28 research outputs found
Interleukin 6, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and interleukin 10 in the prediction of risk and etiologic patterns in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: results from the German competence network CAPNETZ
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of our study was to investigate the predictive value of the biomarkers interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) compared with clinical CRB and CRB-65 severity scores in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Samples and data were obtained from patients enrolled into the German CAPNETZ study group. Samples (blood, sputum and urine) were collected within 24 h of first presentation and inclusion in the CAPNETZ study, and CRB and CRB-65 scores were determined for all patients at the time of enrollment. The combined end point representative of a severe course of CAP was defined as mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit treatment and/or death within 30 days. Overall, a total of 1,000 patients were enrolled in the study. A severe course of CAP was observed in 105 (10.5%) patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The highest IL-6, IL-10 and LBP concentrations were found in patients with CRB-65 scores of 3-4 or CRB scores of 2-3. IL-6 and LBP levels on enrollment in the study were significantly higher for patients with a severe course of CAP than for those who did not have severe CAP. In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the area under the curve values for of IL-6 (0.689), IL-10 (0.665) and LPB (0.624) in a severe course of CAP were lower than that of CRB-65 (0.764) and similar to that of CRB (0.69). The accuracy of both CRB and CRB-65 was increased significantly by including IL-6 measurements. In addition, higher cytokine concentrations were found in patients with typical bacterial infections compared with patients with atypical or viral infections and those with infection of unknown etiology. LBP showed the highest discriminatory power with respect to the etiology of infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>IL-6, IL-10 and LBP concentrations were increased in patients with a CRB-65 score of 3-4 and a severe course of CAP. The concentrations of IL-6 and IL-10 reflected the severity of disease in patients with CAP. The predictive power of IL-6, IL-10 and LBP for a severe course of pneumonia was lower than that of CRB-65. Typical bacterial pathogens induced the highest LBP, IL-6 and IL-10 concentrations.</p
High resolution 3D imaging of living cells with sub-optical wavelength phonons
Label-free imaging of living cells below the optical diffraction limit poses great challenges for optical microscopy. Biologically relevant structural information remains below the Rayleigh limit and beyond the reach of conventional microscopes. Super-resolution techniques are typically based on the nonlinear and stochastic response of fluorescent labels which can be toxic and interfere with cell function. In this paper we present, for the first time, imaging of live cells using sub-optical wavelength phonons. The axial imaging resolution of our system is determined by the acoustic wavelength (λa = λprobe/2n) and not on the NA of the optics allowing sub-optical wavelength acoustic sectioning of samples using the time of flight. The transverse resolution is currently limited to the optical spot size. The contrast mechanism is significantly determined by the mechanical properties of the cells and requires no additional contrast agent, stain or label to image the cell structure. The ability to breach the optical diffraction limit to image living cells acoustically promises to bring a new suite of imaging technologies to bear in answering exigent questions in cell biology and biomedicine
Effectiveness of pure argon for renal transplant preservation in a preclinical pig model of heterotopic autotransplantation
Effects of alfacalcidol on circulating cytokines and growth factors in rat skeletal muscle
Abstract Supra-physiological levels of vitamin D induce
skeletal muscle atrophy, which may be particularly detrimental
in already sarcopaenic elderly. Neither the cause
nor whether the atrophy is fibre type specific are known. To
obtain supraphysiological levels of circulating vitamin D
(1,25(OH)2D3) 27.5-month-old female Fischer344 9 Brown
Norway F1 rats were orally treated for 6 weeks with
vehicle or the vitamin D analogue alfacalcidol. Alfacalcidol
treatment induced a 22% decrease in body mass and
17% muscle atrophy. Fibre atrophy was restricted to type
IIb fibres in the low-oxidative part of the gastrocnemius
medialis only (-22%; P\0.05). There was a concomitant
1.6-fold increase in mRNA expression of the ubiquitin
ligase MuRF-1 (P\0.001), whereas those of insulin-like
growth factor 1 and myostatin were not affected. Circulating
IL-6 was unaltered, but leptin and adiponectin were
decreased (-39%) and increased (64%), respectively. The
treated rats also exhibited a reduced food intake. In conclusion,
supraphysiological levels of circulating
1,25(OH)2D3 cause preferential atrophy of type IIb fibres,
which is associated with an increased expression of MuRF-
1 without evidence of systemic inflammation. The atrophy
and loss of body mass in the presence of supra-physiological
levels of vitamin D are primarily due to a reduced
food intake