18 research outputs found
Heritability of chronic venous disease
Varicose veins without skin changes have a prevalence of approximately 20% in Northern and Western Europe whereas advanced chronic venous insufficiency affects about 3% of the population. Genetic risk factors are thought to play an important role in the aetiology of both these chronic venous diseases (CVD). We evaluated the relative genetic and environmental impact upon CVD risk by estimating the heritability of the disease in 4,033 nuclear families, comprising 16,434 individuals from all over Germany. Upon clinical examination, patients were classified according to the CEAP guidelines as either C2 (simple varicose veins), C3 (oedema), C4 (skin changes without ulceration), C5 (healed ulceration), or C6 (active ulcers). The narrow-sense heritability (h2) of CVD equals 17.3% (standard error 2.5%, likelihood ratio test P = 1.4 × 10−13). The proportion of disease risk attributable to age (at ascertainment) and sex, the two main risk factors for CVD, was estimated as 10.7% (Kullback–Leibler deviance R2). The heritability of CVD is high, thereby suggesting a notable genetic component in the aetiology of the disease. Systematic population-based searches for CVD susceptibility genes are therefore warranted
Wo bitte geht's zur Rechenzeit? - Evolution der Rechenzeit-Vergabeverfahren am Jülich Supercomputing Centre
Soluble CD163: A novel biomarker for the susceptibility to sepsis in severe burn injuries
Objective: Soluble CD163 (sCD163) has been previously shown to play a
role in inflammatory and infectious diseases. This study, for the first
time, investigates the characteristics and potential values of sCD163
in burn patients. A first look is taken on the changes of sCD163 levels
in burn patients by comparing predefined subgroups at single time
points. Materials and Methods: Serum samples of 18 patients with burn
injuries were collected for biochemical analysis at the time of
admission and in a chronological sequence of 12, 24, 48 and 120 h after
the injury and were matched to clinical parameters. Statistical
analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test, Wilcoxon signed
rank and Pearson bivariate correlation. Results: Patients with sepsis
showed a significant increase of sCD163 levels. sCD163 was correlated
with leukocytes (P=0.035) over the time course of 120 h. Patients
characterized by a burn size exceeding 25% of the total body surface
area (TBSA) showed a significant increase of sCD163 between 12 and 48 h
after burn injury (P=0.038). Conclusions: The first view on the
characteristics of sCD163 in the serum of burn patients points out that
sCD163 seems to be an early indicator for the susceptibility to sepsis.
Furthermore, the changes in sCD163 serum levels within the first hours
after burn trauma have great potential for early prediction of organ
failure after burn injury