CARDIOCARE: An integrated platform for the management of elderly multimorbid patients with breast cancer therapy induced cardiac toxicity.

Breast cancer (BC) remains the most diagnosed cancer in women, accounting for 12% of new annual cancer cases in Europe and worldwide. Advances in surgery, radiotherapy and systemic treatment have resulted in improved clinical outcomes and increased survival rates in recent years. However, BC therapy-related cardiotoxicity, may severely impact short- and long-term quality of life and survival. This study presents the CARDIOCARE platform and its main components, which by integrating patient-specific data from different categories, data from patient-oriented eHealth applications and wearable devices, and by employing advanced data mining and machine learning approaches, provides the healthcare professionals with a valuable tool for effectively managing BC patients and preventing or alleviating treatment induced cardiotoxicity.Clinical Relevance- Through the adoption of CARDIOCARE platform healthcare professionals are able to stratify patients for their risk for cardiotoxicity and timely apply adequate interventions to prevent its onset.

Genome-wide association study of recurrent major depressive disorder in two European case-control cohorts.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent disorder with substantial heritability. Heritability has been shown to be substantial and higher in the variant of MDD characterized by recurrent episodes of depression. Genetic studies have thus far failed to identify clear and consistent evidence of genetic risk factors for MDD. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in two independent datasets. The first GWAS was performed on 1022 recurrent MDD patients and 1000 controls genotyped on the Illumina 550 platform. The second was conducted on 492 recurrent MDD patients and 1052 controls selected from a population-based collection, genotyped on the Affymetrix 5.0 platform. Neither GWAS identified any SNP that achieved GWAS significance. We obtained imputed genotypes at the Illumina loci for the individuals genotyped on the Affymetrix platform, and performed a meta-analysis of the two GWASs for this common set of approximately half a million SNPs. The meta-analysis did not yield genome-wide significant results either. The results from our study suggest that SNPs with substantial odds ratio are unlikely to exist for MDD, at least in our datasets and among the relatively common SNPs genotyped or tagged by the half-million-loci arrays. Meta-analysis of larger datasets is warranted to identify SNPs with smaller effects or with rarer allele frequencies that contribute to the risk of MDD.

Epidemiological investigations following an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Greece.

Epidemiological investigations were conducted following an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) which occurred in the state of Epirus, northwestern Greece, in July and August 1983. A total of 8 patients were hospitalized during the outbreak; 3 were severely ill and 1 died. A serosurvey made in May 1984 sampled 184 of the approximately 400 residents of the village of Tsepelovo, where 4 patients resided, and found 12 (6.5%) persons, including convalescent sera from 4 patients, with antihantaviral antibody by immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) tests. Small mammal collections found house rats common in the village, but none exhibited anti-hantaviral antibody. Collections in nearby fields and mountains found Apodemus flavicollis rodents common, and 2 (6%) of 33 captured had high IFA anti-hantavirus antibody. Virus isolation attempts from rodent tissues were unsuccessful. Testing of convalescent patients' sera by IFA and plaque reduction neutralization tests indicated that the etiological agent was neither Puumala virus nor Seoul virus, but appears to be a strain of Hantaan virus or perhaps a new virus. The rodent host of this virus may be A. flavicollis, and the distribution of this species corresponds with previously reported cases of severe HFRS described elsewhere in central Europe.

Biosynthesis and degradation of hyaluronan by nonparenchymal liver cells during liver regeneration.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and endothelial cells of the liver sinusoids synthesize and degrade hyaluronan, respectively. The roles of these cell types in the biosynthesis and degradation of hyaluronan were studied during regeneration following partial hepatectomy. Pure cultures of HSC and liver endothelial cells (LEC) were obtained from regenerating liver at different stages using a Nycodenz gradient followed by discontinuous Percoll gradient. The HSC that established 3 or 4 days after partial hepatectomy synthesized large amounts of hyaluronan when cultured in the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS) or platelet-derived growth factor B-chain homodimer (PDGF)-BB. These cells, as well as LEC, expressed active PDGF beta-receptors. Furthermore, the ability of LEC to degrade hyaluronan was decreased at early stages of liver regeneration. The increased synthesis of hyaluronan by HSC and the failure of LEC to catabolize the polysaccharide resulted in elevated hyaluronan concentrations in the blood.

Deep sinus aspergillosis in a liver transplant recipient successfully treated with a combination of caspofungin and voriconazole.

We describe the rare case of a diabetic patient who was successfully treated for cytomegalovirus viremia and leishmaniasis following liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis, but also developed invasive sinus Aspergillus infection, while still on liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome). The patient refused radical surgery including eye enucleation, and received a combination of intravenous caspofungin and voriconazole, along with repeated, conservative, local surgical debridement. At follow-up, 15 months after the onset of sinusitis, the patient remains culture-negative, fully active, and without evidence of local recurrence.

Bronchodilatory responses to formoterol, ipratropium, and their combination in patients with stable COPD.

We studied 27 patients with stable chronic obstuctive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a randomised, single-blind, within-patient, placebo-controlled clinical study. Each patient was assigned on six separate days to receive one of the following drug regimens in random order: A. 40 micrograms ipratropium bromide (Atrovent MDI, 20 micrograms/puff) plus 2 puffs placebo; B. 12 micrograms formoterol fumarate (Foradil MDI, 12 micrograms/puff) plus 3 puffs placebo; C. 80 micrograms ipratropium; D. 24 micrograms formoterol plus 2 puffs placebo; E. 12 micrograms formoterol plus 40 micrograms ipratropium plus 1 puff placebo; F. 4 puffs placebo. On each study day, spirometric indices and vital signs were measured at 5, 10, 15 and 60 minutes, and hourly thereafter up to and including 12 hours after study drug administration. Mean peak FEV1 change (primary endpoint) was maximum with the administration of the combination of ipratropium and formoterol (335.2 ml, SE 24.6), and it differed significantly from the observed peak changes following single administration of the two tested doses of ipratropium (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05 respectively). Safety and tolerability were satisfactory throughout the study.

Outbreak of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Greece.

An outbreak of eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in North-West Greece is presented. The major clinical manifestation was fever and all patients subsequently developed decreased renal function and proteinuria. The disease was diagnosed by rising antibody titers to the Hantaan virus.

Global survey of antibody to Hantaan-related viruses among peridomestic rodents.

A global serological survey of rodents was conducted to determine the distribution and prevalence of antibody to Hantaan-related viruses, which are the causative agents of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in man. Over 1700 rodent sera from more than 20 sites worldwide were examined by immunofluorescent antibody assay. High-titred positive sera were further tested by plaque reduction neutralization tests with prototype Hantaan virus and urban rat-associated Hantaan-like virus. Antibody-positive rodents were found in most, but not all, sites sampled. The highest antibody prevalence rates were found in Baltimore, MD, USA and Bélem, Brazil, and Rattus norvegicus was the species most often found positive. Bandicota indica and B. bengalensis, species previously not recognized as hosts of hantaviruses, were also positive. Neutralization tests detected antibody in Rattus sera specific for urban rat-associated Hantaan-like virus, but failed to establish the specificity of antibody in Bandicota sera. These results indicate that Hantaan-related viruses exist beyond the currently recognized boundaries of HFRS in man and suggest that human HFRS-like disease might be occurring in other areas of the world where rodent-human contact is common.