AIDS in the Netherlands, clinical and microbiological data in 36 cases

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Features of (reverse) remodeling in heart failure

The heart of end stage heart failure patients was the subject of this study. On tissue level the remodeling proces, developing in progressive heart failure, is characterized by hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and interstitial fibrosis. During mechanical support 'reverse' remodeling is observed with (partial) normalisation of cardiomyocytes and extracellular matrix. The aim of this study was to obtain biological parameters giving information about the (reverse) remodeling status of the diseased myocardium and the possibility to influence these processes successfully

Sequential tests for gene–environment interactions in matched case–control studies

The sample size necessary to detect a significant gene × environment interaction in an observational study can be large. For reasons of cost-effectiveness and efficient use of available biological samples we investigated the properties of sequential designs in matched case–control studies to test for both nonhierarchical and hierarchical interactions. We derived the test statistics Z and V and their characteristics when applied in a two-sided triangular test. Results of simulations show good agreement with theoretical values for V and the type I error. Power values were larger than their theoretical values for very large sample sizes. Median gain in effciency was about 27 per cent. For a ‘rare’ phenotype gain in efficiency was larger when the alternative hypothesis was true than under the null hypothesis. Sequential designs lead to substantial efficiency gains in tests for interaction in matched case–control studies

Pretreatment but not treatment with probiotics abolishes mouse intestinal barrier dysfunction in acute pancreatitis.

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Interobserver variability between general and expert pathologists during the histopathological assessment of large-core needle and open biopsies of non-palpable breast lesions

The purpose of this study was to assess whether general pathologists are able to make as accurate and reproducible a diagnosis on large-core needle biopsies as on open breast biopsy specimens. A total of 688 patients underwent a stereotactic large-core (14G) needle biopsy and subsequent surgical excision of 718 non-palpable breast lesions. Forty-two pathologists from 10 departments of pathology (generalists) made a diagnosis on both the needle and open biopsy specimens. Afterwards, three pathologists and two radiologists with extensive experience in breast pathology (experts) diagnosed all of the biopsy specimens. The general pathologists made a similar histological diagnosis as the experts in 632 (88%) of the needle biopsies and 649 (90%) of the open biopsy specimens. Accordingly, the interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of large-core needle biopsies between the general and experts pathologists was excellent (kappa 0.83) and not significantly different from the interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of open breast biopsies (kappa 0.86). However, many inconsistencies were observed in the category of borderline lesions: only 24% of the large-core needle biopsies and 43% of the open biopsies with an expert diagnosis of 'borderline' were diagnosed similarly by the general pathologists. Additionally, the risk of benign/malignant inconsistencies between general pathologists and experts was approximately 1 in 55 for both needle and open biopsies

Leflunomide as part of the treatment for multidrug-resistant cytomegalovirus disease after lung transplantation: case report and review of the literature

Immunobiology of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy of hematological disease