8 research outputs found

    Effect of allopurinol in addition to hypothermia treatment in neonates for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on neurocognitive outcome (ALBINO): Study protocol of a blinded randomized placebo-controlled parallel group multicenter trial for superiority (phase III)

    Get PDF
    Background: Perinatal asphyxia and resulting hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a major cause of death and long-term disability in term born neonates. Up to 20,000 infants each year are affected by HIE in Europe and even more in regions with lower level of perinatal care. The only established therapy to improve outcome in these infants is therapeutic hypothermia. Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that reduces the production of oxygen radicals as superoxide, which contributes to secondary energy failure and apoptosis in neurons and glial cells after reperfusion of hypoxic brain tissue and may further improve outcome if administered in addition to therapeutic hypothermia. Methods: This study on the effects of ALlopurinol in addition to hypothermia treatment for hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury on Neurocognitive Outcome (ALBINO), is a European double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled parallel group multicenter trial (Phase III) to evaluate the effect of postnatal allopurinol administered in addition to standard of care (including therapeutic hypothermia if indicated) on the incidence of death and severe neurodevelopmental impairment at 24 months of age in newborns with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult and signs of potentially evolving encephalopathy. Allopurinol or placebo will be given in addition to therapeutic hypothermia (where indicated) to infants with a gestational age 65 36 weeks and a birth weight 65 2500 g, with severe perinatal asphyxia and potentially evolving encephalopathy. The primary endpoint of this study will be death or severe neurodevelopmental impairment versus survival without severe neurodevelopmental impairment at the age of two years. Effects on brain injury by magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral ultrasound, electric brain activity, concentrations of peroxidation products and S100B, will also be studied along with effects on heart function and pharmacokinetics of allopurinol after iv-infusion. Discussion: This trial will provide data to assess the efficacy and safety of early postnatal allopurinol in term infants with evolving hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. If proven efficacious and safe, allopurinol could become part of a neuroprotective pharmacological treatment strategy in addition to therapeutic hypothermia in children with perinatal asphyxia. Trial registration: NCT03162653, www.ClinicalTrials.gov, May 22, 2017

    Non-transferrin-bound iron is associated with plasma level of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 but not with in vivo low-density lipoprotein oxidation.

    No full text
    BACKGROUND: Excess body iron is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, possibly via non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI)-mediated enhancement of inflammation and oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). METHODS: We assessed this proposed atherosclerotic mechanism of body iron by determining the relationship of levels of serum iron parameters, including NTBI, with plasma markers of inflammation and LDL oxidation in 232 subjects who visited the outpatient clinic for hemochromatosis family screening. RESULTS: Plasma level of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) was positively related to ferritin (standardized beta coefficient 0.16) and to NTBI (0.185) and negatively to total iron-binding capacity (TIBC, -0.166). Significant higher levels of sICAM-1 were found for subjects in the highest quartile of NTBI compared to the lowest quartile of NTBI (122 microg/L (107-141) and 106 microg/L (89-125), median (interquartile range), p<0.001). Odds ratio of subjects having sICAM-1 level above 134 microg/L (75th percentile) in the highest and lowest quartile of NTBI amounted 2.3. White blood cell count was positively related to ferritin (0.149). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, oxidized LDL, oxidized LDL/apolipoprotein B and IgG and IgM antibodies to oxidized LDL were not related to any of the markers of iron status. CONCLUSION: Excess body iron, reflected by elevated serum ferritin and NTBI and decreased TIBC, is associated with increased plasma level of sICAM-1 but not with markers of in vivo LDL oxidation

    Serum non-transferrin-bound iron and low-density lipoprotein oxidation in heterozygous hemochromatosis.

    No full text
    Contains fulltext : 49852.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) is implicated in lipid peroxidation but the relation with oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is not known. We assessed variables reflecting in vitro and in vivo LDL oxidation in two age- and sex-matched groups (n=23) of hereditary hemochromatosis heterozygotes (C282Y), characterized by a clear difference in mean serum NTBI (1.55+/-0.57 micromol/L vs 3.70+/-0.96 micromol/L). Plasma level of oxidized LDL (absolute and relative to plasma apolipoprotein B), and IgG and IgM antibodies to oxidized LDL, markers of in vivo LDL oxidation, did not differ between the groups with low and high serum NTBI. Mean lag-phase of in vitro LDL oxidation was also not significantly different between both study groups. Conclusion: these findings do not support the hypothesis that NTBI promotes oxidative modification of plasma LDL

    In vitro induction of trained immunity in adherent human monocytes

    No full text
    A growing number of studies show that innate immune cells can undergo functional reprogramming, facilitating a faster and enhanced response to heterologous secondary stimuli. This concept has been termed "trained immunity." We outline here a protocol to recapitulate this in vitro using adherent monocytes from consecutive isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The induction of trained immunity and the associated functional reprogramming of monocytes is described in detail using ÎČ-glucan (from Candida albicans) and Bacillus Calmette-GuĂ©rin as examples. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Repnik et al. (2003) and Bekkering et al. (2016)

    Complement Activation in the Disease Course of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Its Effects on Clinical Outcomes

    No full text
    BACKGROUND: Excessive activation of immune responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered to be related to disease severity, complications, and mortality rate. The complement system is an important component of innate immunity and can stimulate inflammation, but its role in COVID-19 is unknown. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal, single center study was performed in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Plasma concentrations of complement factors C3a, C3c, and terminal complement complex (TCC) were assessed at baseline and during hospital admission. In parallel, routine laboratory and clinical parameters were collected from medical files and analyzed. RESULTS: Complement factors C3a, C3c, and TCC were significantly increased in plasma of patients with COVID-19 compared with healthy controls (P < .05). These complement factors were especially elevated in intensive care unit patients during the entire disease course (P < .005 for C3a and TCC). More intense complement activation was observed in patients who died and in those with thromboembolic events. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 demonstrate activation of the complement system, which is related to disease severity. This pathway may be involved in the dysregulated proinflammatory response associated with increased mortality rate and thromboembolic complications. Components of the complement system might have potential as prognostic markers for disease severity and as therapeutic targets in COVID-19

    The H-Pd (hydrogen-palladium) System

    No full text
    corecore