Georg Haeusler, Matthias Endres
Summary: This study aims to analyze the frequency and type of abnormal ECG findings, subsequent changes in medical treatment, and their association with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The results show that systematic in-hospital Holter ECG reveals abnormal findings in 1 of 5 patients with acute stroke, and mortality was lower at 24 months in patients with systematic ECG recording in the hospital.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Stephan Stoebe, Joscha Kandels, Michael Metze, Bhupendar Tayal, Ulrich Laufs, Andreas Hagendorff
Summary: This study evaluated the prognostic value of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), diastolic dysfunction, and right ventricular (RV) load in patients with moderate aortic valve stenosis (AS). The presence of 2 or more pathophysiological changes was found to be a strong predictor of worse outcomes in terms of aortic valve area, pressure gradient, longitudinal strain, and survival without aortic valve replacement.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Erik S. G. Stroes, Harold E. Bays, Maciej Banach, Alberico L. Catapano, P. Barton Duell, Ulrich Laufs, G. B. John Mancini, Kausik K. Ray, William J. Sasiela, Yang Zhang, Antonio M. Gotto
Summary: This study demonstrates that bempedoic acid can reduce hsCRP levels in patients at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The changes in hsCRP and LDL-C are related, but the effect of bempedoic acid on hsCRP is independent of LDL-C lowering.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jannis Stader, Marios Antoniadis, Matti Ussat, Rolf Wachter, Daniel Lavall, Michael Metze, Martin Neef, Christian Spies, Ulrich Laufs, Karsten Lenk
Summary: This study compared the novel method of Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR) with the established invasive measurements of coronary blood flow using Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio (iFR) or Resting Full-cycle Ratio (RFR) in daily cathlab routine. The results showed a significant correlation between QFR and iFR or RFR, with QFR measurement requiring less time and lower radiation dose.
CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS
(2023)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Romy Gessner, Christiane Gaertner, Maria Schmidt, Felix Eckelt, Kerstin Wirkner, Markus Loeffler, Tobias Uhe, Berend Isermann, Ulrich Laufs, Thorsten Kaiser, Rolf Wachter
Summary: This study aims to systematically examine the differences between in-hospital patients with no diagnosed cardiac diseases and a population-based cohort. Retrospective analyses were performed in two independent cohorts, revealing that male sex and older age were associated with higher serum concentrations of hs-cTnT in hospitalized patients compared to the population-based cohort. These findings suggest that age, sex, and hospitalization itself are correlated with elevated hs-cTnT concentrations.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Martin Schulz, Ulrich Laufs
Summary: Primary medication non-adherence refers to the failure to fill a first prescription for a new medication. This aspect of reduced effectiveness of pharmacotherapy is often overlooked but significant. This review investigates the prevalence, impact, reasons, predictors, and interventions related to primary non-adherence to cardiovascular/cardiometabolic drugs. Current literature shows a high prevalence of primary non-adherence, with the overall rate exceeding 10%. Understanding the reasons behind patients' reluctance to follow evidence-based pharmacotherapy and implementing targeted interventions could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular diseases.
CLINICAL RESEARCH IN CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Arnold von Eckardstein, Winfried Maerz, Ulrich Laufs
Summary: Many studies have found that low levels of HDL-C are associated with an increased risk of ASCVD, but clinical trials have not shown any benefit in preventing ASCVD events by drugs that increase HDL-C levels. Genetic studies also do not support a causal role for HDL-C in cardiovascular risk. The interpretation of previous data has important limitations, and further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between HDL and ASCVD.
DEUTSCHE MEDIZINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Paulina Elena Stuerzebecher, Adrienn Tuennemann-Tarr, Katja Tuppatsch, Ulrich Laufs
Summary: This study assessed the lipid management in high and very high cardiovascular risk patients and found that only a minority of patients adhere to the LDL-C goals as recommended by the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines. This indicates opportunities for improvement in cardiovascular disease prevention in Germany.
DEUTSCHE MEDIZINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Michael Metze, Stephan Stoebe, Dietrich Pfeiffer, Andreas Hagendorff, Ulrich Laufs, Karsten Lenk
Summary: This case describes a 71-year-old male patient with end stage heart failure and severe mitral regurgitation who underwent percutaneous indirect mitral annuloplasty. During the procedure, the circumflex artery was compromised at two anatomic locations, but the mitral regurgitation was effectively reduced. A stent implantation was chosen as a bailout strategy to prevent artery damage and maintain the reduction in mitral regurgitation. While stent implantation in this setting is off label use and requires critical evaluation, it has been successful in similar clinical cases.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vivien Henschke, Konstanze Hild, Erik Schilling, Jan Haas, Vanina Filipova, Stephan Erbe, Roman Konig, Judith M. Hubschen, Ulrich Laufs, Claudia Claus, Jes-Niels Boeckel
Summary: Rubella virus (RuV) infection during pregnancy can cause abortion, stillbirth, and embryonic defects, leading to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The molecular mechanisms of RuV-induced damage to placental endothelial cells (EC) and its control on EC function were investigated. The study found that RuV can infect EC, inducing the production of antiviral interferons and CXCL10, which inhibit angiogenesis and migration of EC.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Klaus G. Parhofer, Ulrich Laufs
Summary: The treatment of dyslipidemias is crucial for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Evaluation of lipid status and monitoring of treatment effects can guide therapy. The main goal is to lower LDL-cholesterol through lifestyle changes and medication.
DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Ulrich Laufs, Matthias Blueher, Berend Isermann
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Francois Schiele, Alberico L. Catapano, Raffaele De Caterina, Ulrich Laufs, J. Wouter Jukema, Azfar Zaman, Alessandro Sionis
Summary: We conducted quality control of lipid-lowering therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome in order to propose corrective actions. Using data from the ACS EuroPath IV survey, we measured the attainment of two quality indicators related to the treatment, and proposed corrective measures to increase the attainment rate.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL-ACUTE CARDIOVASCULAR CARE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lea Schwarzkopf, Petra Buettner, Karl Scholtyssek, Thomas Schroeter, Ruth Hiller, Gerhard Hindricks, Andreas Bollmann, Ulrich Laufs, Laura Ueberham
Summary: This study found that c-kitpos cells are common in the left atrial appendage (LAA) of cardiovascular patients, with a relatively homogenous distribution throughout the LAA. The LAA could be considered a suitable source for extracting autologous cardiac progenitor cells in living human patients.
