The challenge to detect heart transplant rejection and transplant vasculopathy non-invasively - a pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cardiac allograft rejection and vasculopathy are the main factors limiting long-term survival after heart transplantation.</p> <p>In this pilot study we investigated whether non-invasive methods are beneficial to detect cardiac allograft rejection (Grade 03 R) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Thus we compared multi-slice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging with invasive methods like coronary angiography and left endomyocardial biopsy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>10 asymptomatic long-term survivors after heart transplantation (8 male, 2 female, mean age 52.1 ± 12 years, 73 ± 11 months after transplantation) were included. In a blinded fashion, coronary angiography and multi-slice computed tomography and ventricular endomyocardial biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging were compared against each other.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cardiac allograft vasculopathy and atherosclerosis were correctly detected by multi-slice computed tomography and coronary angiography with positive correlation (r = 1). Late contrast enchancement found by magnetic resonance imaging correlated positively (r = 0.92, r²= 0.85, p < 0.05) with the histological diagnosis of transplant rejection revealed by myocardial biopsy. None of the examined endomyocardial specimen revealed cardiac allograft rejection greater than Grade 1 R.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A combined non-invasive approach using multi-slice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging may help to assess cardiac allograft vasculopathy and cardiac allograft rejection after heart transplantation before applying more invasive methods.</p

Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung. Vierter Band 1972

Entwicklungen des Laienspiels; Die Farben des Wandervogel; Aspekte des Wandels der Sozialstrukutr bündischer Gruppen vor und nach dem 2. Weltkriege; Bündische Gruppen in Österreich; Bund der Köngener, Bund Deutscher Jugendvereine; Nachruf

Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung. Dritter Band 1971

Rückblicke auf die Historische Jugendbewegung bis 1933 und ihre Protagoniste

Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung. Erster Band

Das Archiv der deutschen Jugendbewegung dokumentiert seine Arbeit sowie die Beiträge von Tagungen seines Freundes- und Förderkreises. Im vorliegenden Band werden im Anschluss an eine grundsätzlich Klärung des Begriffes "Jugendbewegung" Verbindungen zwischen dieser mit der Musikpädagogik am Beispiel August Halms, mit der Kunst am Beispiel des Expressionismus sowie mit der Pädagogik am Beispiel Gustav Wynekens untersucht. Aus dem Archiv berichten der "Freundeskreis" und der wissenschaftliche Bearbeiter; außerdem werden das Kunstarchiv und der Nachlass von Eberhard Koebel-tusk vorgestellt. Abschließend werden die Neuerscheinungen der Jahre 1966 bis 1968 zum Thema "Jugendbewegung" aufgeführt

Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung. Zweiter Band 1970

Vorträge der Herbsttagung 1969 des Freundeskreises des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegun

Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung. Fünfter Band 1973

Rolf Gardiner; Alt-Wandervogel; Vom Jugendbund zum Lebensbund; Jugendbewegung und Arbeitsdienst; Wyneken und Spitteler; Karl Brügmann, Archiv der Jugendmusikbewegung; Archiv des Bayrischen Pfadfinderbunde

CELL-SELEX: Novel Perspectives of Aptamer-Based Therapeutics

Aptamers, single stranded DNA or RNA molecules, generated by a method called SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) have been widely used in various biomedical applications. The newly developed Cell-SELEX (cell based-SELEX) targeting whole living cells has raised great expectations for cancer biology, -therapy and regenerative medicine. Combining nanobiotechnology with aptamers, this technology opens the way to more sophisticated applications in molecular diagnosis. This paper gives a review of recent developments in SELEX technologies and new applications of aptamers

Human cardiac tissue in a microperfusion chamber simulating extracorporeal circulation - ischemia and apoptosis studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>After coronary artery bypass grafting ischemia/reperfusion injury inducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis may occur. This surgery-related inflammatory reaction appears to be of extreme complexity with regard to its molecular, cellular and tissue mechanisms and many studies have been performed on animal models. However, finding retrieved from animal studies were only partially confirmed in humans. To investigate this phenomenon and to evaluate possible therapies in vitro, adequate human cardiomyocyte models are required. We established a tissue model of human cardiomyocytes preserving the complex tissue environment. To our knowledge human cardiac tissue has not been investigated in an experimental setup mimicking extracorporeal circulation just in accordance to clinical routine, yet.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cardiac biopsies were retrieved from the right auricle of patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting before cardiopulmonary bypass. The extracorporeal circulation was simulated by submitting the biopsies to varied conditions simulating cardioplegia (cp) and reperfusion (rep) in a microperfusion chamber. Cp/rep time sets were 20/7, 40/13 and 60/20 min. For analyses of the calcium homoeostasis the fluorescent calcium ion indicator FURA-2 and for apoptosis detection PARP-1 cleavage immunostaining were employed. Further the anti-apoptotic effect of carvedilol [10 μM] was investigated by adding into the perfusate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Viable cardiomyocytes presented an intact calcium homoeostasis under physiologic conditions. Following cardioplegia and reperfusion a time-dependent elevation of cytosolic calcium as a sign of disarrangement of the calcium homoeostasis occurred. PARP-1 cleavage also showed a time-dependence whereas reperfusion had the highest impact on apoptosis. Cardioplegia and carvedilol could reduce apoptosis significantly, lowering it between 60-70% (p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our human cardiac preparation served as a reliable cellular model tool to study apoptosis in vitro. Decisively cardiac tissue from the right auricle can be easily obtained at nearly every cardiac operation avoiding biopsying of the myocardium or even experiments on animals.</p> <p>The apoptotic damage induced by the ischemia/reperfusion stimulus could be significantly reduced by the cold crystalloid cardioplegia. The additional treatment of cardiomyocytes with a non-selective β-blocker, carvedilol had even a significantly higher reduction of apoptotis.</p