Intramyocardial transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells for chronic myocardial ischemia and impaired left ventricular function: Results of the MESAMI 1 pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: The MESAMI 1 trial was a bicentric pilot study designed to test the feasibility and safety of intramyocardially injected autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for the treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study included 10 patients with chronic myocardial ischemia, left ventricular (LV) ejection fractions (EFs) of ≤35%, and reversible perfusion defects who were on stable optimal medical therapy and were not candidates for revascularization. MSCs (mean: 61.5×10(6) cells per patient) were injected into 10-16 viable sites at the border of the LV scar via a NOGA-guided catheter. Both primary endpoints, feasibility (successful harvest, expansion, and injection of autologous MSCs) and safety (absence of severe adverse events [SAEs]) were met in all 10 patients at the 1-month follow-up time point, and none of the SAEs reported during the full 2-year follow-up period were attributable to the study intervention. The results of secondary efficacy endpoint analyses identified significant improvements from baseline to Month 12 in LVEF (29.4±2.0% versus 35.7±2.5%; p=0.003), LV end-systolic volume (167.8±18.8mL versus 156.1±28.6mL; p=0.04), 6-min walk test and NYHA functional class. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that autologous MSCs can be safely administered to the hearts of patients with severe, chronic, reversible myocardial ischemia and impaired cardiac function and may be associated with improvements in cardiac performance, LV remodeling, and patient functional status. A randomized, double blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trial (MESAMI 2) will evaluate the efficacy of this treatment approach in a larger patient population. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Unique identifier: NCT01076920.

Thixotropic organogels based on a simple N-hydroxyalkyl amide: rheological and aging properties.

The thixotropic properties ofthermoreversible organogels composed ofN-3-hydroxypropyl dodecanamide and various apolar fluids have been investigated by X-ray scattering, light microscopy, and rheo-optics experiments. This revealed that gel formation occurs via a precipitation process. Depending upon the cooling rate, large interconnected aggregates are formed and induce an elastic behavior. When submitted to a shear flow, these aggregates disentangled and became aligned in the direction of the velocity. Nevertheless, shear does not alter the structure of the individual aggregate and connections between the aggregates are quickly rebuilt due to gravity and thermal fluctuations when the applied flow is stopped. The alignment under flow and the reformation of the connections after the cessation of the shear induces the thixotropic behavior.

[Detection of preclinical Cushing's syndrome in overweight type 2 diabetic patients]. / Detección de síndrome de Cushing preclínico en pacientes con sobrepeso y diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

Preclinical Cushing's syndrome (PCS) is a condition in which cortisol excess is not associated to clinical features of Cushing's syndrome. The aim of this study was to detect PCS in 48 ambulatory overweight type 2 diabetic patients (DM). Controls were 40 normoglycemic obese (Ob) and 36 normo-weight healthy subjects (N). In DM (47/48) total urinary cortisol (UF) levels were similar to those found in Ob and N. Evening urinary cortisol (Spot F) was significantly higher than either Ob (p: 0.0001) or N (p: 0.03), although values did not overcome the upper normal limit (44 ng/mg creatinine). False positive results to the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test were found in 31% and 22% of DM and Ob, respectively. In a DM female an elevated UF and Spot F associated to absence of cortisol inhibition to the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test was repeatedly detected. Diagnosis of PCS was performed. Remission of hypercorticism and glycemic control were achieved after pituitary surgery. It would be useful to screen DM patients with poor glycemic control for PCS.

[Pancreatic pseudocyst, Torulopsis glabrata primary infection. Report of a case]. / Pseudoquiste de páncreas, infección primaria por Torulopsis glabrata. Reporte de un caso.

BACKGROUND: T. glabrata is a saprophyte fungus that has been considered in the past years to be a pathologic agent in the pancreatic pseudocyst. Only three cases have been reported in the world literature. OBJECTIVE: To present a new case of a patient with pancreatic pseudocyst whose primary cause of infection and sepsis was Torulopsis glabrata and to analyze the possible factors that produced the infection. In the same manner, a review of the cases on literature to date was conducted. CASE REPORT: We present the clinical evolution of a post surgical patient with conventional cholecystectomy with biliary duct exploration and biliary duct derivation secondary to choledocholithiasis. This patient developed acute pancreatitis days after an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was carried out. The patient received wide-range antibiotics and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Later, the patient's case was complicated with pancreatic pseudocyst that was act diagnosed and managed initially with antifungus therapy due to an asymptomatic stage and a late report for T. glabrata. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatobiliary duct instrumentation, in the same manner, prolonged therapy with wide-spectrum antibiotics and with TPN an with the means that had associated as risk factors for T. glabrata infection. Therefore, this fungus could have changed its biologic behavior from commensal to pathogenic. A potentially pathogenic agent in patients receiving this type of therapy and who have pancreatic pseudocyst must be considered to recognize these in the initial stages and begin therapy.

Detección de síndrome de Cushing preclínico en pacientes con sobrepeso y diabetes mellitus tipo 2. / [Detection of preclinical Cushings syndrome in overweight type 2 diabetic patients]

Preclinical Cushings syndrome (PCS) is a condition in which cortisol excess is not associated to clinical features of Cushings syndrome. The aim of this study was to detect PCS in 48 ambulatory overweight type 2 diabetic patients (DM). Controls were 40 normoglycemic obese (Ob) and 36 normo-weight healthy subjects (N). In DM (47/48) total urinary cortisol (UF) levels were similar to those found in Ob and N. Evening urinary cortisol (Spot F) was significantly higher than either Ob (p: 0.0001) or N (p: 0.03), although values did not overcome the upper normal limit (44 ng/mg creatinine). False positive results to the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test were found in 31

and 22

of DM and Ob, respectively. In a DM female an elevated UF and Spot F associated to absence of cortisol inhibition to the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test was repeatedly detected. Diagnosis of PCS was performed. Remission of hypercorticism and glycemic control were achieved after pituitary surgery. It would be useful to screen DM patients with poor glycemic control for PCS.

Comparison of high-frequency jet to conventional mechanical ventilation in the treatment of severe smoke inhalation injury.

The pathophysiology of smoke inhalation includes surfactant inhibition and pulmonary vascular injury leading to a high permeability pulmonary oedema. It has been shown in surfactant deficient animal models that methods of ventilation (i.e. high-frequency ventilation - HFV) avoiding a large pressure excursion (i.e. pressure change from end expiration to peak inspiration) improves oxygenation and decreases hyaline membrane formation. Therefore, we compared HFV with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) on lung function in an acute animal model of smoke inhalation (SI). Mongrel dogs were anaesthetized, surgically prepared for haemodynamic and blood gas monitoring, and placed on either CMV (n = 6) or HFV (n = 7). Following baseline (BL) measurements both groups were ventilated with wood smoke for 10 min. Ventilator settings were not adjusted from baseline following smoke inhalation in either groups; positive and expiratory pressure (PEEP, approximately 6 mmHg) was added in both groups following smoke exposure. At the conclusion of the study (4 h postsmoke inhalation) lung samples were taken for surfactant function and lung water measurements. Smoke inhalation immediately increased the A-a gradient (CMV-BL = 6.9 +/- 2.4 to CMV-SI = 77.3 +/- 1.9; HFV-BL = 10.5 +/- 2.7; HFV-SI = 72.8 +/- 3.7 mmHg), venous admixture (CMV-BL = 6.9 +/- 2.8 to CMV-SI 69.8 +/- 6.6; HFV-BL = 7 +/- 1.7 to HFV-SI = 60.4 +/- 7.9 per cent) and decreased Pao2 (CMV-BL = 110 +/- 3.4 to CMV-SI = 28 +/- 3.5; HFV-BL = 103 +/- 3.6 to HFV-SI = 31 +/- 1.7 mmHg) to a similar level in both groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Specular microscopy in the diagnosis of the iridocorneal endothelial syndrome]. / Apport de la microscopie spéculaire dans le diagnostic du syndrome endothélial irido-cornéen.

Irido-corneal endothelial syndrome regroups three disorders including: endotheliopathy, peripheral anterior synechiae and iris changes. According to the aspect of these abnormalities, three syndromes are described: essential iris atrophy, Chandler's syndrome and iris naevus (Cogan-Reese) syndrome. Endothelial changes studied by specular microscopy are typical: in early stages, a rounding off cell angles and intracellular blackout areas can be seen; in former stages, black out areas increase and there is a disruption of the regular mosaic. These features are a major point for differential diagnosis. We present six cases reports among which three where effectively diagnosed as iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and three were not.